Using a separate power supply on an internal HDD?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Art Vandelay
  • Start date Start date
A

Art Vandelay

I occasionally need to temporarily connect internal
HDDs to my PC for testing, to recover data, etc.
I don't have any extra power connectors in my PC
and the ones that are already connected to other
drives are *really* difficult to remove.
I have an extra AT power supply with a typical
AT on/off switch. Would it be OK to power a HDD
that I want to test with the extra power supply while
it is connected to one of the ribbon data cables
connected to the HDD controller on the motherboard
in my computer? Does the ribbon cable carry any
power feedback info, or is independent of any
power issues? I wouldn't want do this if it could
cause any hardware damage or data corruption.

Thanks,

Art V.
 
I occasionally need to temporarily connect internal
HDDs to my PC for testing, to recover data, etc.
I don't have any extra power connectors in my PC
and the ones that are already connected to other
drives are *really* difficult to remove.
I have an extra AT power supply with a typical
AT on/off switch. Would it be OK to power a HDD
that I want to test with the extra power supply while
it is connected to one of the ribbon data cables
connected to the HDD controller on the motherboard
in my computer? Does the ribbon cable carry any
power feedback info, or is independent of any
power issues? I wouldn't want do this if it could
cause any hardware damage or data corruption.
Click to expand...

AT or ATX? ATX power-supplies won't turn on unless you
jumper together two wires on the motherboard power
connector.

I've hooked drives up to power supplies in another
system, it's one way of testing whether you have too
much power draw for the P/S in the box to handle. I
just make sure that both machines are plugged into the
same wall circuit.
 
AT or ATX? ATX power-supplies won't turn on unless you
jumper together two wires on the motherboard power
connector.

I've hooked drives up to power supplies in another
system, it's one way of testing whether you have too
much power draw for the P/S in the box to handle. I
just make sure that both machines are plugged into the
same wall circuit.
Click to expand...



Buy a "Y" cable that breaks out more power plugs, for about a buck.

I wouldn't power a IDE disk on a second PSU if it had the only copy of
some improtant files. SInce ATA is designed for hotswap (IDE isn't) I
expect that it's much more resistant to imperfect power.
 
Al said:
Buy a "Y" cable that breaks out more power plugs, for about a buck.

I wouldn't power a IDE disk on a second PSU if it had the only copy of
some improtant files. SInce ATA is designed for hotswap (IDE isn't) I
expect that it's much more resistant to imperfect power.
Click to expand...

*Serial* ATA is designed to hot swap. Parallel isn't.
 
Folkert Rienstra said:
Geez, as if anything else in those sentences made any sense.
Click to expand...

So why not correct them and provide your own answers to
my questions? :o)

Thanks,

Art V.
 
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