I just bought a 2.5" Seagate Barracuda hard drive (model ST5000LM000) to replace an old drive in my laptop, but I quickly realized it's too thick to fit. So, I thought I'd turn it into external storage using a SATA enclosure. However, when I plugged it in, my computer doesn't recognize it. I've tested the enclosure with other drives, and they work fine. This specific drive has a four-pin power receptacle next to the SATA interface, which I've never seen before. Does this mean it needs external power? If so, what kind of enclosure would be compatible with this drive?
3 Answers
Quick question—does the drive have any partitions yet? Have you checked if it appears in Windows Disk Management? Might help you troubleshoot.
Sounds like you're dealing with a power issue. Most hard drives need some power to get spinning, and there are enclosures that come with their own power source. I once got an Insignia powered enclosure that works well. If you're using USB-C, make sure your power source can handle the needs of the disk. By the way, SSDs are typically faster if you're interested in upgrading that way.
The laptop actually already has two SSDs in it! I was just looking for a budget-friendly way to replace the dying spinning disk.
You might have the 15mm version of that drive, which does draw more power (1.2A). If your SATA enclosure or USB port isn't delivering enough juice, that could be the issue. Always try it with a powered enclosure, and if you can, plug it into a USB 3 port since they can provide more power. Check Seagate’s datasheet for more details, it could help you sort things out!
I did get a powered enclosure that should fit both 2.5" and 3.5" drives, but my laptop has an older USB port that isn't USB3. I just tested it using a USB3 port on a desktop, but I still don’t see the drive. Now I'm starting to think it could be defective.
It’s a brand new drive, so no partitions yet. But it doesn’t show up in Disk Management either.