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How do i hook up 2nd drive?

B

bX510

Golden Member
I want to make my computer have a DVD burner, but there doesn't seem to an additional same exact plug as the Currently plugged in drive. Do i need to buy a cable? What cable do i buy?
 
If you're speaking of the flat ribbon cable (that I presume is attached to both your current drive and your hard drive), then you need a 2nd ribbon cable.

Each IDE Ribbon cable can support two devices (like your hard drive and a CD-ROM drive). A lot of the cheaper built computers will have a single hard drive and CD/DVD drive on one ribbon cable and stiff you on the 2nd ribbon cable.

All you need to do is purchase a 2nd IDE ribbon cable, plug it into your MB and the other end into your DVD Burner... either that, or ditch the current drive and replace it with an all-in-one burner... whichever you prefer.
 
Isn't the cable for HD different from the DVD drive, it has like a lil bump on top of it. I currently have 1 ide cable connected to 2 Hard Drives, and anotehr cable ffrom motherboard to the DVD drive.
 
The answer is most likely no... unless you have a Serial ATA hard drive (which uses a very thin cable that looks nothing like the flatter and wider IDE cable), then your hard drives do indeed share the SAME ATA ribbon cable as the DVD/CD ROM drives!

If your current setup is as you described, you are using THREE of the possible FOUR connections on your IDE ribbon cables (two IDE HDs and one IDE DVD drive).

Most IDE Ribbon cables have three connectors on the cable... one on each end and one in the middle. Some cables have only the connectors on each end and nothing in the middle. In any case, all IDE connectors on your motherboard (of which there should always be TWO of them on the MB) can support two devices each... which totals FOUR IDE drives (any combination of hard drives and CD/DVD drives).

All you need to do is connect your new DVD Burner to the middle connector on the ribbon cable that goes to your current drive and be done with it (be sure to have the correct master/slave jumper settings or use cable select on the drives themselves).

If for any reason, you got "gyped" and have an IDE ribbon cable with only the connectors on each end (and none in the middle) simply purchase a proper ribbon cable that has all three connectors on it!

That should fix you up!
 
they can be different, most times a forty wire cable is used for optical drives
80 wire for hard drives, you don't want to use 40 wire cable with hard drives.
but you can use 80 wire cable with optical drives
just by looking at the cable the 40 wire will have bigger ruffles


 
Don't confuse him with the wire-count! Wire count is irrelevant to the differance between the use of IDE for HDs and CD/DVD drives. He just needs to plug his burner into the system and realize IDE drives include both hard drives and CD/DVD drives!
 
Originally posted by: Wolfshanze
Don't confuse him with the wire-count! Wire count is irrelevant to the differance between the use of IDE for HDs and CD/DVD drives. He just needs to plug his burner into the system and realize IDE drives include both hard drives and CD/DVD drives!
Click to expand...

He asked a question and I answered it, that's it period.

Isn't the cable for HD different from the DVD drive
Click to expand...

I hope he's not insulted by your comment



 
Originally posted by: bX510
Okay, just to make sure. This would work for the drive. correct?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...45343&item=9703212608#ebayphotohosting
Click to expand...


Yes, it should work fine for any ATA drive, but I find ribbon cable more flexible, if you have a small case with limited space rounded cable can be a pain, especially the length of cable between the master and slave, if it's more than the distance than between the drives.

So, I'll assume that the existing cable to the old DVD drive just has one connection or you'd rather have the rounded cable.

Another option might be to just replace the old DVD drive with a DVD burner and not have to get another cable.


Also looking back you asked about the bump on top of the cable
some older most likely 40 wire cable might not have the bump which helps to make sure the cable is plugged in correctly if there is no bump then you need to go with the line on the side of the ribbon, usually a red stripe, and the pin marked as pin one on the drive.

 
are their such thing as flat ribbon cables with lgihts? i like ribbon more, cause round is kind of hard to tame. I like the lights too
 
I haven't seen any that reflect light, but I think they have paint or even ink that reflects UV,. I'm not sure if that would look good though.
 
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