Lacie LITTLE BIG DISK User Manual
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
Table of Contents
page 1
Table of Contents
Foreword 3
Health & Safety Precautions 5
1. Introduction 6
1.1. What Your LaCie Little Big Disk Can Do 6
2. Your LaCie Little Big Disk 7
2.1. Minimum System Requirements 7
2.2. Package Contents And Views Of The Drive 8
2.2.1. Package Contents 8
2.2.2. Rear View Of The Drive 9
2.3. Cables And Connectors 10
2.3.1. FireWire connections 10
2.3.2. USB 2.0 connection 12
2.3.3. Optional A/C Adaptor Kit 13
3. Installing Your LaCie Drive 14
3.1. Connect the Little Big Disk to Your Computer 16
3.2. Disconnecting Your LaCie Drive 17
3.3. Switching FireWire and USB Connections 18
4. Using Your LaCie Drive 19
4.1. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie Little Big Disk Drive with Triple Interface 20
4.1.1. Mac Users 20
4.1.2. Windows Users 22
4.2. Installing Multiple Devices 24
4.2.1. FireWire 24
4.2.2. USB 25
5. Tech Tips 26
5.1. File System Formats 26
5.1.1. Mac Users 26
5.1.2. Windows Users 27
5.2. Available Storage Capacity 29
5.3. Optimizing Data Transfers 29
5.3.1. FireWire 800 Ports And Performance 30
5.3.2. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Ports And Performance 31
5.4. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 vs. FireWire 800 32
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
6. FireWire Questions & Answers 33
7. USB Questions & Answers 36
8. Troubleshooting 37
8.1. Mac Users 37
8.2. Windows Users 42
9. Contacting Customer Support 45
10. Warranty 47
Table of Contents
page 2
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
Copyrights
Copyright © 2006 LaCie. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written consent of LaCie.
Trademarks
Apple, Mac, Macintosh and FireWire are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft, Windows 98, Windows
98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Sony and iLink are registered trademarks of Sony Electronics. Other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the property
of their respective owners.
Changes
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, LaCie assumes no liability resulting from errors or
omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. LaCie reserves the right to make changes
or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of
such revisions and changes.
Foreward
page 3
FCC Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following conditions:
1. The devices may not cause harmful interference
2. The devices must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
CAUTION: Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.
NOTE: 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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct the
LaCie Little Big Disk
Tested To Comply
With FCC standards
FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Modifications to this product not authorized by LaCie could void the FCC & Industry Canada regulations and negate your
authority to operate the product.
Canada Compliance Statement
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Manufacturer’s Declaration for CE Certification
We, LaCie, solemnly declare that this product conforms to the following European standards:
Class B EN60950, EN55022, EN50082-1, EN61000-3-2
Foreward
page 4
With reference to the following conditions:
73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive
89/336/EEC EMC Directive
This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product must not be disposed of with your
other household waste. Instead, it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to
a designed collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The separate collection
and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help to conserve natural resources and ensure
that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment. For more information about
where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city office, your household
waste disposal service, or the shop where you purchased the product.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
Health & Safety Precautions
page 5
Health & Safety Precautions
Only qualified persons are authorized to carry out maintenance on this device.
• Read this User’s Guide carefully, and follow the correct procedure when setting up the device.
• Do not open your hard drive or attempt to disassemble or modify it. Never insert any metallic object into the drive to
avoid any risk of electrical shock, fire, short-circuiting or dangerous emissions. Your hard drive contains no user-serviceable parts. If it appears to be malfunctioning, have it inspected by a qualified LaCie Technical Support representative.
• Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water, or in damp or wet conditions. Never place objects containing
liquids on the drive, as they may spill into its openings. Doing so increases the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire
or personal injury.
General Use Precautions
• Do not expose the hard drive to temperatures outside the range of 5° C to 35° C (41° F to 95° F) in operating mode.
Doing so may damage the drive or disfigure its casing. Avoid placing your drive near a source of heat or exposing it to
sunlight (even through a window). Inversely, placing your drive in an environment that is too cold or humid may damage
the unit.
• Always unplug the hard drive from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended
period of time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting or fire.
• Do not use the hard drive near other electrical appliances such as televisions, radios or speakers. Doing so may cause
interference which will adversely affect the operation of the other products.
• Do not place the drive near sources of magnetic interference, such as computer displays, televisions or speakers. Magnetic
interference can affect the operation and stability of your hard drive.
• Do not place heavy objects on top of the drive or use excessive force on it.
• Never use excessive force on your drive. If you detect a problem, consult the “Troubleshooting” section in this manual.
• Protect your hard drive from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of damage or malfunction.
• Never use benzene, paint thinners, detergent or other chemical products to clean the outside of the drive. Such products
will disfigure and discolor the casing. Instead, use a soft, dry cloth to wipe the device.
• LaCie does not recommend stacking several Little Big Disks on each other, or stacking the LaCie Little Big Disk with other
heat-emitting devices.
• Please use only the LaCie AC adapter kit provided with this product and no other power adapter model. Vice-versa,
please use only the LaCie Little Big Disk power adapter with the LaCie Little Big Disk, and not with any other device.
