Started on a PSU replacement in my Chenbro Server to make it quiet a week ago. After some cable issues (sent the wrong ones etc)

Here is the sequence of events:

1. Stopped Array

2. Powered Down Server

3. Allowed the server power down fully

4. Unplugged power from back, disconnected - Server completely off of power physically

5. At that point removed all the drives after labeling them and laid them out on stone counter

6. They sat them there for a few days

7. Today I connected the new power supply

8. With all drives still removed I powered up the server.

9. I think this is irrelevant to THIS issue, but noting - A small puff of smoke came out of one backplane near the back. I tried to power it off and it didn’t power off so I let it just go ahead with boot because boot sequence on screen seemed good. I noticed a fan pin was touching the metal at the front of the case, pretty positive that is what caused this short

10. The system booted as expected

11. At that point as the system was still powered on, I connected all of the drives, however I had not started the array.

12. None of the drives were showing up at this point I don't believe

13. I powered down the system thinking a reboot would help

14. At this point only 2 showed up -- Then to troubleshoot --

15. I took all the drives out of the system and then moved the two drives that were still working to other slots on the backplane and they would still work. However, when I put any other drive into the slots of the backplane that were working with those two drives, the new drives would not spin up.

16. I also plugged in the drives that aren’t working via usb sata connection to my other PC and only the two drives that were working in the server would spin up.

Please help, have you heard of or seen anything like this?? I really really hope this is something dumb and simple

Well, I think this may be sorted. My friend failed to inform me he moved the wire from the 12V to the 5V line on the molex to 4 pin cables using to adapt the new PSU to the backplane....

After taking a PCB off of a couple of drives it seems I managed to blow the fuse on the 5V line on the PCB.

All diodes tested properly so it does not seem like any power got past that...

So now, 19 fuses need to be ordered and replaced -- this will be a 'fun' soldering project.

Fingers crossed this is the only problem, will update after work is done.

I did take the PCB off one of the two working HDD and interestingly enough it had no fuses between the diodes and the connector. I presume they did not fail because there is no fuse to blow, but interesting to me nonetheless.

Edited December 20, 2025Dec 20 by gcalaway