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: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Web Site: www.acomdata.com

Customer
Service: [e-mail]

Technical
Support: [e-mail]

Pre-Sales
Questions: [e-mail]

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.

9

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.

10

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
[e-mail] or call 800-470-4495.

11

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

13

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.

14

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

1. Configure Your IDE Drive as a Master

Your IDE drive has a jumper block at the back. It is situated
between the ATA interface connector and the power connector
(see the illustration, next page). The jumper block has an array of
pins. You may need to plug one or more jumpers onto specific
pins in order to configure the drive as a master. Your drive most
likely came with jumpers already attached to the jumper block.

Each IDE drive manufacturer has a different jumper arrangement
for specific drive configurations (master, slave, cable select etc.).
Refer to the instructions that came with your drive and, if neces­sary, arrange the jumper(s) so that the drive is configured as a
master. You should use small needle-nose pliers or tweezers to
remove/insert jumpers.

If you do not have your drive’s manual, most hard disk drive man­ufacturers make manuals available for download from their web
sites. Be sure to download the correct manual for your specific
model as jumper configurations can differ from model to model.

29

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30

SCREWS

2. Disassemble the Drive Enclosure

1. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove

the four screws on the back panel.

2. Remove the back fascia (see illustra-

tion, next page).

3. Grab the front fascia and carefully slide

out the Drive/PCB carrier, which is
attached to the front fascia.

usb 2.0 model shown

31

FRONT FASCIA WITH
ATTACHED METAL
DRIVE/PCB CARRIER

BACK FASCIA

When handling the Drive/PCB carrier, never touch the PCB (printed circuit board).
It contains sensitive electronics that can be easily damaged.

32

3. Connect the Drive to the Carrier

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The Drive/PCB carrier contains the ATA interface connector and
the power cable, which are attached to the PCB (printed circuit
board). The power cable is tethered to the board via flexible wires.
The ATA interface connector is hard-wired (rigidly fixed) to the
PCB (see illustration below).

33

1. Place the Drive/PCB carrier flat on a table or desk. Take your IDE

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drive in one hand and plug the power cable into the drive’s power
connector, making sure to insert it all the way. (The connector is
shaped such that it can only be inserted one way.) Do not let go of
the drive.

34

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2. With the power cable connected, hold the IDE drive at a slight

angle as shown in the illustration below. Carefully align the drive’s
ATA connector to the ATA connector on the Drive/PCB carrier.
Being to push the drive onto the connector. When the connector
is only partially inserted, gently lower the drive so that it comes to
rest on the carrier.

35

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3. With the drive resting on the Drive/PCB carrier, slide the drive as

shown below until the ATA connector is fully inserted.

36

4. Hold the drive and Drive/PCB carrier firmly together in one hand

IDE HARD DISK DRIVE

and turn the carrier over to view the underside. As shown in the
illustration below the four screw holes in the drive should line up
with four holes on the carrier.

5. While holding the drive firmly against the carrier, screw the drive

to the carrier using the supplied screws. Make sure all screws are
secure and that the drive is firmly mounted to the carrier.

37

4. Re-assemble the Drive Enclosure

1. Carefully slide the Drive/PCB carrier back into the Drive Enclosure,

making sure that the fascia is properly seated and pressed tightly
against the enclosure’s edge.

2. Place the back fascia back onto the enclosure, making sure it is

properly seated and pressed tightly against the enclosure’s edge.

3. Screw the back fascia back onto the enclosure.

38

Setting up the Drive

Place the Drive on a sturdy, flat surface. Do not place the Drive on an unstable or
makeshift base, such as a stack of books, that may be prone to collapse or toppling.

Choosing an Orientation (Vertical or Horizontal)

The AcomData 3.5" Enclosure can be placed on your desktop in
either the vertical or horizontal position. If you do not plan to stack
on additional AcomData Drives, we recommend the vertical posi­tion, as this orientation takes up the minimum amount of desktop
space. Also, the Power-Data Light will be higher up, so there is less
chance it will get obstructed from view by other items on your desk.

Attaching the Stand for Vertical Placement

1. Place the stand on your desk or

tabletop, as shown.

2. Place the Drive in the stand so

that the Drive and the stand are
centered (as shown). Make sure
the Drive is fully inserted.

39

Do not discard the stand. Your Drive’s Model and Serial numbers may be printed on
a label affixed to the stand. If this is the case, in the event that you need warranty
service, you will need to send us the stand along with the Drive itself.

Affixing the Rubber Feet for Horizontal Placement

It is highly recommended you use the supplied rubber feet for
horizontal placement and stacking of Drives. The feet help keep
the Drive securely in place, and they also prevent the Drive case
from possibly scuffing your desktop.

1. Decide wether you want the Power-Data Light to be located on

the left or right side when the Drive is in the horizontal position,
and select the appropriate side on which to
affix the feet.

2. Remove one of the rubber feet from

the paper backing and carefully
position the foot inside one of
the four oblong indenta­tions, with the adhesive
side down. Once the foot is
properly positioned, press
down firmly to secure it in
place. Repeat for the other
three feet.

40

Installing the USB 2.0 Driver

If you are using Windows 98SE or Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3 or
earlier) and the USB 2.0 interface, you need to install the USB 2.0
driver on the supplied CD before connecting the Drive. Follow the
instructions below. All other users can proceed to "Connecting the
Drive to Your Computer."

1. Insert the CD into your computer's CD/DVD drive.

2. On the splash screen that appears, select "Install USB 2.0 Driver."

3. Follow the instructions in the InstallShield Wizard.

On the final screen of the InstallShield Wizard, you will be given
the option to restart your computer. (You must restart your com-
puter in order to make the software active.) Make sure the "restart"
option is selected and click Finish. Do not remove the CD until
after the computer restarts.

4. After your computer restarts, you can remove the CD.

Proceed to "Connecting the Drive to Your Computer."

41

Connecting the Drive to Your Computer

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64#DBCMF

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR USB USERS:

If you plan to connect the Drive to a USB hub…

We recommend that you first connect the Drive directly to your computer. Once the in­stallation has been successfully completed you can then connect the Drive to a USB hub
if you wish. This approach will simplify troubleshooting if you experience a problem.

