Windows XP Professional, but 32-bit or 64-bit?

[Alan255]

Good afternoon.  

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Were you able to get the tray to open and close?

[Alan255]

Photos are 1st, original CD-drive & 2nd replacement DC/DVD drives.  Each with lower case removed.  Details vary, but broad principles the same. 

Stumped again.  Cannot remove black front loading plastic bit,  There are lugs but unable to pull that component out.   Green rectangular circuit board abutting front loader looks like should come out, & probably would if front loader were removed. Dead end.  Both drives have a small something rattling about inside, and you've guessed where that rattles is.  Yes indeed, from under that rectangular circuit board.  

Since each drive has a different problem, whatever that rattle is cannot be relevant. but depends if shipping costs added.  Time taken irrelevant now....my dc7600 evidently NOT operational for months.  Ironically, kit's now more unfit than when first received (summer 2012).

Searched internet for any videos on how to disassemble this type of drive.  El zippo, none found.  People do often have problems with such on laptops.  Will recheck,but as yet nothing on HP Support (beyond removal and refitting of a unit).

Meanwhile,  Amazon is quoting original model, LTN-4891S, in black rather than zinc-coated steel: 2 models form supplier in Florida, one from such in Colorado. Comparable prices (quoted in $, 17 to 24).

My replacement sent as 1st Class, but box NOT marked fragile.  However, stiff cardboard and bubble wrapped inside, so well cushioned and packed in.  It may well have worked when supplier checked it......my original drive did work when Photoshop was imported......but these units prone to failure.  

Hmmmm, who would buy a delicate laptop online??

Also stumped on my UK time setting.  The digits are correct, but it's currently showing 09.52 AM.  Its actually 21.53 PM!

[Alan255]

The photos look good, may encourage other community members.

Refitted replacement drive, same ending, tray does not open, it goes clunk.  Pattern is; activate & then one clunk; then, as if shutting down, 2 less load clunks, then the usual single feint click as unit is shut down.

Still sending video image through the graphics card output.  Trying to be naive, maybe some success with video out the proper video out port??  Ditto with original drive

dc7600 still remembers this replacement drive.  AND, correctly, states No Disc in Drive D.  

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I've taken  the front black plastic bezels off before.

They are held in by plastic spring clips that you have to push down on.

You can also try an open the tray by inserting a paper clip into the little hole in front.

[Alan255]

Sorry for delay.  Retried my DIMM #4, it's definitely duff.. That was the DIMM which failed after I replaced the (then previously removed) graphics card a few days ago.  Collateral damage is not good, imagine Mars Curiosity Rover with bits failing like this!

I tried both CD drives after again removing the graphics card.  Same results.  Reloaded a music CD into the original drive.  Again it reads number and duration of tracks, but unable to play. I also tried playing one of the 2 stored music tracks, pre-installed in desktop.  That also fails to play.  Both give similar message, even if different source files: Unable to play as problem with your sound card or sound controller.

This suggests but does not prove) the original drive may/would play if I can get those recommended drivers installed.  Which has to be done online, and I then risk getting desktop corrupted with virus(es).  As if I did not already have enough hurdles.

I pressed own on those bezels with screwdriver blade tip, no result.  Thursday, I'll refit replacement drive and try the paperclip approach.  Earlier, I did read (on  Microsoft Support forum , where someone had this very problem);  with a laptop,  CD had either fallen inside, or was stuck on or misaligned  on the CD tray).  Expert was British, he recommended the paperclip approach.  My thought was: hmmm, 19th century,method rescues confused 20th century PC.

Recent forum post.  Expert stated (if no success), need replacement CD-drive. He cited £40.  Hmmmm, I've paid just £7 for an unopenable tray.  Hmmmm would this method work, even for me??  Did peer inside the openable tray, saw one or two nylon cogs.

And, borrowed from audio cassette era: a capstan with a small plastic band.  I have 2 audiocassette desks with rotted rubber/neoprene or whatever drive bands. I still lack the time to redo, but process does not look impossible.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I'm sure one of the issues with no audio is that you don't have the 2 audio drivers I gave you the other day installed.

You downloaded the files, copied them to a USB flash drive, plugged it into the PC, double clicked and ran them?

That is all you should have to do.  After you accept the license agreement to install the drivers, the installation is automatic.

