adding a cd- or DVD to burn photos

Hi, Sel:

Yes, your computer can accommodate two CD/DVD drives. You need an IDE drive for your 3000, such as this PHILIPS DVD burner.

Installation instructions are here. The only tip is to make sure you set the drive jumper to cable select.

This is definitely a DIY job.

 

A DVD burner can read or burn both CDs and DVDs, but there's certainly no reason not to continue to use your CD drive.

 I would recommend you go with the internal burner rather than a external , and get yourself a good burning software like Nero. 

For newbies, it is much easier to buy an external DVD burner. Connects up to the USB port. Just make sure your Dimension 3000 USB ports are USB 2 and not USB 1.1.

I'm going to agree with Robert on this issue. The advantage of an external drive is portability, but internal drives win for simplicity and speed.

 

By the way, the Philips drive in my post above is a retail package and includes Nero.

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@osprey4 wrote:

I'm going to agree with Robert on this issue. The advantage of an external drive is portability, but internal drives win for simplicity and speed.

 

 

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Simplicity for whom?

 

Buy external DVD burner. Install software. Plug burner into spare USB2 port.

 

versus.

 

Buy internal DVD burner. Remove side computer cover. Remove computer face plate. Find place for DVD drive. Plug in ribbon cable at the back of DVD burner. Plug in power cable at the back of DVD burner. Put burner into the slot for the burner and tighten screws. Make sure no to dislodge any cable in the process. Put back computer faceplate. Put back computer cover.

 

I think some techies seem to forget who the target audience is. 

what an ordeal this was to us!  My sister in law tried to help but after we got the front off, there was not way for us to get to the  wires in the back of the cd drive, you could not take off sides as they were put on not to be removed. We could not figure out how to do this. I guess it over whelmed 2 women,  so is the quality of the external burner just as good as the internal. How is it connected before I take this one back. thanks for your help.

External burners use USB2. http://www.newegg.com is a very reputable company. There are user reviews for the products they sell.      

In your manual it will show you how to take the side off and also the front

and it will also show you how to remove the cd drive and install, if you do not have a manual

 you can go into Dell and click on support and you can select your model and pick out the manual

and view it it is very easy to do, no problem. It is worth the time and effort to iinstall the internal

cd drive