About the USB cable:

Each end of the USB cable has different connectors called
Type 'A' and Type 'B'. The 'A' connector plugs into your
computer or USB hub. The 'B' connector plugs into the
Drive. Be sure to correctly insert the connectors, or you
may damage the Drive and void the warranty.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR FIREWIRE USERS:

About the FireWire cable:

The FireWire cable has identical 6-pin connectors at
each end, so it does not matter which end you plug into
your computer and which end you plug into the Drive.
However, the connectors are designed to go in only one
way, so be sure to correctly insert the connectors or you
may damage the Drive and void the warranty.

42

If you plan to connect the Drive to a laptop…

If your laptop is equipped with a 4-pin FireWire port, you will need a 6-pin to 4-pin
FireWire cable (sold separately). You can purchase FireWire cables at your local
computer reseller. You can also purchase cables direct from AcomData. See "Purchasing
Accessories" for details.

About daisy-chaining FireWire devices:

FireWire-equipped Enclosures have two FireWire ports for the purpose of daisy-chain­ing. When you daisy-chain devices, the first device in the chain is connected to the
computer. The other devices in the chain are connected one after the other in series.

If you wish to include the Drive in a FireWire daisy-chain, we recommend that the first
time you connect the Drive you connect it directly to your computer with no other devices
attached to the Drive. Once the installation has been successfully completed, you can
then daisy-chain the Drive if you wish. This approach will simplify troubleshooting if
you experience a problem.

43

AC Adapter

USBCable

Power Cord

To AC outlet

(If plug has three
prongs, be sure to
plug into a three­prong outlet.)

USB Type B
Connector

USB 2.0/1.1
Port

Power Port

Power Switch

(Combo model shown)

USB Type A
Connector

Plug into a
USB 2.0 /1.1 port
on your computer
or USB hub

Connecting via USB 2.0/1.1

Refer to the illustration below when following the instructions on page 46.

44

Connecting via FireWire

AC Adapter

FireWire Cable

Power Cord

To AC outlet

(If plug has three
prongs, be sure to
plug into a three­prong outlet.)

FireWire
Connector

Plug into a 6-pin
FireWire port on
your computer or
other FireWire device

FireWire
Connector

FireWire
Port

Power Port

Power Switch

(Combo model shown)

Refer to the illustration below when following the instructions on page 46.

45

Before you connect the Drive, we recommend you re-start your computer.

1. Plug in the AC adapter and power cord:

1) The pins of the AC adapter connector are arranged
such that the connector can be inserted into the
Drive’s Power Port only one way. Orient the connec­tor correctly and insert it into the Power Port.

It should not require much force to plug in. Do not force
the connector or you may damage it and/or the Drive and
void the warranty. If the connector will not go in, check the orientation
and try again.

2) Plug the power cord into the socket in the AC adapter. Plug the
other end into an AC outlet. If the power cord has three prongs,
be sure to plug the cord into a three-prong (grounded) outlet.

2. Connect the interface cable:

If using a USB interface…

1) Plug the Type A connector of the USB cable into a USB 2.0 or
USB 1.1 port on your computer.

2) Plug the Type B connector into the USB 2.0 port on the Drive.

The connectors can only be plugged in one way, so be sure to orient
them correctly.

If using FireWire…

1) Plug one end of the FireWire cable into a 6-pin FireWire port on

46

your computer. The FireWire connectors are identical so it does not
matter which end you plug into your computer.

2) Plug the other end into one of the FireWire ports on the Drive. It
does not matter which port you use.

The connectors can only be plugged in one way, so be sure to orient
them correctly.

4. Turn on the Drive:

Flip the power switch on the back of the Drive to turn it on.

What to do after You Connect the Drive

If you installed a legacy IDE hard disk in the Enclosure…

If the file system used to format your IDE hard disk is compat­ible with your computer, proceed to the section "Verifying that
the Drive mounts" now. (See the chapter "Formatting the Drive" for

information on file formats and OS compatibility.)

If the file system of your IDE hard disk is not compatible with your
computer, proceed to "Formatting the Drive" now.

If you wish to re-format your Drive, follow the instructions in
"Verifying that the Drive mounts" first, then proceed to the chap­ter "Formatting the Drive."

47

If you installed a raw IDE hard disk in the Enclosure…

The Drive will power on but your computer will not mount
the Drive; it must be formatted first. Proceed to the chapter
"Formatting the Drive" now.

Verifying that the Drive Mounts

Windows XP/2000/Me Users:

Once the Drive is powered on, in a few moments it should mount,
and a new drive icon/letter will appear in My Computer/Windows
Explorer. If your IDE drive has two or more mountable volumes,
each volume will mount with a separate drive icon.

Your Drive is now ready to use as a general-purpose data storage
device. Before using your Drive, we recommend that you explore
the rest of this guide; it contains valuable information that will
help you get the most from your Drive.

If you have a PushButton™ Drive and you wish to use the PushButton™
Backup feature, see the PushButton™ Backup Users' Guide on the CD.

Windows Me users:

If the Drive will not mount you will need to update your Windows Me.
Go to www.microsoft.com and click on the Microsoft Update link.

48

Mac Users:

Once the Drive is powered on, in a few moments it should mount,
and a new drive icon will appear on the Desktop and in the Finder.
If your IDE drive has two or more mountable volumes, each vol­ume will mount with a separate drive icon.

Your Drive is now ready to use as a general-purpose data storage
device. Before using your Drive, we recommend that you explore
the rest of this guide; it contains valuable information that will
help you get the most from your Drive.

If you have a PushButton™ Drive and you wish to use the PushButton™
Backup feature, see the PushButton™ Backup Users' Guide on the CD.

49

Re-Naming Your Drive

7INDOWS

-ICROSOFT

This section shows you how to change a volume label (name) of an already formatted
volume/Drive. If your IDE hard disk was not already formatted, or if you wish to re-for­mat the Drive go to "Formatting the Drive" now. You will have the opportunity to assign
a volume label during the formatting setup process.

Windows Users:

Option 1:

1. Go to My Computer and click on the icon of your AcomData Drive.

2. With the icon highlighted, go to the File menu and select

Properties.

