User manual LACIE LITTLE BIG DISK

[. . . ] LaCie Little Big Disk User Manual Table of Contents page Table of Contents Foreword Health&SafetyPrecautions 1. Your LaCie Little Big Disk 2. 1. MinimumSystemRequirements 2. 2. PackageContentsAndViewsOfTheDrive 2. 2. 1. PackageContents 2. 2. 2. RearViewOfTheDrive 2. 3. CablesAndConnectors 2. 3. 1. FireWireconnections 2. 3. 2. USB2. 0connection 2. 3. 3. OptionalA/CAdaptorKit 3. Installing Your LaCie Drive 3. 1. ConnecttheLittleBigDisktoYourComputer 3. 2. DisconnectingYourLaCieDrive 3. 3. SwitchingFireWireandUSBConnections 4. Using Your LaCie Drive 4. 1. FormattingAndPartitioningYourLaCieLittleBigDiskDrivewithTripleInterface 4. 1. 1. MacUsers 4. 1. 2. WindowsUsers 4. 2. InstallingMultipleDevices 4. 2. 1. FireWire 4. 2. 2. USB 5. [. . . ] Formoreinformation, pleasevisitApple'sWebsite. LaCie Little Big Disk User Manual Tech Tips page Mac OS Standard (hFS) MacOSStandardreferstothefilesystemusedbyMacOS8. 0andearlier. Onlyusethisfilesystemifyouarecreatinga volumesmallerthan32MB, usingaMacwitha680X0processororcreatingafilestructurethatwillbeneedtobeusedby MacsrunningMacOS8. 0orearlier. UNIX File System ThisisthefilesystembasedonUNIX, andispreferableforusersdevelopingUNIX-basedapplicationswithinMacOS10. x. UnlessyouhaveaspecificreasontousetheUNIXFileSystem, youshouldinsteadformatyourdriveusingMacOSExtended(HFS+), becauseitprovidesMacuserswithamorefamiliaroperatingexperience. Mac OS 9. x Users: Youwillbeabletoformatthedriveinoneoftwoformats, HFS(MacOSStandard)orHFS+(MacOSExtended), using SilverliningPro(forspecificinstructions, pleaserefertotheSilverliningUser'sManual, intheSilverliningfolder). 5. 1. 2. Windows Users TherearebasicallytwofilesystemformatsforWindows:FAT32andNTFS. Thefollowinginformationwillhopefullymake choosingoneortheotheralittleeasier. FAT 32 FATisanacronymforFileAllocationTable, whichdatesbacktothebeginningsofDOSprogramming. Originally, FATwas only16bits, butafterthesecondreleaseofWindows95itwasupgradedto32bits, hencethenameFAT32. Intheory, FAT 32volumesizescanrangefromlessthan1MBallthewayto2TB. ItisthenativefilesystemofWindows98andWindows Me, andissupportedbyWindows2000andXP. WhenFAT32isusedwithWindows2000andXP, though, volumesizeis limitedto32GB(bytheWindowspartitionutility, i. e. DiskManager), andtheindividualfilesizeislimitedto4GB. NTFS ThisacronymstandsforNewTechnologyFilingSystem, anditisthenativefilesystemforWindowsNT, Windows2000and XP. NTFSoffersseveralfeaturesthatarenotavailablewithFAT32;i. e. filecompression, encryption, permissions, andauditing, aswellastheabilitytomirrordrivesandRAID5capabilities. TheminimumsupportedvolumesizeforNTFSis10MB, withamaximumof2TB, withnolimittofilesize. VolumescreatedinNTFScanonlybedirectlyaccessed(notthrough shares)byWindowsNT, Windows2000andXP, withoutresortingtohelpfromthird-partyproducts. GuidelinesforChoosingFAT32OrNTFS Use FAT 32 if: ·YouwanttoaccessyourdataonanyOperatingSystem-FAT32iscompatiblewithWindows98SE, Me, 2000, XP, NT, LaCie Little Big Disk User Manual Tech Tips page 28 Mac OS 9. x and Mac OS 10. x (see Important Note: in section 5. 1. 1. · You will be dual booting with an Operating System other than Windows NT or Windows 2000. Once you have converted a volume from FAT 32 to NTFS, there is no going back. Use NTFS if: · You want to optimize drive performance under Windows 2000 or XP. · You want to encrypt files, assign permissions to files, or want to audit files for access. · You need a filing system that can be mirrored or structured like a RAID 5 configuration. LaCie Little Big Disk User Manual Tech Tips page 5. 