Acomdata 509, 511 User Manual
USER'S GUIDE
PORTABLE HARD DRIVE
ENCLOSURE
FOR 3.5" IDE ATA HARD DISK DRIVES
511 Series model shown
Contact AcomData
Address: 3410 Pomona Blvd.,
Pomona, CA 91768
Telephone: (909) 348-0680
Fax: (909) 598-8663
Web Site: www.acomdata.com
Customer
Service: customerservice@acomdata.com
Technical
Support: techsupport@acomdata.com
Pre-Sales
Questions: sales@acomdata.com
2
Contents
2 Contact AcomData
Getting Started
7 Welcome
9 Precautions
10 Product Registration for Warranty Coverage
11 Package Contents
12 System Requirements for PC
13 System Requirements for Mac
About AcomData 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosures
16 AcomData 3.5" Enclosures at a Glance
18 AcomData 3.5" Enclosures In-Depth
18 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (USB 2.0 & Combo models
19 FireWire (FireWire & Combo models
20 PushButton™ Backup (511 Series models only
21 Synchronization (Sync) (511 Series models only
21 Fanless Desig
21 Hot-Pluggabl
22 On-Off Switc
n
e
h
3
)
)
)
)
22 Mac & PC Ready
23 Understanding "hard drive", "partition" and "volume
25 Technical Specifications
Installation & Setup
27 Installing a 3.5” IDE Hard Disk Drive
27 What you should know before you begin
29 1. Configure Your IDE Drive as a Maste
31 2. Disassemble the Drive Enclosur
33 3
38 4. Re-assemb
39 Setting up the Drive
39 Choosing an Orientation (Vertical or Horizontal
39 Attaching the Stand for Vertical Placemen
40 Affixing the Rubber Feet for Horizontal Placemen
41 Installing the USB 2.0 Driver
42 Connecting the Drive to Your Computer
47 What to do after You Connect the D
48 Verifying that the Drive Mount
50 Re-Naming Your Driv
52 Formatting the Drive
52 About
54 Choosing a file syste
55 Formatting a Drive in Window
. Connect the Drive to the Carrier
le the Drive Enclosure
s
e
Formatting and File Systems
m
s
…
r
e
t
rive
"
)
t
4
60 Formatting the Drive in Mac OS X
62 Formatting the Drive
64 Stacking Drives
in Mac OS 9
Drive Use & Maintenance
66 Performing Routine Tasks
67 How to Unmount and Turn Off the Drive
69 Maintaining Your Drive & Safeguarding Your Data
69 Defragmenting and Optimizing a Hard Driv
70 Examining and
71 Protecting Your Data Against Viruse
71 Cleaning the Drive Cas
Repairing a Hard Drive
s
e
Help & Additional Information
73 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
77 Troubleshooting
78 Troubleshooting for Windows User
81 Troubleshooting for Mac User
84 Obtaining Service
85 Purchasing Accessories
86 Glossary of Terms
90 Limited Warranty
92 Notices
5
s
s
e
Getting Started
Welcome
Welcome, and thank you for
choosing an AcomData 3.5"
Hard Drive Enclosure.
Your AcomData product features
high-quality construction, advanced
engineering, and state-of-the-art
technology, designed to provide years
of reliable performance.
This guide contains important information for the proper installation, use, and care of your AcomData product. Please read this
guide carefully and retain it for future reference.
If your model is equipped with PushButton™ Backup…
If you purchased a 511 Series model, your Enclosure is equipped
with PushButton™ Backup. If you wish to use this feature, first
setup the Drive according to the instructions in this guide. Then
refer to the PushButton™ Backup User's Guide on the included CD.
7
509 series 511 series
w/PushButton™ Backup
Symbols used in this guide:
This symbol alerTs The reader To a
warning or To some very imporTanT
informaTion.
This symbol alerTs The reader To
helpful Tips and oTher
useful informaTion.
The usb logo alerTs The reader To
imporTanT informaTion specifically
abouT usb.
he windows logo alerTs The
T
reader To imporTanT informaTion
specific To windows users.
The apple logo aler Ts The reader
To imporTanT informaTion specific To
mac users.
