Oops, broke sata connector

[pincorrect]

I'm building my system and started testing my drives. When I got to the badblocks test on my last drive (all WD Reds, 6 tb) I got nothing but errors. I opened the case and saw that somehow it's SATA cable had been pulled downward and was at a 45 degree angle. The whole L-shaped plastic flange had broken off and was in the cable connector. Damn! I went ahead and ordered a replacement drive.

It seems such a waste. Does it make sense to try to epoxy or superglue the flange back to the logic board so it could at least be a spare? Has anyone had this happen and repaired their connector? Sure wish I broke a cheaper part!

 

[DrKK]

That's a new one on me.

 

[wblock]

With the right equipment and experience, that connector could be replaced. As to finding someone to do that, hard to say. Maybe contact WD and see if they have a repair service, or might be willing to replace it under warranty.

 

[pincorrect]

Good idea. I'll contact WD and inquire about a repair. Hopefully I will be able to keep it as a spare.

Not sure how it happened. Before connecting the drives, I cable-tied the sata cables together in a neat bundle and tied that to the case so they would not interfere with air flow to the MB. So there was not all that much free cable that could have gotten pulled on. But I guess **** happens. Will be more careful in the future.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Another option might be one of the data recovery services. Many times they achieve recovery by replacing the circuit board, which includes the SATA connector (right?)

 

[Arwen]

One note about cable ties, is that if they are tight, they can produce high tension against the end points.

About 5 years back I started using double sided velcro tape. One side is the hook and other is the felt.
Works about the same as cable ties, though in my opinion a bit less tension than tight cable ties. Plus,
you can get removability.

 

[pincorrect]

Velcro is a great idea. I'll remember that.

I've been building PC's a long time. I remember my first builds had the cases so stuffed with wires it would be a miracle for any air to reach the MB from the fans, especially with those wide ribbon cables back then. Now I'm a little obsessive about keeping cables and wires out of the way--maybe a little too much. But I'll watch out for tension from now on.

 

[pincorrect]

Another option might be one of the data recovery services. Many times they achieve recovery by replacing the circuit board, which includes the SATA connector (right?)

Might be a way to go, if it is more cost effective than simply buying another one. I think I'll see if WD will fix it for a reasonable fee.