3. Under the General tab of the Properties window, type a name in

the text field beside the Drive icon. Click Apply and then click OK.

Option 2:

1. Go to My Computer and right-click on the icon of your AcomData

Drive.

2. In the pop-up menu, select Rename.

3. Enter a new name in the icon label and press Return.

50

Mac Users:

Option 1:

1. Click on the icon of your AcomData Drive on the Desktop and

press Return to highlight the label.

2. Type in a new name and press Return. You may be required to

enter an administrator password before the change is accepted.

Option 2:

1. Select the icon of your AcomData Drive, either on the Desktop or

in the Finder.

2. In the Finder menu, go to File > Get Info. The Info window will

open.

3. In the "Name & Extension:" field type in the new name and then

close the Info window.

51

Formatting the Drive

Follow these instructions if you installed a raw IDE hard disk in the AcomData Enclosure,
or if you wish to re-format the Drive.

Formatting a hard disk erases all data stored on the disk! Before you format or
partition the Drive, be sure to save a copy of any files you wish to keep to another
storage device.

About Formatting and File Systems

Before a hard disk can be used to store data it must contain one
or more partitions, and each partition must be formatted with
a given file system. ("Formatting" is also commonly referred to as
"Initializing" on the Mac OS.)

A file system defines the disk’s directory structure for keeping
track of and accessing files. It also governs other features, such
as the way files are named, the maximum allowable size of a file or
volume, and the disk's allocation unit size (the smallest unit of data
storage on a disk).

52

About the most common file systems:

• FAT32 is the standard file system used on Windows 98SE and Me,

and is supported under Windows XP, 2000 and the Mac OS. Think of
FAT32 as the "universal" PC and Mac file system.

• NTFS is the primary file system for Windows XP and 2000. NTFS offers

more advanced features than FAT32, including support for files larger
than 4 GB. NTFS cannot be used on Windows 98SE or Me. NTFS can­not be used on the Mac OS, with the exception that Mac OS 10.3 and
higher can read, but not write to NTFS-formatted volumes.

• Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) is the most common file system used

on Macs. It is not compatible with Windows. Depending on which
version of the Mac OS you have, you have the option to use journaled
and case-sensitive HFS Plus file systems. For an explanation of journal­ing, go to http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107249. For
an explanation of the case-sensitive option, go to http://docs.info.
apple.com/article.html?artnum=107863.

• MS-DOS is the Windows/Mac-compatible file system available on

the Mac OS. It is equivalent to FAT32.

53

Choosing a file system

If you plan to use the Drive only on Windows XP or 2000, we

recommend formatting the Drive with the NTFS file system.
If you plan to use the Drive only on a Mac, we recommend for-

matting the Drive with the Mac OS Extended file system.

If you need cross-platform compatibility you have two
options:

1. Format the Drive on a Windows PC with the FAT32 file system.

2. Format the Drive on Mac OS 10.3 or later with the MS-DOS file sys-

tem.

54

Formatting a Drive in Windows

If you installed a new, raw IDE hard disk in the Enclosure…

Go the section "Formatting a Raw Drive in Windows."

If you installed a legacy IDE hard disk in the Enclosure…

Find the section "Formatting a Legacy Drive in…" that pertains to
your specific Windows operating system.

Formatting a Raw Drive in Windows

When you format a raw hard drive in Windows, the first step is partitioning the drive.
This section provides instructions for creating a primary partition only. For instructions
on creating multiple partitions, consult the Help and Support Center in Windows.

1. Right-click on My Computer and select Manage in the pop-up

menu.

2. In the Computer Management window, expand the Storage folder,

then select Disk Management.

3. The Disk Management window has two sections. The upper sec-

tion lists the volumes currently mounted to your computer. The
lower section shows the disks connected to the computer. In the
lower section, locate for the disk with the capacity closest to your

55

AcomData Drive. This will be Disk 1, or Disk 2 etc. Disk 0 is the "C"
drive (your computer's startup disk); leave this alone.

4. Right-click on the right-hand box. In the pop-up menu select

Delete Partition… Under "Disk" it will now say “Online." In the right­hand box is will now say “Unallocated.”

5. Right-click on the box and select Create/New Partition… in the

pop-up menu. The Partition Wizard will launch; click Next.

6. In the Select Partition Type screen, select Primary partition and

click Next.

7. In the Specify Partition Size screen specify the amount of disk

space you wish to allocate to this partition. The default setting will
be the maximum. Leave it at this setting and click Next.

8. In the Assign Drive Letter or Path screen, assign a drive letter and

then click Next.

9. In the Format Partition screen, click on the radio button that says

"Format this partition…"

10. In the File system field, select a file system.

11. In the volume label field, type a unique name for your Drive that

will distinguish it from other devices attached to your computer.
Leave the Allocation unit size field at the default setting.

12. If you check Quick Format the formatting process will take just a

56

few minutes, but will do less verifying of the Drive. If you leave it
unchecked, a Full format will be performed. This will take about
30-90 minutes.

13. In the Completing the New Partition Wizard screen you will see a

summary of the settings you selected. Click Finish.

14. Once the format is complete, in the Disk Management window,

the right hand box next to the Disk listing will show the name of
your Drive with the drive letter. The status of the Drive should now
be "Online" and "Healthy." The new volume should also appear in
the volume list window.

15. To view the properties of the Disk or volume right-click on the

Disk box or the volume box and select Properties.

Formatting a Legacy Drive in Windows XP or 2000

1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running.

2. Double-click on My Computer. In the My Computer window you

should see the icon/drive letter for the AcomData Drive.

3. Right-click the AcomData Drive icon and select Format… in the

pop-up menu. The Format dialog box will appear.

4. Under Capacity, verify the Drive capacity. It should be close to the

stated capacity of your Drive in gigabytes.

5. In the File System pop-up menu, select the file system (NTFS is rec-

57

ommended for use on Windows XP and 2000).

6. In the Allocation unit size pop up, select “Default allocation size.”

7. In the Volume label field, type in a unique name for the Drive that

will distinguish it from other storage devices.

