2nd hard drive

[joetexx]

i want to add a hard drive to my computer from an old cpu i have....just for storage....but when i put it in system wouldn't boot....

can anyone give me step by step instruction....

[lynx]

IDE drives can be master or slave, and you can only have one of each on a cable.

Look at the jumpers next to the IDE connector. One of them sets the drive as the slave. It may tell you which one on the label, otherwise visit the manufacturer's web site.

Just to complicate things, Western Digital also have a "single" position on some drives. If your existing drive is one of those you will have to change it from single to master.

Of course, things are much easier if you have an 80-wire Ultra-ATA cable. In that case simply set both drives to CS (cable select), put the main drive at the end of the cable and the second drive in the middle of the cable.

There's a lot more useful information here. (http://www.storagereview.com/guide2000/ref/hdd/if/ide/confJumpering.html)

[Appzalien]

I've had problems using cable select and it took me forever to figure out thats what it was so I don't use it any more. Basically the ide ribbon connects by one end to the motherboard (there are two for a total of four drives and the main hard drive will be on the Primary connector) its end connector is for masters and the middle for slaves. The jumpers on the drives must also follow this rule unless you use CS. You can put your spare drive anywhere but not as a master on the primary connector. If your old drive is old and is using a 40 wire connector and the new one needs an 80 wire you will have to replace that ide connector as well. You can tell a 40 wire from an 80 wire by the number of tiny strips that make up the ribbon.

[clocker]

You can tell a 40 wire from an 80 wire by the number of tiny strips that make up the ribbon.
So one would have 40 more "tiny strips" than the other, right?

Just checking.

[Virtualbody1234]

You can tell a 40 wire from an 80 wire by the number of tiny strips that make up the ribbon.
So one would have 40 more "tiny strips" than the other, right?

Just checking.
You figured that out all by yourself? :lol:

[clocker]

Oh no....I asked around.

[Appzalien]

You can also compare the "tiny strips" of the floppy, which would appear the same as a 40 wire ide, to the hard drive ribbon and see the difference or lack there of.

[gamer4eva]

So you fit the HD in properly and it wont load up??? When i did that it didnt load automatically i had to go to add hardware and then i formated it and it appeared.