Is this HDD dead?

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FenFox

Limp Gawd
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Dec 20, 2016
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So I safely ejected a Seagate Backup Plus 4 TB from an Nvidia Shield then I plugged it into my Windows 10 desktop to transfer some files and it didn't show up in File Explorer so I figured I needed to assign it a different drive letter but I couldn't find the drive under disk management either....
After that I plugged it into a Windows 10 laptop and another desktop running Windows 7. I couldn't see the HDD on either computer in file explorer or disk management. Oddly, the only machine I could feel the HDD operating on was the Windows 7 machine. Is this drive toast?
 
possibly a dumb question, but has this disk worked on all those computers previously, or is it new? Those compact/2.5" external HDDs frequently play dead when what's actually going on is they're stretching the power limit for the USB port and the host doesn't like it. I've had all kinds of issues related to that over the years (with slimline USB DVD burners too, but here I digress)
 
KATEKATEKATE said:
possibly a dumb question, but has this disk worked on all those computers previously, or is it new? Those compact/2.5" external HDDs frequently play dead when what's actually going on is they're stretching the power limit for the USB port and the host doesn't like it. I've had all kinds of issues related to that over the years (with slimline USB DVD burners too, but here I digress)
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The HDD has worked on the desktop before; I've connected it plenty of times before--I do have quite a few things connected via the USB ports so I dunno if that has something to do with it. I think it has also worked on the laptop before but I'm not entirely sure--I have a type C to type A dongle for the laptop that I connect to. I plug it into the Windows 7 machine from a port as well and still don't see it. I checked device manager on the desktop/laptop and don't see the drive there either. I may check to see if I can find it in the BIOS.
Maybe I should take it apart and connect the SATA data/power in my desktop -- possibly the controller is dead if it has one? I dunno, fuckin' weird how it would just die from plugging it in? I can physically feel it turn on sometimes when I plug it in.
 
yeah, taking the drive out and plugging it directly into a SATA port sounds like a good next step. USB has its way of making things extra spicy in unpredictable ways
 
KATEKATEKATE said:
yeah, taking the drive out and plugging it directly into a SATA port sounds like a good next step. USB has its way of making things extra spicy in unpredictable ways
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Well, that would tell me if it works or not, but I assume there is a USB controller and if the controller is toast I guess I cannot get another one?
 
have you looked into the bios to see if it is there?
may need to look in disk management and see if has some how lost its letter or whatever.Can"t think at the moment.
 
FenFox said:
Well, that would tell me if it works or not, but I assume there is a USB controller and if the controller is toast I guess I cannot get another one?
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yeah, probably not an identical replacement (unless you get lucky and find a parted-out enclosure/PCB on Ebay) but if the disk itself is ok you could always get a comparable 3rd-party enclosure for ~25$ and put it in there.
 
HDD never showed up under BIOS. I took apart the HDD casing and I can confirm that the controller failed. Connected it via an enclosure with a power brick and plugged into a computer via USB and I can see/access the contents of the HDD. So when I buy a new enclosure for this 2.5" drive, do I get one with or without a power brick?

Seagate Controller.png
 
2.5” drives often will power fine from those double-USB enclosures, but if space isn’t entirely critical get one that accepts any drive (3.5 or 2.5) with a power brick. Then it’s got some useful life even beyond this particular drive.
 
Brian_B said:
2.5” drives often will power fine from those double-USB enclosures, but if space isn’t entirely critical get one that accepts any drive (3.5 or 2.5) with a power brick. Then it’s got some useful life even beyond this particular drive.
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What do you mean "double-USB enclosures" ? Is this fine? https://www.newegg.com/p/0VN-00D1-00005
Or what else would you recommend in terms of one with or without a power brick? I do kinda like something a bit discrete since this is going on an entertainment center shelf that doesn't have a lot of room.

