You Sir made my day! This was exactly the problem. Bought a few cables from Amazon and did not notice that it was 5 instead of 4 powerlines. Switching to 4 lanes, perfection! All my drives showed up!
Scoured the internet as to why bios wouldn't see my drives. Found out they weren't spinning, so I thought they weren't getting enough power. After watching your video I applied some blue painters tape on pins 1-3. After plugging in everything works great. Thank you so much for the help!
Although this was quite a long video to simply explain about Power Disable line of modern HD's it was actually so nicely done and informative that I give it a big thumbs up!
Great info. Excellent suggestion on the tape to use. Informative. No long intro. And no stupid video icon with a person making an idiotic facial expression... It's everything an excellent CZcams video should be. THANK YOU!
Except that it also only has 4300 views for a video that I'm sure affects a lot more people. You know the reason videos are like that? Because research has determined that's what draws in more views. It's what the audience on CZcams responds too, so the people you're actually mad at are those viewers. lol
I had this issues w my drives and searched the web AND youtube but never seen this video before. I wish it would have been the first one i've seen by far!
Thank you so much!! You saved my life, after plugging a new graphic card, for some reason I switched Sata Power cable for one with 5 cables, I had lost my full project disk and 30 days of work. Switching back the the 4 cable connector after watching your video solved my issue. 🙏🙏
Excellent content sir. The thermal printer tape is an excellent idea... short of doing that I was going to just cut and heat-shrink the 3.3 volt wire going into the back end of the sata power connector. But after some thought, I will be patient and just order a molex adapter cable...
Just ran across this with a couple 10tb shucked drives. Could not get P-touch tape to stick at all and Kapton tape is to expensive for the couple MM needed, so I got some clear nail polish at the dollar store and put about four coats on pin 3. Worked like a charm. Drive fired right up. The trick is to tape off everything except pin 3 and use a fine dental pick to do the application. A toothpick would work. Or the nail polish brush. It's really the same technique as applying solder mask to a trace. Solder mask was what I wanted to use for this but didn't have any. Clear nail polish works just as well and doesn't need UV to cure.
this is a brilliant video. Quite long but really helped with the understanding. And we need just the understanding not just a fixit instruction, otherwise we'd never learn right?
Thanks, I learned something here. I was wondering if I could just cut the 3.3V wire on the harness and cap it off but instead found that on an EVGA modular power supply you can plug the SATA cable into the PSU port labeled PERF (as opposed to SATA). This port is intended for the legacy 4 pin molex plugs and does not provide the 3.3V power.
I tried installing a new hard drive and now for some reason my computer doesn’t boot up at all and I tried covering the three pins and still nothing all it does it spin all the fans and the leds turn on then it instantly turns on the max it’s been on is 2 seconds and I don’t know how to fix this please help me
It's all a bit of a mystery, the Orange 3.3v wire. My Sata HDD kept resetting, I could hear the motor spinning up & down. I was using a Molex to sata adaptor cable, Four wires, No Orange. When I connected direct to the Sata plug, which did have the Orange wire, it seemed to then power up the HDD properly. I confirmed this by doing the same with a different Sata HDD which exhibited the same scenario. I recently purchased Samsung EVO SSD as the Main boot drive and now using the old Standard/mechanical drive as a secondary drive, I wondered if this may have some effect on the operation of the secondary Drive. seems to be a case of trial and error. As you mentioned, generally one would expect the connection of a permanent 3.3v to Diasble/inhibit the HDD from starting.
Did not work on WD 4TB Purple drive in legacy Esata enclosure - tried covering just pin 3 and then covered the 1st 3 pins - still no power up - but WD 1TB green drive that was in drive still spins right when I power up the enclosure. ( put Purple drive in newer USB 3.0 setup spun up right away.)
Amazon sells a 3-pack of SATA power extenders and a 2-pack of SATA power splitters that don't carry the +3.3V wire. I put a link here and my comment got deleted, so I guess you'll have to find them on your own.
you know, that's a good point. i haven't experience the molex->SATA power failure myself, but i've seen the photos online about this problem when some of the hot wires short with the ground wire inside the cable adapter; that's what you're talking about right? yeah, definitely, quality cables recommended...
