how u guys doin, right now i'm considering getting the Lite-on sohw 832s, for my laptop, and i've heard that you can buy external enclosures to make internal dvd rw's into external ones. First how do u look for the right external enclosure to match the dvd burner? The cheapest ones I've found are like $30, anywhere I can get them cheaper? Do the 5.25 inch enclosures fit all burners? Do i have to take the burner apart somehow to install it into the enclosure? What is the installation like for these enclosures?

I'm really new to dvd burners and don't know anything about enclosures, but the idea that buying an internal and making it into an external and costing almost 20 to 30 dollars cheaper than buying an external sounds too good. Any help anybody could give me, would be greatly appreciated..thanks a lot..

You may want to avoid double posting.

Bytecc $30 enclosure at Newegg.

Do the 5.25 inch enclosures fit all burners?
Probably not. The one I have can't seem to fit an old DVD reader. Or rather, it can fit, but part of it will stick out in the front, since it is a bit too long. Lite-On 832S I can say fits, since it's length is pretty short compared to other drives I have.

Do i have to take the burner apart somehow to install it into the enclosure? What is the installation like for these enclosures?
Nope; just connect the IDE and power cables, set jumper to master I believe. Hopefully the enclosure will come assembled so there will be no problems.

Please don't crosspost as you did here: http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=103280

It is agaisnt our forum religion, I mean rules.

Yea, i got the $30 Bytecc enclosure from newegg. Works just fine