A frugal life is an easy life!

It's always difficult when your computer finally packs in or is not up to scratch and you give in to updating it. As I recently experienced, the world of the computer boffin/expert is one that can be the most infuriating.

In my new basic computer, I simply wanted to use my old hard drive, which was an IDE drive. IDE drives have the old 4 pin power plug. The new computer has SATA power plugs and plugs on the motherboard. The process should be relatively easy. A couple of quid for a power adaptor plug to convert from the SATA plug to fit the back of the IDE drive, no problem.

A few quid to convert the IDE drive to the SATA plug on the motherboard, should have been just as easy. The store fitted my old drive, connected the power and drive convertion plugs no problem. I turned on the new set up, eager to start transferring all my tunes and pictures of sprog2 in various guises. Eight hours later my new set up still could not find my old IDE hard drive.

"Buy an enclosure and turn your old hard drive into an external drive, plugging it in using a USB connection" was suggested as a possible solution. More expense and time as well.

The solution, was trial and error for about an hour.
* The jumper position - the tiny plug on the rear of the IDE drive, try it without, then in the "master" position, then "slave" position, then "master with slave present" position, then without.
Solution - mine was with the jumper in the "master with slave present" position.

* Powering the IDE to SATA adaptor coming out of the back of the IDE drive - the tiny white plug that slotted into the adaptor, only powers the adaptor and not both the adaptor and the IDE drive. Confusing the "expert" who fitted the drive for me, as it lit up the yellow light on the adaptor card plugged into the IDE drive.
Solution - was to power both the IDE drive AND the IDE to SATA adaptor card. Plugging in a power plug to the back of the IDE drive and the little white plug to the adaptor card itself,  lit up both yellow and red lights on the adaptor card.

* The IDE card itself - the IDE adaptor can fit both ways into the rear of the IDE drive upside down as well as the right way around!
Solution - I placed the adaptor card into the back of the IDE drive with both lights facing the underside, ie, the bottom of the card.

Each time I tried all the adaptor settings I had to turn the computer on and go into the bios (Holding down the delete button on start up) to check if the IDE drive was recognised on start up, each time it was not, I had to switch the computer off and move the jumper along one slot, then start up again. I changed the IDE adaptor card around each jumper setting as well, covering all possible settings.

When I came to the last but one possible set up (just my luck) it worked and recognised my old IDE drive.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:
This trial and error way worked for me, always read the instructions provided and ALWAYS earth yourself before moving equipment around inside your computer - safety first! - contact your equipment provider/manufacturer if known, before you start messing around. This prevents any damage being done and covers your back if you are following advice.
I had exhausted all avenues of "experts advice" before I went through this process, even having the IDE drive to SATA adaptor fitted by them. For the record they had not powered my IDE drive and fitted the adaptor card upside down!

Good luck, I know only too well how many needless hours have been wasted on computers, that could have been avoided if only the so called "experts" actually knew what they were doing.