How to Build Your Own PC - Save A Buck And Learn A Lot

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting Case Leads to the Mainboard[/SIZE]

There are several leads from the case that must be attached to the mainboard. These leads include: ​

• Case Fan
• Power Switch (PW)
• Reset Switch
• Power LED
• Speaker Connector
• HD LED

You’ll need to consult your mainboard manual to determine which pins these leads are connected to. ​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Connecting the Case Fan
• Connecting Other Thin-Wire Connectors

[SIZE=+2]Connecting the Case Fan[/SIZE]

Your case should have a case fan. The fan connector is usually the type that slips over three pins on the mainboard. See your mainboard manual to locate the case fan connection. Connect your case fan (Figure 71). Double check to be sure your CPU fan is also connected. Some case fans connect to wires directly from the power supply.​

Figure 71: Connecting the PC case fan
See your mainboard manual to determine where the case fan is connected. The case fan is typically connected with a three-pin connector similar to the CPU fan you connected earlier.​

​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting Other Thin-Wire Connectors[/SIZE]

Most of the leads, such as the power switch and the reset switch, can be connected in either orientation. There is no “Pin 1” or side to these connectors.​

Otherwise, if connected in the wrong orientation, something just won’t work. For example, it’s possible to have the HD LED backward. If this is backward, when you start the PC, it’s likely your HD LED light won’t go on at all, or it will go on and stay on. Usually, we expect to see the HD LED on the front of the case blink with hard drive activity. However, these connectors, if oriented incorrectly, will not damage the system.​

Figure 72 shows the connection of the reset switch. ​

Figure 72: Connecting the reset switch from the case to the mainboard
Pushing the reset switch on the case restarts your system.​

These connectors were discussed in the component overview section. It’s important to inspect the little pins carefully before installing your mainboard, because it’s easy to be off a pin and you’ll have a better view of the pins before the mainboard is installed.​

Figure 73 illustrates our mainboard with all of its thin-wire connections completed.​

Figure 73: Connecting all the thin-wire connectors from the PC case to the mainboard
See your mainboard manual to determine the proper connections. Often, the pins are also marked on the mainboard. These connectors were discussed during the component overview.​

 

[Baba Mtu]

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Chapter 5: Installing Drives[/SIZE]

Next up, we’ll install the 3.5" drives in their cage. Each side of any drive has screw holes which will secure the drive to the cage. ​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Installing the Floppy Drive
• Installing the Hard Drive
• Reinstalling the 3.5” Drive Cage
• Installing the CD-RW Drive
• Installing Other 5.25" Drives
• Drive Installation Complete

[SIZE=+2]Installing the Floppy Drive[/SIZE]

Let’s start with the floppy drive. The floppy drive uses the fine thread screws that came with your case. Most floppy drives don’t come with screws. Pick up one of the fine thread screws and test it to be sure you have the correct screw (Figure 74). Just see if you can get it started with your fingers or with light pressure from a screwdriver. Find three similar screws. If a particular screw won’t go, it’s probably the wrong thread or, possibly, the thread of the screw or the nut has been stripped. Try another screw. Try to avoid forcing any screws. ​

Figure 74: Testing a screw in the floppy drive
Before installing any drive, have the proper screws handy. The floppy drives use fine thread screws. The hard drives and other drives use coarse screws that typically come with the drive. Notice the screwdriver is slightly magnetic allowing it to hold the screw. Don’t worry. That small magnetic field won’t hurt your drives.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Installing the Floppy Drive in the Drive Cage
• Testing the Floppy Drive’s Fit in the Case

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the Floppy Drive in the Drive Cage[/SIZE]

Now, insert the floppy drive in its cage in the proper orientation (so you can put a disk in it from the front) and secure the drive by tightening the four screws (Figure 75 and Figure 76). ​

Figure 75: Insert the floppy drive into the 3.5” cage
The bay the drive must occupy is determined by the position of the floppy hole in the front of the bezel (See Figure 50).​

Figure 76: Screwing the floppy drive into the 3.5” drive cage​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Testing the Floppy Drive’s Fit in the Case[/SIZE]

The Enlight case has the floppy drive sit behind the bezel. This means the floppy drive can’t protrude too much or you won’t be able to close the front of the case. To get the depth correct, this cage has exact holes in the cage to position the drive and tighten it into place. But, just to make it challenging,

there are two different sets of holes to allow the drive to seat at two different depths. If, as you close the bezel, you find the floppy drive doesn’t sit at the proper depth, just remove the floppy and try the other set of cage holes. I’d recommend starting with the set of holes that puts the floppy the farthest back. When closing the front of the case (bezel), never force it. It could be that the floppy drive protrudes too far. ​

