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  3. Hot pluggable?

Hot pluggable?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
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  • M Offline
    M Offline
    MartinABooker
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

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    • M MartinABooker

      I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

      L Offline
      L Offline
      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      May not really be related, but I can only hot-plug into/outof connectors that were connected when the computer booted. Any other connectors are ignored completely, plugging a monitor into them results only in frustration. So far the old CRT screens that I've been doing that with haven't died..

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • M MartinABooker

        I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

        D Offline
        D Offline
        Dan Neely
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        I've never heard of a restriction on hotplugging VGA cables and've done it for years without trouble. AFAIK all the (normal) external interfaces on a PC are and always have been intended to be hot pluggable (at the hardware level at least).

        Today's lesson is brought to you by the word "niggardly". Remember kids, don't attribute to racism what can be explained by Scandinavian language roots. -- Robert Royall

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        • M MartinABooker

          I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

          E Offline
          E Offline
          Edbert P
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Same here. Been hotplugging everything for since I had a computer. The only thing I don't hotplug/unplug would be the power cable. Hmm...actually I might have done that once or twice..:~

          "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." - Thomas Jefferson "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin Edbert Sydney, Australia

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • M MartinABooker

            I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

            S Offline
            S Offline
            Steve McLenithan
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Never heard of a problem doing that to VGA, or most other connections. The only issue I've ever had was with PS/2 keyboards not being recgonized on a few systems.

            // Steve McLenithan

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • M MartinABooker

              I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

              L Offline
              L Offline
              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              There isn't a power line on a VGA connector so I think it's very unlikely you could do any harm. Certainly I've never heard of it happening.

              Visit http://www.notreadytogiveup.com/[^] and do something special today.

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • M MartinABooker

                I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

                D Offline
                D Offline
                DaveyM69
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                It's not advisable but highly unlikely to cause any problems. The connectors are polarised so you'd have to try really hard to short anything or connect the wrong pins. The only possible dangers I can see are from rapid switching as the contacts 'bounce' which can in theory blow components and uCs, plus generate alot of heat very briefly. I've done it for years too and never had a problem - but there's always a first time I suppose!

                Dave
                BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
                Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)

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                • M MartinABooker

                  I know you're not technically supposed to but.... Hot plugging/unplugging a standard 15 pin vga monitor cable, has anybody here ever fried anything doing this? Just wondering as I've been doing it for years (hot plugging monitor cables that is, not blowing things up :laugh:) and never had an issue I run my laptop on a flat panel when at home, so I plug the cable in, THEN switch to the external display under display properties and the reverse when switching back ie switch back to laptop display, THEN unplug the cable. Theory being there shouldn't be any voltage running through the socket when running on internal display (Although I guess there may be some residual voltage) Anyone?

                  T Offline
                  T Offline
                  Tomz_KV
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  I once disconnect and reconnect a hard drive while power was on and caused fire that totally burnt the hard drive. I still do not believe what happened.

                  TOMZ_KV

                  L 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • T Tomz_KV

                    I once disconnect and reconnect a hard drive while power was on and caused fire that totally burnt the hard drive. I still do not believe what happened.

                    TOMZ_KV

                    L Offline
                    L Offline
                    Luc Pattyn
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    If that's an internal hard drive, I am not surprised; they often need three voltages, and their power connector does not provide power sequencing (applying the voltages in an acceptable order). One should not plug/unplug internal connectors while power is on. On the other hand, external connectors should be pretty much hot-pluggable; if they were not, the repair shops would be flooded all the time, and users would complain to the hardware vendors. Of course the bus-oriented ones must be hot-pluggable, such as USB, FireWire (IEEE-1394), and GPIB (IEEE-488). :)

                    Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [My Articles]


                    Love, happiness and fewer bugs for 2009!


                    M 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • L Luc Pattyn

                      If that's an internal hard drive, I am not surprised; they often need three voltages, and their power connector does not provide power sequencing (applying the voltages in an acceptable order). One should not plug/unplug internal connectors while power is on. On the other hand, external connectors should be pretty much hot-pluggable; if they were not, the repair shops would be flooded all the time, and users would complain to the hardware vendors. Of course the bus-oriented ones must be hot-pluggable, such as USB, FireWire (IEEE-1394), and GPIB (IEEE-488). :)

                      Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [My Articles]


                      Love, happiness and fewer bugs for 2009!


                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      MartinABooker
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      No horror stories so far then apart from the guy who set fire to a hard drive! Think I'll carry on then :)

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