Connecting Your IDE Cables

Before you start, make sure you have taken the necessary precautions such as removing the power lead from the back of the PC and wearing an anti-static wrist band to avoid static discharge from you to your PC.

Ok, if you have three IDE cables you should keep one just for the hard drive and use the other one for both of your CD drives (that leaves you with the floppy drive cable which has a twist in it).

Now follow these steps:-

-Remove the side panels for easier access. you may also need to completely remove the drives form your PC, there should be two screws on each side of each drive.

-Refer to the image _hard-disk.jpg and check the jumper settings on the hard drive and make sure it is set to master.

-Now do the same with the CD drives and set one to master and the other one to slave.

-Next, connect your IDE cable to the hard drive and the motherboard, check for the stripe on the cable that indicates pin1. There may be a small number 1 or a triangle on the hard drive which also indicates pin1, line these up and carefully insert the cable. (The stripe on the cable should be facing to the left of your PC tower.)

-Look on the motherboard for the 'IDE1'/'Primary IDE' connection (refer to the to images 'Motherboard.jpg' and 'Motherboard 1.jpg') and locate pin1. Connect the cable so that pin1 is aligned with the board.

-(Refer to the image 'Master and Slave.jpg'). Now you need to do the same with the CD drives but you need to have the top connection inserted into the drive that you have set to Master and the lower connection inserted into the drive you have set as Slave. The bottom connection will be for the motherboard.

-Now insert the remaining connection to the secondary IDE on the motherboard.

-Connect the power leads which are 4 pin molex connectors to your drives, there will be two corners missing to ensure they are in the right way.

-Take the floppy drive cable and insert it into the floppy drive. Check for pin1, if there are no obvious indicators then the stripe on the cable should be facing to the right of your PC tower.

-Locate the floppy IDE connection on your motherboard. It may be labeled but if it isn't you may have to count the pins, there should be 34. Make sure pin1 is aligned correctly and insert the cable.

-Connect the power , this is a small 4-pin mini molex connector.

-Take one of the other 4-pin molex connectors insert it into the hard drive.

-Replace the side panels.

-Put the power lead into the back of the PC hit the power button and wait for it to start up, go to 'My Computer' and make sure all your drives are there.


If there are any problems let me know

Good Luck!

Martin