[bdlt]

I work with older PCs and have never seen any latches on IDE connectors.

please look carefully on the IDE connectors on the motherbaord for bent pins or other obstructions.

this is beginning to sound like a cable problem.

do you have any old PCs lying around that you could do a fit check on the HDD and CD on a known good IDE cable? if not can you borrow an IDE cable from a friend?

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another thing to check:

inspect the cable connectors - are all of the holes clear(open)?

[bdlt]

another thing to check:

inspect the cable connectors - are all of the holes clear(open)?

[Metalive]

One hole on each connector is closed, but it corresponds with a missing pin on the HDD CD drive and mobo.

I can't find any way to get another IDE cable today. The mobo came with two cables, and I have tried all the connectors and none work, even the floppy cable won't go in. None of them will. That's why I feel like I'm missing something.

[bdlt]

let's look at the floppy for a few minutes.

are you able to connect the 4-pin power cable(yellow, black, and red wires)?

if you look closely at the earlier post with the image, the floppy drive cable are visible(below the HD). the red wire on the power cable should be adjacent to the red stripe of the floppy cable.

does the floppy cable have a red stripe?
how many pins on the floppy connector?
how many pins on the floppy ribbon cable?
any notches on the floppy cable?
any blocked pin holes on the floppy cable?

[Metalive]

I didn't install a floppy, becuase I have no need for it at the moment.

The floppy IDE and connector both have 17 rows of 2 pins.

Oh and all of the cables have a white stripe on them, marking pin 1. And the floppy has one blocked hole as well that goes with a missing pin on the mobo connector.


The power cable connects just fine.

I'll tell you this right now though, I will NEVER buy anything Asus again. This is such utter bull****.

I can't figure it out, everything matches up, yet NONE of the connectors or cables will go into each other.

Edited by Metalive, 06 July 2005 - 07:27 PM.

[bdlt]

here's a desperation move:

take your CD, cables, floppy drive, cables to a friend or a computer store and see if they will do a fit check. if it's an installation problem, hopefully they will show you how to connect the cables(at no charge). if it's a cable problem, you can fit check the new cables on the CD and floppy.

[Metalive]

I guess I'll try that... *sigh* I was hoping to get in some hours gaming tonight on my new rig...

I'm just completely in awe as to why this isn't working. It makes absolutely no sense.

[bdlt]

I see from a previous topic that you were looking at a SATA hard drive. what kind of drive do you have?

[Metalive]

This is the HDD I'm using:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822144175


Should I just return it and get this one instead:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822144178

Edited by Metalive, 06 July 2005 - 07:41 PM.

[bdlt]

it's an IDE device.

the white stripe on the cables suggests that the cables are incorrect.

and the fact that they do not easily connect.

will you be able to attempt a fit check today?

[bdlt]

I didn't see the bottom part of your last post.

I'm not familiar with SATA drives to recommend one over the other. perhaps if you describe the main use(gaming?) of the PC, someone can reply with advantages of one type over the other.

[Metalive]

Doubtful. It's 9:00pm most stores are closed/closing here.

My manual just says they are 40 conductor IDE cables.

And bear in mind, it's not just my HDD that I can't connect, it's the DVDrom as well, and the other ends won't connect to the mobo either.

[Metalive]

I wasn't thinking when I posted that, I forgot that none of the cables on the CDrom will connect either, so it wouldn't solve anything.

[bdlt]

I took a look at the Asus A8n SLI - it supports SATA drives. but that doesn't explain why the white striped cables do not connect to the motherboard. please post back after the fit check and report the results. this may prevent others from experiencing the same frustration.

[Metalive]

Sure, I'll make sure to. What exactly is a fit check? Do I just go into a computer retailer and ask them to do one on those cables?

Also, the cables are dark blue with a white stripe on the 1 pin side not the other way around. If that means anything.