How to Easily Reattach Ribbon Cables
Integrated drive electronics (IDE) hard drives and optical drives connect to the motherboard through a 40-pin ribbon cable and a 4-pin power cable. The ribbon cable transmits data between the motherboard and the device. IDE ribbon cables are wide, flat, ribbed cables that have three connectors: one on each end, and one near the middle.
To reconnect a hard drive or optical drive to a computer, reattach the ribbon cable to the rear of the drive and to the correct slot on the motherboard.
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Instructions
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Shut down the computer. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the case. Loosen the screws that attach the case cover to the computer.
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Pull back the case cover from the computer. Touch the chassis to ground yourself. Reattach the IDE ribbon cable to the 40-pin slot -- the widest slot -- on the rear of the hard drive or optical drive.
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Reattach the other end of the IDE ribbon cable to the 40-pin IDE1 or IDE2 slot on the motherboard. Reassemble the computer.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are using the hard drive or optical drive as a master, or primary, device, attach the connector in the middle of the ribbon cable to the IDE slot. If you are using the hard drive or optical drive as a slave, or secondary, device, attach the connector on the far end to the IDE slot. You cannot run a hard drive or optical drive as a slave device unless you have also connected a master device to the same IDE cable.
Connect the IDE cable to the IDE2 slot only if you already have another device connected to the IDE1 slot.
Don't touch the inside of a computer without first grounding yourself. Electrostatic discharge (ESD), or static electricity, can permanently damage computer equipment.
