I need to extend the IDE cable going to the slim-style DVD drive in my mom's computer. The problem is that it uses a weird 50-pin IDE connector, which carries power as well as the IDE ...

Parallel ATA (IDE) uses 40 pins, not 26. 26 was for floppies. But it's a standard 40-pin "header" connector. Sometimes called "IDC". CF cards have the PATA interface on a 50-pin connector. I don't ...