USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Adapter Cable for 2.5" and 3.5" SATA Drives

The hard drive adapter requires power from your system's USB port. Although you can plug in any standard SATA drive, USB ports only supply a limited amount of power and are not able to power all of the SATA drives plugged into the cable.

As a general rule, the hard drive adapter only supports 2.5 in. hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD). 3.5 in. drives typically require a 12V power connection, which is not provided by the USB port or the hard drive adapter.

The power capabilities of the USB port combined with the power requirements of the attached drive will determine if the hard drive adapter will work in your setup. The power (in mA) supplied by the USB port must be greater than the requirements of the drive.

If you are using a USB 2.0 port, your port will only be able to supply a maximum of 500 mA (0.5 A). If you are using a USB 3.0 port, your port will be able to supply a maximum of 900 mA (0.9 A).

You can usually find the power requirements of your drive in the technical specifications on the label of the drive or on the manufacturer's website.

This device does not support the ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) protocol. ATAPI is required for optical drives, including CD-ROM drives, DVD-ROM drives, and Blu-ray players. Because this device does not support ATAPI, optical drives are also not supported over any IDE, SATA, or eSATA connections.

For a list of products that do support ATAPI, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/hard_drive_controllers_atapi_support.

USB 3.1 is the most recent version of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard for connecting computers and electronic devices. It is capable of data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps, and while it can use the USB-C connector type, it can also use a variety of other connector types. To achieve USB 3.1 transfer speeds, your USB host connection, cables, and device must all support USB 3.1. USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). 

USB 3.0 is capable of data transfer speeds up to 5Gbps. USB 3.0 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps).

USB 3.1 is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, except in the following scenarios:

• USB-B 3.1 cables are not compatible with USB-B 2.0 ports.
• Unless you use an adapter, USB-C ports or cables will not work with USB-A or USB-B ports or cables.
• Devices that require USB 3.1 transfer speeds of 10Gbps might not work with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0, or you might experience lower transfer speeds and impacted performance.
• Bus-powered USB devices that requires more power than what USB 2.0 can provide are not compatible with USB 2.0.

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To transfer data at speeds of 10Gbps, you need to confirm that the following components in your setup support USB 3.1:

• The USB host connection
• The USB cable
• The USB device and any subcomponents (for example, a hard drive docking station and the hard drives in the docking station)

Note: USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). Devices that support USB 3.1 should have the USB 3.1 symbol on them. If the USB 3.1 symbol does not appear on your USB source or device, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer to confirm whether the USB source or device support USB 3.1.

If the USB device does not work after your computer has been in extended hibernation, it is likely that Windows has automatically turned off the USB Root hub to save power. 

The steps below outline how to configure the USB root hub to stay on during hibernation, to prevent this from happening.
 

Windows 10 / 8

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key + X and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB device after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows 7 / Vista

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB device after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows XP

1. On your desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
2. Click the Device Manager tab.
3. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers by clicking the arrow to the left of it.
4. Right-click the first USB Root Hub device and select Properties.
5. Click the Power Management tab.
6. Clear the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
7. Click OK to apply the setting.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for any remaining devices in the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section with “Root Hub” in the name.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB device after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

If your setup components support USB 3.1 but you are experiencing slower transfer speeds than you expected, consider the following:

• A USB host connection with multiple USB 3.1 ports might not be able to support 10Gbps on each port simultaneously.
• The type of port on a device does not determine whether the device is capable of USB 3.1 speeds. A USB-C port might not support USB 3.1 speeds, while USB-A and USB-B ports might support USB 3.1 speeds.
• Any other devices that you include in your setup, such as an older hard drive in a USB 3.1 enclosure, might create a point of congestion and slow down transfer speeds.

To confirm the functionality of your USB host connection, its ports, and any other devices in your setup, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer.

Note: USB 3.1 is also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps). Devices that support USB 3.1 should have the USB 3.1 symbol on them. If the USB 3.1 symbol does not appear on your USB source or device, refer to the information provided by the manufacturer to confirm whether the USB source or device support USB 3.1.