adding second harddrive

Question

i have a dell dimension 2400, with 40gb hard drive. i bought a second 80gb hard drive it is a maxtor diamond max plus9 80gb ata/133 hdd.i was going to put it in as a second hard drive,would this be ok and it is hard to install.any help would be greatful, thanks sam.............

ejn63 · Answer

If you haven't opened it, return it and buy a Seagate, WD, Samsung or Hitachi drive.

If you've opened it and/or can't return it, cross your fingers - Maxtor's reliability of late has been horrendous.

You'll need a couple of things:

One, a dual-drive cable (the cable in the system suppports just one drive).
Two, a bracket for the second drive (there is no place to mount a second drive in that chassis by default).

You can buy a kit with the cable and bracket from Dell Spare Parts, or www.issue-resolved.com.

Dell Spare Parts 1-800-449-3355 ext 7269937

shesagordie · Answer

sam02

After install the second HD, set the junpers to the "Cable Select" position and connect it to the middle cable connector, enter the BIOS and check that the HD is enabled [on]. In order for windows to recognize the second hard drive, it must be partitioned and formatted. These are generic instructions for installing an additional hard drive using Windows XP Disk Management, they are by Seagate, but apply to all brands.

http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/howto/install_xp_disk_mgmt.html

Bev.

copMom · Answer

I have a dimension 4700, still unused. (Did plug it in when I got it 1-1/2 months ago just to see if it was 'alive on arrival'. It has a 160GB serial ATA HD in it. It's connected to a SATA connector. There is a 2nd SATA connector slot, but my older machine has a slave 120GB HD that's IDE. I want to put that slave in the new machine so I can copy all my programs, etc. (as a slave), but don't see anyplace to connect it on the MB. The MB system board print out shows a IDE drive connector but the DVD Dual drive is connected to that slot. Is there any way I CAN hook up? Once I get all the programs installed from my older machine then I do plan to put a SATA 2nd drive in the new one as a slave. Always pays to have a backup and that's what I use my 'slaves' for! Any help would be appreaciated.

shesagordie · Answer

copMom.

If there's a middle connector on the DVD cable, temporarily connect the IDE HD to it, check the BIOS that the IDE HD is enabled [on] and the transfer the data. If there's no middle connector, remove the DVD and connect the HD to it's connector, after the transfer, reconnect the optical drive. You can only move the data, any programs and applications must reinstalled from their CDs.

Bev.

copMom · Answer

Thanks Bev.. that's about what I was thinking of trying, IF that cable will reach the place where the HD's are located in this computer! I did hear that there is an adapter with IDE on one end and SATA on the other. Was trying to find out more about that. That would solve all my problems, especially since I found a really good price on a 250GB IDE HD. I do follow the Kim Komando newsletters and there was something in there that said you can have both a SATA and IDE HD in the machines. If so, that would be great!

shesagordie · Answer

copMom.   Is this what you are referring to. http://www.addonics.com/products/io/ide_sata.asp Bev.

copMom · Answer

No.. never saw that before but HAVE bookmarked it! I thought it was just a simple cable that had IDE and ATA on opposite ends (sort of like when you're using an adapter to put an older keyboard with the large round end onto a newer computer that has a smaller round end. Follow me??
In friendship ~ Lauri

shesagordie · Answer

copMom.   Laun.   There's no such thing as an adaptor cable as you discribed, you either have to use the SATA/IDE adaptor as shown, or a SATA to IDE PCI conlroller card.   Bev.

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adding second harddrive

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