Connector ribbon for G74 -- how to install secondary hard drive?

I have no idea how to attach the connector ribbon to the motherboard and to the hard drive so that they stick. They both fly out... is the blue part supposed to be removed? Help!

Edit: I figured out the hard drive part has a latch that can be closed, and the motherboard might have one but I've tried everything I could think of and I can't figure it out. Help!

 

No, please, do not remove the blue part. There's a tiny latch that holds the ribbon cables in place. They need to be in the "up" poisiton to slide it in, then clamped back down. There's usually yellow tape over the latches themselves. This can be removed and then put back on after latching the ribbon cables back to the MB.

Not sure what the ribbon cable has to do with the hard drive, though. It plugs into the sata receptors, but the hard drive needs to be screwed down into it's own cage. After inserting the caged HD into the designated slot, the cage needs to be screwed down also.

 

There's no yellow tape.

For the G74, the secondary hard drive power and data pins plug into another connector thingy, which has a connector for the wire. Yes, I figured out the latch for the hard drive, but I just cannot figure out how to connect the ribbon to the motherboard. It has a latch which doesn't move anywhere.

Can you please give me a more detailed description of how to attach the motherboard to the ribbon?

 

N E 1 using a secondary hard drive with the included ribbon? Heelp.

 

question about the g74, i am thinking of buying a g74sx-xr1, i just want to know is the interface to the two hard drives sata 2 or sata 3?

 

The HDD bays are SATA3

 

Is there an easy way to check the transfer speed? My SSD (hooked up to the primary hard drive connector) doesn't seem all that fast...

 

You mean something like this?

CrystalDiskMark - Software - Crystal Dew World

 

Yes, thanks...

 

So.. does anyone know how to connect the ribbon to the motherboard, then?...

 

I don't have one to look at right now, but if they're simliar to other laptop ribbon locks I've seen, there would be a tiny latch on the connector that slides up to unlock it. Insert ribbon cable and push the latch down with fingernail to lock it in place.

 

Problem is that I can't seem to slide it in any way...

 

Sounds like the latch is locked then.

 

I can't move it sideways or rotate it either.. I think it might be broken somehow.

 

I recall the latch popping straight up away from the motherboard. It only comes up a tiny bit to release the cable. I just used my fingernails on the left and right sides of the connector to pull up on it. It's hard to get in there...

 

the connectors have a LOCK
on the Motherboard I had to pull the black plastic lock UP
on the attached plug which goes into the hard-drive you had to pull it a bit away.
after plugging in the ribbon cable (you leave the blue thing on it) you just lock it up again.
I just played around with this for 30m or so. They really could have made it easier - but well, learned something again.
@ASUS: write it in the manual !!! and by the way, your online site provides the G73 manual where the G74 manual should be.

 

Okay, since you guys have the ribbon connectors or
have at least knowledge of them, where can I buy one to hook up
A second hard drive in my g74?

 

Oops...I didn't know the thing the ribbon plugs in to latched and unlatched (?). I just pulled it out, not realizing it would come away as a ribbon, and then I carefully stick it back in, without ever unlatching anything :-O

So far my second drive seems just fine...

 

I managed to get it working btw, on a different G74 though. The latch on the motherboard very slightly goes up and down, and you need either tiny fingers, tongs, or something similar to get them up or down. It's a very clumsy method.

 

I just hope I didn't damage mine, just physically pulling it out and sticking it back in...

EDIT: Yeah, they could have done a much better job of it.

 

I managed to get the ribbon connected and everything but my Asus G74 won't recognize the second hard drive still

edit: nvm it worked after I rebooted for the umpteenth time

 

Hmm...could it not be connected real well?

There's also a lot of options in the BIOS, although I don't know if they'd affect this. You can choose which drive is the boot drive, which is cool (in case you put them in wrong, or want to dual boot like that, or whatever!)