Other cages, where the front of the floppy drive is flush with the front of the case, often have slots which allow you to adjust the drive back and forth until it’s exactly flush with the front of the case. Then you can screw the floppy drive into place. Sometimes the slots are a bit oversized and the small screw heads will have a poor grip on the slot. ​

Let’s put the cage back into the PC and gently try to close the front (Figure 77). If the front doesn’t close properly, we can see the drive protrudes too much, and we’ll need to use the other set of cage screw holes to move the drive back. Be sure when you close the front of the case that something isn’t preventing it from closing, such as a floppy drive that’s sticking out too far. With too much force, it’s possible to break the bezel. You might want to close the front with no drives installed, just to get a feel for how much force it takes to finally pop the bezel into place. ​

Figure 77: Testing the fit of the bezel
After installing the floppy in the cage and replacing the cage in the PC case, we gently try to close the bezel. This step isn’t formally required. But, we want to be sure the floppy sits at the correct depth. If it sits too far forward, the bezel won’t shut. Or, it could break. When closing the bezel, it’s handy to lift the case up in the front and use your fingers to depress the bezel latch before closing the case. This saves wear and tear on the latch. Some people just slam it shut, which is bad.

Whenever closing anything, always keep an eye out for wires or anything else that could get pinched and be sure obstructions are moved out of the way.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the Hard Drive[/SIZE]

Now we’ll install the hard drive in its bay. Before we do, however, we need to make sure the drive is properly configured.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Setting Hard Drive Jumpers
• Multiple Hard Drive Options and RAID
• IDE Cables and Connectors
• Installing the Hard Drive in the Drive Cage

[SIZE=+2]Setting Hard Drive Jumpers[/SIZE]

This is a good time to examine any instructions that came with your hard drive to see if any jumpers need to be adjusted. Jumpers are little connectors which connect adjacent pins. They “jump” between the pins. The jumpers are probably set fine, but it’s a good idea to check them, just in case. ​

The usual jumper settings for a hard drive are: ​

• Cable Select
• Primary
• Secondary

Cable select means that the mainboard will choose whether to make the drive primary or secondary. Most mainboards today support cable select. And, most drives will have their jumpers already set to cable select. You can just have all your drives set to cable select, and the mainboard will take care of the rest. ​

“Primary” means first and most important. Think of the primary as the one that usually takes control of the cable and gets its way. The secondary is like a little brother who must usually wait. ​

You usually want your main hard drive set as primary, or set it as cable select and have the mainboard set it as primary. Because we know we want this hard drive set to primary, we read the Western Digital instructions which tell us how to set the jumper. Rather than going up and down, as it looks like it should, the jumper in this case goes across pins on the lower, longer line of pins. We set the jumper to primary. ​

Incorrectly set jumpers are a common problem when building a PC. So, double check the orientation. Does the jumper go on the top row, bottom row, or across the top and bottom rows? Does the jumper go closer to the side of the drive with the power supply connector, or is the jumper closer to the side away from the power connector? Count pins on each side of the jumper. All this will help assure you have the jumpers set as you want. Be sure to push the jumper in all the way. ​

To remove jumpers, longer nails are handy, or you could use a small needle nose pliers (Figure 78). Be gentle. There’s no need to crush the little feller, no matter how frustrating he is to deal with.​

Figure 78: Changing the jumper on the hard drive from cable select to primary
We could have left it as “cable select” and it would have worked fine.​

After the jumper has been changed, the drive will appear as in Figure 79. ​

Figure 79: The jumper is changed
It sits across the bottom row of pins when set to primary. We learned this from the instructions that came with the hard drive.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Multiple Hard Drive Options and RAID[/SIZE]

If we were to place another hard drive in the system, we could make it secondary and put it on the same cable as the primary drive. Use the fastest drive with the largest buffer as your primary drive to maximize the speed of your operating system. ​

With drives cheap today (you can get a 40 GB drive for $40), you might want to install a second hard drive as a back up. Then, just drag and drop copies of your most important files to the second drive. Of course, you can also back up to a CD-RW or DVD burner. The chances of both drives failing and your losing data is very slim. ​

Some mainboards support RAID, which means redundant array of independent disks. RAID writes data to more than one hard drive at the same time, so that if one drive fails, you won’t lose data. However, if you make back ups regularly, you probably won’t need RAID for a home system. The chances of one hard drive failing is pretty slim. ​

If you want RAID, you can choose a mainboard that supports RAID or else purchase an expansion card that gives RAID capability.


