tips and suggestions to aid you in speeding up your computer.

Upgrades


tips and suggestions to aid you in speeding up your computer.

Installing a Primary IDE Hard Drive:

Before beginning work on any computer system, it is important to make sure all of the power is off. Shut down the computer from operating system. Once the operating system is safely off, turn off the power to the internal components and flipping the switch on the back of the power supply and remove the AC power cord.

Open Up the Computer Case

Next the computer case needs to be opened up. The method for opening up the computer case will vary depending upon the case design. Most new cases use either a side panel or door while older cases may require the whole cover be removed. Remove any screws that hold the cover to the case and then remove the panel or cover.

Set the Drive Mode Jumper

Based on the documentation that came with the hard drive or any diagrams on the hard drive, set the jumpers on the drive. In most cases if the system only has a single drive connected to the cable, use the "Cable Select" option. If there is another drive that will be connected to the same IDE cable, used the "Master" setting.

Insert the Drive in the Case

It is now time to slide the drive into the case. For hard drives, typically there is a drive cage that hold them. If the cage can be removed from the case, do this now to make installation easier. To install it, simply slide the drive into a slot until the mounting holes on the cage match the drive. Fasten the drive to the cage with screws.

Attach IDE Cable to the Motherboard

Most ATA/66 and ATA/100 IDE cables will have a blue connector or a connector labeled "System Board". This will be plugged into either the IDE0 (Primary) or IDE1 (Secondary) connector on the motherboard. Typically the primary connector will be blue to signify that it should be used for a hard drive. The cables are typically keyed to only be inserted in one way but if the cable is not keyed, make sure that the red stripe on the IDE cable matches up to "Pin 1" on the motherboard.

Plug the IDE Cable to the Hard Drive

Attach the furthest connector on the ribbon cable to the hard drive. This connector will often be black or labeled "Primary". Make sure that the red stripe on the cable is placed at pin 1 of the connector on the hard drive. Most drives are now keyed so the cable will only fit in one particular way.



Plug the Power to the Drive

Locate a free 4-pin Molex connector from the power supply. This is plugged into the power connector on the hard drive.



Close Up the Computer

At this point the wiring and drive should be secured within the computer case. It is now time to replace the computer cover or panel to the cover. Be sure to fasten the cover to the case with the screws that were previously removed.

Fasten the Computer Cover



Power Up the Computer

Now that the case is closed up, power can be restored to the computer system. Plug the AC cord back into the power supply and be sure to flip the switch to the ON position.

It will be necessary for the computer BIOS to detect the hard drive the next time that it is powered up. Check with the manual for your computer or motherboard on how to detect a new hard drive. It may be necessary to change some of the parameters in the computer BIOS in order for it to detect the hard drive on the controller. The drive must also be formatted for use with the operating system before it can be used. Please consult the documentation that came with your motherboard or computer for additional information.