How to Connect Two Drives to One SATA Cable
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) cables are most commonly used to transfer data and power between a drive and the motherboard of a computer. SATA cables are recognizable by their small size and appearance. The connectors of a SATA cable are small and flat. The data cable is roughly half the size of the power cable and has an L-shaped gap where it connects to a device. The power cable is much broader and has visible gold or copper contacts. SATA data cables are only used to connect one SATA device at a time; however, it is not uncommon for a single SATA power cable to power multiple drives.
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Things You'll Need
- SATA compatible motherboard
- SATA compatible drives
- 4-pin Molex to Dual 15-pin SATA connector cable
Instructions
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Hooking It Up
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1
Unplug the power supply and remove the screws securing the side panels. If the computer has a side-mounted case fan or LEDs mounted on the side panel, disconnect them before removing the panels. After removing the side panel, determine which drive bay slots the two SATA drives will occupy.
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2
Insert the two SATA drives into drive bay so that they are right-side up and facing forward. Position the drives so that the screw holes on the sides are aligned with the corresponding holes or slots on the bay. Securely fasten the drives into the bay using the machine screws provided and a non-magnetic screw driver.
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3
Locate an unused male four-pin Molex power connector coming from the power supply. Connect the male Molex four-pin connector with the female four-pin Molex connector located on the dual SATA connector power cable. Insert a male 16-pin SATA connector from the dual SATA connector into the matching connector located on the back of each drive.
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Tips & Warnings
SATA power cables do not require much force to connect. If the connector will not snap into the plug on the back of your drive, make sure the connector is not upside down.
Always unplug your computer before opening the case to reduce the risk of severe electrocution and damage to electronic components.
References
- Photo Credit SATA power connector. Close up. Isolated on a white background. image by Andrey Khritin from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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But in my pc, second disk is accessible in disk management, but not in my computer. Both are connected to SATA cable. Can you help me?
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it is good stuff.