[SIZE=+2]IDE Cables and Connectors[/SIZE]

While some hard-drive cables (IDE cables) have only a connector at each end, most have a connector at each end and a connector at the center. The primary drive is usually connected at the far end of the ribbon, and the secondary drive is connected to the middle connector. ​

Most mainboards support two IDE connectors. Because each IDE connector can run two drives (one as primary, one as secondary), you’ll be all set to add up to four hard drives, CD-RWs, DVDs, etc. If you want more drive capability, you’ll probably need to add an expansion card giving you another IDE connector. Four drives are usually more than adequate for most systems. ​

One handy PCI expansion board is an IDE, serial, parallel, and other multiple function I/O controller board. This board will give you more of every type of port, if you find you need them. These PCI expansion boards were more common in the past (before internal CD-RWs and USB ports) when people often ran an external zip drive from the parallel port and a printer from another parallel port. If the devices got into arguments, putting one on its own controller board solved the problem. Today, expansion boards adding extra USB ports are common. ​

​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the Hard Drive in the Drive Cage[/SIZE]

Remove the 3.5" cage from the case, if it isn’t removed already. While we could put the hard drive immediately below the floppy, we’ll skip one bay and place it in the last bay farthest away from the floppy. The extra air space between drives should help with cooling. ​

Remove the RF shield; or, if the drive sits far enough back, you could just leave the shield in place. It shouldn’t matter. The drive itself will act as a shield. Insert the drive into the cage (Figure 80). Then screw the drive to secure it to the 3.5” cage (Figure 81). The back of the drive has connections for the ribbon cable and power connector. Those should point to the inside of the case. ​

Figure 80: Inserting the hard drive into the 3.5” drive cage​

Figure 81: Screwing the hard drive into the 3.5” drive cage
Try to avoid touching the bottom of the hard drive which contains a circuit board. It’s also good to ground yourself before handling the hard drive.​

As with the floppy, before screwing in the hard drive, pick up a screw and test it by hand or with very light pressure from the screwdriver. Find three similar screws. It’s best to use screws that came with the hard drive. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Reinstalling the 3.5” Drive Cage[/SIZE]

With the jumpers properly set and the hard drive screwed into the cage, we can insert the cage back into the case and turn our attention to the 5.25" drives (Figure 82).​

Figure 82: Inserting the full 3.5” drive cage into the PC case.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the CD-RW Drive[/SIZE]

The only 5.25" drive we’ll install in this system will be a 52x24x52 CD-RW. Before discussing the specifics of installation, however, let’s discuss what those numbers mean, and some other issues related to CD-RW drives.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• CD-RW by the Numbers
• Removing the CD-RW Drive Bay Cover
• Installing the CD-RW Drive in the Drive Cage

[SIZE=+2]CD-RW by the Numbers[/SIZE]

The designation “52x24x52” means that the drive can write data at 52x speed, it can rewrite data at 24x speed, and it can read data at 52x speed. 1x speed is some standard set long ago in a time far away. Few remember exactly what that speed is. But, we remember that higher multiples mean a faster drive. ​

If you purchase CD-R disks that are rated at a slower speed than your maximum CD drive write speed, you can often use your operating system to adjust the speed at which the CD-RW drive will write. For example, in Windows XP, use the control panel to find the CD-RW and look at its properties. It will

usually say it’s running its CD-RW write speed at its fastest possible setting, which is usually what you want. Simply find a slower setting, if the CD-R media requires it. This is handy if you have a 52x drive but can get a bunch of CD-R media free that writes only at 48x. Similar speed reductions can occur within your burning software, such as Nero. ​

Incidentally, if you examine advertisements from Best Buy and other computer stores, you’ll often find CD-R media really cheap, like free, after a mail-in rebate. These offers can be a bonanza for a PC person. You can even find 256 MB RAM chips free, after mail-in rebate. These offers are designed to draw customers into the store in the hope they’ll buy other things. I just head straight to the rebate items. Many times you can also purchase the item online, download the rebate, and skip the trip to the store. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Removing the CD-RW Drive Bay Cover[/SIZE]

