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Hard-Disk Drives: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX115 System User's
Guide
The small form-factor and low-profile chassis support a single
enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) hard-disk drive in the hard-disk drive bay.
In the mini tower chassis, you can install up to two EIDE drives (one of which must be 1
inch high or less) in the hard-disk drive bracket below the drive cage. The first EIDE
drive is installed in the 1-inch (lower) drive bay labeled "HD1"; a second drive
is installed in the 1.6-inch bay labeled "HD2."
All EIDE devices require that you configure the cable select
setting, which assigns master and slave status to devices according to their position on
the interface cable. You usually configure a drive for cable select by setting a jumper or
switch, depending on the drive. Refer to the drive documentation in your upgrade kit for
information on configuring devices for the cable select setting. When you connect two EIDE
devices to a single EIDE interface cable and configure them for the cable select setting,
the device attached to the last connector on the interface cable is the master or boot
device (drive 0) and the device attached to the middle connector on the interface cable is
the slave device (drive 1).
With the two EIDE interface connectors on the system board, your
system supports up to four EIDE devices in the mini tower chassis; the small form-factor
and low-profile chassis support up to two EIDE devices. EIDE hard-disk drives should be
connected to the EIDE interface connector labeled "IDE1." (Always connect EIDE
tape drives and CD-ROM drives to the EIDE interface connector labeled "IDE2.")
To install an EIDE hard-disk drive in a small form-factor chassis,
perform the following steps.
 |
CAUTION: To avoid the possibility of electric
shock, turn off the computer and any peripherals, disconnect them from electrical outlets,
and then wait at least 5 seconds before you remove the computer cover. Also, before you
install a drive, see the other precautions in "Safety
First—For You and Your Computer." |
- If you are replacing a hard-disk drive that contains data you want to
keep, be sure to make a backup of your files before you continue this procedure.
NOTICE: Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on the back of
the computer.
NOTICE: When you unpack the drive, do not set it on a hard surface, which may
damage the drive. Instead, set the drive on a surface, such as a foam pad, that will
sufficiently cushion it.
- Unpack the drive and prepare it for installation.
Check the documentation for the
drive to verify that it is configured for your computer system.
- Remove the computer cover as instructed in "Removing
and Replacing the Computer Cover."
- Remove the drive shelf from the chassis.
- Disconnect the power and interface cables from the diskette drive and CD-ROM drive (if
any).
- Press inward on the two drive shelf release tabs, and pull the shelf forward and out of
the chassis (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Removing
the Drive Shelf From the Small Form-Factor Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Drive shelf |
| 2 |
Release tabs (2) |
|
- Remove the drive bracket from the chassis.
- If a drive is already installed in the bracket, disconnect the power
and interface cables from the back of the drive.
- Squeeze the tabs on each side of the drive bracket, and slide it
forward about one inch (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Removing
the Hard-Disk Drive Bracket From the Small Form-Factor Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Drive bracket |
| 2 |
Release tabs (2) |
|
- Lift the drive bracket away from the chassis.
- If a drive is already installed in the bracket, remove the four
screws securing the drive to the bottom of the bracket (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Removing
a Hard-Disk Drive From the Hard-Disk Drive Bracket
 |
| 1 |
Drive |
| 2 |
Drive bracket |
| 3 |
Screws (4) |
|
- Secure the new drive to the drive bracket with four screws (see Figure 3).
- Reinstall the hard-disk drive bracket in the chassis.
- Place the bracket so that the release tabs extend about one inch past
the front of the chassis, and align the tabs on the bottom of the bracket with the hooks
on the chassis floor.
- Slide the bracket toward the back of the chassis until the tabs snap
under the hooks (see Figure 4). The
bracket release tabs should also snap into the front of the chassis.
Figure 4.
Reinstalling the Hard-Disk Drive Bracket in the Small Form-Factor Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Tabs on bottom of drive bracket |
| 2 |
Hooks on chassis floor |
| 3 |
Drive bracket |
| 4 |
Release tabs (2) |
|
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable
with pin 1 on the drive's interface connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- Connect a power cable to the power input connector on the back of the
drive, and connect an EIDE cable to the interface connector on the back of the drive (see Figure 5).
Check all
connectors to be certain that they are properly cabled and firmly seated.
Figure 5. Attaching
Hard-Disk Drive Cables in the Small Form-Factor Chassis
 |
| 1 |
EIDE cable |
| 2 |
IDE1 connector |
| 3 |
Power cable |
|
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable with pin 1 on the
IDE1 connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- If it is not already connected, connect the end of the EIDE cable to the IDE1 connector
on the system board (see Figure 7 in
"Inside Your Computer").