The firewire logo alerTs The reader
To imporTanT informaTion specifi-
cally abouT firewire.
"Enclosure" v. "Drive"
In this guide, prior to the installation of an IDE hard disk drive, the product is
referred to as an "Enclosure." An Enclosure with an IDE drive installed is referred
to as a "Drive."
A note about the terms "IDE" and "ATA":
Although the terms "IDE" and "ATA" technically do not mean the same thing, by
industry convention the term "IDE" refers to a hard disk drive that uses an ATA
interface. This guide follows that convention. For definitions of "IDE" and "ATA"
see the Glossary of Terms.
8
Precautions
Please follow the precautions below. Failure to do so may result in damage to the
device, loss of data, and voiding of the warranty.
• If using your AcomData product as a general-purpose storage
device (as opposed to a backup device) AcomData strongly recommends that you backup the files stored on the device. AcomData is
not responsible for data loss or corruption; nor will AcomData perform recovery of lost data or files.
• Do not expose the device to damp or wet conditions.
• Never place containers of liquids on the device. This can damage
the device and increase the risk of electric shock, short-circuiting,
fire, or personal injury.
• If the device has a three-prong plug, never plug the device into a
two-prong outlet.
• Do not expose this device to temperatures outside the range of
5°C to 35°C when the device is in operation, and -20ºC to 60ºC
when not in operation.
• Do not use a third-party AC adapter/power cord.
• Do not bump, jar or drop the device.
• Do not try to stand the device in a way not described in this guide.
• Do not disconnect any cables, while the device is powered on,
without first unmounting the device.
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Product Registration for Warranty Coverage
Register your product instantly online at www.acomdata.com.
Once you enter the site, click on the Product Registration button
and follow the instructions on screen.
Advantages of Online Registration:
1. It’s fast, free, and your product is registered immediately;
2. Free unlimited online technical support;
3. You get your own personalized support page:
• download software updates
• access all online support services
• view all of your registered AcomData products
• manage your personal profile;
4. If you need warranty service, arranging product returns is faster
and easier if you registered online.
You may also register via mail by filling out and returning the
Registration Card included in the package.
When registering your AcomData product you will need the model number and
serial number. Both are printed on the product label affixed to the box, and on the
label affixed to the Drive's stand.
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Package Contents
509 Series Enclosure OR 511 Series Enclosure
USB Cable
(USB-equipped models)
CD
FireWire Cable
(FireWire-equipped models)
Hard Disk Drive
Mounting Screws
AC Adapter & Power Cord
Mail-In
Registration CardRubber Feet
If you are missing any item shown above, please contact Customer Service at
customerservice@acomdata.com or call 800-470-4495.
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Installation
Guide
System Requirements for PC
7INDOWS
-ICROSOFT
What you need for the Drive itself:
• Minimum 233 MHz processor (Pentium, Celeron, AMD, etc.)
• Windows XP (Home, Pro, Pro x64, MCE), 2000, Me or 98SE
• Interface connection:
- USB 2.0-equipped models: USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port
- FireWire-equipped models: 6-pin FireWire port
- Combo models: USB 2.0/1.1 or 6-pin FireWire port
PushButton™ Backup requires:
• 800 MHz or faster processor
• 20 MB of free hard disk space on your computer
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Users of Windows 98SE and Windows 2000 (SP3 or earlier):
You will need to install the supplied USB 2.0 driver. Instructions are provided in "Installing the USB 2.0 Driver."
If using a USB 1.1 connection the device will operate at USB 1.1 speeds
(up to 12 Mbps).
To get Windows updates…
Go to www.microsoft.com and click on the Microsoft Update link.
12
System Requirements for Mac
What you need for the Drive itself:
• Mac with a PowerPC or Intel processor
• Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X
• Interface connection:
- USB 2.0-equipped models: USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port
- FireWire-equipped models: 6-pin FireWire port
- Combo models: USB 2.0/1.1 or 6-pin FireWire port
PushButton™ Backup requires:
• Mac OS 10.3 or later
• 10 MB of free computer hard disk space for the backup software
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If using a USB 1.1 connection the device will operate at USB 1.1 speeds
(up to 12 Mbps).
