"Lightly used" PC laptop and Backpack CD-ROM drive

[LCGuy]

So today I went to a garage sale on the way to a job. Mostly old junk there, but its ok, because I like these sort of garage sales.

Anyway, I see a box with an old Backpack CD-ROM drive in it. As mum's saying to me, "you've already got plenty of CD drives!" I notice that in the bottom of the box is an old Mitac laptop. Anyway, the lady said it was 2 bucks, I thought it was worth that just for the drive. So I bought it, for 2 bucks.

Laptop is an old Mitac 486DX33, with an 8MB notebook DIMM in its only RAM slot, an unknown capacity Hitachi notebook IDE HDD. Problem is that its not exactly "lightly used". More the opposite, actually. Both the CMOS and main batteries have leaked, the machine will not boot no matter what, and every part of the case snaps like a rotten twig. Obviously too far gone.

So I pulled the HDD, floppy, keyboard and display (i'm going to open it and see if it uses the same panel as one of my old PowerBooks, and keep it if it does), and the rest is in a box waiting to be chucked.

Meanwhile, anyone know where I can hunt down drivers for a Backpack external parallel CD-ROM drive? This is one toy i'm quite looking forward to playing with

 

[Sosai X]

This should work for you: http://members.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=19291

We had one of those years ago when I worked at an ISP doing tech support... was the 1X external...connected to our print server... it required the real-mode DOS drivers loaded into the config.sys file. Was such a pain to get going we finally just took it out of the external case (it's just a regular IDE drive inside) and made it an internal drive in the server case (which was one of those HUGE AT motherboard towers... [xx(] ]'> )

 

[LCGuy]

I saw that, but driverguide requires membership, yuck! Anywhere that doesn't require membership? Thanks anyhoo

Yeah, I popped it open earlier today and saw that its just a regular IDE drive, as I expected. Is it somehow locked to only being able to use the Sony drive thats already in it, or theoretically, can I put in one of my spare 40X drives, or maybe a hard drive? I know Micro-Solutions made Backpack external hard drives...did they use the same circuitry by any chance?

 

[Sosai X]

Here is the driver for you (i have a membership at the driverguide site)

http://www.ninjabynight.com/pnp302d.exe

 

[benjgvps]

Here is the driver for you (i have a membership at the driverguide site)
http://www.ninjabynight.com/pnp302d.exe

I have tried many many times to get a membership on there without any luck at all. I really hate that site, but like the fact that it is possible to get the drivers without signing up, somewhat.

 

[LCGuy]

Here is the driver for you (i have a membership at the driverguide site)
http://www.ninjabynight.com/pnp302d.exe

Awesome, I'm downloading it now, thank you very much.

One thing about it...it didn't come with a power adaptor. I tried a 12 volt DC power adaptor that I have...I'm assuming it takes 12VDC anyway, since the drive is a standard CD-ROM drive with a molex power connector. Trouble is that my only 12VDC adaptor is only 750mA, which I don't think is enough. Does anyone have a Backpack drive and can tell me the specs of their power adaptor? Thanks

 

[levinson]

The AC adapter is:

5V, 1600mA output, center positive plug.

Hope this helps.

 

[LCGuy]

Awesome, thank you very much levinson. Just a shame that I'd say I've now fried it by putting 12 volts through it!

 

[levinson]

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, but maybe it's not fried.. have you tried a 5v adapter?

 

[JRL]

I have one of the same CD-ROM dives that's yours for the cost of shipping. PM me.

 

[LCGuy]

I haven't yet levinson...haven't had the time.

JRL - thanks for the offer, but as I don't really need another one, not to mention that since I'm in Australia, it'd cost a bomb to ship the thing :-/ Thanks anyway.

 

[gobabushka]

for driverguide, just download by viewing a series of ads, and just hit no thanks on them, it takes only a few minutes