Connecting a Second Hard Drive 1

[Gilroy]

About a year ago, my computer experienced a couple of crashes. My system is a Gateway G6-300, and my platform is Win 98.

Several Gateway technicians, after trying different tests on my HD while online, concluded that I needed to replace my 8 gig HD. As a result, I ordered a 20 gig HD from the company. However, before the arrival of the new HD, I ran several other tests on the 8 gig HD and found it to be operational, and as a result was able to "resusitate" it. After the 20 gig HD arrived, I installed it by reconnecting the ribbon from the 8 gig to the 20 gig, so the 8 gig is not connected at this time.

There are only two controller slots in the motherboard, and one of the ribbons connects the CD and the Zip. The other ribbon connects the CDRW and the 20 gig HD. I am therefore short of one connector in order to connect the 8 gig HD.

Is there a simple way to increase the number of "controller slots" on the motherboard so that I can add a ribbon to connect the 8 gig HD to the motherboard? Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[GeekBros]

Greets Gilroy,

If you have a PCI slot available on your M-board, you can add an IDE controller card to allow you to connect more than 4 drives.



Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[mattjurado]

Yes, I highly recommend Promise cards, plug it in, bootup, load the driver, reboot, done.

http://www.promise.com

Matt J.

 

[Psingh]

Hi Gilroy,

I think there is no need to add a PCI card. Only u have to change the Ribbon cable that is attached to ur 20Gig HDD rightnow. Change the cable from two connectors to three connectors, where two are for two Hard Drives and one is to connect the drives to the system board.

PSingh

 

[mattjurado]

WTF? Psingh, I hate to say this, but do you have a job in computers? On the thousands of computers I have worked on, I've never known a version of the IDE specifications to support more than two drives on a single channel... If you have found IDE ribbon cables with three connectors, I'm impressed.

Gilroy, please ignore Psingh.

Matt J.

 

[diogenes10]

This is going to come back to haunt me, but:
thread717-660144 might be appropriate here.

Matt - Psingh is talking about the standard 2 connector cable.

Psingh - Gilroy has two of the cables you describe, and both are full.

 

[mattjurado]

You're right diogenes, I just saw the part he said change it from 2 to 3 connectors, and I was astonished. I mean gilroy mentioned he had 4 drives connected already...

Matt J.

 

[Psingh]

Matt,

I thing u should read the reply completely before attempting to comment, its good for ur health and i don't want to comment on ur knowledge and level of understanding

PSingh

 

[mattjurado]

No, my apologies, I read yours wrong, but had you read properly, you wouldn't have made that statement. I just saw, switch it for a cable with 3 connectors... Which was amazed at, as gilroy stated he had two drives on each channel already.

Matt J.

 

[Psingh]

my apologies, I read Gilroy's post wrong.

PSingh

 

[Gilroy]

I am very grateful for all of you gentlemen who have extended yourselves to be of assistance to me. All of you appear to be very knowledgeable about the workings of a computer. I respect all of you for that.

However, I am still slightly confused as to my best method of approaching this problem. If you can help clarify this for me, I will be appreciative.

Mattjurado, I went to the web site which you recommended, but I suppose that I am too stupid to find any related material at this site.

I have yet to make a decision regarding this matter.

Thanks again to all of you...........Gilroy

 

[edfair]

I would agree, it isn't retail user friendly. Great for showing off the new products, but you are looking for something that is basically 15 year old technology.

Maximum of 2 devices per channel, you have 2 channels with 4 devices attached, so you are full. You can add another controller if you have an I/O slot to take it. That will make an additonal 2 channels available for an additional 4 devices.

It is a matter of figuring out what I/O slots you have available.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[mattjurado]

This is the part you need, if you go to any computer shop, they should be able to get this model, or a similar brand.

http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?productId=87&familyId=3

Matt J.

 

[Gilroy]

To: Geekbros and Mattjurado

Since my motherboard apparently runs at 66 mHz, will the Promise Ultra 66 IDE Controller Card PCI meet my needs?

Thanks, Gilroy

 

[mattjurado]

It should work fine, just at a slower speed.

Matt J.

 

[Gilroy]

To: Mattjurado

Are you implying that I should purchase a Promise card with a higher speed eventhough my MB runs at 66? If so, what speed Promise card would you recommend that I install?

Thanks, Gilroy

 

[mattjurado]

The one in the link I posted above should work fine.

Matt J.