One of the pins on my hard drive broke off.

[6T9FR]

http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hd1ug.jpg

That's pretty much how my slave drive looks now, except it's PATA and not SATA (I just grabbed the first image I found). I was switching out the drive in my HD enclosure when it broke off that molex pin. Will it still be usable and not cause any damage?

 

[corkyg]

According to your picture, the SATA power connector is still good, so the legacy molex connector is not really essential. Pure SATA should be good to go.

 

[Jawo]

I've never had this problem....but what about getting a PATA --> SATA converter if the drive wont't spin up? What about this Enclosed adaptor or this bare adpator?

They have external power that does not use the standard Molex connector.

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi, Corky is correct. Both connectora are wired in parallel. The molex for the IDE will do the job. Jim

Edit: I have replaced a broken power pin with success, but for a ground pin I would follow the suggestions you already have and just ignore it. Jim

 

[6T9FR]

Sorry Corky, but I said that my drive is a regular PATA drive, I just grabbed the first image I found to show how it looks and it happened to be a SATA picture I found.

Jawo: The drive turns on and works but I didn't use it for very long, and I'm just worried if there will be any long term problems if I try to continue using it like this.

 

[Bluestealth]

Originally posted by: 6T9FR
Sorry Corky, but I said that my drive is a regular PATA drive, I just grabbed the first image I found to show how it looks and it happened to be a SATA picture I found.

Jawo: The drive turns on and works but I didn't use it for very long, and I'm just worried if there will be any long term problems if I try to continue using it like this.

Well it still has one intact ground.... not sure what affect it might have on drive stability going foward though... is it still under warrenty?

 

[Jiggz]

Since the broken pin is the same as the remaining middle pin which by the way are both ground pins, you can just jumper the broken pin with the remaining middle pin by soldering or you can just ignore it. IMO I will solder a jumper just to make sure the purpose of the second ground pin is there. You can do this right on the board where the pins connect or at the back of the molex connector.

 

[Zepper]

All grounds in PCs today are supposed to be common at true (at least very near) earth potential, the one pin should be able to handle all the return current from a drive (each pin is supposed to be good for 9 Amps). The only reason there are four pins in the Molex connectors is legacy - in the old days, the return for the 12V and 5V lines were separate because the PSUs for the +12 and +5 voltages could be separate and the grounds could float (be at different potentials from one another). It ain't that way any more but it was cheaper just to stick with the old connector than have to pay the development costs of a new one. The return paths are no longer isolated either on the drive (take your meter and prove it to yourself - or just eyeball the PCB connections) or in the PC.

Anyone have a good reason that they haven't done away with the second black wire altogether? You'd think someone would have jumped on the cost savings by now or at least dropped the gauge of the two wires relative to the +5 and +12 wires.

.bh.

 

[SparkyJJO]

all the grounds are connected - if you look on the PCB of the drive more than likely the pins are connected there as well. I say if it works, don't worry about it. Just be careful that you don't break the other one off