From Shane McGlaun,
Your Guide to Computer Peripherals.
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The next step in installing your new CD or DVD drive or burner is to set the jumper. This is the most difficult part of the installation process. Your drive should have a label on it somewhere showing what pins to place the jumper on for the setting you need. It is important to note that there can only be ONE drive on the same IDE channel that is set to be the master. If both drives are set as master, you may encounter problems.

An IDE channel is the point at which the cable you connect to the CD or DVD drive connects to the motherboard. Your motherboard will likely have at least two IDE channels and it is not uncommon for them both to be used. If at all possible it is best to have your hard drive on its own channel if it is an IDE hard drive.

Most cables used to connect optical drives have connectors for two devices. It does not matter in which order you connect the DVD or CD drive to the cable. It is the jumper settings that control which drive is master and which is slave, not the order in which they are connected. It is best to have the fastest drive set as master. If you have two drives in your computer, be sure to check the jumper settings on the existing drive as well.