Ghost in the Machine?

[Dantoo]

Has anybody got a link to serial ata pinout?

I just tested a machine with a suspected u/s power supply. Unplugged the 24 pin connector on the mobo and plugged in a 20 pin from another ps. The only thing plugged into the new power supply was the main motherboard connector. The power supply sitting in the machine was unplugged completely.

I powered up the ps sitting outside the case and immediately the fans whirred etc and I got a satisfactory beep from the bios. Yep dead power supply is the problem. Then, right in front of my eyes the machine boots fully into xp.

OK, this is impossible right? There is no power going to the hard drive! It's still plugged into the dead, unplugged and unservicable power supply.

Can a sata drive be powered up through the serial cable? Is there a ghost in this machine?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

WOW! WOW indeed! Plz tell us what you find.

http://pinouts.ru/


...Galvanized

 

[Dantoo]

Well I couldn't play about with it as it had to be repaired and sent on. A new PS was put in and it worked fine.

I am completely at a loss as to how an unpowered hdd can load up an operating system. It's only connection was with the SATA cable. It happened.

 

[unkn0wnhacka]

maybe your ram didnt clear and it booted xp from memory haha