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No CD-ROM IDE port... ?!

My mobo came with 3 IDE cables; one for my HDD, one for my floppy, and another for my CD-ROM..

However, I can only find the ports on the mobo for the HDD and floppy IDEs; no CD-ROM!? :'(

erm.... what to do?

I'm guessing that I can't shove the secondary HDD port into the CD-ROM..? lol

ermmm..

SOLUTION

David-Howard

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InteractiveMind

ASKER

I don't quite follow...

The problem is, there's only 1 port that either the HDD or CD-ROM IDE's can go into; and having taken a second look, I can't shove one of the HDD ends into the CD-ROM drive (because it won't reach!) :-S

simpswr

Sounds like the board has SATA connectors and expect you would use them for your hard drives, the IDE for optical drives.

Sham Haque

i guess you only got supplied with 2-way IDE connectors (ie 1 plug at either end), in which case you will need to purchase a 3-way IDE cable (with 1 at each end, and one in the middle) in order to daisy-chain your HDD and CD-ROM (as David-Howard suggested) (if you only have one IDE connector on your mobo).

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

zephyr_hex (Megan)

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Mnf

what is your mobo model ?

InteractiveMind

ASKER

you can see it here:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=22956396341&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=113956

whilst my mobo supports SATA, neither my HDD nor my optical drive seems to..

so I just need a longer IDE cable?

Mnf

ok
look at this link
http://www.asus.com/prog_content/middle_enlargement.aspx?model=1199
this is an image for your mobo
if you look at the Blue IDE -at the bottom or your picture- under the power supply input , this is the main Firs IDE on your mobe,
the second is on the right of it -black one- IDE 2.
The third one -the floppy - is on the left -black too- but it is not in the same direction like it's brothers.
And of course your mobo support SATA

i hope this help you
Best Regards

My name is Mud

>>I can't shove one of the HDD ends into the CD-ROM drive (because it won't reach!)

Did you put your HDD to set to Master and the CD to Slave??? or just put both to Cable Select...

and the spec. on the link you gave it says it has 2 IDE ports...

VIA VT8237A : ATA-133 - connector(s): 2 x 40pin IDC & VIA VT8237A : Serial ATA-150 - connector(s): 2 x 7pin Serial ATA - RAID 0 / RAID 1 / JBOD & Serial ATA-300 - connector(s): 1 x 7pin Serial ATA, 1 x 7pin external SATA - RAID 0 / RAID 1 / JBOD

nobus

a point of warning :
on those boards, you need to install the driver for the second IDE port first, before it will function.
Since driver is on the CD, i suggest connecting disk and cd drive as master and slave to the BLUE connector first, install xp and the drivers, ; then connect the cd to the other IDE port

InteractiveMind

ASKER

A longer cable does the job :)