Before we can install the CD-RW drive, we must remove the plastic slot cover on the bezel over the 5.25" bay it will use (Figure 83 and Figure 84). ​

Figure 83: Removing the bay cover from the bezel.
The 5.25” CD-RW drive will occupy this bay.​

Figure 84: Bezel with CD-RW bay cover removed​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the CD-RW Drive in the Drive Cage[/SIZE]

This Enlight case has a screwless system for securing the 5.25" drives. We simply pull out the levers on each side of the drive. Be sure the levers are all the way out. Then we insert the drive and push it into place (Figure 85). We then close the levers which lock the drive into place.​

It’s possible to get this wrong. For example, not locking the drive in fully. We’ll grab the drive and tug it back and forth to be sure it’s fully secured. It is. Little nipples come out to engage the screw holes in the drive and further tightness is provided by the sides of the levers which push against the drive. ​

Figure 85: Inserting the CD-RW drive into its bay
This PC case uses a screwless system where the drive simply inserts and is secured by closing some levers. Your case may differ. Many PC cases use four screws on the side of the CD-RW to secure the drive to rails. Then the rails insert into slots in the case.​

Notice that the front of the drive will protrude slightly (Figure 86). This is normal. When the front bezel is replaced, the front of the drive will appear flush with the front of the case. It’s often necessary to gently push the plastic of the bezel slightly up or down if it’s hitting the face of the drive or to push the plastic of the drive just up or down slightly. Don’t slam the bezel shut without checking for minor obstructions to it closing.​

Figure 86: CD-RW drive installed in case
Notice that the drive protrudes from the front of the case. It will be flush with the front of the case when we replace the bezel.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing Other 5.25" Drives[/SIZE]

Similarly, install any other 5.25" drives you desire. This PC case has one open slot for a 5.25" device. If you wish to install multiple devices, you’ll need to remove one of the metal RF shields that covers the other 5.25" drive bays. ​

RF shields are often held in place by thin pieces of metal. To remove the shield, the metal holding the

shield must be broken. If the metal connecting the shield to the case is too tough to remove by simply twisting and turning it by hand (it is in this case), then using a small side cutter works well. A side cutter is essentially like a pliers but with a cutting edge. Be very careful when removing one of these

shields, because after cutting the metal, sharp edges are often exposed. If you push too hard with your hand on such a shield, when it breaks, your hand could hit one of the remaining metal barbs. This can lead to nasty cuts. Thus, if you wish to push on a shield to remove it, using the back of a screwdriver handle is sometimes a good idea, because it helps keep your hand a safe distance away from sharp edges. ​

Never use a Dremel tool or an electric cutting device to remove a metal shield, because these tools kick up metal shavings which can be harmful to the mainboard. If a remaining barb is in the way, try to use a needle nose pliers to bend it out of the way. Don’t sand it down.


[SIZE=+2]Drive Installation Complete[/SIZE]

We’ve now installed the mainboard in the case (Figure 87). We‘ve also learned how to install the drives. In the next chapter, we’ll learn how to connect the drives to the power supply and to the mainboard. We’ll also learn how to install expansion cards. ​

Figure 87: The mainboard installed in the case
The mainboard is now installed and connected to the case and the drives are also installed and secured.​

​

 

[Baba Mtu]

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Chapter 6: Connecting Components[/SIZE]

We now have all our 3.5" drives and 5.25" drives attached to the case. The next step will be to connect all devices to the mainboard using the appropriate cables. Ribbon cables will transfer signals between the drive and the mainboard. Other connectors will supply power. A special sound cable will transmit audio between the CD-RW drive and the mainboard or sound card.​

The best order to connect the devices is the order that’s easiest for you. Sometimes one device will be hiding in a corner of the case, and it’s best to connect that device first. Other than that, the order in which you make these connections is unimportant. Just double check to be sure you haven’t forgotten anything. ​

Before we get into specific connections, however, let’s take a look at how we will allocate drives between the two IDE channels, and some other issues relevant to component connection.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Allocating Drives to IDE Connectors
• Connecting the Sound Cable
• Connecting the Ribbon Cables
• Connecting the Power Cables
• Connecting the Sound Cable (If Not Already Done)

[SIZE=+2]Allocating Drives to IDE Connectors[/SIZE]

Because we have two IDE connectors on the mainboard, we’ll use one for the hard drive and the other for the CD-RW. Each device will be set as primary on its own cable. Each ribbon cable can have one primary and one secondary device. ​

