Question Will the read/write head be moved when an HDD is connected only to a USB charger?

[Matthew Wai]

When I plug my USB HDD into a port on a USB charger, the HDD will spin up. However, will the read/write head be moved away from the parking ramp into a location above the spinning disk? Or will the head just stay on the ramp, as the charger is not a device that can read the disk?

I have asked the questions just out of interest.

 

[popatim]

It should; some of the factory configuration data is stored on the disk itself.

 

[Matthew Wai]

some of the factory configuration data is stored on the disk itself.

All of the data was erased when I ran the command "Clean" via the Windows built-in tool "DiskPart".

 

[popatim]

Your data was cleaned. The factory data is in a hidden area of the drive that cannot be accessed without special tools.

 

[Matthew Wai]

It should; some of the factory configuration data is stored on the disk itself.

I just did the following test:

(1) I plugged the HDD into a USB port on my PC, which had been powered down.
(2) I powered up but did not turn on my PC. The HDD light went on, and the disk spun up.
(3) After nine seconds, the HDD light went off. Conceivably, the disk had stopped spinning.
(4) After a while, I turned on my PC, and the HDD light went on again and worked as usual.

In step (3), did the head move back to the ramp before the light went off?

 

[popatim]

Usually is back as soon as it's done reading the config data.

 

[Matthew Wai]

On CrystalDiskInfo, does "Start/Stop Count" refer to head parking?