Mac OS 9 Users:
Mac OS 9 does not support USB 2.0. On Mac OS 9 the Drive will operate at USB 1.1 speeds.
Mac OS 10.2 users with 128 GB or larger hard disk drives:
Mac OS 10.2 will not recognize FAT32/MD-DOS formatted hard disk volumes larger than
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128 GB. This issue only affects Mac OS 10.2. For more information, go to: http://docs.
info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107483 at the Apple web site.
If you are using Mac OS 10.2 and the IDE hard disk you intend to install in the Enclosure
meets the conditions described above, there are several ways to deal with this issue:
1. If you don’t need Windows compatibility, you can re-format the Drive using the Mac OS
Extended file system. Before you format the Drive, follow the instructions for installing an
IDE hard disk and connecting the Drive to your computer;
2. If you want to maintain Windows compatibility, you can partition the Drive so that no
single partition is larger than 128 GB. Partitioning a hard disk will erase any data stored
on the disk. Go to http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107483 for instructions. Before you partition the Drive, follow the instructions for installing an IDE hard disk
and connecting the Drive to your computer;
3. Before you connect the assembled external Drive to your computer, upgrade to Mac OS
10.3 or later. This option will allow you to maintain Windows compatibility and no partitioning or re-formatting is required.
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About
AcomData
3.5" Hard Drive
Enclosures
AcomData 3.5" Enclosures at a Glance
509 Series
Power-Data Light
lighTs up solid when The drive is
powered on. flashes when reading
or wriTing daTa.
StanD
can be easily aTTached or removed for
verTical or horizonTal placemenT.
511 Series
PuShButton™
press The pushbuTTon™ To iniTiaTe daTa
backups (requires insTallaTion of The sup-
plied sofTware). The pushbuTTon™ lighTs
up solid when The drive is powered on, and
flashes when reading or wriTing daTa.
StanD
can be easily aTTached or removed for
verTical or horizonTal placemenT.
16
On the back panel:
USB 2.0 Models FireWire Models Combo Models
power swiTch
usb 2.0/1.1 porT
power porT
cTual layouTs may noT be exacTly as shown)
(a
Power Switch
Turn The drive on and off as needed. always
unmounT The drive before Turning iT off. see “how
To unmounT and Turn off The drive” for deTails.
USB 2.0/1.1 Port
usb 2.0-equipped models have a Type b usb 2.0
porT, and your compuTer has a Type a porT, which
correspond To The connecTors of The usb cable.
power swiTch
firewire porTs
power porT
Firewire Por tS
firewire-equipped models have Two firewire porTs
for daisy-chaining wiTh oTher firewire devices.
Power Port
The ac adapTer plugs in here.
17
power swiTch
usb 2.0/1.1 porT
firewire porTs
power porT
AcomData 3.5" Enclosures In-Depth
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (USB 2.0 & Combo models)
USB stands for "Universal Serial Bus." USB 2.0 has a maximum
interface transfer rate (i.e. bandwidth) of 480 Mbps (Megabits per
second). That's 40 times faster than the earlier standard, USB 1.1,
which has a bandwidth of 12 Mbps).
Performance in day-to-day use will depend on many factors,
including: CPU utilization; file system overhead; the number of
active devices on the USB bus; the size, structure and number of
files being transferred, and; the speed at which other devices can
transfer data to/from the Drive. Also, as is the case with any data
I/O (input/output) technology, some bandwidth is taken up by
the protocols that structure and govern data transmissions (this
is called interface overhead). Given these and other factors, in dayto-day use you can expect maximum, sustained transfer rates in the
mid-30s MB/s (Megabytes per second).
Note: The interface transfer rate specification of an I/O technology, such
as USB, is expressed using the bit as the base unit (e.g. Mbps) because this
is the truest way of measuring raw interface performance. However, for
the end user it is more meaningful to express day-to-day transfer rates
using the byte as the base unit (e.g. MB/s) because computer files are
measured in bytes (kilobytes, megabytes, etc.).
18
USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. This means you
can connect a USB 1.1 device to a USB 2.0 port, and vice versa.
However, interface transfer rates are limited by the interface with
the lower speed. So, for example, if you plug a USB 2.0 device into
a USB 1.1 port on your computer, data transfer rates will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.