I already have an enclosure for testing purposes (the one I used to test this drive) so I don't really need another one, but if the price is right why not. This is my dad's drive and I'm just fixing it for him and he doesn't like to pay a lot of money. I actually may not even bother getting an enclosure for it depending on the cost. I may just get him to buy a HDD bigger than 4 TB because this drive is running out of space as is.
 
this type of drive is rare they are moving to a custom baked controller on the drives with WD
 
Brian_B said:
This isn’t the enclosure but is the double usb cable I was speaking of

https://smile.amazon.com/Micro-B-External-Seagate-Toshiba-Enclosure/dp/B005M0ICG2/

That being said, I’m a big fan of this style of external enclosure. Not feasible for all situations though

https://smile.amazon.com/Certified-Supplier-Cinolink-Docking-Station/dp/B01FHMPGCW/
Click to expand...

Uh, I think I'm missing the point with that double cable? What is the purpose?

Why do you like that kinda docking station? Only USB 2.0? Well, it's cool that it can do 2.5 / 3.5"
 
The second connector supplies additional power

I don’t know anything about that particular bay - I have several that are that plug in style though
 
Brian_B said:
The second connector supplies additional power

I don’t know anything about that particular bay - I have several that are that plug in style though
Click to expand...
not exactly a second conductor doesn't provide extra power it allows for double the amperage to be drawn on the usb standard by spreading it over 2 ports. So instead of pulling 1A off a single usb port the issue is if that isn't enough it can go for more. Where as drives in the enclosures with single cords are designed to run at lower voltages and amperage the single cord units are safer so if you are diy go for one with a power supply.
 
Brian_B said:
How exactly is that different?
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not every usb port is the same and some actually share the 500mA across all ports not to each port and some don't have very good current regulation and when you use this type of cord in either of those other 2 situations the drive will pull as much current as it needs potentially frying the whole hub if this is a laptop ouch potentially all of the usb ports just took a shit (older apple laptops but not too old btw) or the drive simply won't get the power it needs and wont work. Since there is still only 500mA for it to draw. Also don't go thinking you can pop that second usb into a usb charger i would only do that if i knew for certain the data and power lines were isolated.

I found this out the hard way i had an old 2.5" ide drive that needed 12v to run it refused to work inside a caddy unless it had its own power. i had to buy another caddy to get it to work.
 
Lunas said:
not every usb port is the same and some actually share the 500mA across all ports not to each port and some don't have very good current regulation and when you use this type of cord in either of those other 2 situations the drive will pull as much current as it needs potentially frying the whole hub if this is a laptop ouch potentially all of the usb ports just took a shit (older apple laptops but not too old btw) or the drive simply won't get the power it needs and wont work. Since there is still only 500mA for it to draw. Also don't go thinking you can pop that second usb into a usb charger i would only do that if i knew for certain the data and power lines were isolated.

I found this out the hard way i had an old 2.5" ide drive that needed 12v to run it refused to work inside a caddy unless it had its own power. i had to buy another caddy to get it to work.
Click to expand...

Well, it's been a while since I was last in school...

But Power = Current x Voltage

So if P = IV, 2IV = 2P.

So providing extra current is effectively the same thing as providing extra power.

What you say here in this quote is... I'm not exactly sure. That double cables won't actually provide double amperage because USB ports can share a common source on a hub?
 
I think what they're getting at, is the Y cables only effectively add more current carrying capacity if the ports are current-limited on a per-port basis. ie if each port is limited to 500mA, then 2*500mA = 1A. If the entire root complex is limited to 500mA then (500/2)*2=500mA.

the limit Is of course not in the current capacity of the cable itself or even the physical plugs but the (essentially) artificial limits in place in the USB controller. a fair USB cable could probably handle 5A just based on conductor size but that's never the limit unless the cable is so crappy that it's melting itself under load (which to be fair, we've probably all seen, but assuming here that the cables included with external disks are built ok) when talking USB power limits its a matter of how much power the software in the controller feels like allowing to be passed
 
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