Bad on/off Switch Button

What's the make and model of the drive?

Thermaltake BLACK WIDOW BlacX

Hard Drive eSATA + USB Docking Station

P/N:ST0005U

So the switch is actually on the docking station?

If so, I think it would be fairly easy to get into the docking station and take redfred's advice.

Yes. It's the power switch of the docking station.

I was told that this docking station that is normally used for PC gaming (which I don't do) can be used as an external, additional hard drive when I plug my second hard drive into it. So I did that and just kept it permanently turned on (except for occasional re-boots)

FYI... The switch has only been activated less than a dozen times. I always kept it in the ON position. Then one day it was OFF, and that was it. Could it be that having it permanently in the ON position, and straining against the spring and whatever latch is in there, the stored energy of the spring fatigued it to the point of failure? I don't yet know the mechanics of the latch itself.

Sure, anything is possible. You might just have been the unfortunate recipient of the one in a million that slipped past quality control. I did a search on the model number of the docking station and saw it at one site for $30. At that price, I'd still consider the idea of bypassing the switch and going with an external power switch. But I would not put much effort in either. Not at $30 for a new replacement.

So, if I can find no obvious fix on the inside, you see no problem with me just keeping it switched on with the small c-clamp I just put on it?

If it's just a manually-operated switch (i.e. it doesn't have any kind of solenoid return to 'ping' it back out at any time), there'd be no difference between clamping it or doing what you previously did - leaving it on all the time. So clamp it.

Usual disclaimers. E&OE. Cave ædificator.

Okay. Sounds like the GA I was lookin for. Thanx.

Hot Glue, always have your hot glue gun handy

Thank you. Everyone's been very helpful. Crisis averted. GA's for the house! On me!

It may be that the switch "pops back out" on some fault condition. If so, holding it in may create a problem.

Yeah, well that's what I was wondering about. That's why I was asking. But there's nothing in the very short owners manual that mentions that. It's a pretty small simple device. I don't see any sort of re-set or anything like that, anywhere. I would hope that they would mention that if there was a fault condition, the button pops out.

Usually a push button is a N/O or N/C pulse switching device ....so C clamping it or super glueing it would not make any different. The problem would usually occur of the relay latching mechanism caused by heat spark on its contact points .... Go check it out, firstly try to disconnect your hard drive or even your computer, if nothing happened then go for step 2, use avo meter to test the continuity of the switch, prior & after pushed the button..if no problem with it, then go look for the relay....,sometimes by tenderly knocking it, its welded contact point could be realeased.

I have fitted miniture toggle switches in place of push button and slide switches these do the job quite well. There are miniture push button switches available if you check the electronic supply houses.

I have the solution. Custom designed just for you.

HA! Thanks man, but I'm not sure I need to go so hi-tech. My little C-clamp seems to be doing the job pretty well.

If the "clamp & plug works for you, solution achieved. However we stubborn engineers often hate to "not fix" problems. I have designed and produced many electromechanical switches and have found that even the best push-push switch designs loose reliability when miniaturized. An early failure usually indicates a defective/fractured latch component so it is not worth opening it for the purpose of repair.

I would suggest replacing it (if OEM original is available) or with a like or better rated toggle as Garth suggested.