Thank you for this. It would be great if you yt creators learned how to get right to the details rather all the extra filler to just make your videos longer. Def appreciate the info tho.
Great and thank you. But for me, it is still not working even when I have a special 4 cable adapter ( SATA to SAS ) And I have 12V and 5V power output from my PC's power. I have 5 SAS 3,5 hdd's but none of them power up :-( Any tips?
Hi do ypu know how to tackle this issue with putting a white label drive in an usb enclosure. I have tried 4 different ones, covering Pin 3 to no avail. I have 2 12 TB drives with a lot of archived data, and moving on to a new mini PC, I have to keep the old desktop to do copy via local network. Very tough. Do you know what the pins are when dealing with an USB enclosure or USB pigtail? I sure appreciate it, and also a lot of people will as well. Thank ypou so much.
Sorry, I don't know the USB enclosure you're using. There could be something specific to that enclosure. It is usually easier to just use a USB3 SATA dock for the type of activity you're describing.
Hello! For example, a 12 TB WD Gold drive (15 pins for electrical connection) and a Sesonic Prime power supply, which is also equipped with SATA and SATA 3.3 cables. What type of SATA cables are better to use? Will there be harm to the disk if I connect the wrong cable? Thanks for the answer.
@@ArtofServer The power adapter connector of the Seasonic Prime SATA 3.3 has 12 pins (the last three 3.3 V pins are excluded). If the manufacturers of WD Gold 12 TB (121KRYZ) made 15 pins, then can we assume that there are special power supplies that use the extreme three contacts in a different way? If so, please share a link to such a power supply.
@@ArtofServer I should had to write it more clear. I blocked PIN3, after that PIN 2 and next PIN 1 , so many attampts and still no rotations of disk :-(
This modification doesn't affect your data. However, any time you are making changes, you should verify you have good backup of your data. All it takes is one accident of plugging something incorrectly, or a loose cable to cause lost data.
My 5 + 12 + gnd + gnd still don't spin on a hp desktop, there are something else with this also, Drive works in a usb dock, but in hp it don't. I even tried covering #3 it don't help HP crap WD crap
@@ArtofServer Thank you, I found an equivalent from WD here : documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/western-digital/collateral/tech-brief/tech-brief-western-digital-power-disable-pin.pdf
Cutting 3.3v wire will void warranty. So if your drive dies after a short while, good luck RMAing it. Using tape is reversible and can be sent back to manufacturer without issue.
@@OKuusava - Cutting a wire 0.4 seconds? Haha...majority of Power Supply Cables you have to unsheathe before you can even cut it. 0.4 seconds my ass. Have you even used a power supply before?? LMAO! If it takes you 15 mins to cut a piece of tape and put it on, you might want to get checked for Parkinsons. :)
If the orange wire can be pulled out of the connector then you dont need to even cut it, you can shrink it or use electrical tape to avoid a short and then replace it later if needed.
Just cut down the innermost side line of a normal SATA power cable and fix the cutting with insulating tape. Your solution works but not satisfied official guideline (keep P1, P2, P3 connected). And NEVER EVER use IDE-to-SATA converter unless you make sure you can absolutely trust the manufacturer, in most case, you get shot and fire then you lose your HDD (permanent damage on PCB board). www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3mhdwn/browsing_reddit_when_i_see_smoke_and_fire_coming/
_Pins 1 & 2_ are reserved - just *COVER ALL 3 PINS.*
Simples!
So happy I found this video. I was tearing my hair out.
Glad it was helpful!
You Sir made my day! This was exactly the problem. Bought a few cables from Amazon and did not notice that it was 5 instead of 4 powerlines.
Switching to 4 lanes, perfection! All my drives showed up!