8. Under Format options you can check Quick Format. If you leave it

unchecked Windows will run a Full format. A Full format will take
about 30-90 minutes. A Quick format will take just a few minutes,
but will do less verifying of the Drive.

9. Click Start. Once the format process is complete, the Drive will be

ready to use.

Formatting a Legacy Drive in Windows 98SE or Me

1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running.

2. Double-click the My Computer icon. In the My Computer window

you should see an icon/drive letter for the AcomData Drive.

3. Right-click the Drive letter and select Format. In the Format win-

dow, verify the Drive’s capacity; it should be close to the stated
capacity of your Drive in megabytes.

4. Under Format type, select Full; everything else should be left at the

default setting. In the Label field, under Other options, you may
assign a name to the Drive that will allow you to easily distinguish

58

it from other storage devices. (Limit 8 characters; no symbols.)

5. Click Start. The following warning will appear: “This device is either

a hard disk or a large removable disk. Formatting it will destroy all
files currently on the drive. Are you sure you want to format this
drive?” If the Drive contains no data or you already backed up the
data you wish to keep, click OK.

6. If you see a warning from an antivirus program, click Exclude.

7. When formatting is complete, you will be asked to run a thorough

Scandisk. (Periodically running Scandisk is a part of regular hard
drive maintenance.) If you do not wish to run Scandisk at this time,
close the Format window.

59

Formatting the Drive in Mac OS X

1. If you installed a raw IDE hard disk in your Enclosure…

After you connect the external Drive to your computer you will get
the following alert message: "You have inserted a disk containing
no volumes that Mac OS X can read." Click the Initialize button to
launch the Disk Utility application in Mac OS X, and then proceed
to step 2.

If you installed a legacy IDE hard disk in your Enclosure…

The Drive should have mounted after you connected it to
your computer. Launch Disk Utility in the Applications folder
(Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility), and proceed to step 2.

If your legacy IDE disk was formatted NTFS and you are using
Mac OS 10.2 or earlier…

The computer will not recognize the Drive and you will get the
alert message: "You have inserted a disk containing no volumes
that Mac OS X can read." Click the Initialize button to launch the
Disk Utility application in Mac OS X, and then proceed to step 2.

2. The Disk Utility window will open with a small window at left and

a larger window with a series of tabs at the top. In the small win­dow at the left, click on the drive icon with the capacity that most
closely matches the capacity of your Drive.

60

3. Click on the Erase tab. In the Erase window you will see a Volume

Format pop-up menu and a Name field.

4. From the Volume Format pop-up, select Mac OS Extended. (With

Mac OS 10.3 and later, you have the option of selecting Mac OS
Extended (Journaled). We recommend this option, if available. For
information on journaling, go to: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.
html?artnum=107249)

5. In the Name field, type in a unique name for this Drive/volume

that will allow you to easily distinguish it from other storage devic­es attached to your computer.

6. Click Erase. You should see an alert message: “Erasing a disk will

destroy all information on all of the volumes of the disk…” Click
Erase. Once initializing is complete, you should see the Drive listed
in the Disk Utility window with whatever name you assigned. Quit
Disk Utility. You should now see the Drive icon on the Desktop and
in the Finder.

61

Formatting the Drive in Mac OS 9

1. If you installed a raw IDE hard disk in your Enclosure…

After you connect the external Drive to your computer you will get
the following alert message: "This disk is unreadable by this computer.
Do you want to initialize this disk?" Click OK and then skip to step 4.

If you installed a legacy IDE hard disk in your Enclosure…

Proceed to step 2.

2. Insert the Mac OS 9 System Software CD that came with your com-

puter. Restart the computer and hold down the C key while the
computer is starting up.

3. You will see the alert message: “This disk is unreadable by this

computer. Do you want to initialize this disk?” Click OK.

4. In the Name field, type in a unique name for your Drive that will

allow you to easily distinguish it from other storage devices.

5. From the Format menu, select Mac OS Extended.

6. Click Initialize. You should then get the alert message: “Initializing

will erase all information on this disk.” Click Continue. Once initial­izing is complete, you should see the Drive mounted on your
Desktop with the name you assigned.

7. If you followed steps 2 and 3 above, go to Control Panels-->

Startup Disk and select the computer’s startup disk. Restart the

62

computer. If you skipped steps 2 and 3, you do not need to restart
your computer.

63

Stacking Drives

We designed AcomData 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosures to be stack­able so that you can add even more hi-performance data storage
without taking up any more desktop space.

For this section we assume that you already have an AcomData
Drive installed on your system, and that the Drive is placed in the
horizontal position.

1. Follow the steps in the section “Affixing the Rubber Feet for

Horizontal Placement."

2. Place one Drive onto the other, making sure the feet of the second

drive are properly seated in the foot indentations of the first drive.

3. Follow the instructions in the section “Connecting the Drive to

Your Computer" to connect the new Drive.

64

Drive Use & Maintenance

Performing Routine Tasks

Opening Files and Folders

1. Double-click on the Drive icon. A window showing the Drive's con-

tents will appear.

2. Double-click on the file or folder that you want to open.

Copying Files and Folders to Your Drive

1. Single-click the file or folder you want to copy in order to highlight

it.

2. Go to “Edit --> Copy.”

3. Double-click the Drive icon to open it. If you want to copy the file

or folder to a specific folder on the Drive, double-click that folder
to open it.

4. Go to “Edit --> Paste.” The file or folder will copy over.

66

How to Unmount and Turn Off the Drive

Before a hard drive can be used it must be "mounted" to a com­puter, which means the operating system has recognized the
drive as a usable volume and established a communications link
with it. (If the drive contains more than one recognizable partition,

each partition will mount as a separate volume.)

Before you turn off or disconnect a hard drive, you must unmount
its mounted volume(s).

Never turn off or disconnect a hard drive without unmounting it first. You may lose
data or damage the drive.

Windows Users

1. In the Taskbar at the bottom of your screen, click the Safely Remove

Hardware icon (the icon with the green arrow). A pop-up message
will appear with a list of devices connected to your computer.

2. Select the AcomData Drive. After a few seconds the Drive will

unmount and Windows will give you a message that it is safe to
remove the device.

