Member Avatar for rdwickman

I opened up my pc to add a second hard drive and when i plugged it back in i noticed the power indicator light on the front was blinking faintly. I pushed the power button and nothing happened. When I opened the pc back up i heard a ticking coming from the power supply. What did i do?? Did my power supply just coincedentally decide to die when i added the new hard drive? does it matter which plug from the power supply goes to which hard drive?

  • 3 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 119 Views
  • 2 Weeks Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by explodinghead75

Dani AI

Generated

Short practical checklist and safe diagnostics for the situation described by , with follow-ups to points from and .

Start safe: power down, unplug from the wall, and wait a minute before touching anything. Visually inspect the new drive bay for loose screws, bent connectors, or anything that could short the drive power. Then try this isolation sequence:

  • Remove the new drive and any extra cables you added, then try to power the system with the original configuration.
  • If it still won't boot, disconnect all non-essential devices (extra drives, optical, USB cards) and try a minimal post: motherboard + CPU + one stick RAM + GPU if required.
  • Try a different power lead from the PSU (use another cable from the same unit, not an adapter) or a different Molex/SATA plug on the harness.
  • If the machine boots only when the new drive is out, test that drive in another PC or external enclosure to rule out a short in the drive itself.

How to interpret results and next steps:

  • If the system behaves the same with the new drive removed, suspect the PSU or motherboard. Check that the 24-pin ATX and 4/8-pin CPU connectors are fully seated. Look for bulging caps or scorch marks on the board.
  • If the noise/behavior is tied to adding the drive, either the drive/cable is shorting or a single cable was overloaded. Even though many connectors are interchangeable, long daisy-chained cables can overload; use separate cables from the PSU for additional drives when possible.
  • A simple paperclip "start" test can show fan spin but won’t prove the PSU under-load health. A known-good spare PSU or a dedicated PSU tester gives a definitive result.

Final cautions: do not open the PSU (dangerous capacitors). If the PSU is failing, replace it with a unit from a reputable maker and with appropriate wattage and protection features. If uncertain, have a technician test or swap the PSU for a definitive diagnosis.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

RUN IT'S A BOMB lol..... power down the pc remove the power supply clean the fan, remove any build of dust, do this when it cools down. when you reconnect ensure the connections are tight. you could very well be looking at getting a new power supply. if the HDD is demanding more that the PSU can give to it and the other devices.

Member Avatar for explodinghead75

And no it should not matter which power plug goes to the hard drive (if it fits lol)

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.