USB 2.0 CD R/W drive

I have an 2-year old DELL computer, and want to buy an external CD R/W drive to copy some information.

How do I know if my computer has USB 2.0 compatibility? Can I buy a drive that uses USB 2.0 even if I don't have USB 2.0 plug on my computer?

Thanks.

Kelly

 

go to your device manager.

if it says "enhanced" under your usb controller, then its 2.0. if it doesnt, its not.


a 2.0 device will run on a non-2.0 computer but it will transfer data at the slower 1.1 speed.

 

Thank you JT!

 

Mine dont even tell the version...

 

oh Should I download 2.0 and where...

 

If you have a 2 year old computer it did not come with USB2. The burner will work on USB1 but very slowly. The add on cards are not that expensive but you still have to open the computer to install one. Why not just install an internal CD writer?

Unless your Dell is a laptop an internal burner is a much better installation. The externals are more expensive and tend to cause more problems. If all of your slots are full you can just replace your CD-ROM drive with a burner.

 

I suspect you'd have to open the case to install an internal drive too.

FWIW, I really like the add-on USB 2.0 cards, and they give you real flexibility. You can pack your devices to other computers if you like, and they're great for backup disks.