3. Click OK. You can then safely turn off and/or disconnect the Drive.

67

Mac Users

Option 1: From the Desktop:

Drag the Drive's icon to the Trash. After the icon disappears from
the Desktop you can safely turn off and/or disconnect the Drive.

Option 2: From within the Finder:

Locate the Drive icon in the Sidebar. Click the eject symbol (the
triangle with the bar underneath) next to the icon. After the icon
disappears you can safely turn off and/or disconnect the Drive.

Whether you are using a Mac or a PC…

When you shut down your computer the Drive will unmount automatically. After
the computer has shut down you can safely turn if off and/or disconnect it.

68

Maintaining Your Drive & Safeguarding Your Data

A hard drive is a very sophisticated and sensitive device that
requires proper care and maintenance to ensure the longest pos­sible life, reliable operation and—most importantly—the integrity
of your stored data.

Defragmenting and Optimizing a Hard Drive

A hard drive stores data on disks called platters. Each platter surface
is divided into concentric tracks. Each track is divided into sectors.
A group of sectors, called a cluster or allocation unit, is the smallest
unit of data storage space.

When data is saved to a new hard drive, it is written to the disk
contiguously, one cluster after another. As old files are erased,
clusters that were previously occupied become available for new
data. However, there may not be enough space for the drive to
write a new file in a contiguous set of clusters. The drive uses the
clusters it can; if more are needed it searches for empty clusters in
other locations on the disk(s). The result is a fragmented file.

Over time, as old files are erased and new files are written, the
data becomes increasingly fragmented. The more fragmented a
disk becomes, the longer it takes to read and write data because

69

the Drive’s read/write mechanism spends more time searching for
fragments or free clusters.

We recommend using defragmentation and optimization soft­ware to maximize storage efficiency and optimize performance.
Optimization re-organizes files so that the files you use most often
can be accessed more quickly. Defragmentation (defragging) con­solidates file fragments into more efficient contiguous clusters.

Examining and Repairing a Hard Drive

There are a number of reasons why a hard drive may become dam­aged or the data may become corrupted. Regular examination of a
hard drive with a quality diagnostic and repair utility is the best way
to prevent irreparable disk damage and avoid data loss.

There are several software packages available that offer a suite of
disk management and repair utilities, including defragmentation,
optimization, repair, erased file recovery and more. How often you
should perform maintenance depends on how much you use the
drive. If you use your hard drive on a daily basis, it’s a good idea to
examine it for damage about once a month.

Some maintenance and repair operations can take quite some
time, so it’s wise to perform hard drive maintenance at times when
you don’t need to use your computer. The good news is that, for
the most part, you won’t need to tend to the computer while the
software performs these operations.

70

Protecting Your Data Against Viruses

One of the greatest threats to your data comes from viruses, trojan
horses and worms. These are insidious programs created by male­factors. Some are designed to render your computer inoperable;
others will erase data. The worst part is you may not be aware that
your system has been infected until it’s too late.

The most common way computers become infected is by unwit­tingly downloading and sharing these files via e-mail and other
Internet services. You can protect your data by using ant-virus
software. There are a number of good anti-virus programs on the
market for both PC and Mac.

Cleaning the Drive Case

Always unplug all cables from the Drive before cleaning it. Clean
the Drive using a soft, dry cloth. For tough dirt, dampen a soft
cloth with some neutral detergent diluted in 5 to 6 parts water;
wipe off the dirt, then wipe off the Drive with a dry cloth. Do not
use alcohol, paint thinner, or other chemicals; they may damage
the case materials.

71

Help & Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I use my Drive on two computers at the same time?

A: No. The Drive can only be used with one computer at a time. If

you connect the Drive to two computers at the same time, you

may damage the Drive and the computers.

Q: Do I have to format the Drive prior to using it?

A: If the IDE hard disk drive you installed in the AcomData Enclosure

was already formatted you do not need to format the Drive as long

as the file system used is compatible with your computer's operat-

ing system. If the IDE drive was not formatted, you will need to

format it before your computer will recognize the Drive. See the

chapter "Formatting the Drive" for more information and format-

ting instructions.

Q: Can I use the Drive on multiple operating systems?

A: Yes. Your AcomData 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.

Q: What is the difference between FAT32 and NTFS?

A: FAT32 is an older and more compatible file system but it has

certain limitations, such as file size (maximum 4 GB). NTFS is more

73

secure and has fewer limitations.

The NTFS file system can only be used on Windows XP and 2000. If

you plan to use your AcomData Drive on Windows 2000 and/or XP

only, consider re-formatting the Drive using the NTFS file system. If

you plan to use the Drive on a Mac OS only, consider re-formatting

the Drive using the Mac OS Extended file system.

Q: Where are the drivers for XP, 2000 and Me?

A: The drivers for Windows XP, 2000 and Me are built into the oper-

ating system. No additional drivers are needed. However, you may

need to upgrade your Windows OS. See “System Requirements” for

more information.

Q: Can I connect the Drive to a USB expansion card?

A: Yes, but you may need to update the software/firmware for the

card. We recommend you check with the card’s manufacturer for

the latest updates.

Q: Is the Drive compatible with Windows 95, 98FE, or NT 4.0?

A: No.

Q: What is the cache (buffer) size on my AcomData Drive?

A: Cache memory resides on the actual IDE hard disk drive you install

in the Enclosure. Most IDE disk drive manufacturers publish cache

sizes on their web sites.

74

Q: Can you make the Drive bootable?

A: Windows does not support the use of external hard drives as

startup disks. On a PowerPC-based Mac you can use a FireWire hard

drive as a startup disk. On Intel-based Macs you can also use a USB

hard drive as startup disk.

Q: Why doesn’t the Enclosure have a fan?

A: Heat generation can be an issue with some hard drives, which is

why they often have big, noisy fans. The AcomData Enclosure was

engineered to be so efficient at dissipating heat that it does not

need a fan. The result is near-silent operation.

Q: Why is the capacity of my Drive, as shown in Windows or

Mac OS, lower than the Drive’s stated capacity?

