cd rom and HD in laptop

[ColdWar]

it appears that the CD rom drive in my laptop has stopped working properly. it used to make this terrible squealing noise whenever id try to play a disc, but it got to where it makes that sound every time i boot up the computer so i just opened it and i leave it open. i bought an external drive but if i were to try reinstall windows after reformatting, would my computer recognize the external drive and be able to do it?

 

also, the 180 gb HD is damn near full, way fuller than what i hear HDs should be, but i have space for two more HDs. is there anything special i need to check before i buy another internal HD? they're all going to be the same size and have the same connections right? if it matters, this laptop is a little over 3 yrs old i really need a laptop at the moment and this thing works great that i cant justify buying a tower just yet.

 

i know ive got a bit of research to do myself on these things but any help on the CD rom drive and the HD sizes would be terrific.

[duhoh]

two more HDDs? that'd be pretty unique. what model is your laptop?

 

there are some larger laptops out there (17+ inch) that can support more than one HDD at a time, but those usually sacrifice the optical drive bay (CD-ROM) to insert the extra HDD.

 

but yeah, post the model of the laptop, and we should be able to tell you more from there.

[ColdWar]

the brand is Prostar, i found it in a computer mag a few years ago and had some money to blow so i didnt mind dropping the cash i did on it. 17" screen, cant find my receipt right now but the model number was something like DC917. ive taken off the bottom panel and theres definitely two places for HDs. i guess i could just email the company eh? ive done that before and havent really recieved a clear answer, plus i dont know my model number.

[duhoh]

Snaps, I remember Prostar. My buddy had one. That thing was humongous. So fricken heavy.

[Razaroth]

Most laptop (2.5") drives and slots in the PC are the same size, so you should be good there. Buy 5400 RPM if you want to 'reduce heat and power usage'. As for the external DVD drive... I know you can install windows through external DVD drive (you may need to install drivers), USB thumb stick (very convenient, should be 4-16gb depending on the windows youre installing), and you can even install it through SD/XD Card! So, you shouldnt have any worry there either.

 

Keep in mind, If you keep throwing money at your computer, you could probably just buy a new one for a decent price/better price than the mass upgrades. Always make sure what youre doing on it is worthwhile!

 

P.S.: Prostar