Hi guys,

I have only USB 2.0 ports on my laptop - so I think that is 0.5 A power from every port.

I have this older Internal HD:
120 GB 2.5" WD Scorpio, 0.55 A is written on top of the disk - I guess that is the power it requires to function properly.

I bought this SATA to USB cable, and it arrived today:
StarTech USB 3.0 to 2.5" SATA III Hard Drive Adapter Cable w/ UASP.

I connected my old 120 GB HD to the StarTech 3.0 Cable and I put it in my laptop's USB 2.0 port.
I copied a few 700 MB video files to and from my old 120 GB WD Scorpio HD and everything was OK.

I guess sometimes 0.5 A can be enough for a HD that requires 0.55 A.


I also bought a new Internal 2TB 2.5" Samsung SpinPoint Momentus ST2000LM003, 0.85 A is written on top of the disk.

My questions:
1. Is it safe to connect the new 2TB HD, which requires 0.85 A, to the StarTech 3.0 Cable and I put it in my laptop's USB 2.0 port, which provides only 0.5 A?
2. Can I physically damage or scratch the platter inside the HD if it doesn't get the full 0.85 A power required?
3. Can I shorten the life of the StarTech cable if I don't provide the full power that the HD requires from the USB 2.0 port?

Thanks for your time.