Plastic tab on SATA drive port broke off

[Mugsy]

I'm in deep doggy-doo.

When my 2TB Sata-III drive wasn't being recognized (ported to a new build), I pulled the data cable off to check the connection and off came the little plastic tab that guides the plug onto the pins!

Without it, there is nothing to press contact between the cable & pins, let alone hold the cable firmly in place.

Worse, I can't even plug it in to rescue the data off it! I suspect I must have damaged the connection somehow when I plugged it in. The pins appear fine (within reason considering what happened.)

Gluing the tab back in place is no help if the connection still doesn't work and I need to unplug it again.

Am I screwed or is there a way around this mess (short of paying hundreds to some recovery service)?

 

[Perun]

Oh boy do I know the feeling, I once pulled off the same thing from a month old mobo, but I was able to find a replacement in a shop and soldered it back, maybe you can do the same ? Try finding a female SATA and soldering the other end of it to the HDD ?

 

[Mugsy]

I was able to find a replacement in a shop and soldered it back, maybe you can do the same ?

Thanks for the reply.

Fortunately (?) for me, the pins themselves are still attached to the drive. Only the plastic guide tab broke off the socket, preventing me from attaching a standard SATA cable.

Right now, I'm considering cutting one end off a spare Sata cable and physically attaching the wires to each pin. But I don't want to solder them for fear of damaging the drive further.

 

[Perun]

Hmm, then use some other manner of attaching it, hot glue or perhaps even if you find small enough heat-shrink for each pin.

 

[Mugsy]

Hmm, then use some other manner of attaching it, hot glue or perhaps even if you find small enough heat-shrink for each pin.

Thanks. I'm thinking some sort of "5 pin plug" similar to those old slim plugs used to connect your PC's "front panel" connections your your MoBo or those ancient "CD audio" cables that connected CD-Roms to the "Audio" device on the MoBo (problem is, I've never seen 5. At most 4.)

 

[Perun]

Heh, I think I got one, but It just seems to appear and dissapear at random