N701D

It seems you are using a power sata splitter to power two mSATA ssd installed in a mSATA to 2.5” sata adapter enclosure? Is that correct?

That is correct.

The power splitter stops either of them working. Even when there is only one hooked up to the splitter

there may be a problem with the sata power splitter you are using.  test it in another pc using two 3.5" hdd.

Hey, thanks for taking the time to help, much appreciated.

Well, I had that thought too, so a little further extreme testing: I have yet another N701D (my company was e-wasting a number of Dells...) so I have replicated the same effect with a different splitter, AND I have daisy-chained two splitters into the mix and successfully run up three SATA drives having robbed the connector from the DVD. That worked no problems, detected the drives etc.

And I have swapped over the drive to a different SATA cable.

So I am pretty sure that it is not the splitter AS SUCH, and all the SATA connetions are working just fine. I suspect that there is a compatability issue between splitters and the laptop SSD disk caddy. 

Any further ideas please?

Chris

the splitter works with regular sata drives such as 3.5 or 2.5 but does not work with a single mSATA ssd in the caddy.  the caddy works with the 7060 SFF power connector directly without the splitter. 

try test the splitter and mSATA enclosure in another Dell desktop

I would also try replace 7060 cmos battery and clear cmos settings via mobo jumper in case there is a cmos issue detecting a contrived storage device.

pls upload a pic or exact model of your mSATA laptop caddy.

in theory:

the splitter is just a passive bifurcation of 15 pin sata power.  

for unknown reason your 7060 fails to detect the mSATA when there is a SATA power splitter, yet has no problem detecting a regular sata drive connected to the splitter.  quite strange and hard to explain.

Hi again,

The CMOS trick failed to get anywhere other than needing a date reset. Taking the whole shooting match to an old Optiplex 9020 replicated the issue. A perfectly good spinning disk works fine at the end of a splitter, and the mounted SSD fails to register. Here's a pic of the SSD in its mounting.

I am thinking that I should abandon this, I am wasting my time and yours. It would seem that repurposing these disks is not meant to be. I should just remove the data onto other devices and be done with it. Agreed?

Chris

Did you try resetting BIOS via the blue jumper method as redxps suggested (he calls it clearing CMOS)?

@redxps630  Would it be possible to just use the mSATA drives in a dual or quad PCIe adapter?

@redxps630​ Thanks for your patient guidance. I will mark as accepted on the basis that after all these experiments there is likely no working config.

@bradthetechnut​ Hi Brad, thanks for your reply. Sadly there are no jumpers on this board. Although the Dell tech site does not list the 7060 as having the RTC reset available, the user manual does. Not too sure I am willing to go that extra mile since I have tested this scenario in omre than 1 PC. I think I am going to put this quest to bed. 

If I had a suitable electrical meter I would at this stage test voltages coming through the various terminals on the power cable and the N701D, but I am not an electrical whizz, so I don't have one. :) 

The 7060 was introduced in 2018.

From Dell doctrine:  If your desktop computer was produced before April 2020, the computer most likely has a jumper-based reset.  Desktop computers manufactured after April 2020 use the RTC Reset ability.

RTC (real time clock) reset consists of while PC is plugged into power, but powered off, push and hold power button for 30 sec.

@bradthetechnut​ Hi there Brad, Am I misinterpreting things? See OptiPlex 7060 Small Form Factor Service Manual page 80 RTC reset. If I have missed something, most willing to try it... but i can't see jumpers on the motherboard.   :(

Thanksm - Chris

You have no jumpers on the MB because apparently your system has RTC.  According to the manual, all you have to do push and hold power button for 25 sec. to reset CMOS/BIOS.

While the 7060 was introduced in 2018, it was probably made for 2-3 years and revisions could have been made.  It's also possible Dell doctrine is a little off with the RTC start date.

I have charts from Purdue University of when some Dell models were introduced.  The 7060 isn't mentioned, so I Googled the release date and it said May 2018.

OK Well the RTC solutoin did nothing except re-set the clock. Will go seek a different solution to adding more disk. 

Thank you for taking the time to reply, appreciated.