220-1101 Question 226
Single answerMolexA technician is upgrading an older desktop PC by adding a legacy PATA hard drive for data recovery. The motherboard detects the drive, but the drive does not spin up when the system powers on. The SATA SSD and all case fans are working normally. On inspection, the technician finds that the drive is connected to the motherboard with a 40-pin IDE ribbon cable but has no power cable attached. Which connector should the technician use from the power supply to power this drive?
- A
A 4-pin Molex power connector
- B
A 15-pin SATA power connector
- C
A 6-pin PCIe power connector
- D
A 24-pin ATX motherboard power connector
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests practical identification of legacy power connectors in a real repair scenario. A PATA/IDE hard drive uses two separate connections: a 40-pin IDE ribbon cable for data and a 4-pin Molex connector for power. If the motherboard can potentially detect the device configuration but the drive does not spin, missing power is a likely issue. CompTIA A+ Core 1 expects candidates to recognize common internal connectors, including Molex, SATA power, PCIe power, and ATX motherboard power. Best practice is to verify the drive's native power interface and avoid forcing incompatible connectors. Hardware documentation from drive and PSU manufacturers consistently identifies standard PATA drive power as 4-pin peripheral (Molex) power.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A legacy PATA hard drive typically uses a 4-pin Molex power connector for power. In this scenario, the IDE data cable is already attached, so the missing requirement is the proper legacy peripheral power connection. Molex connectors were commonly used for older hard drives, optical drives, and some case accessories.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A 15-pin SATA power connector is used for SATA drives, not a standard legacy PATA drive. While adapters exist, the question asks which connector should be used from the power supply for this drive type. Using SATA power directly would not match the native power port on a typical PATA hard drive.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A 6-pin PCIe power connector is designed to provide supplemental power to expansion cards such as graphics cards. It does not fit or power a PATA hard drive and is a common distractor because it is also an internal power connector from the PSU.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A 24-pin ATX connector provides main power to the motherboard, not directly to storage devices. It is physically and functionally unrelated to powering an individual PATA hard drive.