4 IDE connectors

[Raptor]

Upon closer inspection of my mainboard after installing a DVD-ROM drive I noticed that I have two additional IDE channels. IDE 3 and IDE 4.

Are these reserved for a special purpose or can I simply use them and connect more than 4 IDE devices?

Will Windows XP support more than 4 IDE devices?

It concerns a Gigabyte 7N400Pro mainboard.

[2k dummy]

Check your motherboard manual for layout. You should have 2 IDE, 2 SATA, and 2 IDE RAID connectors. The IDE connectors should be at the top of the board close to the ATX connector. The SATA and RAID connectors should be at the bottom of the board. Typically, you would not use the RAID connectors for a standard IDE connection. But again, check the manual.

[Raptor]

They are indeed close to the SATA connectors. I will refer to my manual.