The jumper options on CD-RW drives are the same as for the hard drive, because both are IDE devices. The choices are primary, secondary and cable select. Double check your jumpers before installing the 5.25" devices. You can put two CD-RWs on one cable or more commonly a CD-RW and a DVD on one cable. ​

It’s common to have both a CD-RW and a DVD. That allows you to play DVDs and record to CDs as well as read CDs. Unless you plan to make movies on your PC, you probably won’t need a DVD burner. However, prices for DVD burners have come down significantly. We’ll discuss DVD burners in another chapter. ​

If you operate two devices on one cable, just be sure each device is set to cable select or be sure one is set to primary and the other to secondary. If you ever have a conflict, sometimes it helps to change the order of the devices. Make the one that’s currently primary secondary and vice versa. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting the Sound Cable[/SIZE]

Examining the back of the CD-RW (Figure 88) we also see there is a connector for a sound cable (Figure 89). ​

Figure 88: Back of the CD-RW drive
The arrow shows a four-pin connector for a sound cable, which will connect to your sound card or mainboard. To the right of the sound connector are pins for jumper settings for master, slave, and cable select options. See the instructions that came with your drive for setting jumpers. Farther to the right are pins for the ribbon connector. At right is a 4-pin power connector.​

Figure 89: Sound cable
The connectors on the sound cable will connect the CD-RW to either a sound card or to the mainboard (if the mainboard has built-in sound). The instructions say the cable can be plugged in only one way, such as the cable on the right. But, in reality, the cable in the box is the one on the left. They lied!​

The other end of this cable will connect to the mainboard if you have built-in sound (Figure 90) or to a sound card.​

Figure 90: Sound connected to mainboard
After connecting all ribbon cables and power connectors, don’t forget to connect CD sound to your mainboard or to the sound card.​

The instructions for the CD-RW say that the cable can only be plugged in one way. And, a sound cable is included. But, examining the cable, we see they lied (see Figure 89). It can be plugged in two ways. Some sound cables can be plugged in only one way, because they have notches in them which identify

the top. Others are just flat little suckers that will go in in either direction. ​

If your CD’s sound doesn’t work, try reversing the cable, if you have a flat, notchless connector. It should work in either orientation, however, because the four pins are usually denoted RGGL, right speaker, ground, ground, and left speaker. Right is often red in color. If a device doesn’t work, always check to see that it’s properly connected. ​

Sometimes instructions for PC components, such as CD-RWs, make little sense, because the instructions don’t seem to match up with the actual device you’re holding. Sometimes the instructions were written and a vendor was changed and the components changed, but the instructions weren’t updated. This can happen with software also. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting the Ribbon Cables[/SIZE]

Let’s start by connecting the IDE ribbon cables and the floppy cable. These cables look like decorative party paper ribbon, except they come in boring colors and aren’t made from paper. ​

It’s probably most common to plug cables into the drives first and then to the mainboard, but you can

do it either way you prefer. Sometimes it’s easiest to get one side of the cable connector started first. But, as you push down, try to apply equal force to each side of the connector so that the whole connector seats fully. Try not to touch the mainboard with your fingers as you plug in the cables.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• The Floppy Ribbon Cable
• Installing the Floppy Ribbon Cable
• Installing the CD-RW Ribbon Cable
• The Hard Drive IDE Cable
• Installing the Hard Drive IDE Cable
• Ribbon Cable Summary

[SIZE=+2]The Floppy Ribbon Cable[/SIZE]

With bootable CD drives today and the limited capacity of floppies, they’re not used very often. But, they can be useful for creating an emergency boot disk. And, if you have a case, such as the Enlight case for this build, with a hole for a floppy, it’s probably good to have something installed behind the floppy hole, because someone will eventually try to insert a floppy disk. Plus, for $15, a floppy is inexpensive. ​

The floppy drive is connected with the 34-pin ribbon cable (Figure 2) which comes with your mainboard. It won’t plug into the forty-pin socket used for the hard drive and CD-RW drive. There’d be pins left over.​

If you examine one end of the floppy cable connector, you’ll see that there is a single hole missing in the connector. If I recall right from math, a negative times a negative is a positive. So, lack of a hole means material still remains. The other end of the cable is also missing a hole. This missing hole can

be matched with a missing pin (on a drive or mainboard) to help orient the connector. ​

