Any DELL Inspiron 4100 users here? Got a question about the PCMCIA hard drive in it, and how it connects to the laptop

[THELAIR]

On the new Dell Inspiron 4100 series laptops, there is room for 2 hard drives. You have your stanard PCMCIA hard drive built into the laptop, and then an optional expansion bay at the front of the laptop where either a battery, CD-Rom/CD-R, floppy, or 2nd hard drive can fit.

BUT, you can also remove teh built in hard drive as well. On the left of the laptop, there is a lil plastic bezel covering it, and if you flip the laptop over you can see a screw that holds that bezel cover, if you remove the screw and pull down on the cover, it will pull out the hard drive for you.

In my case it is a IBM Travelstar 20 gigger.

When you look at the IDE connector pins at the end of the IBM laptop hard drive there is a properitary 'adapter' that connects to it, that allows the laptop hard drive to fit into IDE connector inside the laptop.

It's made by a company called FOXCONN, and there was no part # on it. I tried calling DELL and asking for this, and the lady had no clue what i was talking about. I'm going to try and call FOXCONN but i dont know if htey will sell just 1 or 2 items to a lil guy like me.

anyways, here is a picutre of the "adapter" that im trying to find:



Foxconn Adapter

The reason I want it, is because I bought a 2nd laptop hard drive, and I need that adapter to allow it to fit into the laptop and connect.

Anyhelp or ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[RalfHutter]

This is the Dell part number for that IDE adaptor:

"2960E, Connector, 2x22, Interface, IDE, Hard Drive"

The price is $4.95.

It's a 40 pin IDE adaptor with 4 extra pins for the power connection.

I've bought a bunch of these and other HDD related parts from Dell. Dealing with their sales people is a pain sometimes. What I've done is be patient and keep calling back over-and-over until you get to talk to a sales rep that knows what they're doing and will help you. However, now that I've done the hard part for you all you have to do is call and order this adaptor. Don't let them tell you they can't sell it to you, they can. Just keep trying.