- Replace the drive shelf by sliding it into the chassis until the release tabs snap into
position.
- Replace the computer cover, reconnect your
computer and peripherals to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
- Insert a bootable diskette into drive A.
- Turn on the computer system.
- Enter System Setup, and update Primary Drive 0.
- Exit System Setup, and reboot the system.
- Partition and logically format your drive before proceeding to the next step.
See the documentation for your operating system for instructions.
- Test the hard-disk drive by running the Dell Diagnostics.
- If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, install your
operating system on the hard-disk drive.
For instructions,
refer to the documentation that came with your operating system.
To install an EIDE hard-disk drive in a low-profile chassis, perform
the following steps:.
|
CAUTION: To avoid the possibility of electric
shock, turn off the computer and any peripherals, disconnect them from electrical outlets,
and then wait at least 5 seconds before you remove the computer cover. Also, before you
install a drive, see the other precautions in "Safety
First — For You and Your Computer." |
- If you are replacing a hard-disk drive that contains data you want to keep, be sure to
make a backup of your files before you begin this procedure.
NOTICE: Ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal
surface on the back of the computer.
NOTICE: When you unpack the drive, do not set it on a hard
surface, which may damage the drive. Instead, set the drive on a surface, such as a foam
pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.
- Unpack the drive, and prepare it for installation.
Check the documentation for the
drive to verify that it is configured for your computer system.
- Remove the computer cover.
- Remove the drive bracket from the chassis.
- If a hard-disk drive is already installed in the drive bracket, disconnect the power and
interface cables from the drive.
- Remove the screw securing the hard-disk drive bracket to the drive cage in the chassis.
- Grasp the bracket, and rotate it outward from the chassis until the sliding tab clears
the slide rail on the drive cage (see Figure 6).
- Lift the bracket up slightly to free its hinge tabs from the chassis
slots, and remove the bracket from the chassis.
Figure 6. Removing
the Hard-Disk Drive Bracket
 |
| 1 |
Captive screw |
| 2 |
Tabs on back of drive bracket (2) |
| 3 |
Slots in chassis floor divider (3) |
|
- Slide the drive into the chosen bay of the bracket, orienting the
drive so that the connectors on the back of the drive will face the back of the chassis
when you reinstall the bracket (see Figure 7).
- Align the four screw holes of the drive and bracket, and then insert
and tighten the screws that came with your upgrade kit.
If you are installing a drive in the 1.6-inch or 1-inch bays, use
the four screw holes on the bottom of the bracket (see Figure 7).
Figure
7. Inserting a 1.6-Inch Hard-Disk Drive in the Bracket
 |
| 1 |
Hard-disk drive |
| 2 |
Bracket |
| 3 |
Screws (4) |
|
- Reinstall the hard-disk drive bracket in the chassis.
- Insert the bracket's hinge tabs into the chassis slots so that the tabs hook over the
slots.
- Then rotate the bracket toward the drive cage, and fit the bracket's sliding tab on the
drive-cage slide rail.
- Slide the bracket into place, and reinstall the screw you removed in
step 4.
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable
with pin 1 on the drive's interface connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- Connect a power cable to the power input connector on the back of the
drive, and connect one of the device connectors on the EIDE cable to the 40-pin interface
connector on the back of the hard-disk drive (see Figure
8).
Check all connectors to be certain that they are
properly cabled and firmly seated.
Figure 8. Attaching
Hard-Disk Drive Cables in the Low-Profile Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Power cable |
| 2 |
EIDE cable |
| 3 |
IDE1 connector |
|
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable
with pin 1 on the IDE1 connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- If it is not already connected, connect the other end of the EIDE
cable to the IDE1 connector on the system board ( see Figure 7 in "Inside Your
Computer").
- Replace the computer cover, reconnect your computer and peripherals
to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
- If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, insert a bootable diskette into
drive A.
- Turn on the computer system.
- Enter System Setup, and update the
appropriate Primary Drive
option (0 or 1).
- Exit System Setup, and reboot the system.
- Partition and logically format your drive before you proceed to the
next step.
See the documentation for your operating system for instructions.
- Test the hard-disk drive by running the Dell
Diagnostics.
- If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, install your operating system on
the hard-disk drive.
For instructions, refer to the
documentation that came with your operating system.
