Spare IDE optical drive? (and other issues)

[ryanbatc]

Anyone have a spare IDE optical drive (preferably DVD burner) laying around?

I "aquired" a fairly old PC from a friend that I've been trying to format for a few hours but both of the drives seem to be shot. I mean, they work, but very very slowly. It's taking 20+ minutes to boot from the Windows setup CD (where it loads all the drivers, the blue screen etc etc).

The reason I want to format is because A) it was a college PC and has loads of gunk and nasty stuff on it, and B) it's running really sloooooow due to the above.

I don't have any that aren't being used lying around.... The ones in my wife's PC aren't very fast either (I think one still works, but not really haha) and I only have one drive in my PC.

Anyway else I can test to see if the drives are messed up? Maybe I'm just assuming they are slow because it's a circa 2003 PC. Still I don't recall it taking this long to install windows XP on an older PC.

Ideas?

[Duke{CLR}]

I have an old dell in my office with two optical drives I would be happy to send them to you. In exchange for jump seat privileges Fed Ex gives us a huge discount. I think it will be like $7.00 to send it to you so if you donate that to the lair they will be yours. PM me if you need any more information.

[ryanbatc]

You've got mail!

[WalkinTarget]

Both drives taking 20+ minutes to get the OS to the install point ?? Mannnn, you have other issues, as I'm thinking I've done XP installs on 32x CD drives that had the OS ready to begin loading in about 4 minutes tops.

Tried a new IDE cable ? Its not sharing the same channel as the hard drive, is it ? No need to use a DVD burner, or even DVD ... XP is a CD based disc.

[Dead...Again]

Duke is the man!

[baconoclock]

I might also have a spare. I'll take a look when i get home just in case.

[ryanbatc]

I have the spare drive covered, thanks Duke!

RE: the time - that's why I think its a drive issue. Plus they both make funny noises when there's a disc in hehe.

[Duke{CLR}]

LOl remember the noise from those 5.24" disks?

[ryanbatc]

Twas a while ago, but yes! I never had my own, but my 'rents had a few older PC's with the floppy floppies!