Replacing Laptop DVD-RW

[Graham M]

Hi, I'm trying to replace the DVD-RW drive in my HP ZD8124EA (ZD8000 series) laptop with no success in actually removing the previous ones, I've removed all of the screws that could conceivably be anything to do with the DVD drive and it still won't budge!

Anyone have a clue?

Cheers!

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

smasaaaash iiiitttttttttt

Is it just stuck on the plug?

---------- Post added at 23:17 ---------- Previous post was at 23:15 ----------

i know its different but does this help??

http://docs.hp.com/en/A6961-96013/ch04s22.html

[Graham M]

Thanks for the thought but thats for a server, I've got it out now turns out the screw wasn't undoing enough! But it turns out it wasn't the DVD drive after all that! Windows Setup won't start, so I'm running Memtest now

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

i was aware it was for a server, just wondered if the pinching the front would help

[Graham M]

ah right thanks

[Bender]

most laptops have dvd unit drives that just slot in and out without the need to unscrew anything. usually, there is one, maybe 2 sprung thumb push parts that with release the unit, then it should slide out.

[Rob]

If windows setup (presumably from the CD/ DVD disk) won't start, and instead the PC is trying to boot from the Hard Disk first, you need to change the drive startup sequence in the BIOS.

Most manufacturers set the BIOS with the HD first. That's a real pain if you need to reload from a disk.

[damien c]

if you are trying to restore the laptop back to factory settings try pressing f12 i think it is and that should then restore from the, restoration partition on the laptops hdd.

if it wont then you would need to use the disk and as rob said, the manufacturers do set the bios to hdd as the first boot device so you would need to change it, if it then still wont boot from the cd you need to contact hp and speak to them if it is still under warranty.
because im pretty sure there will be a harware fault, somewhere so you would be coverd, just don't tell them that you have removed the dvd drive as that voids the warranty if i remember right, when i worked at comet a polish guy changed vista to a polish version and voided his warranty by doing that hp are not very kind to it's customers like that.

[Graham M]

Originally Posted by Rob

If windows setup (presumably from the CD/ DVD disk) won't start, and instead the PC is trying to boot from the Hard Disk first, you need to change the drive startup sequence in the BIOS.

Most manufacturers set the BIOS with the HD first. That's a real pain if you need to reload from a disk.

That's not the problem at all unfortunately, it comes up with

Press Any Key To Boot From CD...

So I do

Then it comes up saying

Setup is checking your system configuration (or something along those lines)

and then it goes blank :S I've run Memtest86 all the way through (Yes that CD boots!) for 40 minutes with no problem and Fedora 8 which is currently installed boots fine Also, I've just copied the contents of the XP CD onto the HD in Linux and that works too.

---------- Post added at 13:12 ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 ----------

Fixed it! Used Partition Magic to delete the Linux partitions and XP setup started up fine! I don't get it!