How to Enable HBA W/Spindown on Windows 10 for Disk Power Management

So, I reckon a lot of folks out there are tryin’ to get their disks to spin down properly when they’re usin’ them HBA cards in Windows 10. I been readin’ some stuff on the internet, and it seems like there’s some folks havin’ trouble with that, especially when their disks just keep spinnin’ up after they been idle for a while. Now, I ain’t no computer expert, but I do know a thing or two about fixin’ things around here. So, let me tell you what I learned and how you might be able to get your disks to stay spun down, just like they should.

How to Enable HBA W/Spindown on Windows 10 for Disk Power Management

1. First things first, let’s talk about the controller you’re usin’.

Now, if you got yourself an HBA card, like a Broadcom or LSI model, sometimes it don’t play nice with Windows 10 on its own. That’s because these fancy controllers are made for more serious server setups, and Windows ain’t always the best at handling them outta the box. I was readin’ some folks got the LSI 9305-16i connected to a Supermicro chassis, which is a lot of hard drives all in one go. And you know, with all that equipment, Windows don’t always know what to do with itself!

2. Tryin’ to get them disks to spin down.

Now, if you been messin’ with your computer, you probably noticed them drives keep spinnin’ back up after you tried to spin them down. It ain’t just you, this is a problem a lot of people face. I came across this fella sayin’ that when he’d set the disks to spin down, they just wouldn’t stay down. They’d get spun up again for no reason. Well, it’s not somethin’ easy to fix, but there are ways you can go about it.

3. Checkin’ Device Manager and Adjustin’ Settings.

One thing you can do is head over to your Device Manager. Now, I know you’re probably thinkin’, “What in tarnation is that?” Well, it’s where you can see all the stuff connected to your computer. You go to your Storage Controllers, and find your HBA controller, like the LSI Adapter. Once you got that, go into its properties and check out the details. There’s something called the Device instance path. You can copy that, and it might help with figuring out what’s going wrong. Some folks say this can help with the drive spin-down issue, too.

4. Using Third-Party Software

If that doesn’t work, then you might need to turn to some third-party software. There’s programs out there that might help with this kind of thing. You can try using tools like CrystalDiskInfo or even some other drive management software that’s built to work with these HBAs. These tools let you set the power settings more precisely, and hopefully, they’ll help your disks stay spun down when you want them to.

5. Power Settings in Windows 10

Another thing you might want to check is your power settings. I ain’t talkin’ about the usual sleep mode settings. I mean the advanced power settings. You can get there by right-clicking on the battery icon, goin’ to Power Options, then clicking Change plan settings and finally Change advanced power settings. Once you’re there, look for something called Hard Disk and make sure it’s set to turn off after a certain period of time. But, again, sometimes these settings don’t do much when you’re dealing with a fancy HBA card like LSI.

6. Flashin’ the Firmware

Now, I’ve heard a few folks talkin’ about flashin’ their HBA cards to “IT mode,” and that might be somethin’ worth considerin’. It’s a bit more technical, but some people say it helps with makin’ the drives work better with Windows 10. Just be careful with this, cause flashing ain’t somethin’ to mess with if you don’t know what you’re doin’. But if you’ve already got the card flashed to IT mode, it might help with your problem.

7. Other Things to Try

If all else fails, you might have to mess around with BIOS settings or check for driver updates. I know that sounds like a lot, but these controllers sometimes need a little extra attention. And if you’re still stuck, sometimes it’s worth asking on forums where folks who know all about these things hang out. It ain’t easy, but with a bit of patience, you’ll get it sorted.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, folks. If your disks keep spin-nin’ up after you set ‘em to spin down, you ain’t alone. There’s a bunch of ways you can try to fix it, from playin’ around in Device Manager to messin’ with power settings and even flashin’ your HBA card. It might take a little time and effort, but you’ll get there in the end. Good luck, and don’t let them hard drives keep you up at night!