new comp tips?

[kevh_uk]

Have just bought a second hand computer as my old one bust unexpectedly. I have alot of data still on my old harddrive that i would like to access and wondered how easy it was to move one harddrive to the other as i was told there is space for two. Is it fairly easy for a novice like me? I also want to install the cd/rw drive and dvd drive from my old comp to the new one...is this fairly straight forward too?

What hints can you give me?

[vehelpfulguy]

If you have done work inside a PC case before then it is fairly easy, but if you have never been inside a PC case before then it is not that easy.

Devices like hard disks and CDs conect to the IDE socket on the motherboard.

There are TWO IDE sockets on most motherboards (IDE0 and IDE1), and from each socket you can have TWO devices.

So that is two IDE sockets, two devices on each, so FOUR devices.

You want two hard disks, and two CD drives, so that is your four devices.

more to follow.............

[vehelpfulguy]

When you put two devices on a single IDE socket one has to be specified the MASTER, one the SLAVE.

The main hard disk that Windows is installed on is attached to IDE0 and is the MASTER.

The hard disk is your OLD PC will already be set as MASTER so you should move this to your NEW PC and set that up as the MASTER on IDE1.

You can then set the CD/RW drive as the SLAVE on IDE0 and the DVD Drive as the SLAVE on IDE1.

Changing a drive from master to slave is very easy, you just move some small pins on the back of the hard disk or CD drive.

Each device will have a picture of how to change from master to slave. Here is an example

http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/HDDConfigChart. gif

[vehelpfulguy]

The 2 IDE sockets on your motherboard will look something like this.

http://techreport.com/reviews/2002q1/tyan-trin ity510/ide.jpg

It may not be totally clear which is IDE0 and which is IDE1.

You connect your devices with an IDE cable (so you need two of them), see here

http://www.tsvc.com.au/files/t_45649.gif

Note it has 3 connectors, one each end and one in the middle.

One end attaches to the motherboard, the MIDDLE socket to the SLAVE, the other end to the MASTER.

Note you will also need to connect POWER to each of these four devices.

There SHOULD be enough power sockets inside your PC case, but maybe not so you might need a splitter.

You also need to make sure that your PC case can take 4 devices.

The hard disks can be "hidden" inside the case but both CD drives will need an external outlet for the CD drawers.

[vehelpfulguy]

As you can see, it is not that simple.

It may be worth you looking at some web site about building a PC and looking at the section on adding hard disks and CD drives.

Search in Google for "Building a PC" or similar things.

Here are some sites

http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/

http://www.mysuperpc.com/

[kevh_uk]

WOW...that's the most informative answer i've ever had on here...thanks alot mate! I'm gonna take a look tonight...i don't mindhaving my old hard drive as the slave as long as i can access the pictures/music on it etc and cd drives i think i remember i may have done before