Glad I could help
Scoured the internet as to why bios wouldn't see my drives. Found out they weren't spinning, so I thought they weren't getting enough power. After watching your video I applied some blue painters tape on pins 1-3. After plugging in everything works great. Thank you so much for the help!
Glad I could help
I'm having the same issue my HD beeps once when plugged in but doesn't spin.
Although this was quite a long video to simply explain about Power Disable line of modern HD's it was actually so nicely done and informative that I give it a big thumbs up!
Thanks for watching!
Easier to mask off those first 3 pins. The first 2 are not used at all so its safe and less fiddly to cover them along with the problematic pin-3.
Great info. Excellent suggestion on the tape to use. Informative.
No long intro. And no stupid video icon with a person making an idiotic facial expression...
It's everything an excellent CZcams video should be. THANK YOU!
Thank you!
Except that it also only has 4300 views for a video that I'm sure affects a lot more people. You know the reason videos are like that? Because research has determined that's what draws in more views. It's what the audience on CZcams responds too, so the people you're actually mad at are those viewers. lol
I had this issues w my drives and searched the web AND youtube but never seen this video before. I wish it would have been the first one i've seen by far!
Thanks! just curious, what search terms did you use? maybe I need to add those to the key words.
Thank you so much!! You saved my life, after plugging a new graphic card, for some reason I switched Sata Power cable for one with 5 cables, I had lost my full project disk and 30 days of work. Switching back the the 4 cable connector after watching your video solved my issue. 🙏🙏
Glad I could help!
Thank you Thank you thank you. New 10TB Shucked drive I thought maybe had broken. I love the adapter idea. Worked perfectly.
Thank you so so so much, I was ready to give up when I found this and covering the 3rd pin solved it all. Thank you!!!!
Glad it helped!
thank you for this video, this saved me from my frustration. I ended up using electrical tape and it worked like a charm.
Glad it helped
Thank you so much, what a wonderfully simple solution to such a headache! I had never thought of covering the pin with label tape.
Glad this helped! Thanks for watching.
Excellent content sir. The thermal printer tape is an excellent idea... short of doing that I was going to just cut and heat-shrink the 3.3 volt wire going into the back end of the sata power connector. But after some thought, I will be patient and just order a molex adapter cable...
Just ran across this with a couple 10tb shucked drives. Could not get P-touch tape to stick at all and Kapton tape is to expensive for the couple MM needed, so I got some clear nail polish at the dollar store and put about four coats on pin 3. Worked like a charm. Drive fired right up.
The trick is to tape off everything except pin 3 and use a fine dental pick to do the application. A toothpick would work. Or the nail polish brush. It's really the same technique as applying solder mask to a trace.
Solder mask was what I wanted to use for this but didn't have any. Clear nail polish works just as well and doesn't need UV to cure.
Great !!!!! I was searching it for week ! Thx
Glad I could help
this is a brilliant video. Quite long but really helped with the understanding. And we need just the understanding not just a fixit instruction, otherwise we'd never learn right?
i hope it helped.
Thanks for your time and effort.
Thanks for watching!
Lifesaver ! Thank you !
Glad to help!
Thank you, this solved my issue!
Glad this helped.
I decided to remove 3rd pin instead. Works fine.
That's one way to do it! :-)
you can also buy SATA to SATA adapter. cleanest way to do it I think.
Thanks, I learned something here. I was wondering if I could just cut the 3.3V wire on the harness and cap it off but instead found that on an EVGA modular power supply you can plug the SATA cable into the PSU port labeled PERF (as opposed to SATA). This port is intended for the legacy 4 pin molex plugs and does not provide the 3.3V power.
Glad you found this interesting. I didn't know that about EVGA power supplies! :-)
I tried installing a new hard drive and now for some reason my computer doesn’t boot up at all and I tried covering the three pins and still nothing all it does it spin all the fans and the leds turn on then it instantly turns on the max it’s been on is 2 seconds and I don’t know how to fix this please help me
Awesome video, thanks.