2. Available Storage Capacity Agigabyte(GB)means1, 000, 000, 000bytes. Inordertoutilizeaharddiskdrive, ithastobeformattedfirst. Formatting adiskconsistsofthefollowing:theoperatingsystemerasesallofthebookkeepinginformationonthedisk, teststhediskto makesurethatallofthesectorsarereliable, marksbadsectors(i. e. , thosethatarescratched)andcreatesinternaladdress tablesthatitlaterusestolocateinformation. Onceformatted, theactualavailablestoragecapacityvaries, dependingon operatingenvironment, andisgenerallyabout10%lessthanthenon-formattedcapacity. 5. 3. Optimizing Data Transfers Datatransfersaretheflowofdatathataccomplishes atask, usuallyrelatedtomovingdatafromstorageto computerRAM, orbetweenstoragedevices. Withexternaldrives, suchastheLaCieLittleBigDiskwithTriple Interface, thedataistransferredfromthedrivetothe computerviatheFireWireorUSBinterface. Thedatais fedfromthedrivethroughtheFireWireportonthedrive, andpassestothecomputerthroughtheFireWirehost-bus adapterinterface. TEChNICAL NOTE:Formoreinformationonthe FireWireinterfaces, pleasesee:6. FireWire questions & answers Pleasesee3. 3. Connecting multiple devicesfor moreinformation. Anotherimportantfactorinfiletransferspeedsis Computermanufacturer'simplementationoftheFireWire howthedrivehasbeenformatted. Formoreinforhost-busadapterinterfacesvarywidely. Forcomputers mationinchoosingthecorrectfilesystemformat, runningWindows2000andlater, theFireWireinterpleaseseesection5. 1. File system formats. face, whichisreferredtoaseitherIEEE1394oriLink onPCs*, islesscommonasanativehost-busadapter. TheFireWireinterfacesspecifycertainrequirements, filedundertheOHCI(OpenHostControllerInterface)standards. All LaCiedrivescomplytoOHCIstandardsandhavebeenrigorouslytestedoncomputersthathavehostbusadaptersthatalso complytoOHCIstandards. Unfortunately, notallmanufacturersrespecttheseguidelines, andanomaliesmayarisewith computersthathavehostbusadaptersthatdonotconformtoOHCIstandards. Forthebestperformance, connectyourLaCieLittleBigDiskwithTripleInterfacedirectlytoanativeFireWireportonyour computer, andavoiddaisy-chaining*. Duringdatatransfers, it'sbesttowaitbeforelaunchingotherapplicationsthatwillbe usingthesameport. LaCie Little Big Disk User Manual Tech Tips page 0 IfyoudonothaveanativeFireWireport, LaCieoffersFireWirehostbusadaptercards, alsoknownasPCIorPC/PCMCIA cards, thathavebeentestedandcomplywithLaCiedrives. PleasecontactyourresellerorLaCieCustomerSupportformore information. 5. 3. 1. FireWire 800 Ports And Performance ToutilizethenewlyenhancedFireWire800performances, yourcomputermustbeequippedwithaFireWire800hostbus adaptercard(eithersoldseparately, orintegratedbyyourcomputer'smanufacturer);thesehostbusadaptercardsinclude oneormoreFireWire800ports, andyoumustberunningMacOS10. 2. 4andhigher, orWindows2000orWindowsXP inordertoachieveFireWire800performanceandfunctionality. IfyouuseFireWireequippedperipherals(eithertheoriginalFireWirestandardorthenewFireWire800), oneoftheeasiest andleastexpensivewaystoimprovetheperformance, reliabilityandvalueofyoursystemisbyinstallingadditionalports. ByaddingaFireWirePCI/PCcardyoucanisolatefastandslowdevices, createmoreeffectiveRAIDconfigurations, take fulladvantageofbus-powereddevicesandprotectandincreasetheoverallvalueofyoursystem. [. . . ] Windows XP Users:GotoStart>ControlPanel>PerformanceandMaintenance>System>Hardwaretab> DeviceManagerbutton>USBControllerorIEEE1394 Controller. Clickonthe+signnexttothecontrollericon, andyoushouldseeyourdevicelisted. Ifyoustillcan'tseeyourdevice, recheckthecablesandtry theothertroubleshootingtipslistedhere. ContactLaCieTechnicalSupportforhelp. Thedriveisworkingslowly. IstheLaCieLittleBigDiskwithTriple Interfaceconnecteddirectlytothehost computer? MakesurethatyourLaCieLittleBigDiskwithTripleInterfaceisconnecteddirectlytothecomputer(seesection3. 1. Connect the Little Big Disk to your computerformore information). Forbestperformance, avoiddaisy-chain configurationsandconnectdevicesdirectlytothecomputer. [. . . ]