Computers and Related Hardware/Software

bmwracer wrote:
But you are burning discs with your old PC, ne?

Yes. It takes about 7-12 minutes to copy dramas, so it's pretty decent speed-wise.

I found out that making data discs when the data is on the external HD takes an hour to do. (Oh jeez, that was worded awkwardly, but you get my point, right? :sweatA:)

cori wrote:Yes. It takes about 7-12 minutes to copy dramas, so it's pretty decent speed-wise.

I found out that making data discs when the data is on the external HD takes an hour to do. (Oh jeez, that was worded awkwardly, but you get my point, right? :sweatA:)

Then you need to copy the files from your external HD to your desktop PC before you burn to disc... :sweat:




Okay, I'm going to kill myself now.

bmwracer wrote:
Then you need to copy the files from your external HD to your desktop PC before you burn to disc... :sweat:




Okay, I'm going to kill myself now.

Juri-chan would be sad if you killed yourself :beaten:

Reminds me a bit of the problem I had with my old computer when I put in a 12x CD burner (what are they now, 52x or something?) and for some reason I could only burn at 6x. So darn annoying, and I don't think I figured out the problem. Somehow though, I eventually could burn CDs at 12x. Oh how giddy I was then, to be able to burn all those anime and music CDs. :mrgreen:

deseipher wrote:Reminds me a bit of the problem I had with my old computer when I put in a 12x CD burner (what are they now, 52x or something?) and for some reason I could only burn at 6x. So darn annoying, and I don't think I figured out the problem. Somehow though, I eventually could burn CDs at 12x. Oh how giddy I was then, to be able to burn all those anime and music CDs. :mrgreen:

Do they make CDs any more? :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Then you need to copy the files from your external HD to your desktop PC before you burn to disc... :sweat:

I doubt I'd do this since it'll take at least 20 minutes to move each file to the PC, which would take more than the 1 hour it takes to burn the files to disc.

Okay, I'm going to kill myself now.

Stand in line. :beaten: :banghead:

bmwracer wrote:
Do they make CDs any more? :beaten:

Probably only for us crazy people who trade VCDs. :mrgreen:

cori wrote:I doubt I'd do this since it'll take at least 20 minutes to move each file to the PC, which would take more than the 1 hour it takes to burn the files to disc.

Why does it take 20 minutes to transfer a single file to your PC?

How big are the files?

You're connected to the USB port, right?

bmwracer wrote:
Do they make CDs any more? :beaten:

Haha. Well, aside from music CDs I don't see much use for CDs nowadays other than burning some last pieces of data where using DVD would be a waste. I end up doing that at times, usually when I back up anime, where the episodes are around 200-300mb each. Better to burn the last two or three episodes on to a CD than a DVD.

bmwracer wrote:
Why does it take 20 minutes to transfer a single file to your PC?

How big are the files?

You're connected to the USB port, right?

They range from 300-700MB. :sweat:

cori wrote:

They range from 300-700MB. :sweat:

I'm guessing you have a USB 1.1 connection then, which would explain the utterly slow times when it comes to copying. Reminds me of the last computer I had before this one. Good times. Sounds like you're better off just burning from the external drive if it's only going to take an hour's time to do so.

deseipher wrote:

I'm guessing you have a USB 1.1 connection then, which would explain the utterly slow times when it comes to copying. Reminds me of the last computer I had before this one. Good times. Sounds like you're better off just burning from the external drive if it's only going to take an hour's time to do so.

I'm pretty sure I do have that USB 1.1 connection. Is there any way to upgrade that without having to buy a whole new computer?

cori wrote:They range from 300-700MB. :sweat:

Hmm.

It's your USB port: with the slowest USB available (1.1), you can only transfer 11MB/minute... In 20 minutes, that 220MB. :sweat:

With USB 2.0, it's 90MB/minute... Over eight times as fast.

Obviously, you have to use your new PC to transfer AND burn discs from your external HD.

cori wrote:I'm pretty sure I do have that USB 1.1 connection. Is there any way to upgrade that without having to buy a whole new computer?

You can buy a USB 2.0 card to plug into your desktop PC... It shouldn't be more than around $15-$20...

bmwracer wrote:
You can buy a USB 2.0 card to plug into your desktop PC... It shouldn't be more than around $15-$20...

That sounds like a plan! I'm going to see if I can get one tomorrow. Stupid question (no surprise there!): do I (or my brother, in this case :beaten:) have to install it in the computer's tower or is it an external device?

And if I get this USB 2.0 card, I'm also guessing that it'll definitely cut the burning time in half too, right? :fingerscrossed:

bmwracer wrote:
You can buy a USB 2.0 card to plug into your desktop PC... It shouldn't be more than around $15-$20...

Yes, that's the best solution to getting USB 2.0 ports on to your old PC, provided you have a free PCI slot for it. I assume it probably does, but I'll ask anyway, just to make certain: Does the external drive use a USB 2.0 connection?

cori wrote:

That sounds like a plan! I'm going to see if I can get one tomorrow. Stupid question (no surprise there!): do I (or my brother, in this case :beaten:) have to install it in the computer's tower or is it an external device?

And if I get this USB 2.0 card, I'm also guessing that it'll definitely cut the burning time in half too, right? :fingerscrossed:

You'd have to install it, and it'll probably cut your burning time by more than half :victory:

deseipher wrote:

Yes, that's the best solution to getting USB 2.0 ports on to your old PC, provided you have a free PCI slot for it. I assume it probably does, but I'll ask anyway, just to make certain: Does the external drive use a USB 2.0 connection?

Free PCI slot? Um, I am not computer savvy so have no idea what that is. Is it in the tower or on the outside where all the plugs are? :sweat:

And the external drive is plugged into the slow USB connection. I don't think this ancient desktop has the 2.0 one.

deseipher wrote:Yes, that's the best solution to getting USB 2.0 ports on to your old PC, provided you have a free PCI slot for it. I assume it probably does, but I'll ask anyway, just to make certain: Does the external drive use a USB 2.0 connection?

I've gotta think that since the external HD IS external, it's gotta be USB 2.0...

The other alternative is getting a FireWire PCI card... That's as fast, if not faster(?) than a USB... IF her external HD supports FireWire, which I think most recent external HDs do....

cori wrote:

Free PCI slot? Um, I am not computer savvy so have no idea what that is. Is it in the tower or on the outside where all the plugs are? :sweat:

And the external drive is plugged into the slow USB connection. I don't think this ancient desktop has the 2.0 one.

It's in the tower, usually white colored slots near the bottom. Chances are if it's a name-brand one like a HP or Dell, one of them if occupied by a modem or network card for internet connections. Just take a look back at the bottom of the tower and you'll see some metal brackets.

Something like this:

[image]

As for your external drive, if it's a recent one, probably within the last three years, you should be good to go. :victory:

cori wrote:Free PCI slot? Um, I am not computer savvy so have no idea what that is. Is it in the tower or on the outside where all the plugs are? :sweat:

The PCI slot is on the inside of the PC case... You probably do have free slots... How old is your desktop?

Also, since you have it open, you might as well thoroughly vacuum out the dust...

bmwracer wrote:
I've gotta think that since the external HD IS external, it's gotta be USB 2.0...

If it's recent, then it's pretty much a sure bet. I have a friend who had an old 20GB external drive that used the old USB connection, so I figure I ask just to make sure :victory:

Edited. I fail at grammar and spelling :sweat: