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HDD power up

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6 replies

by caldirun

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My data drive does not show in bios sometimes, I have had this for along time, I have changed the port on the MB, the cable, the drive (I copied all the data to a similar drive), used it in a USB3 enclosure and once in every 5-10 power ups it does not show, if I pull the usb3 lead and re-connect it usually shows up in My Computer. The boot drive is SSD and is never a problem, I am thinking PSU issue, 12Vdc a bit slack on power up, any better ideas?

6 replies

by oh smeg

If this is in a USB Enclosure and a 3.5 inch drive it can not be the Power Supply of the computer that is the problem as USB only provides 5 V DC and at a very low Amperage somewhere around 500 MilliAmps and 3.5 inch drives run on 12 V DC which is a Plug Pack that comes with the enclosure.

The Seagate Drives have Sea Tools as their Testing Utility, WD has Data Life Guard as their testing Utility, Hatachi have Drive Fitness Tester not sure what other drive makers there are as they are the main ones but none the less Sea Tools works on all of them but it's results will not be acceptable for any Warranty Return to anyone but Seagate.

You can then decide where you need to attack once you are certain the Drive is working properly but to be perfectly honest my first point of concern would be the M'Board as this is not a regular problem.

However if you want to test the Power Supply Antec has a great Power Supply Tester which will tell you all the voltages and current that your Power Supply is producing and I simply couldn't work without mine.

Not sure if they still make them but they where a Must Have and here they sold lots of them to people so I see no reason why they would have discontinued them.

by caldirun

But I have replaced the HDD so testing the drive has been done, in a way. I have also (read the post) had the same thing occur when it was mounted internally and on different ports and cables so testing the USB external power supply (I have used 2 different ones) would be a waste of time. Any other suggestions?

by oh smeg

So what's left the M'Board.

I would still test the Drive simply because it costs nothing takes a few seconds and provides piece of mind if nothing else. With the WD Utility it even runs within Windows so it's so easy it's not worth not doing.

by oh smeg

If the drive is OK and it is not showing in BIOS you either have a wrong setting in BIOS which is causing the problem which is not very likely or the Mother Board Chip Set is causing the problem.

If you want to preserve with the M'Board rests the BIOS to defaults, and then set Data and Time change the SATA Lead to the drive and see what if anything happens. Nothing else you can do short of changing the M'Board or testing the Power Supply and the only worthwhile Power Supply Tester I have ever run across is the above mentioned Antec one.

However as this is causing a problem in both internal and external installations the most likely culprit is the M'Board.

by caldirun

Replacement coming today, all will be revealed.

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