Stupid Question.... USB cable for external hard drive

[agathodaimon]

I purchased an external Seagate FreeAgent Go hard drive for data backup.
It's one of the smaller 2.5" drives that gets it's power from a USB cable.

Now, the cable it comes with is only about 12-Inches long... I can't put the damn thing anywhere because it's too short.
I wanted to get a longer cable (maybe 3-Foot) so I can have it lay on my desk.

Anyway, I've been looking for cables and some people tell me that some of the USB cables do NOT provide power to these external drives... Just data transfer... Yet I can't find any cables that specify whether or not they can provide power.

So... Yeah, stupid question... But I need help finding a USB cable that can give me power to my external drive.

This is basically the style of cable I need...
It is a standard USB plug on one end, with the Mini B (5 pin) plug on the other.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16812816057

But as you can see in one of the reviews, it wasn't able to power someone's drive.


/lost

 

[Blain]

One reason your FreeAgent Go has a USB cable with two USB A plugs is that both may be needed to provide enough power for drive operation.

You can try one of the cables you linked to, but the drive may not have enough power for operation.
If that cable doesn't work, you could try using two USB extension cables along with your Seagate double plugged cable.

 

[corkyg]

Blain is right. I have the same FreeAgent Go connected to my laptop. It comes with a 30-in cable with two USB "A" connectors and one mini. The mini connects to the drive. The other two USB connectors go to two USB ports. One is a heavier cable than the other. It is the main cable. The thinner one is when the host computer, eg., a laptop, does not provide sufficient power to run the FreeAgent Go. This is so common it is almost normal.

I have solved this problem by using a powered hub with my laptop. That way only one USB port on the lappy is used. It goes to the powered hub. The FreeAgen heavier cable end connects to the powered hub and that is all it needs.

If you use extension cables, you will probably need two of them and connect to two USB ports.

 

[agathodaimon]

Weird... I only received ONE cable with my drive.
It's a single, beige colored 12-Inch cable, with one A plug end that plugs into a single USB port on my computer.

Did they start changing them? Because it sounds like you guys are talking about a cable that has a "Y" split at the end.

 

[bruceb]

Try what Corkyg has suggested... Get a powered USB Hub .. they are cheap and then you will have ready access to the USB ports right on your desktop. And we already know your drive will work with the powered hub. I use a Belkin hub myself, Best $20 I spent for a useful item.

 

[corkyg]

I don't know if and when Seagate started changing cables, but here is mine with the cable that came with it:

FA-GO

Yes, it does have a 'Y' connection. But, as has been said, with a powered hub you only need to use the main or primary cable.

Laptops just don't have the power to support USB external drives on one USB port.

Who was your source for the odd colored cable?

 

[agathodaimon]

This is essentially the same drive: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218007087840
Except mine is 320GB.

But yep, it only comes with an 18" single-connector USB cable (no y-split). It is what Seagate provided.
The thing WORKS, but it's just too damn short.

 

[corkyg]

OK - I notice that your BestBuy package includes an 18-in Travel Cable. I suspect that therein lies the difference. I bought mine retail off the shelf at a BestBuy store, and it came with the 'Y' cable. And, it is a 250GB unit.

So, as I see it you have two choices. Get a powered hub, or a 'Y' USB cable.

 

[Paperdoc]

My understanding is that some (usually restricted only to smaller 2.5" drives used in laptops) hard drives use a smaller amount of power so that a single standard USB port can provide enough. The trick is to be sure that the connecting cable actually includes the two power supply lines. Many USB cables designed for self-powered devices (like a scanner or a printer) simply don't have those two lines because they are not used, and they can use a smaller connector ("Type B") on the end. But your external drive came with the right cable, just short to make a compact system that you can pack around.

The simple solution for you is a standard "USB Extension Cable". It has a normal "Type A" USB male connector on one end (into the computer) and a female version of the same on the other end. The cable has all the USB power and signal lines in it. Then you simply plug your short cord into the end of this extension, and voila!