M.2 power management question

RaveyDaveyUK · 20 Jun 2018 at 07:09

Quite simply, is there a way to separately turn on/off an onboard M.2 drive?

Application example:

I currently run 2 OS on one mobo using a hard drive power switch. It enables us to run totally separate systems on same overclock, GPU, etc. Basically, I didn’t want my son trashing my pc. (Works perfectly)

I’m considering an upgrade, but can’t see it’ll be possible for one of us (me) to use an m.2 separately to the other install.

I could remove the drive letter on install 2, but would rather it didn’t exist at all.

Appreciate your thoughts as always.

mattyfez · 20 Jun 2018 at 19:39

Does your son need admin access?
A simpler solution is to just have one OS and set him up on a seperate user profile that doesn't have any admin privileges.
Then if he wants to install something or do anything risky you'll have to enter your password.

RaveyDaveyUK · 21 Jun 2018 at 11:37

I'm trying to give him the freedom to learn how to manage a PC, rather than just treat it as a toy and fill it with crappy FTP games.

I'll probably just stick with multiple drives and skip the M.2 for now.

Rroff · 21 Jun 2018 at 11:44

mattyfez said:
Does your son need admin access?
A simpler solution is to just have one OS and set him up on a seperate user profile that doesn't have any admin privileges.
Then if he wants to install something or do anything risky you'll have to enter your password.

Admin access control won't guaranteed protect a drive/data atleast not with Windows.

Robin Gregg · 21 Jun 2018 at 21:56

Could you not disable the second drive in device manager on your sons OS install?

mattyfez · 22 Jun 2018 at 19:36

Doesn't really accomplish anything, he could just re-enable it if he wanted too.. get a sata ssd? Then you can keep doing what you already do..

RaveyDaveyUK · 23 Jun 2018 at 07:09

Yeah, gonna stick with the current switch set up.

Can always use old gear to make him his own rig.

Thanks for the comments.

ANDARIAL · 23 Jun 2018 at 10:48

Get a case with front hdd access then 2 drives
install os to both drives and label them mine and his

Thermaltake Chaser MK1
or some sort of front mounted hdd caddy

RaveyDaveyUK · 24 Jun 2018 at 00:13

I use this Lan Li Power Switch

Works great. He has 2 SSDs on it, I have 3.

Very simple to switch between systems.

chaparral · 24 Jun 2018 at 19:26

RaveyDaveyUK said:
Can always use old gear to make him his own rig.

Thanks for the comments.

This is what I do

Every time I upgrade my main PC Gaming system all the old hardware then goes into what I call the family PC

I just did an upgrade on my main PC a few weeks ago so the family has now gone from the below

8500k CPU, 8GB DDR2, GTX 580
to
4770k, 16GB DDR3, GTX 780ti

It feel much better when you spend money on an upgrade this way because you kind of get 2 PC upgrades for the price of one set of upgrade components...