Upgrade Guide

1. Hook Up an Internal Eide CD-RW Drive

Some drives require that you install their software before you install the drive itself. Read the manual and any quick-setup instructions that come with your drive before you start. If software installation comes first, skip to step 3 and come back here when that's done.

Power down your PC and remove the cover.

Your existing CD-ROM drive is probably hooked up by its wide data cable to the secondary EIDE channel connector (A) on your motherboard, and that cable's extra connector (B) is the best place to hook up your new CD-RW drive. If you find the hard drive and CD-ROM drive both attached to the primary EIDE channel connector, consider attaching the CD-ROM drive to the secondary channel.

If a CD-ROM drive is already connected to the second EIDE connector on the motherboard, set the CD-RW drive jumpers to Slave (C), and hook up that drive to the extra connector on the cable. Make sure the edge of the cable with the red marking is connected to Pin 1 on the CD-RW drive (usually next to the power connector).

If nothing's attached to the second EIDE connector on the motherboard, set the CD-RW drive jumpers to Master, and use the cable that came with the drive to connect it to the motherboard.

If you want your CD-RW drive to play music and other audio, you'll likely need to disconnect your CD-ROM drive's audio cable first, since most sound cards have room for only one such cable.

Mount the drive in your PC. Some system cases require special mounting brackets. If you're fortunate, extra brackets came with your PC. If not, you'll need to contact your PC's maker or your computer dealer.

Find an available power connector and plug it into the drive.

Go to step 3.