Problems with my LifeBook N3510

I've had the N3510 for a couple of years. A few weeks ago my DVD drive stopped working. It doesn't power on when windows starts, doesn't show up under my computer, and it doesn't show up in Device Manager. Windows crashed on me and i had to reinstall, i used another laptop to reinstall windows on my hard drive, as i can't load windows using a USB drive i bought, everything worked well until i tried upgrading to SP2. It'll not work.

It gets to "Checking product key" and it stops. The windows Cd i have is legit, and it downloaded all of the SP1 security upgrades fine. now i am stuck with SP1, can't reinstall using Fujitsu's recovery disk since my DVD drive is dead, and Fujitsu's tech support was useless. Do you guys have any ideas??? Do you know where i can buy a DVD drive? does anybody know the part number, i don't feel like taking the laptop a part again to get it. or how to load SP2 (i need SP2 to install office)

thanks

 

fujitsu parts are costly and rare. you may try to find one on ebay for a better deal, if lucky.

Problem is the drive of fujitsu is shaped differently from standard one, just like the thinkpad series from IBM.

 

What drive is in there now, perhaps you could replace it.

 

if you copy of xp is legit, then you should be able to dl service pack 2 from microsoft's website. also, you can get an external drive.

to zaz, you cannot replace the n3500 series dvd drive with a standard slim drive b/c the front bezel is very uniquely shaped so that a normal drive would not fit.

 

You can cut a notch in the bezel. I've done it on some ThinkPads, though it's not for everyone.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. My XP copy is legit, but since I reinstalled windows using my dell it freaked out when I tried to upgrade to SP2 using the fujitsu. However, I took my dell DVD drive apart and to my surprise it fit in my fujitsu. The front face was sticking out, but it worked perfectly (dell drives can be found for $80-$100, where Fujitsu wanted $240). I reinstalled windows, and the computer is alive again.