A: The difference is mostly due to the way Windows and Mac oper-

ating systems measure hard disk capacity, as compared to the

method used by hard drive manufacturers. Hard drive manufactur-

ers have always used the decimal (base 10) method, where 1GB =

1,000 MB = 1,000,000 KB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows and Mac

operating systems use the binary (base 2) method, where 1GB =

1,024 MB = 1,048,576 KB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.

For example: 120 GB (decimal) = 111.8 GB (binary). How did we get

that number? Using the decimal method, 120 GB = 120,000,000,000

bytes. To convert that to binary we divide 120,000,000,000 by

1,073,741,824, which equals 111.8. Therefore, a 120 GB hard drive

75

partition will mount as approximately a 111.8 GB volume on your

computer's OS. The reason the number will be approximate is

because the actual number of available bytes of storage on a 120

GB hard drive will not be exactly 120,000,000,000. It is actually a

bit more than that. We just round down the figure to 120 GB for

simplicity's sake.

Hard drive manufacturers use the decimal method because it is

simpler and less confusing to consumers who may not be familiar

with the base 2 number system. Manufacturers of operating sys-

tems do not need to concern themselves with this issue, so they

typically use the more traditional binary method.

Q: Can I use my AcomData Drive to copy an operating system

from one computer to another?

A: You cannot transfer an installed operating system to another com-

puter or hard drive simply by copying the operating system’s files.

In order to install an operating system, you’ll need to follow the

manufacturer’s installation procedure. If you wish to transfer the

contents of one startup (boot) disk to another, you will first need

to properly install the operating system on the target disk. You can

then use your AcomData Drive to copy over your files (except the

operating system).

Q: Does AcomData provide data recovery services?

A: AcomData does not provide data recovery services.

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Troubleshooting

If you experience a problem with your AcomData product, you
should take the following actions in the order specified:

1. Make sure you followed the instructions in this guide.

2. Consult the Troubleshooting sections of this guide.

3. If the issue you are having is still not resolved, contact Technical

Support using one of the following options:
a) via the online Technical Support form at www.acomdata.com;
b) via e-mail at [e-mail];
c) by telephone at [phone], during business hours (Pacific
Time).

77

Troubleshooting for Windows Users

The power will not go on when I turn on the Drive.

A: Make sure your connections are secure.

My computer does not recognize the Drive.

A: Make sure all of your connections are secure. If you have an
add-on card, make sure it is working properly and update the soft­ware/firmware. Also, make sure you have the latest updates for
your operating system.

When I leave my computer idle for a while and come back, my
AcomData Drive won’t work properly.

A: The most likely cause is that your computer is going into Sleep
mode. The immediate solution is to restart your computer. To pre­vent this problem from re-occurring, go into your Power Settings/
Energy Saver and set it to where it never goes into Sleep mode.

The Drive feels quite warm when powered on. Is this dangerous?

A: When in operation, the Drive may feel quite warm to the touch.
This is normal.

The Drive gives me a “Device cannot start. Code (10).”

A: This is a power issue. Make sure your connections are secure.

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The other possibility is that the Drive has malfunctioned and
requires service.

I don’t see my AcomData Drive in My Computer, but it does
appear in Device Manager (Windows XP & 2000 only).

A: Right-click on My Computer. Select Manage in the pop-up
menu. In the Computer Management window, select Storage,
then select Disk Management. In the Disk Management window,
you should see a list of available storage devices. Look for the Disk
that has a capacity closest to your AcomData Drive. Right-click on
the right-hand box; in the pop-up menu select Delete Partition.
Once you do this, it will say “Online” & “Unallocated.” Right-click
on the box and select Create New Partition in the pop-up menu.
When the Partition Wizard appears, select Primary Partition and
click on Next. You will see a default value for the AcomData Drive;
click Next. You will then see a drive letter (you can change this
drive letter if you wish); click Next. You will then be asked to for­mat the AcomData Drive.

When I try to format my Drive in Windows XP or 2000 I get the
message: “Could not complete format.”

A: This problem can occur if you are using an expansion card
to connect the AcomData Drive. Plug the Drive into a data port
on your computer and try the format again. You may also come
across this error if you are using Windows XP or 2000 and you try

79

to format the Drive using the FAT32 file system. If reformatting the
Drive and you do not need Mac compatibility, Windows 2000/XP
users should use the NTFS files system.

After I connected the Drive to my PC, I got the following alert
message: “Hi-Speed USB device plugged into non-Hi-Speed
USB Hub.” What does this mean?

A: Windows XP and 2000 users will get this alert message if you
plugged the Drive into a USB port that only supports USB 1.1. This
is fine, except your AcomData Drive will operate USB 1.1 speeds
(up to 12 Mbps).

Performance via USB seems to be slower than 480 Mbps.

A: First, in order to reach USB 2.0 speeds, you need a connection
that supports USB 2.0. If the connection only supports USB 1.1 the
Drive will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12 Mbps). The Drive
will auto-sense the speed of your USB port and adjust between

USB 1.1 and USB 2.0. Second, 480 Mbps is the maximum speed of
USB 2.0 devices. Actual data transfer rates will vary depending on
a number of factors, including available CPU resources.

80

Troubleshooting for Mac Users

The power will not go on when I plug in the Drive.

A: Make sure your connections are secure.

My computer does not recognize the Drive.

A: First, make sure the connections are secure. Second, check if
the Drive is listed in the Apple System Profiler. If the driver listed
is “USB Authoring Support” or “Toast USB Support”, disable this
Extension(s) in the Extensions Manager, as they can cause a con­flict with the Drive.

When I leave my computer idle for a while and come back, my
AcomData Drive won’t work properly.

A: The most likely cause is that your computer is going to sleep.
The immediate solution is to restart your computer. To prevent
this problem from recurring, go into your Energy Saver prefer­ences and set it to never go into Sleep mode.

The Drive feels quite warm when powered on. Is this dangerous?

A: When in operation, the Drive may feel quite warm to the touch.
This is normal.

81

Performance via USB seems to be slower than 480 Mbps.

A: First, in order to reach USB 2.0 speeds, you must have a com­puter or host adapter card that supports USB 2.0. If the con­nection only supports USB 1.1 the Drive will operate at USB 1.1
speeds (up to 12 Mbps). Second, 480 Mbps is the maximum speed
that USB 2.0 devices can reach. Actual data transfer rates will
vary depending on a number of factors, including available CPU
resources.

