Compatible DVD ?

Hello,

I own a Satellite M45 S331 and my DVD has stopped working, so I need to buy a new one. I bought another one and although it was powered on it did not appear anywhere (Windows or BIOS). Is there a compatibility issue?
I looked through the Toshiba website but I couldnt find an answer and they dont have any contact email.

Can anyone please tell me what brand/type of DVD-WR I should get in order to replace my old one?

Thanks

 

Can you see the DVD drive in the BIOS - there's usually an option to list the hardware configuration. If not, this might be a master / slave / cable select issue.

Put your old burner back in and then look in Device Manager > IDE ATA / ATAPI Controllers and see if there are two devices sharing one channel. If so, you need to have a DVD driver that is set to be slave.

You can then look to see if the DVD drive manufacturer offers a different firmware version and provides instructions on how to change it.

John

 

No, I cannot see it in BIOS and I checked the master/slave thing. Is there a possibility that the new DVD is not compatible? It's an LG DVD.

I bought this laptop in the States some years ago and when I contacted my local Toshiba in my country they told me that you need to have the specific type of DVD to replace it. The price they asked was very high and so I'm thinking of buying an external DVDWR. But first I want to check if it is true that only specific internal DVDs can replace the old one, and if so, which are those.

 

Normally the optical drives are easily swappable other than the master / slave / cable select issue I already mentioned.

Occasionally computer manufacturers do program the BIOS to recognise only approved hardware, but this is unusual since it creates problems for themselves since they usually use components from several sources.

You can look around for a USB enclosure that is designed for notebook optical drives.

John