The source reply is useful as a troubleshooting checklist, but its final conclusion—“this is a power delivery issue”—was never verified by the original poster. No follow-up confirms that an external PSU restored the drives, that a cable was bad, or that the BIOS SATA mode was wrong.
Current IceWhale documentation also corrects an overly broad claim in that reply: ZimaBlade is officially documented for one to two SATA HDDs or SSDs. IceWhale does recommend considering an external power supply for long-term HDD use, which makes power a reasonable test without proving it was the source root cause.
Determine Whether the Drives Are Missing in BIOS or Only in ZimaOS
If a drive is absent before Linux boots, focus on SATA power, data cable seating, drive health, firmware SATA mode, and connector condition. If BIOS detects it but ZimaOS does not, then collect Linux storage/controller logs instead of repeatedly changing physical power.
ZimaBlade Officially Supports One to Two SATA Drives
IceWhale's current ZimaBlade NAS setup guide explicitly lists one to two HDD or SSD (SATA interface) and tells users to use the included SATA cable for both data and power.
See the current ZimaBlade SATA setup and power guidance.
IceWhale Recommends Considering External Power for Long-Term HDD Use
The same current guide says to consider an external power supply for long-term HDD use. That makes a known-good external power source a high-value diagnostic when mechanical disks disappear, especially if the problem occurs at spin-up.
Do Not Assume the Board Is Designed Only for One HDD
The source community reply claimed the onboard power header was designed for SSDs or a single HDD. Current official documentation is broader, so this should not be repeated as product specification.
Reseat and Swap SATA Data/Power Cables
Power the system down fully, reseat both ends, inspect the Y-cable/connector, and test one drive at a time. If one drive works alone but neither works together, power delivery becomes more suspicious. If one particular drive/cable fails in every combination, the fault follows that component instead.
Keep the SATA Controller in the Expected Mode
The community responder recommended AHCI and said no special ZimaBlade BIOS tuning should normally be required. If BIOS defaults have been changed, verify controller mode before reinstalling ZimaOS.
Remove Extra High-Draw Devices During Diagnosis
Disconnect unnecessary USB storage, PCIe cards, and other high-draw accessories while testing the SATA drives. This reduces variables and makes power-related behavior easier to reproduce.
Test the Drives Independently
Because the source drives had worked before, it is tempting to exclude drive failure. Test each disk on another machine or powered dock and check SMART/health when possible.
The Source Did Not Confirm the Final Cause
No reply from Doug reports whether the drives returned with external power, new cables, or a BIOS change. This article should remain a prioritized diagnostic flow rather than a confirmed “ZimaBlade power defect” story.
ZimaBlade Drive Detection FAQ
Does ZimaBlade officially support two SATA drives?
Yes. Current IceWhale documentation lists one to two SATA HDDs/SSDs.
Does IceWhale recommend external power for HDD use?
The current setup guide says to consider an external power supply for long-term HDD use.
Was insufficient power confirmed in the source thread?
No. It was the only community reply's leading diagnosis, but the original poster did not report a final test result.
