Old 2.5-inch drives may need a Y cable on USB 2.0
An old 2.5-inch in a USB 3.0 external case may not get enough power from one USB 2.0 port. A single USB 2.0 port can provide about 2.5 watts, which may be too little for the drive to start or run reliably.
The needed cable has a plug for the drive case on one end and two USB-A plugs on the other end. One USB-A plug carries data and power, while the second USB-A plug adds extra power from another USB 2.0 port.
The drive appears to be a 160 GB 2.5-inch from a 2009 Mac mini. A similar setup was used with the old Box, which paired a with storage for a small personal server.
Key points
- One USB 2.0 port may not power an old 2.5-inch reliably.
- A Y cable can draw power from two USB 2.0 ports.
- The cable needs a plug for the and two USB-A plugs for the computer side.
- The drive appears to be a 160 GB from a 2009 Mac mini.
- For server use, stable power matters as much as whether the drive connects.