HP F2B56AA: External Slim Portable CD/DVD RW Drive

Name: HP F2B56AA: External Slim Portable CD/DVD RW Drive
Brand: HP
SKU: F2B56AA

★★★★★4.6 (219 reviews)

Slim, USB-powered external CD/DVD drive with broad disc and OS compatibility for laptops without optical bays.

$39.50*$45.00Save 12%

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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 04, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The HP F2B56AA External Slim Portable CD/DVD RW Drive is designed for laptops and desktops that lack a built-in optical bay. It connects via USB and draws power entirely from the port, so there is no external adapter to carry. The slim form factor keeps it light and easy to slip into a laptop bag, making it a practical solution for software installations, disc-based media playback, data archiving, or ripping CDs on the go.

Disc format support is comprehensive, covering DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, dual-layer variants, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, and the full range of CD formats including CD-DA and CD-RW. Write speeds reach up to 8X for DVD+RW and 24X for CD-RW, which is adequate for occasional burning tasks. The drive also supports M-DISC (DVD+R SL) at 8X for long-term archival storage. OS compatibility spans Windows XP through Windows 10, Windows Server editions, and Mac OS X, making it a versatile option across different machines and environments.

Key Features

COMPATIBLE OPERATING SYSTEMS: Windows 10; Windows 8; Windows 7; Windows Vista; Windows XP; Windows2008; Windows2003; Mac OS X

Supported discs: DVD-ROM, DVD-R DVD-R , DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, and +RW CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-DA Super Audio CD CD-R discs CD-RW discs CPRM (DVD-R/RW/RAM)

Write read speeds: DVD-RW 6X maximum by ZCLV, DVD+RW 8X maximum by ZCLV, CD-RW 24 X maximum by ZCLV, Read DVD-R/RW/ROM 8 X maximum, DVD-R DL 8 X maximum DVD-RAM 6 X maximum, DVD-Video 4 X maximum, M-DISC(DVD+R SL) 8 X maximum, DVD+R/+RW 8 X maximum, DVD+R DL 8 X maximum, CD-R/RW/ROM 24 X maximum, CD-DA 24 X maximum

Specifications

Brand

Model

F2B56AA

Type

External Slim Portable CD/DVD RW Drive

Power

USB-Powered

Supported Disc Formats

DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, M-DISC (DVD+R SL)

DVD Write Speed

DVD-RW 6X, DVD+RW 8X

CD Write Speed

CD-RW 24X

DVD Read Speed

DVD-R/RW/ROM 8X, DVD-RAM 6X, DVD+R/+RW 8X, DVD+R DL 8X

CD Read Speed

CD-R/RW/ROM 24X

Compatible OS

Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, Server 2008/2003, Mac OS X

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

Slim, portable form factor is easy to carry alongside a laptop
Broad disc format support covers DVD-R, DVD+R, dual layer, DVD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW, and more
USB-powered design eliminates the need for a separate power adapter
Compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X out of the box

👎 Cons

Read and write speeds are modest compared to internal optical drives, with DVD maxing out at 8X
No Blu-ray disc support for reading or writing
USB interface type is not specified — older USB 2.0 may limit real-world transfer performance
Does not include disc burning software, which may need to be sourced separately

Frequently Asked Questions

What operating systems does the HP F2B56AA work with?

It supports Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, Windows Server 2008/2003, and Mac OS X.

Does this drive require an external power adapter?

No, it is USB-powered, drawing all necessary power through the USB connection without a separate power cable.

Can this drive write to DVD and CD discs?

Yes, it supports both reading and writing for a wide range of formats including DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, DVD-RAM, CD-R, and CD-RW.

What are the maximum write speeds for this drive?

DVD+RW writes at up to 8X, DVD-RW at up to 6X, and CD-RW at up to 24X.