Hard drive + Power issue =O

Daveman

Daveman

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I bought+installed a new hard drive (Seagate 160gb baracuda ata) and am having weird power issues with it.

I'm thinking about exchanging it but first I want to rule out an error with my power supply or something, here's how it goes:

When I connect hd to power supply, if I turn on computer it doesn't turn on (I have cathode lights, they turn on for a second then off, so power goes into the system but immeditaly shuts off). After this if I disconnect the drive from psu, everything still doesn't work until I unplug the psu for a few mins then turn it on, then everything works. If I put in hd again, problem persists, here are things I've tried.

It can't be that I've overloaded psu with too much crap because I've tried it with only the new hd and no old hd/cd drive/cathod lights.

this makes me think it's the hd only, but the fact that the computer remains "down" even after I unplug the new hd for a few mins makes me wonder if it's something else.

I also tried different power connectors to see if that one connecter was faulty somehow, problem remained.

The new hd did work once though and was reconized and everything, but that was only once I haven't been able to get it to work. I'ma screw around with it a bit more before testing in my brother's computer, and if it doesn't work there gonna exchange it.
 
Try checking the ATA connector. Turning it backwards will give those power issues.

On rare occasion, I have seen drives with the ATA connector backwards working, with it normally connected not working.

Try it out, tell me how it works :)
 
It's on ide cables not on sata, so can't be that it's backwards.
 
I've been having the same problem with my PC. First I thought it was the PSU going out because the lights would come on for .01 seconds and then turn off, making me think that the PSU was passing current, but not enough to power up my system. Well I replaced the PSU and it is still doing the same thing. I've been sequentially removing components from my PC and testing different parts, basically just trouble shooting the entire system. Now though I'm getting scared that it's my MB/and or/processor that is the problem. Possibly a short on the board or some heat related issue that is causing it to do this. I will find out today though when I go out and pickup another MB and test my theory.

Also, test your case wiring. Make sure there is no breaks in it anywhere. Particularly the area where the power button is. First thing I did when this problem came up on my PC. If you don't have a continuity tester find someone who does, because if it is just a shorted wire that is very easy to fix.
 
Well plugging the hard drive to my brother computer causes exact same error and without the hd being pluged in both computers run perfectly (aside from the fact my old hd is like dying >.>; )

I'm just gonna get an exchange tommorrow and hope that one works well.
 
ATA != SATA dave :p

And yes, you can turn an ATA cable backwards.

But you're probably doing the best thing by getting a replacement anyways :)
 
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