Fix a Shucked Drive That Will Not Spin Up
Pin 3, Power Disable and the fix Western Digital itself gives
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A shucked drive that stays silent in a PC or an older enclosure is usually not faulty. Western Digital's tech brief explains it: on drives with the Power Disable feature, pin 3 of the SATA power connector is a reset line, and some older power supplies feed 3.3V to that pin, which holds the drive in a permanent hard reset. WD's own fix is to power the drive through a Molex to SATA adapter, which leaves pin 3 unpowered. WD states the mismatch cannot damage the drive.
What Western Digital's brief says
| Question | WD's answer |
|---|---|
| What is Power Disable? | A feature of the SATA 3.3 specification, published on 2 February 2016, that lets a host hard-reset a drive through pin 3 of the power connector |
| Why will the drive not spin up? | Some legacy power supplies tie pins 1, 2 and 3 together at 3.3V, so pin 3 is held high and the drive stays in hard reset |
| Is the drive defective? | No. WD writes that the drive is not defective and that it does not want customers returning drives over this |
| Can the mismatch damage the drive? | No. The only effect is that the drive does not spin up |
| What is the fix? | A Molex to SATA power connector, which removes power from pin 3 |
| Can the feature be switched off? | No. It is hard wired on the drive's circuit board and cannot be changed by firmware |
| Are SAS drives affected? | No. Older SAS chassis leave pin 3 unconnected |
| Which WD drives have it? | Optional on Ultrastar SATA drives from the DC HC510; WD sells versions with and without it |
Working through it
- Confirm the symptom: the drive does not spin up at all on SATA power, and is not detected. A drive that spins and then fails is a different problem.
- Try it in the NAS first. A chassis built for the newer specification leaves pin 3 alone, and many drives simply work.
- If it stays silent in a PC, power it from a Molex to SATA adapter. This is the fix in WD's brief.
- If you have no Molex lead, covering pin 3 of the drive's power connector with a strip of insulating tape does the same job by the same principle. That method is the shucking community's, not WD's.
- Once it spins, read the model number and run a full surface test before trusting it with data.
Telling the two versions apart on an Ultrastar
| In the model number | Meaning, from WD's data sheets |
|---|---|
| 0 in the pin position, as in WUH722626ALE601 | Power Disable on pin 3 is supported |
| L in the pin position, as in WUH722626ALE6L4 | Legacy pin 3 configuration, no Power Disable |
Externals where this site's shucking map carries a pin 3 note
| Family | Capacities with the note |
|---|---|
| WD Elements | 22TB, 20TB, 18TB and 14TB |
What is and is not from WD here
The cause, the Molex fix and the statement that no damage results are Western Digital's, from its tech brief. The brief is written about Ultrastar SATA drives and names no external product.
That the drives inside particular externals have the feature is community reporting, carried in this site's shucking map without a maker's document behind it. Treat the last table as a list of where to expect the question, not as a specification.
Where this comes from
Western Digital's tech brief on the Power Disable feature and its Ultrastar DC HC590 data sheet, read on October 12, 2026.
Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources: Western Digital tech brief: Power Disable feature; Western Digital: Ultrastar DC HC590 data sheet.
Shuckable WD externals, by price per TB
3.5-inch WD desktop externals of 4TB and up. Whether a given unit's drive has Power Disable is not something the listing tells you.
Renewed, refurbished and used listings
Shown for reference. These are not counted in the best price per TB above, and warranty terms differ from new drives.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my shucked WD drive not spin up?
If it has the Power Disable feature and your power supply feeds 3.3V to pin 3 of the SATA power connector, the drive is held in reset. WD's brief says the drive is not defective.
What fix does Western Digital give for the 3.3V pin?
Powering the drive through a Molex to SATA power connector, which removes power from pin 3.
Can 3.3V on pin 3 damage the drive?
No, by WD's brief. The only effect is that the drive does not spin up.
Does the pin 3 problem affect a drive in a NAS?
WD's brief puts the problem with legacy chassis and power supplies that power pin 3. A chassis that follows the newer definition leaves the pin alone.