How to Upgrade a Dell Laptop DVD Drive

There are many reasons to replace the optical drive in a laptop. Maybe the old drive is defective or not working anymore. Perhaps you're simply upgrading to a faster drive, or one with writing capabilities. Regardless of your reasoning, Dell makes the process easy, and you can certainly do it yourself.
 Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
 1


Open your Start menu and choose "Control Panel." Select the "System" icon, and open the Hardware tab. Open the Device Manager. Click the "+" sign next to the DVD/CD-ROM entry. Right-click that, and click "Uninstall."  dreambox dm800

 2


Unplug the battery from your laptop. Set it to the side so it won't get damaged while you're manhandling the chassis during the replacement process. After the battery is unplugged, also unplug the power cord from the laptop. The laptop should have no power at all.

 3


Turn the laptop upside down, and look directly over the optical drive. On Dell laptops, there is a slide switch. Move that switch to the side, and pull outward on the drive with firm pressure.

 4


Slide your new drive into the same bay that the old one just vacated. Press firmly until it clicks into place. The slider switch should be back in its original position at this time.

 5


Turn your laptop upright again, and reinstall the battery and power cord. Turn on the laptop, and when Windows starts, it should automatically detect the new hard drive


Tips & Warnings
 

Always make sure that you uninstall your old optical drive from the hardware list in the Control Panel before trying to install the new drive; otherwise, your computer will get confused and won't recognize it.

 

Always unplug your laptop's battery AND power cord before opening up the case. This will prevent you from getting a possibly fatal shock.