Connect How To: Your Computer Connections
The great thing about computer connections is that they were designed to be “idiot proof” for the most part. Very few things can be plugged into the wrong place without force, and if it is plugged into the wrong place, usually no damage is done. All you have to do is match up the shapes of the cable ends to the connector on the back of the computer.
Here’s a quick video that explains some of those connections:
There are only 2 exceptions that I can think of where you can get things turned around with negative (but not drastic) results, and that’s the sound card connections and the PS/2 ports.
The PS/2 ports are the 2 small round ones with several pins in them. Your mouse and keyboard plug into these. Typically they are color coded, but not always. There is usually a symbol next to them on the back of the case indicating which one goes where. If you get them switched, no harm done, they just won’t work right. Just turn the computer off, switch them, turn the computer back on, and they should work fine.
I might add that the connectors need to be turned the right way before pushing them in. Never force them in. If they don’t seem to go in relatively easily, inspect the pins to see if any are bent.
Here’s a diagram of the connections on the back of a Dell Dimension:
A year ago someone gave me a nice computer…Within 3 months the hard drive crashed. In my anger I pulled out all the ribbons, and the front face, and all its connections. This included the on-off switch, the reset button, and the front lights. On the bottom of the face were a headphone connection and two USB ports. I pulled all those wires out too. I think I have figured out how to replace all the ribbons…and the power cords. What I haven’t figured out is if the white wires should go on the right of the jumpers or on the left. Can you help me?
Yes. The reset connection doesn’t matter since it’s a switch, either short or open. The rest are LED lights and the white wires are ground.
If the grounds aren’t marked on the motherboard itself or in the book that came with it, then just plug them in one way and see if they work. If they don’t work, then just flip them around. It won’t hurt anything if they get plugged in backwards.
Since there are so many different types of motherboards with no standard, then it is virtually impossible to know how to plug them in right without looking at the book. Personally, I usually opt for the trial and error approach since it’s quicker.