User manual LACIE STARCK MOBILE HARD DRIVE

[. . . ] Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Box Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minimum System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ] For example, if you used LaCie Setup Assistant to format your drive to work with your Mac, but now you want to share your hard disk with Windows users, you can reformat it to FAT 32 (MS-DOS) for this purpose. IMPORTANT INFO: Please copy the User Manual and utilities to your computer before reformatting. If you have other data that you want to protect or continue to use, copy this information to your computer before reformatting. File System Formats There are three different file system format categories: NTFS, FAT 32 (MS-DOS), and Mac OS Extended (HFS+). See the table, below, for more information. Use NTFS if. . . . . . you will be using the drive only with Windows 7, Windows XP or Windows Vista (performance will generally be greater when compared to FAT 32). This file system is compatible in read only mode with Mac OS 10. 3 and higher. What is Formatting? When a disk is formatted, the following things occur: the operating system erases all of the bookkeeping information on the disk, tests the disk to make sure that all of the sectors are reliable, marks bad sectors (i. e. , those that are scratched) and creates internal address tables that it later uses to locate information. Use HFS+ if. . . . . . you will be using the drive on Macs only; performance will generally be greater when compared to FAT 32. This file system is NOT compatible with Windows OS. Use FAT 32 (MS-DOS) if. . . . . . you will be using your drive with both Windows and Mac 10. 3 or sharing the drive between Windows 7 and Windows XP or Windows Vista. Maximum single file size is 4GB. What is Partitioning? You can also divide the hard disk into sections, called partitions. A partition is a section of the hard disk's storage capacity that is created to contain files and data. For instance, you could create three partitions on your drive: one partition for your office documents, one as a backup and one for your multimedia files. Or, if you will be sharing the drive with another person in your household or office, you can create a partition for each person who uses the drive. Partitioning is optional. User Manual Formatting & Partitioning page 11 3. 1. Windows Users The process of formatting a drive on a computer running Windows 7, Windows XP or Windows Vista consists of two steps: (1) installing a signature on the drive, and (2) formatting the drive. CAUTION: Following these steps will erase everything from the your hard drive. If you have information that you want to protect or continue to use, back up this information before performing these steps. From the "Computer Management" window, select Disk Management (located below the Storage group). If the "Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard" window appears, click Cancel. In the box to the right that says Unallocated, right-click and select New Partition. . . On the first page of the "New Partition Wizard, " click Next. Windows Disk Management will format and partition the disk according to your settings (Fig. Mac Users CAUTION: Following these steps will erase everything from the your hard drive. If you have information that you want to protect or continue to use, back up this information before performing these steps. Select the volume labeled LaCie hard disk from the list of available hard disks on the left side of the window (Fig. [. . . ] Are there other USB devices connected to the same port or hub? User Manual Troubleshooting page 19 Problem The drive is not running noticeably faster when connected via Hi-Speed USB 2. 0. Question Is the drive connected to a USB 1. 1 port on your computer, or to a USB 1. 1 hub? Solution If your drive is connected to a USB 1. 1 port or hub, this is normal. A Hi-Speed USB 2. 0 device can only operate at Hi-Speed USB 2. 0 performance levels when it is connected directly to a Hi-Speed USB 2. 0 port or hub. Otherwise, the Hi-Speed USB 2. 0 device will operate at the slower USB 1. 1 transfer rates. Check to see that the Hi-Speed USB 2. 0 drivers for both your host bus adapter and device have been installed correctly. [. . . ]