Section 2. Installing Your PlexCombo
10
PlexCombo 20/10/40-12A Installation and Users Manual
CAUTION: Before you attempt to open your computer be sure to properly ground
yourself by wearing an anti-static wristband. This will help prevent static damage to
your computer system.
Figure 3: Removing a Typical Computer's Cover
Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration
With your computer open, determine the existing IDE configuration. You can do this
by looking at the 40-pin IDE ribbon cable (or cables—there may be two) and seeing
what is connected to them.
One end of the IDE cable is connected to a port on the computer’s motherboard; and
the other end is connected to one or two peripheral devices (such as a hard disk or
CD-ROM drive). If there are two devices, one is configured as Master and the other
the Slave, as indicated by the position of jumpers on the back of the drive. (This is
also true for the Cable Select bus.) If there are two IDE ports, one is for the primary
IDE bus and the other is for the secondary bus.
Before you install your PlexCombo, your computer’s IDE configuration is usually
one of the following:
•
Configuration A: Hard disks connected as Master and Slave devices on primary
IDE port; CD-ROM drive connected as Master device on secondary IDE port.
•
Configuration B: Hard disk connected as Master device and DVD or CD-ROM
drive connected as Slave on the primary IDE port; nothing connected to
secondary IDE port.
•
Configuration C: Hard disk connected as Master device on primary IDE port;
nothing connected to secondary IDE port.
•
Configuration D: System uses special “Cable Select” cables; all devices are
jumpered for Cable Select.