To install an EIDE hard-disk drive in a mini tower chassis, perform
the following steps.
|
CAUTION: To avoid the possibility of electric
shock, turn off the computer and any peripherals, disconnect them from electrical outlets,
and then wait at least 5 seconds before you remove the computer cover. Also, before you
install a drive, see the other precautions in "Safety
First—For You and Your Computer." |
- If you are replacing a hard-disk drive that contains data you want to keep, be sure to
make a backup of your files before you continue this procedure.
NOTICE: To avoid possibly damaging the drive by
electromagnetic static (EMS), ground yourself by touching an unpainted metal surface on
the back of the computer.
NOTICE: When you unpack the drive, do not set it on a hard
surface, which may damage the drive. Instead, set the drive on a surface, such as a foam
pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.
- Unpack the drive, and prepare it for installation.
Check the documentation for the drive to verify that it is configured for
your computer system.
- Remove the computer cover.
- Remove the drive bracket from the chassis.
- If a hard-disk drive is already installed in the drive bracket,
disconnect the power and interface cables from the drive.
- Remove the screw securing the hard-disk drive bracket to the drive
cage in the chassis.
- Grasp the bracket, and rotate it outward from the chassis until the
sliding tab clears the slide rail on the drive cage (see Figure 9).
- Lift the bracket up slightly to free its hinge tabs from the chassis
slots, and remove the bracket from the chassis.
Figure 9. Removing
the Hard-Disk Drive Bracket
 |
| 1 |
Drive-cage slide rail |
| 2 |
Chassis slots |
| 3 |
Hinge tabs |
| 4 |
Sliding tab |
|
- Slide the drive into the chosen bay of the bracket, orienting the
drive so that the connectors on the back of the drive will face the back of the chassis
when you reinstall the bracket (see Figure
10).
- Align the four screw holes of the drive and bracket, and then insert
and tighten the screws that came with your upgrade kit.
If
you are installing a drive in the 1.6-inch bay, use the four screw holes in the side of
the bracket (see Figure 10). If
you are installing a drive in the 1-inch bay, use the four screw holes in the bottom of
the bracket.
Figure
10. Inserting a 1.6-Inch Hard-Disk Drive in the Bracket
 |
| 1 |
Screws (4) |
| 2 |
Sliding tab |
| 3 |
Drive bracket |
| 4 |
1.6-inch drive |
|
- Reinstall the hard-disk drive bracket in the chassis (see Figure 11).
- Insert the bracket's hinge tabs into the chassis slots so that the
tabs hook over the slots.
- Then rotate the bracket toward the drive cage, and fit the bracket's
sliding tab on the drive-cage slide rail.
- Slide the bracket into place, and reinstall the screw you removed in
step 4.
Figure
11. Inserting the Drive Bracket in the Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Drive-cage slide rail |
| 2 |
Chassis slots |
| 3 |
Hinge tabs |
| 4 |
Sliding tabs |
|
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable
with pin 1 on the drive's interface connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- Connect a power cable to the power input connector on the back of the
drive, and connect one of the device connectors on the EIDE cable to the 40-pin interface
connector on the back of the hard-disk drive (see Figure
12).
Check all connectors to be certain that they are properly cabled and
firmly seated.
Figure 12. Attaching
Hard-Disk Drive Cable in the Mini Tower Chassis
 |
| 1 |
Interface cable |
| 2 |
Power cable |
| 3 |
Power input connector on drive |
| 4 |
Interface connector on drive |
|
NOTICE: You must match the colored strip on the EIDE cable
with pin 1 on the IDE1 connector to avoid possible damage to your system.
- If it is not already connected, connect the other end of the EIDE
cable to the IDE1 connector on the system board (see Figure 7 in "Inside Your
Computer").
- Replace the computer cover,
reconnect your computer and peripherals to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
- If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, insert a bootable diskette into
drive A.
- Turn on the computer system.
- Enter System Setup,
and update the appropriate Primary
Drive option (0 or 1).
- Exit System Setup, and reboot the system.
- Partition and logically format your drive before you proceed to the
next step.
See the documentation for your operating system for instructions.
 |
NOTE: On systems with hard-disk drives
larger than 2 GB, create a primary partition of 2 GB and divide the remaining capacity
into partitions of 2 GB or less. For example, a system with a 2.5-GB hard-disk drive would
have a primary partition of 2 GB (drive C) and a second partition of 500 MB (drive D).
Hard-disk drives must be partitioned this way because Microsoft® MS-DOS®-based operating
systems (including Windows NT®, when using a file allocation table [FAT] 16 file system)
do not support drive partitions larger than 2 GB. |
- Test the hard-disk drive by running the Dell
Diagnostics.
- If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, install your operating system on
the hard-disk drive.
For instructions, refer to the
documentation that came with your operating system.
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