Subsequently alter or upgrade to PC hard drive or optical drive, you get an error message like "Primary Slave Not ATAPI Compatible." This occurs because of problem with configuration of a drive or cable utilized to attach it. Evaluate configuration of PCs drives to solve this problem.

Instructions

Checking BIOS Configuration

1. Step 1

Reboot PC. On first monochrome screen that is shown when PC is turned on, a key will be displayed which should be pressed to enter motherboard BIOS configuration. Generally, it is "Delete" key or any "F" keys. Press key.

2. Step 2

Find menu option labeled "Standard CMOS Features," and utilize arrow keys on keyboard to move cursor to it. Press "Enter." Note that as there are different manufacturers of motherboard BIOS chips and different editions of firmware stored on them, few motherboards have various menu options.

3. Step 3

Utilize "PgDn" and "PgUp" keys on keyboard to alter values listed beside all four IDE devices to "Auto" or "Auto Detect." Save and exit configuration. If you get error again, carry on.

Physical Inspection

4. Step 1

Shut down PC. Detach power cable and open PC case. This is generally achieved by side access panel or a sequence of screws on back.

5. Step 2

Check back of hard drive and optical drive. Every drive will either have a flat ribbon cable, indicating an IDE drive, or a narrow cable, indicating a Serial ATA drive. Every IDE drive will contain a tiny bank of pins on back along with a plastic shunt known as "jumper," attaching two of them.

6. Step 3

Check jumpers on every IDE drive. Every jumper has three settings "Master," "Slave" and "Cable Select." It is essential to unscrew drives from PC framework to see them closely. The jumper settings for drive will be displayed on back of drive, or on drive's label. If two drives are attached to similar cable, set one up as "Master" and other as "Slave." If one is a hard drive and other is a CD or DVD drive, set CD or DVD drive as "Slave." Also, hard drive that OS resides on must be configured as a "Master."

7. Step 4

Again attach PC, and turn on. If problem keep on, and you have only one hard drive and one optical drive in system, organize them both using "Master" jumper setting and put them on detach cables. If this does not solve problem, device causing error is either a very old CD-ROM drive that will not work attached straight to motherboard, or cable utilized to attach it should be changed.