I was trying to fix my Dad’s PS3 (he recently passed away) nothing was working, so I connected the HDD from the PS3 into my PC. Upon plugging in the SATA cable, the entire PC shut off. I unplugged the HDD, but now when I power on the PC, the fans just run at max speed and nothing else happens. I don’t know how to troubleshoot this problem.
Technically, most are hot plug. The SATA (not just eSATA) specs were designed from the beginning to allow it. That’s why the different pins (fingers) are different lengths. For it to be compliant with the spec, it must be ok to connect/disconnect while the power is live.