Resolved: External HDD Sometimes Not Waking Up From Sleep (A Lesson in the Importance of Power Supply)

I recently purchased a 20TB Seagate Exos X20 ST20000NM007D hard drive and a Fantec DB-ALU3-6G usb enclosure to use as my external storage solution. I was excited to have such a large capacity drive to store all my important files and documents. However, my excitement was short-lived when I encountered a problem with the drive.

At first, everything seemed to be working fine. I transferred all my files onto the drive and was able to access them without any issues. But then, I noticed that sometimes when I tried to access the drive after it had been in sleep mode, I would get an error message or the files wouldn't open at all. This was frustrating and concerning, especially since this was a professional enterprise grade product.

After some research, I came across a forum where someone suggested that the problem might be with the power supply. This caught my attention because I had not considered the power supply as a possible cause of the issue. I decided to dig deeper into this and found that the Seagate Exos X20 ST20000NM007D sometimes needs more power on turn on than the power supply from my enclosure was able to deliver.

The fix was simple - I needed a more powerful power supply. After further research, I found a suitable option - an AC DC power supply with 12V 6A and 72W, with a 5.5x2.5mm connector, charging cable of 2.5m, and adapter plugs of 5.5x2.1mm/terminal block from the brand Poppstar (poppstar.de). I purchased this and connected it to my Fantec enclosure. And voila, the problem was solved!

It turns out that the Fantec enclosure was able to deliver more power, but the included power supply was not powerful enough. This could be because the company may have opted for a cheaper power supply to keep the product price lower. This is a common practice in the tech industry, and it can be frustrating for consumers who are not aware of this.

I am writing this blog post to help others who might encounter the same issue with their external HDD and to provide them with a working solution. I understand how frustrating it can be to invest in a product and then have it not work as expected. But, in this case, the solution was simple - a more powerful power supply.

In conclusion, if you encounter similar issues with your external HDD, it is worth considering the power supply as a possible cause. Make sure to do your research and invest in a quality power supply that can provide enough power for your drive. I hope my experience and solution can help others who may face the same problem. Remember, sometimes the simplest solutions can solve the most complex problems.