You're asking the impossible since any external hard drive with a separate mains power supply simply cannot work with just the USB cable connected. The power requirements of such a drive (typically 9 - 12 volts) are way too high for a USB port to supply. The USB cable carries data only.
What you require will only work for external drives that are usb powered - properly known as "portable drives".
Hello everyone,
I'm looking to buy a external hard drive that has the following features: usb 3.0 connectivity, 3TB hard drive, separate power supply BUT IT HAS TO LISTEN TO THE USB CONNECTION FOR POWERING UP! This last thing is something I can't find with features of a drive. It is important because I want to connect the drive with my multimedia center (popcorn hour a200) and use it as an extra storage device. However I don't want to have to plug in the power cable everytime I want to access it. I just want to turn on my a200 and have the ext drive switch on automatically. Does anyone know a specific ext hdd that fits this description? It can also be a separate hdd enclosure in which I have to put a 3TB drive myself. Your help is GREATLY APPRECIATED
.
Thx in advance,
Regards,
Usui218

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