USB CD/DVD drive

[network_engineer]

Hi all,
would somebody have a USB CD/DVD reader? If yes, may I please borrow it? Need to clean up some applications on a laptop without a drive.

Thanks.
Kind regards!

[Beep_Boop]

Need to clean up some applications on a laptop without a drive.

What does this mean? How would a CD/DVD drive help you "clean up some applications on a laptop"?

[harryc]

A brand new one that you can keep costs 30€

[MagicJ]

I bought one when i needed it. I've used it 3 or 4 times now so was worth the expenditure.

[sky2]

How would a CD/DVD drive help you "clean up some applications on a laptop"?

Just how? I'm interested to know too

[Beep_Boop]

Just how? I'm interested to know too

I highly suspect that he just didn't use the correct words. He probably means he wants to format the disk and reinstall the operating system from the DVD. In that case, it's unfortunate that a "network_engineer" doesn't know about UNetbootin ("burns" bootable ISOs on a USB stick).
But we don't know. I'm waiting for his answer as this has made me very curious!

[sky2]

yeah and if working with Windows, Microsoft has also its tool to create bootable USB.

[Jukka Aho]

Just how? I'm interested to know too :)

I highly suspect that he just didn't use the correct words. He probably means he wants to format the disk and reinstall the operating system from the DVD. In that case, it's unfortunate that a "network_engineer" doesn't know about UNetbootin ("burns" bootable ISOs on a USB stick).
But we don't know. I'm waiting for his answer as this has made me very curious!

There are also USB keys which can be prepared with a special program to appear as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives. This is a more low-level approach than UNetbootin: given a suitable tool, the controller chip in the USB key can be parametrized to actually emulate a (USB) optical drive. (The BIOS/UEFI sees it as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM drive, not as a USB mass storage device.)

[Valentin]

I think he's asking for an external CD/DVD reader. What follows doesn't make sense though.

[network_engineer]

Hi all,

Sorry, been off the thread for a few days.

- Yes, an external CD/DVD reader that can be connected via a USB = a USB CD/DVD reader
- My wife's Dell laptop has its OS corrupted. It boots all the way, but a lot of the drivers are corrupted for some reason, including the WLAN chipset, the card reader, the fingerprint reader etc. = a generic reference to applications.
- No, it does not have a CD/DVD drive
- No, it is a single partition, where the OS is installed.

Hence I wanted an external CD/DVD reader that can be connected via a USB, so I can use the installation disk that comes with the laptop. I normally create a smaller partition, and create that to be the Windows installer, that way if it ever gets corrupted

Another option for me is to mount the CDROM on my Unix machine, export and share, and then use it from there, but I am too lazy to do that and disturb a working network setup for a laptop.

The easier solution would have been to simply borrow a drive for a few hours. Hence the request.

[harryc]

Since they cost 30€ I really would imagine that getting your own for use anytime in future would be more economical and efficient than someone on the forum posting a loaner back and forth and/or driving somewhere to drop off and pick up or whatever.

[Beep_Boop]

The easier solution would have been to simply borrow a drive for a few hours. Hence the request.

Actually, no. The easiest solution is to use UNetbootin (or the Microsoft Bootable Disk tool) to copy the content of the installation disk to a regular USB stick using a different computer. After that, you simply plug this USB stick into your wife's laptop and boot from it. Done.

No network boot. No external drive. No separate partition. Just a regular USB stick (USB flash stick, USB thumb drive, USB flash drive, whatever it's called)

[harryc]

OK - but you can't watch your 'Batman Returns' DVD next winter with UNetbootin