Hard Disk Hot Swap setting in BIOS

Sasqui · May 19, 2022

I just got a replacement ASUS Z97-A motherboard for a now dead MSI Z97 U3. In the ASUS BIOS, there's a Hot Swap setting for each SATA port. I have a 3-bay HDD cage, and the top of the PC case has a SATA/Power port to quickly plug a drive into. I'm not planning on creating a RAID, already have a NAS for that. And I was going to stick to the default of AHCI mode.

Is there any reason NOT to enable Hot Swap for all of the ports in the BIOS?

Calenhad · May 19, 2022

The only reason to enable the hot swap option is if you intend to hot swap drives for that port. Hot swapping is removing/inserting a drive while the computer is running. That top port could use hot swap enabled. For the hdd cage, probably not.

ThrashZone · May 19, 2022

Hi,
A good reason to not use hotswap is if you cherish the data on them
Shut down and disconnect.

I use easy swap 2.5" ssd/ hdd trays and still don't disconnect when running.

looniam · May 19, 2022

frist time i saw it, years ago during core duo, i enabled it thinking you never know if it comes in handy.

but yeah never had reason to swap HD's while in the OS so never bothered again.

however never seemed to make a bandwidth/latency difference(or anything else).

enable/disable for your use case.

e: did i say never enough . . :confused:

Calenhad · May 19, 2022

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
A good reason to not use hotswap is if you cherish the data on them
Shut down and disconnect.

I use easy swap 2.5" ssd/ hdd trays and still don't disconnect when running.

Just work within the limitations of hot swapping and there is no reason to not use it, if you really require it. You can't hot swap the OS drive, for hopefully obvious reasons. If you disable write cache in Windows, you can basically yank the drive at will. But mid write is stupid for any device. With write caching enabled you need to use the same disconnect device function as you should do for usb devices.

If you look at the sata power connector, some pins are longer than others. Those are like that for hot swapping purposes.

Never seen any negative effect on performance of having it enabled. Other than having your drives show in the disconnect device menu if you ever use that to remove a usb device. Hit the wrong disconnect option and you either crash or need a reboot if it is enabled for all your sata devices.

Sasqui · May 19, 2022

Calenhad said:
The only reason to enable the hot swap option is if you intend to hot swap drives for that port. Hot swapping is removing/inserting a drive while the computer is running. That top port could use hot swap enabled. For the hdd cage, probably not.

It's a 3 Bay hot swap cage. I've got stacks of Hard Drives, many of them I don't even know what's on them lol

80251 · May 19, 2022

On my motherboard enabling the hot swap option derates the SATA connection to SATA 2 from SATA 3 (it actually says this in the motherboard manual for that BIOS setting). If I don't enable the hot swap function I don't get the option in Windows to disconnect my eSATA HDD instead I have to uninstall it from device manager before turning it off. I've read the differences between SATA 2 and SATA 3 for HDD's are insignificant from a perf. standpoint.

Tigger · May 19, 2022

My board has hot swap, i have been using for one of my old hdd's a 2TB WD green with seemingly no problems at all.

Sasqui · May 19, 2022

Tigger said:
My board has hot swap, i have been using for one of my old hdd's a 2TB WD green with seemingly no problems at all.

TBH, I've never used it! Do you have to "disconnect" the drive in windows before physically removing it? I'll add that the ASUS Z97-A also has the ability to name each SATA port from the BIOS... I assume the name would show up in the OS.

ThrashZone · May 19, 2022

Calenhad said:
Just work within the limitations of hot swapping and there is no reason to not use it, if you really require it. You can't hot swap the OS drive, for hopefully obvious reasons. If you disable write cache in Windows, you can basically yank the drive at will. But mid write is stupid for any device. With write caching enabled you need to use the same disconnect device function as you should do for usb devices.

If you look at the sata power connector, some pins are longer than others. Those are like that for hot swapping purposes.

Never seen any negative effect on performance of having it enabled. Other than having your drives show in the disconnect device menu if you ever use that to remove a usb device. Hit the wrong disconnect option and you either crash or need a reboot if it is enabled for all your sata devices.

Hi,
I'm not the op here
But I find it easier to take a couple minutes to restart/ disconnect rather than deal with possible corrupt files and waiting to restore system images because of no telling how many files are messed up after finding one that is.

Personal preference
I only play yank it with usb connected devices but do use safe to remove often instead :laugh:

Calenhad · May 19, 2022

Sasqui said:
TBH, I've never used it! Do you have to "disconnect" the drive in windows before physically removing it? I'll add that the ASUS Z97-A also has the ability to name each SATA port from the BIOS... I assume the name would show up in the OS.

Like I wrote above, that really depends on the write cache setting for the drive. But best practice is absolutely to use the safe remove option. Not just due to less risk for data loss, but it will also spin down the drive before you pull it. If you do the "just pull it out" option the head is not necessarily parked and the platters are still moving. Holding a rotating mass in your hand can be an interesting experience (of which I have some)

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
I'm not the op here
But I find it easier to take a couple minutes to restart/ disconnect rather than deal with possible corrupt files and waiting to restore system images because of no telling how many files are messed up after finding one that is.

Personal preference
I only play yank it with usb connected devices but do use safe to remove often instead

I have no use for it either. Not personally at least.

I have worked with servers where hot swapping dead drives while the server is running was a necessity.

Sasqui said:
It's a 3 Bay hot swap cage. I've got stacks of Hard Drives, many of them I don't even know what's on them lol

It's a question of how badly you need to swap drives on the fly. Hot swap will only change when you can change the drives. If you need to do it while the computer is running, leave it enabled. If you can shut down the computer before swapping drives, leave it disabled.

ThrashZone · May 19, 2022

Hi,
Yeah tough to kill a dead drive unless you drop it and void warranty in that process :laugh:

Tigger · May 19, 2022

Sasqui said:
TBH, I've never used it! Do you have to "disconnect" the drive in windows before physically removing it? I'll add that the ASUS Z97-A also has the ability to name each SATA port from the BIOS... I assume the name would show up in the OS.

I just pull it, and if i need it, slot it back in

eidairaman1 · May 20, 2022

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
A good reason to not use hotswap is if you cherish the data on them
Shut down and disconnect.

I use easy swap 2.5" ssd/ hdd trays and still don't disconnect when running.

You still have to use the disconnect icon in the taskbar like USB Drives

ThrashZone · May 20, 2022

eidairaman1 said:
You still have to use the disconnect icon in the taskbar like USB Drives

Hi,
Well I do disable hibernation in cmd with powercfg -h off so I've not had any issues seeing shut down now is actually shut down.

eidairaman1 · May 20, 2022

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Well I do disable hibernation in cmd with powercfg -h off so I've not had any issues seeing shut down now is actually shut down.

Im saying if you want to hotswap them.

Tigger · May 20, 2022

I don't have the option to safely remove, i thought that was a USB only thing.

80251 · May 20, 2022

Tigger said:
I don't have the option to safely remove, i thought that was a USB only thing.

You can get the safely remove option for eSATA devices as long as you pick the hot swap option for the device in the BIOS.

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Hard Disk Hot Swap setting in BIOS

Sasqui

Calenhad

ThrashZone

looniam

Calenhad

Sasqui

80251

Tigger

I'm the only one

Sasqui

ThrashZone

Calenhad

ThrashZone

Tigger

I'm the only one

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

ThrashZone

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Tigger

I'm the only one

80251

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