Re: slave h/d?

From: Al Smith (invalid_at_address.com)
Date: 02/09/05


Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 05:57:59 GMT


> how do you install a slave hard-drive? I just wanted to know because I have
> an extra hard-drive laying around and I could use the extra space

You've got two flat white cables inside your computer case,
usually called ribbon cables because they look like broad ribbons.
Your present harddrive is attached to the end of one of them.
There are two plugs for such things as harddrives and CD drives on
each cable. The plug at the end is the "master" position, and the
plug in the middle of the ribbon cable is the "slave" position.

If the plug in the middle of the cable that your present harddrive
is attached to happens to be free, that's a good place to put your
second harddrive. You must set your second harddrive to "slave" by
moving a little plastic chicklet thing at the back of the
harddrive, called a jumper, to the "slave" position. There will
likely be a label on the harddrive showing you the positions for
the jumper.

There are four jumper positions -- master, slave, cable select and
single. The "single" position for the jumper is used when the
harddrive is the only one on its ribbon cable. When there are two
drives on the cable, the one on the end should be set to "master"
and the one on the plug in the middle of the cable should be set
to "slave". The "cable select" position is designed to eliminate
all the jumper confusion. A drive set to "cable select" should
work no matter where it is put on the ribbon cable, or whether it
is alone or with another drive. A lot of people don't trust "cable
select" and still use the older master-slave jumper settings.

After setting your second harddrive to "slave", you must check to
insure that your present drive is set to "master" -- it may be set
to "single". If the jumpers on both harddrives are correct, it's
just a matter of attaching the new drive in its slot in the case
with a couple of screws, plugging in the ribbon cable, plugging in
the power cable, and booting from the floppy that comes with the
new harddrive to configure the new drive.

Take a look at which brand your second harddrive is, go on the Web
site for that drive maker, and download their drive configuration
software, then install the software on a floppy. After the drive
is installed, just boot from that floppy and the software will
take you through the drive configuration process.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Help installing .NET framework
    ... Then set to second disk in the middle to Slave. ... cables are used. ... see if your BIOS recognizes both harddrives. ... Are both of your drives listed there? ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: Help installing .NET framework
    ... Then set to second disk in the middle to Slave. ... cables are used. ... see if your BIOS recognizes both harddrives. ... Are both of your drives listed there? ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Hard drive cable question -
    ... All IDE 40/80 pin cables are straight through, ... itself govens whether it's master or slave. ... It's completely wrong to say that all IDE 40 or 80 wire cables are wired ... I've seen drives which need no jumper for master, one jumper for it, two ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: Hard drive cable question -
    ... All IDE 40/80 pin cables are straight through, ... itself govens whether it's master or slave. ... It's completely wrong to say that all IDE 40 or 80 wire cables are wired ... I've seen drives which need no jumper for master, one jumper for it, two ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: fitting second hard drive
    ... Newer cables have labels on these connectors. ... long as the jumpers on the drives are properly set for Master or Slave. ... Slave on the middle connector. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)