So the power connector to my HDD just started melting..

[isethi]

Luckily I was sitting at my pc. I heard a weird soft noise, an "Intel Rapid Storage disk 5 disconnected" message appeared on my taskbar en then I smelled a strong sulfur like vagrance (you know, like those toy gun things). I immediately shut down my PC and opened it up. Somehow the power connector to my second HDD melted! I took it out obviously, pictures:

Can someone explain how this could've happened? There are no new components or cables in my PC (about three years old). Also, do you think the HDD is still good to go?

 

[Mattib 050]

It's probably a problem with either your PSU or the SATA power adapter.
What PSU do you have and is the adapter a generic cheap one?

The HDD is probably as good as scrap now, you can see that a couple of the contacts are no longer there. You might be able to find someone who can fix it, but it wouldn't be worth the price even if it'd work afterwards (it probably still wouldn't).

 

[isethi]

PSU is an Antec, the adapter is indeed a cheap generic one. I think my HDD will be fine, on the picture it looks like the contacts are gone/damaged, but that's really just some melted plastic gunk. I can get it off pretty good I think.

 

[JLiRD808]

Wow hey did you get ur HDD to work again?

I just had the exact same thing happen--molex to SATA power adapter caught fire for seemingly no reason, and my burn damage looks VERY similar to yours. I have not yet checked the condition of the corresponding HDD as it would require a shutdown/restart, and I'm currently backing up important stuff from other drives in case of any more mishaps.

Heres the adapter that caught fire, it has great reviews. I've been using it about 3 years.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L5D0OE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

 

[JLiRD808]

EDIT: My HDD is ok--very thankful!

That said, can we trust ANY molex to SATA adapters now? It seems this is not totally uncommon if you do a Google search.

 

[isethi]

Wow hey did you get ur HDD to work again?

I just had the exact same thing happen--molex to SATA power adapter caught fire for seemingly no reason, and my burn damage looks VERY similar to yours. I have not yet checked the condition of the corresponding HDD as it would require a shutdown/restart, and I'm currently backing up important stuff from other drives in case of any more mishaps.

Heres the adapter that caught fire, it has great reviews. I've been using it about 3 years.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L5D0OE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I got a new power supply with which I don't need any converters anymore. I don't want to risk using an adapter again. Luckily my HDD was also just fine. The connector seemed damaged but it was just some melted plastic that came off pretty easily. So I cleaned it up and hooked it back in and it just worked luckily!