Hard Drive Problem

Smashkirby

Smashkirby

New Member
I have a SATA hard drive on my computer and i want to use my old IDE as a slave, but when i plug in a 4 pin molex to the IDE, my computer suddenly becomes inoperable. When i try to turn it on, the lights turn on for a split second but then the computer turns back off. What could be causing this? Thanks.:)
 
That's not it. When i plug in the 4 pin molex, the system shuts off if its on or doesn't turn on if its off. I've tried 2 connectors already. :confused:
 
Smashkirby said:
I have a SATA hard drive on my computer and i want to use my old IDE as a slave, but when i plug in a 4 pin molex to the IDE, my computer suddenly becomes inoperable. When i try to turn it on, the lights turn on for a split second but then the computer turns back off. What could be causing this? Thanks.:)
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First of all before you get further confused never plug any drives in while the system is running! You first want to shut it down and usually most will also see the ac plug pulled out of the supply while working internally to avoid any possibility of electrical shock.

The breaker on the supply is adequate since the caps may still be holding a charge to avoid any possible discharge and short of something. By plugging in the ide drive while the system was running you may have damaged the controller card for the drive or it was defective to start with. Apparently that is seeing a short to ground pulling the power down when plugged in.
 
PC eye said:
First of all before you get further confused never plug any drives in while the system is running! You first want to shut it down and usually most will also see the ac plug pulled out of the supply while working internally to avoid any possibility of electrical shock.

The breaker on the supply is adequate since the caps may still be holding a charge to avoid any possible discharge and short of something. By plugging in the ide drive while the system was running you may have damaged the controller card for the drive or it was defective to start with. Apparently that is seeing a short to ground pulling the power down when plugged in.
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Finally i agree on something that you say!!!! :D
 
PC eye said:
First of all before you get further confused never plug any drives in while the system is running!
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I don't remember him saying that he had his computer on while he plugged it in?

Smashkirby said:
I have a SATA hard drive on my computer and i want to use my old IDE as a slave, but when i plug in a 4 pin molex to the IDE, my computer suddenly becomes inoperable. When i try to turn it on, the lights turn on for a split second but then the computer turns back off. What could be causing this? Thanks.:)
Click to expand...

Umm, I JUST had that problem. I found that it was faulty wiring for fans and it was causes my computer to short-out so I split the different wires and put tape around them then all worked good.

Check your wires to see if they are all correct.
 
Ambushed said:
I don't remember him saying that he had his computer on while he plugged it in?
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Sata drives are supposed to be "hot swappable" but I still would recommend making all power is off to someone less experienced when working on any internal hardwares drives or otherwise.

With a well regulated supply the only things that pull it down would be overloading it with too many drives/devices beyond rating or some internal problem whether a bad drive or bad connection somewhere likely seeing current leaking to ground. Crossed wiring would be a direct short.
 
PC eye said:
but I still would recommend making all power is off to someone less experienced when working on any internal hardwares drives or otherwise.
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Yeah so would I.

PC eye said:
Sata drives are supposed to be "hot swappable" but I still would recommend making all power is off to someone less experienced when working on any internal hardwares drives or otherwise.

With a well regulated supply the only things that pull it down would be overloading it with too many drives/devices beyond rating or some internal problem whether a bad drive or bad connection somewhere likely seeing current leaking to ground. Crossed wiring would be a direct short.
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So do you reckon he could of wired something wrong? If so, what?

vk3fcll said:
Ambushd here
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I only looked at first post, sorry.
 
It's possible while the connections themselves inside a plug are something more likely if someone goofed at the factory with wiring for something like the supply seeing a wire crossed. For simply plugging in a power plug you see a one way fit there. You would really have to apply force and know it to see a plug reversed generally.

A bad supply, crossed wire in one molex plug, or simply bad drive would be the likely. If a wire came loose from a bad solder point and is touching another inside or it was wired incorrectly and now being used for the first time that spells trouble.

One way would be trying another molex plug to find out if it's that or the drive like the one used for the optical known to be good to test that out. A continuity test with a multimeter between two leads inside the plug are another. The quick test with a known good molex is quick and easy however.
 
So it runs fine with only the SATA drive and when you add power to the IDE it wont power on at all?

If you unlpug the SATA and only power the IDE does it power on?
 
A bad drive or bad rail? With the optical and sata working fine while the optical drive is plugged in on one rail the only thing possibly miswired would a second rail inside the supply's casing done at the factory.

Trying the ide drive alone with the plug used for the optical drive would be one way to tell if the drive suddenly works. The process of elimination will show one way or the other.
 
I doubt the rail is bad. I was/am trying to see if it's OK with only 1 hard drive, in which case I'd think that, however unlikely, the extra drive is putting too much load on the PSU.
 
When i have the SATA plugged in it works. But when i plug in the IDE (without SATA or with), the computer refuses to turn on. I had Call of Duty 1, UO, and 2 in that hard drive. That sucks. :o
 
Bad drive seems to be the conclusion. A bad drive can still pull down an otherwise reliable supply. The reference to a possible bad rail is in regards to the question by AMBUSHED earlier about something being wired up wrong.

The only wiring is done when seeing supplies assembled by the manufacturer where someone mixed up a pair of wires while soldering on the inside and it was the one thhat got out. That's one good reason for manufacturer's warranties in case someone does have an... :confused: "ut oh!"

It would take a direct short on the drive's controller card to pull a supply down to where nothing is seen.
 
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