Sharing optical drive

[JZilla]

Simple question ahead. Is it possible to use a cdrw in a desktop through a network?

Situation: Am about to buy an IBM X31 laptop. It has no optical drive which is fine by me as I rarely need one. But, to save some money buying an external usb drive I wonder if it is possible to share the desktops drive. So is it? And would XP Home (running on the desktop) be able to do this? And I guess if the answer is yes that this can be done through the wireless router. Or would a wireless (network) not have enough bandwidth? That would be cool if it did, but I could live with hooking the laptop up to the router, or directly to the desktop.

TIA.

 

[skyking]

Yes you can use a CD or a CD-RW. Using a DVD is flaky though. You will definitely feel the pain of a wirelesss network for big reads and writes, but getting a few files won't be bad.

 

[JZilla]

Thank you for the quick answer.

Only thing it would be needed for would be to install programs on the laptop, and burning the occasional music. So maybe twice a month it would be used. So how do you do this? Just hook up the laptop to the desktop, and you're in business? No need to fiddle with seetings and such (as long as they are in the same workgroup)? Just wondering, because I didn't see a 'share this drive' in the properties for the optical like you when you click the hd.

 

[skyking]

IN XP, got to a Windows explorer window, select tools, folder options. at the bottom of those checkboxes is "use simple file sharing".
Uncheck that box.
go to "my computer", right click on drive, select "properties".
There will be a "sharing" tab.

 

[JZilla]

Thank you sir.

 

[skyking]

NP
is it browseable now?

 

[JZilla]

No idea. I have the option now, which I didn't before. But I need the laptop to test it with, and I will only get it next week. But no worries. If it doesn't work then I'll haunt you down.

Edit: This was an pre-buying question seeing as I didn't have the share this drive tab in the properties. If you couldn't share an optical, I would have bought the external usb drive together with the laptop. Now I can save those money for something better