Well, not exactly multiple connectors. Here's how to hook up IDE devices.
ANY IDE port can support UP TO 2 devices. Most IDE data ribbon cables have three connectors on them - one for the mobo end, and two for devices. If yours does not, get one from any computer parts shop. If you get a used one, just check - it is supposed to have 80 wires in the ribbon (the older ones only had 40) even though the connectors themselves will have 40 holes (minus one that's blocked off). Count across the ribbon. If you get to 20 wires and you're only 1/4 of the way across, you're OK.
Because there are two devices, each needs a unique identifier set up on it. This is the Master and Slave system, and settings are by placing jumpers on pins on the back edge of the unit. Master and Slave are relevant ONLY to identifying units sharing one IDE port - there is NO Master of the whole machine. If the IDE port has only ONE device on its cable, it MUST be the Master. If a second device is added, it MUST be the Slave. On each device, consult the diagram on the device itself for how to set its jumper. There is no universal standard, so do not use the diagram from a different unit. Some HDD's have different settings for Master with No Slave, and Master with Slave Present. Others just have one Master setting.
If you have both an optical drive and a HDD on one IDE port and cable, it is recommended that the HDD should be the Master, and the Optical unit the Slave. This is not absolutely essential, but some older systems are fussy about it. So if you already have one optical drive on an IDE port and are adding a HDD, you may need to change the jumper on the optical unit to make it s Slave on the port.
The ribbon cable has three connectors. The BLUE one on one end goes to the mobo IDE port. The BLACK one on the other end goes to the device set (by jumper) as Master. The GREY one in the middle goes to the Slave device. In each case, the connector will only fit into the device in one direction - the blanked-off hole and some bumps on the connector body ensure that.
If you are adding a HDD to an IDE port that already had an optical unit on it, note four things:
1. Set HDD to Master and optical to Slave, as above.
2. Plug the HDD Master into the END connector, and optical Slave to the middle, as above.
3. Your HDD will need power from a 4-pin Molex connector from the PSU. If you don't have one free, get a splitter from any computer shop that makes 2 connectors from 1. The PSU's output from a single Molex 4-pin can easily feed two IDE devices.
4. Once you have it installed, boot directly into BIOS Setup and check to see that the HDD is actually detected properly there. IF this is the ONLY device on the IDE port, make sure the port is Enabled. Now go to where you specify the Boot Priority Sequence. It often is set to try the optical drive first, and your older HDD (SCSI, it seems) second as the boot device. Make sure that is still set that way, and it does NOT try to boot from the new HDD. It's important to check this if you had to change the optical unit to the IDE port Slave, because BIOS could try to use the IDE port Master device (it used to be optical, but now it's HDD) as a boot device. If you made any changes in Setup, be sure to SAVE and Exit.
Your new HDD will NOT show up immediately in My Computer. It will need to be Partitioned and Formatted to prepare it for use. See WyomingKnott's sticky here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/265764-32-guide-installed-disk-system
for instructions if you need them.
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