When I connected the Drive to my computer, I got the following
alert message: “Please insert disk ‘untitled’.”

A: If you get this alert message, your Mac is not recognizing the
Drive and the mouse cursor may actually freeze on screen. If this
happens, hold down the Apple/Control key and press the Period
“.” key. You should regain control of your mouse. Restart your com­puter and rebuild the Desktop. (Refer to the manual that came
with your Mac for instructions on how to rebuild the Desktop.
It is good practice to periodically rebuilt the Desktop anyway.)
After your Mac reboots, the Drive should mount normally and you
should not have this problem again.

When I upgraded from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, my computer
asked me to re-initialize the Drive.

A: If this message appears, you have no choice but to re-initialize

82

the Drive in order to use it on Mac OS X. Copy the data stored on
your Drive to another storage device before upgrading to Mac OS X.
After the upgrade is complete, re-initialize the Drive on Mac OS X,
and then copy the data back to it.

Why is my Drive asking me to initialize it? It was already format­ted and it contains data.

A: On Mac OS 9, you may need to initialize a hard drive the first
time you connect it to your computer, even though the hard drive

may have already been formatted. Another reason is that the file
system might have become corrupted, in which case it needs to
be repaired. Use disk utility software to repair the disk.

83

Obtaining Service

If you experience a problem with your Acomdata product, which
cannot be resolved by Tech Support, your Tech Support Specialist
will assist you in arranging for service.

What you need to obtain warranty service:

1) A copy of the bill of sale for your AcomData product;

2) A Returned Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number that is

assigned to your product by your TSS. An RMA can only be gener­ated if the product has been registered online at www.acomdata.
com. If your AcomData product is not registered at the time you
need service, you must register the product online or your TSS can
register it for you. Your TSS will then walk you through the process
to ensure you receive prompt service.

DO NOT SEND A PRODUCT IN FOR SERVICE WITHOUT FIRST
CONTACTING ACOMDATA TECHNICAL SUPPORT. ACOMDATA
CANNOT ACCEPT RETURNED PRODUCTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN
ASSIGNED AN RMA NUMBER.

84

Purchasing Accessories

You can purchase accessories by contacting Customer Service at
[e-mail].

In your e-mail, please include:

• your name;

• phone number;

• mailing address;

• model number or description of item (e.g. 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire

cable);

• quantity per item.

A Customer Service agent will contact you to complete the trans­action.

85

Glossary of Terms

ATA – (Advanced Technology Attachment) A disk drive interface standard

based on the IBM PC ISA16-bit bus. The ATA specification deals with the
power and data signal interfaces between the motherboard and the inte­grated disk controller and drive.

As improvements were made to the ATA interface, new version numbers
were added. ATA-2 (Fast ATA) defined the faster transfer rates used in
Enhanced IDE (EIDE). ATA-3 added interface improvements, including the
ability to report potential problems. Starting with ATA-4, either the word
“Ultra” or the transfer rate was added to the name in various combina­tions. For example, at 33 MBytes/sec, terms such as Ultra ATA and ATA-33
have been used. In addition, Ultra ATA-33, DMA-33 and Ultra DMA-33 are
also found.

Bit - The smallest unit of digital data, represented logically as a 1 or a 0.

Buffer – See “Cache.”

Bus – An electronic link that can transmit data between digital devices,

such as computers and attached peripherals.

Byte – A unit of digital data, usually made up of eight bits. Storage capac­ity is measured in bytes.

Cache – A memory buffer that stores frequently used disk data in RAM so
the data can be read at a faster rate than if accessed from the disk.

Capacity – The amount of data that can be stored on a hard drive or

86

other storage device.

Device Driver – A software program that enables a computer to commu
nicate with peripheral devices, such as hard drives and CD-ROM drives.
Each type of device requires a different driver.

FAT32 – A file system that organizes files on a disk. This file system is stan­dard for Windows 98SE and Me, and is supported under Windows XP and

2000. A single file is limited in size to 4 GB.

File System – The method for storing and retrieving files on a disk. A file
system defines the directory structure for keeping track of the files and
the path syntax required to access them. It also defines the way files are
named as well as the maximum size of a file or volume. FAT32 and NTFS
are file systems used on PCs; HFS is used on Macs.

Format – Preparing a disk partition for the storage and retrieval of files. A
partition is formatted with a specific file system. Formatting is referred to
as initializing on the Mac.

Gigabyte – 1,024 megabytes (binary); 1,000 megabytes (decimal), or
approximately one billion bytes.

Hot-Pluggable – The ability to connect and disconnect peripheral devic­es while the computer is running.

Hub – A device which links peripherals together onto the same data bus.

IDE – (Integrated Drive Electronics) A type of hardware interface widely

used to connect hard disks, optical disks and tape drives to a computer.
With IDE, the controller electronics are built into the drive itself, requir-

-

87

ing a simple circuit in the computer for connection. The term IDE is often
used interchangeably with the term ATA, to describe hard disk drives that
use the ATA interface, though technically IDE and ATA are not the same
thing.

Interface – Junction between two items of hardware or software for the
exchange of data.

Master-Slave – An ordering of electronic devices in a primary-secondary
sequence. For example, when a pair of ATA (IDE) disk drives are installed
in the same PC, one is configured as master and the other as slave. The
master drive generally appears first when the computer’s bios and/or
operating system enumerates available drives. If there is a single device
on a cable, in most cases it should be configured as master. A drive set

­ting called "cable select" was described as optional in ATA-1 and has
come into fairly widespread use with ATA-5 and later. A drive set to cable
select automatically configures itself as master or slave, according to its
position on the cable.

Mbps (Megabits per second) – A data transmission speed of one million
bits per second. For data transmissions, the base unit of data is the bit
rather than the byte. Using bits is a truer measure of raw performance
because it negates the need to differentiate between the part of the data
stream that makes up the file(s) being sent and the accompanying data
protocols that structure and govern data communications.

MB (Megabyte)

– 1,048,576 bytes (binary); 1,000,000 bytes (decimal).