USB uses a master/slave architecture. This means the computer
(the "master") dictates data flow to, from, and between attached
USB devices (the "slaves"). A single USB bus can support up to 127
USB devices. However, connecting more than a few USB devices to
a computer usually requires the use of one or more USB-equipped
hubs. A typical USB hub can accommodate several USB devices.
FireWire (FireWire & Combo models)
FireWire (IEEE 1394x) can transmit data at up to 400 Mbps.
FireWire supports both isochronous and asynchronous data transfers. Isochronous mode provides guaranteed transmission of data
at defined intervals; it’s used when delayed or out-of-order data
frames are unacceptable, such as for capturing digital video. In
asynchronous mode the intervals between transmissions can vary,
and data can be resent if missed. Asynchronous mode is typically
used for routine data transfers.
FireWire devices can be linked in a daisy-chain, where the devices
19
are connected to each other in series. A hub is only required when
a very large number of devices will share the same FireWire bus.
With the use of FireWire hubs, up to 63 devices can be linked on a
single FireWire bus.
Data transmissions between FireWire devices on the same bus
can take place without help from the host computer. This is one of
the reasons FireWire devices are, on average, faster than USB 2.0
devices in routine, day-to-day use, even though FireWire's bandwidth is smaller than USB 2.0's.
Standard FireWire cables use 6-pin connectors at both ends.
Cables with 4-pin connectors are also available for connecting
FireWire devices to laptop computers and to other devices that
have 4-pin ports, such as digital cameras and camcorders.
PushButton™ Backup (511 Series models only)
PushButton™ Backup is a faster, easier way to run routine data
backups. Rather than having to launch a backup utility and set
cumbersome parameters every time you want to backup your
files, all you need to do is press the PushButton™ on your Drive.
Not only does PushButton™ Backup make backups simpler and
more convenient, but since you’re backing up your data to a
high-performance hard drive—as opposed to say, tape or optical
media—backups are also much faster.
20
A detailed explanation of the various backup operations available,
as well as full instructions for setting up and using PushButton™
Backup, are provided in the PushButton™ Backup User's Guide,
located on the supplied CD.
Synchronization (Sync) (511 Series models only)
Synchronization, or Sync, is one of the most powerful features
available with your AcomData Drive. While providing the benefits
of data redundancy, the Sync operation synchronizes the data on
two or more hard drives, so you can work from multiple drives without the need to keep track of what files are on which drives.
Sync is one of the operations that can be launched via the
PushButton. A more detailed explanation and instructions are provided in the PushButton Backup User's Guide.
Fanless Design
All hard drives generate heat during normal use. However, the
AcomData 3.5" Enclosure was engineered to dissipate heat so efficiently it doesn’t need a fan. The result is near-silent operation.
Hot-Pluggable
You can turn on/turn off/connect/disconnect the Drive while your
21
computer is running. This makes portability much easier, allows
you to use the Drive only when you need it, and saves electricity
too. Always unmount the Drive or turn off your computer before
turning off and disconnecting the Drive. See “How to Unmount
and Turn off the Drive.”
On-Off Switch
The on-off switch allows you to save electricity by turning the
Drive on only when you actually need to use it.
Always unmount the Drive before you turn it off. See “How to Unmount and Turn
off the Drive” for details.
Mac & PC Ready
Your AcomData 3.5" Enclosure is compatible with both Mac and
PC. However the file system used to format your IDE hard disk
drive will affect compatibility. See the chapter "Formatting the
Drive" for more information.
22
Understanding "hard drive", "partition" and "volume"
While following the instructions in this guide, you will come across
the terms, "hard drive" (or "hard disk") "partition", and "volume."
These terms can be very confusing because they all seem to refer
to the same thing. While it's true they are closely related, these
terms actually mean different things. The Glossary at the back of
this guide provides definitions of these terms; however, a bit of
explanation is needed in order to truly understand them and how
they relate to each other.
A hard drive (or "hard disk") is a physical device that contains a
set of disks (technically called platters), which store the information saved to the drive. The total amount of usable storage space
available on all of the platters makes up the hard drive's storage
capacity.
