Easily Install an Optical Disc Drive on Your Computer

Connect a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive to your PC

Co-authored by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: October 29, 2025

Many newer computers don’t come with a CD/DVD drive installed. This is a bummer for fans of legacy media who want to listen to music, watch movies, or install old computer games. Luckily, you can easily install a disk drive or upgrade your current drive. This wikiHow article teaches you how to install an optical disc drive on your computer. This includes any CD, DVD, Blu-ray, as well as writable R and RW drives.

Quickly Install a CD/DVD Drive

Power off your computer and unplug it.
Remove your computer case and drive bay panel.
Insert the CD or DVD drive into the drive bay.
Attach the data and power cables to the drive and motherboard.
Reattach the computer case.

Steps

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1
Check if your computer has space for an optical disc drive. CD and DVD drives aren’t as common today as they used to be. Many newer computers and laptops simply don’t have space to install a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive. Check the user’s manual that came with your computer to see if it has room for an optical disc drive.
- If your computer doesn’t have space for an optical disc drive, don’t worry. You can still purchase an external CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive and easily connect it to your computer using a USB cable.
2
Turn off and unplug the computer. Use the power menu in your computer’s operating system to shut down your computer. Then unplug your computer and disconnect the cable.
- After unplugging your computer, it’s a good idea to press and hold the power button to drain any residual power.
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3
Open the computer case. The way you do this is different from one computer model to the next. Most computer cases have a door that opens on the side.
- To protect your computer against static discharge that can permanently damage the internal computer components, it is recommended that you wear static wrist straps, or ground yourself by touching something metal before handling the insides of your computer.
4
Remove the drive bay cover. Most computers have a couple drive bay covers on the front of the computer that are used to install new drives. Remove the drive bay cover from the spot where you want to install the disc drive.
- There are usually clips that hold the drive bay cover in that you can access inside your PC. Be careful when releasing them so that you don’t break them. On some computers, you may need to remove the front panel of your computer.
5
Set the IDE drive mode if necessary. If the CD or DVD drive uses an IDE connection, you will need to set the DVD drive as the secondary drive. There is usually a jumper on the back of the drive you can remove and insert into different slots. Set it in the spot labeled as the secondary, sub, or slave drive. Consult the user’s manual for your CD or DVD drive if you need assistance.
- If the drive connects using a SATA or SCSI connection, you do not need to set a drive mode.
6
Insert the drive into the bay. Some computer cases have drive rails. If this is the case, place the drive on the rails and slide it in. On other computer cases, you can just slide the CD or DVD drive into the drive bay until it is flush with the front of your computer. Make sure the screw holes on the drive are aligned with the screw holes on your CD or DVD drive.
7
Connect the data and power cables to the CD/DVD drive. The cables may already be attached to your motherboard, or they may have come with your CD or DVD drive. It may be an IDE, SATA, or SCSI cable. These cables connect directly to the motherboard. The power cables connect to the power supply.
- For IDE drives, align pin 1 (the red edge) to the connector on the CD/DVD drive. Then connect the 4-pin power connector to the drive.
- For SATA drives, align the notch to the connector on the drive. Then connect the SATA power connector (the long one) to the drive.
- For SCSI cables, align the pins on the back of the drive with the holes on the connector and insert the connector. Then connect the power cable.
- If there is little space, connect the cable before fully securing the drive into the bay.
If you want to listen to music from a CD, you may need to connect an audio cable. This is not necessary on all models. It runs from the drive's audio-out pins to the CD-IN connector on your sound card. Connect the audio cable if it is present.
After the drive is securely installed, reinsert the access panel on your computer case and secure it.
10
Turn on the computer. Your computer's BIOS should recognize the new CD/DVD drive.
- You may need to install drivers before using your CD or DVD drive.

Community Q&A

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Question

I am trying to install a library cd-rom for research. Two days ago I returned my ASUS laptop to factory settings, but kept all the files. Now the computer will not even register that I have put the disc in. What can I do?

Community Answer

Reset the BIOS to default, then reboot. It's a common problem, that should fix it.

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Question

How do I play a CD in it after it's installed?

Community Answer

Assuming the installation went well, it's very simple. Open the drive, put the CD in the drive, close the drive, and play the CD with the media player application of your choice.

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Why won't my computer detect the CD drive?

Community Answer

It could be a number of things, but some steps to try are rebooting your system fully (as in a full shutdown and then back on) and checking your cables.

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