It's all a bit of a mystery, the Orange 3.3v wire. My Sata HDD kept resetting, I could hear the motor spinning up & down. I was using a Molex to sata adaptor cable, Four wires, No Orange. When I connected direct to the Sata plug, which did have the Orange wire, it seemed to then power up the HDD properly. I confirmed this by doing the same with a different Sata HDD which exhibited the same scenario. I recently purchased Samsung EVO SSD as the Main boot drive and now using the old Standard/mechanical drive as a secondary drive, I wondered if this may have some effect on the operation of the secondary Drive. seems to be a case of trial and error. As you mentioned, generally one would expect the connection of a permanent 3.3v to Diasble/inhibit the HDD from starting.
thank you!
You're welcome!
Did not work on WD 4TB Purple drive in legacy Esata enclosure - tried covering just pin 3 and then covered the 1st 3 pins - still no power up - but WD 1TB green drive that was in drive still spins right when I power up the enclosure. ( put Purple drive in newer USB 3.0 setup spun up right away.)
Thanks.
You're welcome
What about the risk of catching fire that these molex to SATA adapter cables apparently have?
Yeah, I've seen photos of that problem. Make sure to get quality adapter cables... I know, easier said than done.
I have only seen this when people try to power GPUs with SATA. HDDs are very low power in comparison so wouldn't be too concerned.
Amazon sells a 3-pack of SATA power extenders and a 2-pack of SATA power splitters that don't carry the +3.3V wire. I put a link here and my comment got deleted, so I guess you'll have to find them on your own.
Thanks for sharing. YT algorithm is brutal. I don't even get to review and they automatically delete.
Careful with those Molex to SATA they like to catch fire!
you know, that's a good point. i haven't experience the molex->SATA power failure myself, but i've seen the photos online about this problem when some of the hot wires short with the ground wire inside the cable adapter; that's what you're talking about right? yeah, definitely, quality cables recommended...
Only the all-in-one molded versions! Bad molding can lead to internal shorts;
the type with clipped-in crimped ends can't possibly short.
It still doesn't work. I covered up the 3rd pin. WD Mybook 8TB. Please help me. Thanks in advance
How is the tape holding up? No issues? Have you took it out and looked at it make sure it isn't burning? Meant to include a thanks for the video.
holding up fine. no issues.
Thank you for this. It would be great if you yt creators learned how to get right to the details rather all the extra filler to just make your videos longer. Def appreciate the info tho.
Thanks for the feedback! Glad it helped.
Great and thank you. But for me, it is still not working even when I have a special 4 cable adapter ( SATA to SAS ) And I have 12V and 5V power output from my PC's power. I have 5 SAS 3,5 hdd's but none of them power up :-( Any tips?
You might have a different issue going with those drives.
*Wait, So if my SATA power connector has 5 cables. The HDD most likely wont power on. **5:32*
If the HDD has the power disable feature...
Hi, can we just cut the 3.3 cable to remove the PWDIS signal?
that would be one way to do it too.
the problem i have is that i can get my drives spinning with a molex but then i cant get past bios. any tips?
sounds completely unrelated to this issue.
Hi do ypu know how to tackle this issue with putting a white label drive in an usb enclosure. I have tried 4 different ones, covering Pin 3 to no avail.
I have 2 12 TB drives with a lot of archived data, and moving on to a new mini PC, I have to keep the old desktop to do copy via local network. Very tough.
Do you know what the pins are when dealing with an USB enclosure or USB pigtail? I sure appreciate it, and also a lot of people will as well. Thank ypou so much.
Sorry, I don't know the USB enclosure you're using. There could be something specific to that enclosure. It is usually easier to just use a USB3 SATA dock for the type of activity you're describing.
@@ArtofServer Yes they are all USB 3 Enclosures.
If this 3.3v pin is disabled, does it affect the HDD Sleep mode (spin down), or will the HDD be spinning all the time?
No, it will not affect spin down.
Hello! For example, a 12 TB WD Gold drive (15 pins for electrical connection) and a Sesonic Prime power supply, which is also equipped with SATA and SATA 3.3 cables. What type of SATA cables are better to use? Will there be harm to the disk if I connect the wrong cable? Thanks for the answer.