There is also sometimes a protruding notch on one side of each connector at the top and outside part of the connector. This notch will match up with a notch in the mainboard floppy socket. This helps to assure the ribbon cable is installed in the proper orientation. Sometimes, your ribbon cable will also

have a red stripe down one side. Red means Pin 1. Or, sometimes, there will be something else, such as a red triangle, showing Pin 1. Pin 1 will be noted in your mainboard manual. ​

Find the 34-pin floppy connector on your mainboard (Figure 91). When in doubt, consult the mainboard manual. Examine the pins carefully. You’ll see there is a missing pin. That’s normal. It will match up with the lack of a hole in the ribbon connector. Be careful not to force a connector in the wrong orientation, or you might damage or bend a pin. ​

Figure 91: IDE and floppy connector sockets on mainboard
The bottom connector is for a 34-pin floppy ribbon cable. Notice the cut-out notch on one side which helps orient the cable. Be careful not to bend any pins as you press the connector into place. The light-colored 40-pin connector is the mainboard’s primary IDE connector and should be connected to the hard drive. The two 40-pin IDE connectors support up to four devices.​

You’ll also see a cut-out notch on one long side of the socket. This is designed to help assure proper orientation of the floppy cable. However, some cables don’t have notches. So, sometimes the cut out isn’t much help. ​

If there is a notch on the cable, use it to determine the proper orientation of the cable. If your cable has no notch, either match up the missing hole with the missing pin, or else use your mainboard manual to determine Pin 1 of the floppy connector and match that to the red stripe of the floppy cable. One way or another, you’ll get that sucker installed in the proper orientation. ​

Similarly, the floppy drive itself is missing one pin on the connector, so you can use that as a guide for the proper orientation of the cable to the drive. Other floppy drives have Pin 1 marked in some other way. Pin 1 always goes to the red line side of the cable. And, if you really must confirm orientation yet another way, you can do a search on google for your particular floppy drive to find a manual for your floppy or more information about it. Most floppy drives don’t come with any documentation. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the Floppy Ribbon Cable[/SIZE]

If you look again at the floppy cable, you’ll notice one side of the cable looks like it’s torn (see Figure 2). It’s not. It’s just designed with a twist. This end of the cable will connect to the 3.5" drive. Connect the end with the twist to your floppy drive by using your thumbs and fingers to push the floppy cable fully into place (Figure 92).​

Figure 92: Connecting a ribbon cable into the floppy drive
The end with the twist goes to the drive. The other end will go to the mainboard. This figure also shows the power cable connected to the floppy drive. The order in which you connect the ribbon cables and power cables doesn’t matter. If it’s easier for you, you can put the case on its side to make the connections. Here the case sits upright.​

The other end will connect to the mainboard (Figure 93). ​

Figure 93: Connecting the floppy ribbon cable to the mainboard
Push the connector straight down. Here the case sits on its side.​

Figure 94 shows the floppy ribbon cable fully connected.​

Figure 94: Floppy ribbon cable fully installed​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the CD-RW Ribbon Cable[/SIZE]

While each ribbon connector can have a primary and a secondary device on it, most mainboards also support two IDE connectors on the mainboard, which are also referred to as primary and secondary. We’ll connect the secondary IDE to the CD cable first, because it’s between the floppy connector and the mainboard’s primary IDE connector (see Figure 91). Then, we’ll connect the primary mainboard IDE connector to the hard drive. To determine which IDE connector is primary, consult your mainboard manual. Any IDE ribbon cables you connect in the future will be similar to these.​

First, connect the 40-pin ribbon cable to the mainboard’s secondary controller (the second IDE connection on the mainboard) as shown in Figure 95 and Figure 96. ​

Figure 95: Connecting the CD-RW ribbon cable to the secondary IDE connector on the mainboard​

Figure 96: CD-RW ribbon connected to mainboard​

Then, connect the cable to the CD-RW drive (Figure 97). Ignore any connectors in the middle of the cable and use the ends of the ribbon cable (unless you plan to connect a secondary device to the middle cable connector). ​

Figure 97: Connecting the ribbon cable to the CD-RW drive
Hold the connector by the black end to push it in. We intentionally had the model hold the connector by the cable so the hand didn’t completely obscure the picture. Also, when removing cables, don’t pull them by the ribbon, which could damage wires. Rather, pull them out by holding the black connector. (Figure 88 shows the back of the CD-RW drive, where the ribbon cable goes.)​