Install CD rom

[mike12]

I am trying to install a CD Rom in a friends old, old computer. I had to install the CD Rom on the same cable as the hard drive. I set the CD Rom to slave, but when I started the computer it told me that there was a HD error etc. I then set the CD Rom to CSEL
(I think), still the same error message concerning the hard drive. I then tried setting it to Master, same message. This cable comes from the hard drive and attaches to a card that is plugged into the mother board. I did not pull the hard drive to see what it was set at, but I assume that it had to have been set to Master, since it was alone on the cable. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong ? Many thanks, Mike

[scott_d]

Just wondering...is the harddrive plugged into the middle connector or the end one on the cable? if its on hte middle one, move it to the end and then put the cd-rom on the middle, set to slave.
HTH

[Force Flow]

The HDD should always be set to master. If it's a newer drive, it may need to be set to "master with slave present".

[mike12]

Scott, the hard drive is at the end, and I was using the middle connector for the CD Rom. Should I try switching them (if they reach), or is that the correct way to connect them.
Motherboard, then CD ROM, then Hard DRIVE I though as long as you had them set properly (Master, slave etc.) the actual routing didn't matter .
Force, will double check the hard drive tomorrow to see exactly how the hard drive is set, but it is an older one, so I assume that it had to be set to master, or it wouldn't work at all, or am I wrong ?

[Cricket]

Originally posted by mike12
Scott, the hard drive is at the end, and I was using the middle connector for the CD Rom. Should I try switching them (if they reach), or is that the correct way to connect them.
Motherboard, then CD ROM, then Hard DRIVE I though as long as you had them set properly (Master, slave etc.) the actual routing didn't matter .If the computer is on the older side, it's probably using 40 wire ATA33 IDE cables. For these, you would set the drive jumpers to either master or slave and position on the cable doesn't matter. These cables have a more pronounced surface texture.

If the computer is using 80 wire Ultra-ATA66/100/133 IDE cables, then you would set the drive jumpers to CS or CSEL (cable select) and connect the blue connector to the motherboard, the black connector to the drive you want as master and the grey connector to the drive you want as slave. These cables have a finer surface texture.

:) Cricket

[glc]

Let me guess - a Western Digital hard drive?

You have to rejumper the hard drive to Master - WD's use no jumper at all (or parked jumper) for master with NO slave present (single) drive operation.

40 wire cables don't care at all which device is where on the cable. Run it so it fits.

[mike12]

Cricket- The computer is ten years old, so I assume it had the
40 wire cables. As I said I tried all three settings on the
CD Rom with no luck. I pulled the hard drive, and could
NOT see any little jumpers for Slave, Master, or CSEL

glc- the hard drive was a Maxtor, and as I said above, I could
not see the usual jumpers for the three settings.

Since he only paid $25.00 for this computer and monitor at a yard sale, he told me to stop wasting my time, that he would just give it to his six year old to play with.

Many thanks to all who offered advice and suggestions, Mike

[glc]

The jumpers on the old Maxtors are underneath on the circuit board itself. If the drive was working as a standalone, it *should* work with a CD drive slaved to it without touching the jumper, on those you pull the jumper to make it a slave, the jumper is used for master or single.

[mike12]

glc- The hard drive WAS working when it was on its own. The computer booted up properly. That is why I thought it would be
easy to add the CD Rom to his computer. Just install the CD Rom, set it to SLAVE, and install the cable. No such luck. I was going to ask if the cable could be defective, but I remembered that the Hard drive is at the end, so that eliminates the cable. Could the CD Rom be defective, and cause me to be getting the message that there is a problem with the hard drive ? The CD Rom was working a while ago, but has been in storage a few months.

One last question---I know when you plug the IDE cable into a hard drive or CD Rom etc. the RED side always faces the power side. How about the other end that either plugs into the motherboard or a card that plugs into the motherboard. Is there some way to tell if it is installed properly ? Sometimes there is a notch on the cable, and you can ONLY install it one way, but not always. I have already tried both ways so this is not the problem in this case, but I was never sure. Many thanks. Mike

[ktkendall]

The red stripe goes to the pin 1 side, and there should be a little 1 printed near the pins so you know what side pin 1 is.

[glc]

It's very possible the CD is defective. I pulled a working video card out of a machine about a year ago and stuck it in an antistatic bag inside a box - pulled it out last night to install it and it's dead. I'm glad its not an expensive card (original GF 256 SDR) but I wanted to use it!

[mike12]

KT- Thanks, now I won't have to try it both ways to see
which way it works.

glc- I will try another CD Rom, now that you said it could be the
CD Rom that is giving me the eror message. Thanks