[Alan255]

Hi again Paul.  Re the drivers 1st.  Clicked on 1st link first....link wanted to download contents onto hard disc of my Toshiba, not what i wanted, I already have drivers.   Unknown what type, but graphics adaptor is AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics.  I thought I'd just get a file and one of options was copy to flash drive. But not.  Did not try other 2 links as advice was take all in sequence.

You're correct, it has to be drivers at fault, or whatever control the sound.

The good news: replaced graphics card, the sole DIMM still operational.  Tried playing one of stored music samples on hard disc.  Same message as attempts from DC- drive:  Unable to play as problem with sound card or sound controller.  This must eliminate duff CD drives. & unlikely both are duff.

Photos of existing graphics card below.  Slots into a 3 1/2 inch white socket. Have not tried the existing headphone socket, JBL speaker is fine, so can't all be shot.  I assume whatever sound card there is , is actually included on graphics card.  There's an unused 3 1/2 inch white socket plus a black 3 1/2 inch, plus a black 1 inch socket.  From what I can glean online,  a sound card for music (or gaming, not my scene), with a proper Hi-Fi headphone output, slots into one of the spare ones, say the black 1 inch.  Maybe that's a way out, say up to £50, and would give good audio.

Unlikely to get that far though.  HP does wonders with photos!

So, somewhere on this Nvidia graphics card I assume is whatever supervises sound.  I cannot see anything labeled Sound

The other good news is; paper clip approach did open the loading tray.  Loaded a music CD, same old unplayable message, so extracted it again via the paper clip.  Early motor cars had a hand crank.  Today's CD/DVD drives....manufacturers evidently need a failsafe, a paper clip hole.  

Still unable to get the bezels pushed in far enough to slide off loading bay cover.  Lot of circuit board stuff just to load, unload, select tracks and play a CD.

Nothing is ever easy on PCs, but may resort to getting your 3 links onto Toshiba hard drive, seems only way forward.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I don't see what the problem is by downloading and saving the drivers to your Toshiba.

They cannot automatically run.  You just save them, copy them off the Toshiba onto a USB flash drive, plug the flash drive into your dc7600, and either run them off the flash drive, or copy them to the hard drive and run them then.

The graphics card in your screenshot is a PCI graphics card.  Not the best kind for performance, but it should work.

The good news with the PCI card is you should be able to use both the onboard VGA port and the AMD graphics card at the same time.

[Alan255]

Hi again Paul,

Retrieved your earlier post re updating drivers.  Is link, was an HP update for Windows XP Dated in 2003.  Tried all 3 exe. files.....downloading the Realtec High Definition Audio Driver almost did work.  But final dialog box each attempt kept saying  OS not supported, operation canceled.  Toshiba is Windows 10, the driver is for Windows XP.

It doesn't download to my Windows 10.  I'll have to chance internet and download it direct.  Have to do such, when introducing as 2nd device, to Norton 360.  It'll recognise a W XP machine, just hope it can supply W XP-compatible security.

The other 2 links would not actually open.

Did notice Toshiba hard drive has only 27.6 GB of free space.  All albums (except of dc7600  this January) already uploaded to Norton cloud.....65 GB of their max allowance of 75 GB.    By accident, included some videos of songs, up to 7 minutes,  evidently not recognised as such because relatively short videos!  large swathes also copied to USB sticks.  Mostly rock covers groups on pub gigs, many groups defunct, even some pubs closed or demolished!  Ridiculous.  Deletion required.

Good news to date....the paper clip still opens the DVD drive.  Will reattempt getting bezels free on the original CD-drive.  

Have both monitors plugged in, but the graphics card port has priority; the proper fixed in port has no image.  Also want to get more leads.  The graphics output has the bifurcating out lead, but I have only ONE connecting lead to a monitor.  I'd like a 2nd.  AND, if available ditto set up from the onboard out port.  Barclays Bank must have used 2 or more monitors per PC: in their business a CSA needs latest published accounts, e-mail, the client's current  account state,  overdraft history etc up. (and not fiddling between several minimised browsers).

CD-playing drivers evidently were never updated, probably CDs never even inserted.  LAN in use, so secured data storage.

Existing graphics card may be adequate, but (if can get that far) want new one.  Faster and with more RAM  exist.  Keep as spare.  Surprisingly, it still works OK! 

Hope your weekend is good.  France confirms 2 cases of Coronavirus, by chance, death rate is low.  But UK-France air travel is customary.