Hard Drive Activity Light

My Hard Drive Activity Light has stopped working. Is there a cable connection to the motherboard for this light, or any settings that affect it? Of course it might just be the bulb.

Actually it's a led.

These things can cause this:

1. Problem about the motherboard's connection.
2. Problem about the HDD's pins.
3. Problem about the IDE cable (Pins 39-40, the last two ones).
4. Problem about the drive's pins.
5. Problem about the IDE Activity led.
6. The LED is just not connected to the motherboard.

yes there is a cable ,look at your m/board + manual and you will see a set of pins they are useally marked power (if an ATX) hd reset etc the wires are color coded red/black , blue/white etc .

there will be another LED on your ft panel marked power (green) , follow the wires back and exchange the h/d wires for the power and see if A: the red one lights for the power and b: the green one works for the h/d NOTE the wires are polarised


if the led is knackered go to maplin and get a new one ,

you will have to resolder the wires yourself.

alternatly go to comp shop that deals in old machines and buy an led with wire from an old case

Thanks Guys. I checked the leads, turned the Hard Drive LED connector round the other way, which seemed strange as the writing on it is now on the inside and cannot be seen, and it is working. Now I notice that my Power On LED is not working, so I'll see if that needs turning round as well.

Yes same problem. Turned the connector round the other way and the Power LED is now working. I had assumed that the writing on these connectors would face the outside. Apparantly not. So the Power LED and the HDD LED words on the connectors are now hidden by the connectors on the other side on the connecting pins block. This doesn't look right written down, I hope you understand what I mean. Is this normal for these connectors to face the wrong way?

if it works "it works" ,,

is this a shop built machine or homemade?

as the probs can,t have just materialised!!!!!!

have you got a h/book? what is the m/board? if u havn,t got a book we,ll have a look for u


freddy ,,,,from sunny lancashire

Thanks freddy. It is a Home Build. One of several that I have built. All the others had connectors that connected and still showed what they were. Only the speaker connection is still showing speaker when connected on this Board. The Board is an MSI 645 Ultra. It must just be that the Case Makers and the Board Makers haven't got their act together. But as you say "If it works it works."