When you install a drive, you connect two cables—a DC power cable and a data cable—to the back of the drive and to the system board. Some drives may also have an audio connector; one end of the audio cable will attach to the drive connector and the other will attach to the system board.
Drive Interface Connectors
IDE Drive Connector
Serial ATA Connector
NOTE: The serial ATA connectors may have an attached cover or shroud.
NOTE: The serial ATA Connector may be straight or angled.
Power Cable Connector
1
power cable
2
power input connector
Connecting and Disconnecting Drive Cables
When removing an IDE drive data cable, grasp the colored pull tab and pull until the connector detaches.
When connecting and disconnecting a serial ATA data cable, hold the cable by the black connector at each end.
Like IDE connectors, the serial ATA interface connectors are keyed for correct insertion; that is, a notch or a missing pin on one connector matches a tab or a filled-in hole on the other connector.
IDE Drive Addressing
When you connect two IDE devices to a single IDE 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). See the drive documentation in your upgrade kit for information on configuring devices for the cable select setting.
Your computer supports up to four IDE devices. Connect hard drives to the connector labeled "IDE1," and connect CD/DVD drives to the connector labeled "IDE2."
Most IDE interface connectors are keyed for correct insertion; that is, a notch or a missing pin on one connector matches a tab or a filled-in hole on the other connector. Keyed connectors ensure that the pin-1 wire in the cable (indicated by the colored stripe along one edge of the cable) goes to the pin-1 end of the connector. The pin-1 end of a connector on a board or a card is usually indicated by a silk-screened "1" printed directly on the board or card.
NOTICE: When you connect an interface cable, do not place the colored stripe away from pin 1
of the connector. Reversing the cable prevents the drive from operating and could damage the
controller, the drive, or both.
IDE Drive Interface Connector
1
interface connector
2
colored stripe on cable
3
interface cable
Hard Drive
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "Safety Instructions."
CAUTION: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer's electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.
NOTICE: To avoid damage to the drive, do not set it on a hard surface. Instead, set the drive on
a surface, such as a foam pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.
If you are replacing a hard drive that contains data you want to keep, back up your files
before you begin this procedure.
Shut down the computer through the Start menu.
Ensure that your computer and attached devices are turned off. If your computer and
attached devices did not automatically turn off when you shut down your computer,
turn them off now.
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then
unplug it from the network wall jack.
Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and
then press the power button to ground the system board.
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.
Disconnect the power and hard-drive cables from the drive.
IDE
Serial ATA
1
hard-drive cable
2
power cable
Press in on the tabs on each side of the drive and slide the drive up and out.
1
tabs (2)
2
hard drive
Installing a Hard Drive
NOTICE: If you install a serial ATA hard drive, it is recommended that you have Dell-supplied
data and power cables.
Unpack the replacement hard drive, and prepare it for installation.
Check the documentation for the drive to verify that it is configured for your
computer.
If your replacement hard drive does not have the bracket rails attached, remove the
rails from the old drive by removing the two screws that secure each rail to the drive.
Attach the bracket rails to the new drive by aligning the screw holes on the drive with
the screw holes on the bracket rails and then inserting and tightening all four screws
(two screws on each rail).
1
drive
2
bracket rails (2)
3
screws (4)
Install the hard drive into the computer by gently sliding the drive into place until you
hear it securely click.
NOTICE: If you are installing an IDE hard drive, match the colored strip on the cable with pin
1 on the drive (pin 1 is marked as "1").
Connect the power and hard-drive cables to the drive.
IDE
Serial ATA
1
power cable
2
hard-drive cable
Check all connectors to be certain that they are properly cabled and firmly seated.
Close the computer cover.
NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network wall jack and then
plug it into the computer.
Connect your computer and devices to electrical outlets, and turn them on.
See the documentation that came with the drive for instructions on installing any software required for drive operation.
If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, insert a bootable floppy disk into
drive A.
Turn on the computer.
Enter system setup, and update the appropriate Primary Drive option (0 or 1).
Exit system setup, and reboot the computer.
Partition and logically format your drive before you proceed to the next step.
See the documentation for your operating system for instructions.
If the drive you just installed is the primary drive, install your operating system on the
hard drive.
After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network
administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
Adding a Second Hard Drive
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "Safety Instructions."
CAUTION: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer's electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.
NOTICE: To avoid damage to the drive, do not set it on a hard surface. Instead, set the drive on
a surface, such as a foam pad, that will sufficiently cushion it.
Check the documentation for the drive to verify that it is configured for your
computer.
Shut down the computer through the Start menu.
Ensure that your computer and attached devices are turned off. If your computer and
attached devices did not automatically turn off when you shut down your computer,
turn them off now.
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then
unplug it from the network wall jack.
Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and
then press the power button to ground the system board.
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.
Remove the two green plastic rails from the inside of the hard-drive bay by gently
pulling the rails up and out of the bay.
Attach the rails to the hard drive using the two screws attached to the rails.
Ensure that the rail tabs are positioned at the back of the hard drive.
NOTICE: Do not install any drive into the lower hard-drive bay until you have removed the
green drive rails from the inside of the hard-drive bay.
Remove the first hard drive from the upper bay and install it in the lower bay:
Disconnect the power and the hard-drive cables from the back of the first hard
drive.
Press in the two green rail tabs and pull the first hard drive out of the upper bay.
Gently slide the first hard drive into the lower bay until you hear a click.
Reconnect the power and hard-drive cables to the back of the first hard drive.
Gently slide the new hard drive into the upper bay until you hear a click.
1
rail tabs (2)
2
second hard drive in upper bay
3
first hard drive in lower bay
4
hard drive bay
Connect a power cable to the drive.