A partition is a logically defined amount of storage space on a
hard drive. A hard drive can have one or more partitions. If a hard
drive has only one partition all of the available storage space is
reserved for that partition. If the hard drive has more than one
partition the available storage space is divided among the partitions. Within the limits of the drive's capacity, the user can set the
size of individual partitions.
Partitioning is done when you set up an unformatted hard drive
for the first time. You can also partition a hard drive that contains
data, but the data will be erased.
23
Before a computer can utilize a partition on a hard drive, the
partition must be formatted with a file system that the computer
understands. (See "Formatting the Drive" for more information on
file systems.)
A formatted partition is called a volume. When you connect a hard
drive to a computer, the drive icon that you see in My Computer
(Windows) or on the Desktop/Finder (Mac) represents the mounted volume, not the physical hard drive.
If the hard drive has more than one formatted partition, each one
will appear on your computer as a discrete volume—just as if you
had more than one hard drive connected to your computer. The
volumes can even be formatted with different file systems. For
example, if your hard drive has one volume that is formatted with
the Mac OS Extended file system, and one volume that is formatted FAT32, when you connect the drive to a Windows PC, only the
FAT32-formatted volume will mount.
24
Technical Specifications
Models: 509 Serie s 511 Series
USB 2.0 ...................................................................................HDEX XU2E3 HDEXXU2PE3
FireWire ..................................................................................HDEXXFE3 HDEX XFPE3
FireWire & USB 2.0 Combo .....................................................HDE XXU2FE3 HDEXXU2FPE3
Dimensions:
(inches) ........................................................................................................4.57 X 1.38 X 8.07
(mm) ................................................................................................................. 116 X 35 x 205
Weight ................................................................................................................. 780 g/1.72 lbs.
Interface transfer rates (max)
USB 2.0 .................................................................................................................... 480 Mbps
FireWire ...................................................................................................................4 00 Mbps
External Power Supply ...................................................................................25 W (UL/CSA/CE)
AC Input ........................................................................................ 10 0–24 0 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.2 A
DC output ........................................................................................12 V @ 1.2 A; 5 V @ 2.0 A
Ambient temp erature
Operating ............................................................................................................... 5ºC – 35ºC
Non-operating ................................................................................................... -20ºC – 60ºC
Relative humidity (non-condensing)
Operating ...................................................................................................... 5% – 95%, 33ºC
Non-operating .............................................................................................. 5% – 95%, 35ºC
25
Installation & Setup
Installing a 3.5” IDE Hard Disk Drive
What you should know before you begin…
The IDE hard disk that you will be installing in the AcomData
Enclosure is either a legacy drive that was removed from a computer (typically due to an upgrade), or it is a new, raw drive that
you purchased specifically for your AcomData Enclosure. This will
have a bearing on the steps you will need to take in order to prepare the Drive for use on your computer.
Installing a legacy IDE hard disk
If you are installing a legacy IDE hard disk, the disk is already
formatted. If the file system used to format your IDE hard disk is
compatible with your computer's operating system, you will NOT
need to format the assembled external Drive after you connect it
to your computer.
If your IDE hard disk's file system is not compatible with your computer you will need to format the external Drive after you connect
it to your computer. On the other hand, you may simply wish to
re-format the Drive in order to erase all the old data and start
fresh with an empty Drive.
Details on file systems and formatting are provided in the chapter "Formatting the
Drive."
27
Installing a new IDE hard disk:
IDE hard disks that are purchased as upgrades are unformatted
(raw). Manufacturers of IDE hard disks furnish partitioning and
formatting software with their drives for this purpose. However,
this software will only work for a drive installed inside a computer;
the software will not work for a drive installed in an external drive
enclosure. Therefore, you will need to partition and format the
assembled external Drive after you connect it to your computer.
Complete formatting instructions are provided in the chapter
"Formatting the Drive."
Regardless of whether you are installing a legacy or raw IDE hard disk, follow the
instructions on the succeeding pages. After the chapter "Connecting the Drive to Your
Computer", you will be guided to the specific instructions that pertain to your situation.
Proceed now to "Step 1: Configure Your IDE Hard Disk as a Master."
28
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