No harm. If you trigger the power disable, the HDD won't spin up.
@@ArtofServer " If you trigger the power disable" = insulate 3 pin as in the video ?
@@user-yw4wv9fg8f yes
@@ArtofServer The power adapter connector of the Seasonic Prime SATA 3.3 has 12 pins (the last three 3.3 V pins are excluded). If the manufacturers of WD Gold 12 TB (121KRYZ) made 15 pins, then can we assume that there are special power supplies that use the extreme three contacts in a different way? If so, please share a link to such a power supply.
Done, nothing.Disconnected pin 1+2+3 still nothing...
Probably a different problem. And you only needed to block pin 3.
@@ArtofServer I should had to write it more clear. I blocked PIN3, after that PIN 2 and next PIN 1 , so many attampts and still no rotations of disk :-(
What does it sound like when it is plugged in? I have a SAS Hitachi HD that beeps once when plugged in, but it doesn't spin.
There's no sound. HDDs don't have a buzzer to make any sounds. The beep you heard is likely from the motherboard or other component of your computer.
@@ArtofServer the sound is coming from the hard drive.
@James Rios I don't know what to tell you, but something is not right with that hdd.
@@ArtofServer ok thank you.
Will i lose my data in it after trying this? Is my data still alive? Can i use it like before? Thanks in advance!
This modification doesn't affect your data. However, any time you are making changes, you should verify you have good backup of your data. All it takes is one accident of plugging something incorrectly, or a loose cable to cause lost data.
Does the HD spin up at all or does it just stay off?
It stays off. The power disable feature literally disables power to the HDD.
My 5 + 12 + gnd + gnd still don't spin on a hp desktop, there are something else with this also,
Drive works in a usb dock, but in hp it don't.
I even tried covering #3 it don't help
HP crap
WD crap
The download link no longer work, can you upload it somewhere ?
I don't know if I still have the document. Let me see if I can find it.
@@ArtofServer Thank you, I found an equivalent from WD here : documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/western-digital/collateral/tech-brief/tech-brief-western-digital-power-disable-pin.pdf
Thank you for this. I've updated the video description with this link. :-)
can you use rubber tape? to cover the pin?
I don't know. I have never tried it. Is it very thin?
Just cut the 3.3v orange wire on your power supply cable. Splice it back later if you need to. The tape idea is stupid.
Cutting 3.3v wire will void warranty. So if your drive dies after a short while, good luck RMAing it. Using tape is reversible and can be sent back to manufacturer without issue.
@@OKuusava - Cutting power supply cable and splicing it back is way more work than using tape on the drive itself. LOL.
@@OKuusava - Cutting a wire 0.4 seconds? Haha...majority of Power Supply Cables you have to unsheathe before you can even cut it. 0.4 seconds my ass. Have you even used a power supply before?? LMAO! If it takes you 15 mins to cut a piece of tape and put it on, you might want to get checked for Parkinsons. :)
There is no power supply cable to cut if your using the drive in an array with a backplane that supplies the power. The tape works great.
If the orange wire can be pulled out of the connector then you dont need to even cut it, you can shrink it or use electrical tape to avoid a short and then replace it later if needed.
Just cut down the innermost side line of a normal SATA power cable and fix the cutting with insulating tape. Your solution works but not satisfied official guideline (keep P1, P2, P3 connected). And NEVER EVER use IDE-to-SATA converter unless you make sure you can absolutely trust the manufacturer, in most case, you get shot and fire then you lose your HDD (permanent damage on PCB board). www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3mhdwn/browsing_reddit_when_i_see_smoke_and_fire_coming/
a couple OF bucks (not a couple bucks)
While you're technically correct, no native english speaker says it that way.
Can you post a link to a tape?
Here's a link to find kapton tape on ebay: ebay.us/uz4PjP
That is probably the best choice, but I've used shipping tape, label tape, etc.