NOTICE: If you are installing an IDE hard drive, match the colored strip on the cable with pin
1 on the drive.
Connect a data cable to the drive.
If you're installing a serial ATA drive, connect the new data cable to the back of
the drive and to one of the serial ATA connectors on the system board.
If your first hard drive is an IDE drive and you're installing another IDE drive,
locate the extra connector on the drive cable that is attached to your first hard
drive and attach the connector to the second hard drive.
IDE devices use cable-select drive cables. This means that the device connected to the end connector of the drive cable is the master device and the device connected to the middle connector is the slave device. Be sure that the jumper setting on the new device is set for "cable select" (see the documentation that came with the drive for information).
Cabling for Primary and Secondary IDE Hard Drives
1
power cable
2
second hard-drive cable (secondary drive)
3
first hard-drive cable (primary boot drive)
Close the computer cover.
NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network wall jack and then
plug it into the computer.
Connect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
See the documentation that came with the drive for instructions on installing any
software required for drive operation.
After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network
administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
Front-Panel Inserts
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "Safety Instructions."
If you are installing a new floppy or CD/DVD drive instead of replacing a drive, remove the front-panel inserts.
Open the cover to a 90-degree angle.
Locate the insert that is in front of the drive bay that you want to use.
From inside the computer, press in the release tab of the insert.
From the outside of the computer, pull the insert away from the computer's front
panel.
Remove the insert from the insert frame by pressing on the four tabs.
1
insert frame for CD/DVD drive bay
2
insert frame for floppy drive bay
Reattach the empty insert frame over the front of the drive bay.
The insert frame fits only one way.
Floppy Drive
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "Safety Instructions."
CAUTION: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer's electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.
Shut down the computer through the Start menu.
Ensure that your computer and attached devices are turned off. If your computer and
attached devices did not automatically turn off when you shut down your computer,
turn them off now.
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then
unplug it from the network wall jack.
Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and
then press the power button to ground the system board.
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.
Disconnect the power and floppy-drive cables from the back of the floppy drive.
Disconnect the other end of the floppy-drive cable from the system board.
1
power cable
2
floppy-drive cable
3
floppy-drive connector (DSKT)
Press inward on the two tabs on the sides of the drive, slide the drive upward, and
remove it from the floppy-drive bay.
Installing a Floppy Drive
If you are replacing a drive and the new drive does not have the bracket rails attached,
remove the rails from the old drive by removing the two screws that secure each rail to
the drive. Attach the bracket to the new drive by aligning the screw holes on the drive
with the screw holes on the bracket rails and then inserting and tightening all four
screws (two screws on each rail).
1
drive
2
bracket rails (2)
3
screws (4)
Gently slide the drive into place until the tabs securely click into position.
Attach the power and floppy-drive cables to the floppy drive.
Connect the other end of the floppy-drive cable to the connector labeled DSKT on the
system board (see "System Board Components").
Check all cable connections, and fold cables out of the way to provide airflow for the
fan and cooling vents.
Close the computer cover.
NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable in to the network wall jack and then
plug it in to the computer.
Connect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
See the documentation that came with the drive for instructions on installing any software required for drive operation.
Enter system setup and update the appropriate Diskette Drive A option to reflect the
size and capacity of your new floppy drive.
After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network
administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
Verify that your computer works correctly by running the "Dell Diagnostics."
CD/DVD Drive
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "Safety Instructions."
CAUTION: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer's electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.
Shut down the computer through the Start menu.
Ensure that your computer and attached devices are turned off. If your computer and
attached devices did not automatically turn off when you shut down your computer,
turn them off now.
NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer and then
unplug it from the network wall jack.
Disconnect any telephone or telecommunication lines from the computer.
Disconnect your computer and all attached devices from their electrical outlets, and
then press the power button to ground the system board.
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.
Disconnect the power, audio, and CD/DVD drive cables from the back of the drive.
1
power cable
2
audio cable
3
CD/DVD drive cable
Press inward on the two tabs on the sides of the drive, and then slide the drive upward
and remove it from the drive bay.
Installing a CD/DVD Drive
If you are installing a new drive, unpack the drive and prepare it for installation.
Check the documentation that accompanied the drive to verify that the drive is configured for your computer. If you are installing an IDE drive, configure the drive for the cable select setting.
Connect the new drive to the set of rails that are attached to the inside of the cover. If
a set of rails is not attached inside the cover, contact Dell.
If you are installing a replacement drive and the new drive does not have the bracket
rails attached, remove the rails from the old drive by removing the two screws that
secure each rail to the drive. Attach the bracket to the new drive by aligning the screw
holes on the drive with the screw holes on the bracket rails and then inserting and
tightening all four screws (two screws on each rail).
1
drive
2
bracket rails (2)
3
screws (4)
Gently slide the drive into place until the tabs securely click into position.
Connect the power, audio, and CD/DVD drive cables to the drive.
If you are installing a drive that has its own controller card, install the controller card in
a card slot.
Check all cable connections, and fold cables out of the way to provide airflow for the
fan and cooling vents.
Close the computer cover.
NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable in to the network wall jack and then
plug it in to the computer.
Connect your computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.
See the documentation that came with the drive for instructions on installing any software required for drive operation.
Update your configuration information by setting the appropriate Drive option (0 or
1) under Drives: Secondary to Auto. See "Drive Configuration" for more information.
After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:
NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network
administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
Verify that your computer works correctly by running the "Dell Diagnostics."
Cable Routing
1
CD/DVD drive power cable
6
serial ATA data cable (used if a serial ATA hard drive is installed)
2
CD/DVD drive data cable
7
hard drive power cable
3
CD/DVD drive audio cable
8
IDE drive data cable (used if an IDE hard drive is installed)
