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Upgrade Guide: Install a DVD-ROM Drive

Install a DVD-ROM drive, step by step.

Stan Miastkowski

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3. Install the DVD-ROM Drive

PCs have primary and secondary IDE connectors on the motherboard. The best place to hook up your DVD-ROM drive is on the channel that serves the CD-ROM drive.

You should find a spare connector on the wide data cable. If not, use the cable that came with your DVD-ROM kit. If the secondary channel already has two drives (for example, both a CD-ROM drive and a CD-RW drive), connect the DVD-ROM drive to the free connector on the hard drive's channel.

  1. Make sure the jumper on the back of the DVD-ROM drive is set to Slave (A). If special brackets are needed to mount the drive in your PC, attach them now.

  2. Slide the DVD-ROM drive into your PC's mounting bay (B), and connect the wide data cable and the power cable to the rear of the DVD-ROM drive (C).

  3. Make sure the colored edge (usually red) of the data cable is attached to pin 1 on the DVD drive connector.

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