CAUTION: The drive’s warranty may be void as a result of the failure to respect the precautions listed above.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
1. Introduction
Thank you for the purchase of your new LaCie Little Big Disk with
Triple Interface. This triple interface hard drive system combines
portability with compatibility, convenience and a generous storage
capacity to help you manage your data. Your LaCie external hard
drive system is cross-platform, which enables you to use it on both
Macs and PCs; it can be connected via FireWire 800, FireWire, or
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces; and you can customize the format and
partitions of your LaCie drive to match your exact needs.
LaCie’s Little Big Disk is ideally suited for a wide range of high-end,
high-traffic environments, including:
• Digital content creation
• Professional data exchange
• Video on the go
Introduction
page 6
This plug and play drive boasts a triple interface, ensuring you can
connect the drive everywhere.
1.1. What Your LaCie Little Big Disk Can Do
• High-performance storage
• Easy plug-and-play installation on PC or Mac
• Built-in RAID 0 storage configuration for professional FireWire
800 Extreme performance
IMPORTANT INFO: Any loss, corruption or destruction of data while using a LaCie drive is the sole responsibility
of the user, and under no circumstances will LaCie be held liable for the recovery or restoration of this data. To help
prevent the loss of your data, LaCie highly recommends that you keep TWO copies of your data; one copy on your
external hard drive, for instance, and a second copy either on your internal hard drive, another external hard drive
or some other form of removable storage media, such as CD, DVD or Tape. LaCie offers a complete line of CD, DVD
and Tape drives, and if you would like more information on backup, please refer to the LaCie white paper on backup
methods and technology.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
2. Your LaCie Little Big Disk
2.1. Minimum System Requirements
Mac Users PC Users
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 7
FireWire 800
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 800:
• G4 with a FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b interface card
System Requirements for FireWire 800:
• OS 10.x or higher
FireWire
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 400:
• G3 or greater, with FireWire 400/IEEE 1394a inter-
face card
System Requirements for FireWire 400:
• OS 9.x (Apple FireWire support 2.3.3 and greater)
and 10.x
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Hardware Requirements for USB:
• G3 or greater, with USB 2.0 or 1.1 interface card
System Requirements for USB:
• OS 9.x and 10.x (Apple USB support 1.3.5 and
greater)
FireWire 800
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 800:
• Pentium III or higher compatible processor, with a
FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b interface card
• 128MB RAM or higher
System Requirements for FireWire 800:
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP
FireWire/IEEE 1394
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 400:
• Intel Pentium II 350 MHz or higher -compatible processor, with a FireWire/IEEE 1394 interface card (SBP-2
compatible) that supports mass storage devices.
• 128MB RAM or greater
System Requirements for FireWire 400:
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Hardware Requirements for USB:
• Pentium II or higher -compatible processor, with a USB
2.0 or 1.1 interface card
• 128MB RAM or greater
System Requirements for USB:
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP
LaCie Little Big Disk
MOBIL E HAR D DRI VE
STORAGE UTILITIES
(Windows and Ma c OS comp atible)
LaCie User’s Manua l
LaCie ‘1-Click’ Backup Software (Windows XP/2000, Mac OS 10.x)
Silverkeeper backup software (Mac OS 9 & 10.x)
Silverlining Pro Utilities (Mac OS 9)
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User Manual
2.2. Package Contents and Views of the Drive
2.2.1. Package Contents
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 8
1
LaCie Little Big Disk with Triple Interface
2
FireWire 800 9-to-9-pin Cable
3
FireWire 400 6-to-6-pin Cable
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Cable
4
A/C Power Adaptor Kit (includes A/C
5
adaptor and local power adaptor)
LaCie Storage Utilities CD-ROM
6
1
3
5
2
4
6
IMPORTANT INFO: Please keep your box. In the event that the drive should need to be repaired or serviced, it must
be returned in its original packaging.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
2.2.2. Rear View of the Drive
A/C Power Adaptor port - This is
1
where you plug in the A/C Power
Adaptor Cable. For more information, see section 2.3.3. Optional A/C
adaptor kit.
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 9
FireWire 800 Ports (2) - This is where
2
you plug in the FireWire 800 cable
furnished with the drive. See section
2.3.1. FireWire Connections for more
information.
FireWire 400 Port - This is where
3
you plug in the FireWire 400 cable
furnished with the drive. See section
2.3.1. FireWire Connections for more
information.
4
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Port - This is where
you plug in the Hi-Speed USB 2.0
cable furnished with the drive. See
section 2.3.2. USB 2.0 connection for
more information.
5
KensingtonTM Security Lock Port - This
is where you would attach a KensingtonTM security lock (sold separately).
1
2
3
4
5
LaCie Little Big Disk
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
2.3. Cables and Connectors
IMPORTANT INFO: If you choose to interface your LaCie Little Big Disk via a USB 2.0 connection, you will need to
connect the power adaptor (see chapter 2.3.3. Optional A/C adaptor kit for more information). FireWire connections provide enough energy to run the drive without the power adaptor.