NTFS – The primary file system for Windows XP and 2000. NTFS offers

88

improved performance and more advanced security and administrative
features than FAT32.

Partition – A reserved amount of storage space on a hard disk. A disk can
contain one or more partitions. A formatted partition is treated as a sepa
rate volume by the operating system.

Port – A connection which enables compatible devices to send and
receive data. A port can be either hardware-based or software based.

Startup Disk – The disk from which a computer loads its operating sys

­tem at startup. Also called a "boot" volume.

Volume – A fixed amount of data storage. The term volume is often used
as a synonym for the drive itself, but it is possible for a single hard drive
to contain more than one volume, or for a single volume to span more
than one hard drive.

-

89

Limited Warranty

acomdaTa warranTs This producT (The “producT”) againsT defecTs in maTerial or work-

manship as follows:

1. labor: for a period of one (1) year from The original daTe of purchase from
acomdaTa or iTs local represenTaTive supplier, acomdaTa will repair defecTive producT
(or, aT iTs opTion, replace wiTh a new or recerTified producT) aT no charge. afTer This 1

year period, you musT pay for all labor charges.

2. parTs: for a period of one (1) year from The original daTe of purchase from acomdaTa

or iTs local represenTaTive supplier, acomdaTa will supply, aT no charge, new or rebuilT
replacemenT parTs in exchange for defecTive parTs of This producT. any replacemenT parTs
will be warranTed for The remainder of The original warranTy period or nineTy (90) days
from insTallaTion by acomdaTa. all exchanged parTs replaced under This warranT y will
become The properTy of acomdaTa.

This warranTy only covers The hardware componenTs pack aged wiTh The producT. This

warranTy does noT cover : (1) any sofT ware conTained in, or included wiTh, The producT;
any such sofTware is provided “as is.” please refer To any documenTaTion included wiTh The
sofTware for your righTs and obligaTions wiTh respecT To The sof Tware; (2) any consum-
ables (such as baTTeries) supplied wiTh This producT; (3) cosmeTic damages; (4) damage To
or loss of any sofTware programs, daTa or removable sTorage media; (5) damage due To
The producT such as, buT noT limiTed To, excessive heaT or humidiTy, or modificaTions of
This producT.

This warranTy does noT apply if The malfuncTion resulTs from: (1) The use of This producT

in conjuncTion wiTh accessories, producTs or ancillary or peripheral equipmenT, or where
iT is deTermined by acomdaTa ThaT There is no faulT wiTh This producT iTself; (2) improper
insTallaTion, operaTion, TesTing or mainTenance of This producT; (3) power failure or
connecTion To improper volTage supply ; or; (4) aTTempTed repair by any parTy oTher Than

acomdaTa.

90

This limiTed warranTy is invalid if The facTory applied serial number has been alTered or

removed from The producT.

repair or replacemenT, as provided under This warranTy, is The exclusive remedy of The

consumer. acomdaTa shall noT be liable for any incidenTal or consequenTial damages
for breach of any expressed or implied warranTy, breach of conTracT, negligence, sTricT
liabiliTy, or any oTher legal Theory relaTed To This producT. such damages include, buT are
noT limiTed To: loss of profiTs; loss of daTa; loss of use of The producT or any associaTed
equipmenT; down Time and purchaser’s Time.

This warranTy exTends only To you, The original purchaser. iT is noT Transferable To any

one who subsequenTly purchases The producT from you. proof of purchase in The form of
a bill of sale (which is evidence ThaT The producT is wiThin The warranTy period) musT be
presenTed To obTain warranTy service.

when sending an acomdaTa producT in for service you musT Take The producT, or deliver

The producT (freighT prepaid) To acomdaTa, in eiTher iTs original packaging or in a package
ThaT provides The producT wiTh a degree of proTecTion equivalenT To ThaT of The original
packaging. acomdaTa is noT responsible for any damage To, or loss of, any programs, daTa,
or oTher informaTion sTored on any media or any parT of any producT serviced hereunder.

be sure To remove all feaTures, parTs, opTions, alTeraTions, and aTTachmenTs noT under

warranTy prior To reTurning The producT To acomdaTa. acomdaTa is noT liable for any
loss or damage To These iTems.

excepT To The exTend prohibiTed by applicable law, any implied warranTy of merchanTabiliTy or

fiTness for a parTicular purpose on This producT is limiTed in duraTion of This warranTy.

some sTaTes do noT allow The exclusion or limiTaTion of incidenTal or consequenTial dam-

ages, or allow limiTaTions on how long on implied warranTy lasTs, so The above limiTaTion
or exclusions may noT apply To you. This warranTy gives you specific righTs; you may have
oTher righTs which var y from sTaTe To sTaTe.

91

Notices

coPyrigh tS

copyrighT © 2006 dura micro, inc. all righTs reser ved. no parT of This publicaTion may be repro-

duced, sTored in a reTrieval sysTem, or TransmiTTed in any form by any means, elecTronic, mechanical
phoTocopying, recording or oTherwise, wiThouT The prior wriTTen consenT of dura micro, inc.

trademarkS

The acomdaTa name and iTs logos are regisTered Trademarks of dura micro, inc. oTher Trade -

marks menTioned or appearing in This documenT are The properTy of Their respecTive owners.

c

hangeS

The maTerial in This documenT is for informaTion only and subjecT To change wiThouT noTice. while

reasonable efforTs have been made in The preparaTion of This documenT To assure iTs accuracy, dura

micro, inc. assumes no liabiliT y resulTing from errors or omissions in This documenT, or from The use

of The informaTion conTained herein. dura micro, inc. reserves The righT To make changes or revi-
sions in The producT design or The producT manual wiThouT reservaTion and wiThouT obligaTion To
noTify any person of such revisions and changes.

Federal co mmUnicationS com miSSion (Fcc)

radio frequency inTerference sTaTemenT
This equipmenT has been TesTed and found To comply wiTh The limiTs for a class b digiTal device,

pursuanT To parT 15 of The fcc rules.

canada compliance sTaTemenT

This class a di giTal apparaTus meeTs all requirem enTs of The canadian inTer ference-causing
equipmenT regul aTions.

92