Is USB hand wiring to MB safe or risky?

[MplsBob]

I have a new motherboard and enclosure. The handy USB connectors on the front of the cabinet have individual wires with connectors that have to be seated on individual motherboard pins correctly. The pins are located such that they are difficult to see and the angles cause real problems for a wearer of tri-focal glasses.

Is that a risky process such that if you screw it up you say good bye to a new USB based hard drive?

As always, thanks in advance.

MplsBob

 

[CheesePoofs]

My case also has individual wires for the usb connectors, and the usb ports work fine. My suggestion for setting up those parts is arrange them in the right order in your hand, then plug them onto the pins as a group. That way you can see which wire is where without having to remove all the other wires.
I don't know if putting them in incorrectly would fry a usb component, but if your worried, test the usb connecter on something cheap first too make sure it works.

 

[Insidious]

Sounds like a very good time to invest in a flashlight, magnifying glass, and pair of needle nose pliers.

If you are in doubt of your ability to place the wires in the right places.... don't do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As with ANY electrical wiring task.... if you do it wrong, things can fry.

-Sid

 

[DaveSimmons]

It can burn out the port on the motherboard, people have posted here about Asus motherboards being wired differently than they expected, or for cases with 1 plug instead of separate wires. After they miswired the connection the port on the MB was dead.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: MplsBob
Is that a risky process such that if you screw it up you say good bye to a new USB based hard drive?

If you mis-wire them? Certainly, you could damage either the USB device, or the mobo, or both. Just be careful, that's the best advice that I can give you. 🙂

Also, if you dig out the mobo manual (cross-verify with the board too, just to be safe), note the order of the wires, and the facing direction of "Pin 1". Sometimes mobos have them side-by-side, facing the same way, and sometimes, they have them facing opposite ways, usually offset by one pin. (Honestly, USB mobo port wiring is much more of a mess than it should be. There should be a single standard, and that's it. But no.)

One solution to make it easier, is to get ahold of a four-pin connection, such as is used for PC-speakers, and some analog CD-audio cables. Carefully remove each wire from their individual plastic pins, and keeping in mind the mobo wiring, insert them in sequence into the 4-pin connector. Thereafter, it will be a lot simpler to plug it into the mobo. With a little practice, that's not too hard to do.