2.3.1. FireWire
FireWire 400, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-speed serial
input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a
computer or to each other, and FireWire 800 is the implementation
of the new IEEE 1394b standard.
Pushing the speed barrier to new limits, FireWire 800 offers increased bandwidth and extended cabling distance between devices.
FireWire 800 is ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications, such as
audio, video and graphics. Benefits of FireWire 800 include:
• Resourceful architecture: FireWire 800 reduces delays in arbitration and signal distortion, and increases throughput.
• Backwards compatibility: adapter cables allow FireWire 400
devices to operate under the FireWire 800 port.
FireWire Icons
Theses icons will help you easily identify
the FireWire interface. They appear on
FireWire cables, and next to the FireWire
port connectors on certain computers.
FireWire Icon
page 10
FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 also share the following features:
• Hot-pluggable: devices can be added and removed while the bus
is active.
• Isochronous data delivery: no dropped frames – FireWire supports real-time data delivery.
• Flexible: up to 63 devices can be connected on a single bus.
Please see 6. FireWire questions and answers for a more detailed
discussion of FireWire’s uses and capabilities.
iLink Icon
DV Icon
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
FireWire Cables
There are two categories of FireWire cables on the market: FireWire 800 cables, which feature the 9-to-9-pin, 9-to-6-pin,
and 9-to-4-pin cables; and the original FireWire cables which feature the 6-to-6-pin and 6-to-4-pin cables.
9-to-9-pin cable: Connects FireWire 800 devices to
FireWire 800 ports.
6-to-6-pin cable: Connects FireWire 400 devices to
FireWire 400 ports.
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 11
6-to-4-pin cable: Connects FireWire 400 devices to
iLink/DV ports.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
2.3.2. USB
USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral
devices to a computer or to each other. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 is the
latest implementation of this standard, and it provides the necessary
bandwidth and data transfer rates to support high-speed devices
such as hard drives, CD/DVD drives and digital cameras.
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 12
USB Icons
These icons will help you easily identify
the USB interfaces. They appear on USB
cables and next to the USB port connectors
on certain computers.
Benefits of the USB standard include:
• Backwards compatibility: Hi-Speed USB 2.0 works with the original USB specifications.
• Hot-swappable: no need to shut down or restart your computer
when adding or removing devices.
Please see 7. USB questions and answers for a more detailed discussion of USB’s uses and capabilities.
USB Cables
Your LaCie drive is shipped with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, to ensure maximum data transfer performance when connected
to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The cable will also work when connected to a USB port, but drive performance will be limited
to USB 1.1 transfer rates.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable: Connects USB devices to
USB ports.
USB 2.0 Icon
USB 1.1 Icon
IMPORTANT INFO: If you choose to interface your LaCie Little Big Disk via a USB 2.0 connection, you will need to
connect the power adaptor (see chapter 2.3.3. Optional A/C adaptor kit for more information). FireWire connections provide enough energy to run the drive without the power adaptor.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
Your LaCie Little Big Disk
page 13
2.3.3. Optional A/C Adaptor Kit
If you choose to interface with your LaCie Little Big Disk via a USB 2.0 connection, you must also connect the included A/C
adaptor kit, as the Little Big Disk is not USB bus powered.
A
B
Local power adaptor
A
A/C adaptor
B
IMPORTANT INFO: FireWire connections do not require this AC adapter connection, as long as your computer
includes bus-powered FireWire ports.
IMPORTANT INFO: The use of the AC adapter is recommended when “daisy-chaining” several devices on the same
FireWire bus.
LaCie Little Big Disk
User Manual
Setting Up Your LaCie Drive
page 14
3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
Getting your LaCie Little Big Disk installed and connected as simple as connecting an interface cable to the drive and to a
computer. There are three interface connectivity options when connecting your LaCie Little Big Disk with Triple Interface to
your computer: FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and Hi-Speed USB 2.0.
The Little Big Disk is plug & play for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Mac OS X. If you’re using one of those operating
systems, move ahead to section 3.1. Connect the Little Big Disk to your computer.
IMPORTANT INFO: This LaCie drive is preformatted in HFS+ is immediately compatible with Mac OS 9.x and Mac
OS 10.x. For use with Windows, cross-platform use between Mac and Windows and for more information about reformatting, please see the following sections for more information: 4.1. Formatting and partitioning your LaCie Little
Big Disk with triple interface and 5.1. File system formats.
Mac OS 9.x users: You must install Silverlining Pro software. For details see the following pages for installation steps.
You can not have the FireWire and USB interfaces connected at the same time! If you will be switching between interfaces, you must also follow the steps in section 3.3. Switching FireWire and USB connections.
TECHNICAL NOTE: To connect additional devices, you must be using the same interface, either FireWire or USB,
and a hub if you are using USB. Your computer will not recognize the daisy-chained device if the interfaces are mixed,
i.e. a FireWire device attached to a drive that is connected to the computer via the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface.
LaCie Little Big Disk
Setting Up Your LaCie Drive
User Manual
Mac OS 9.x
To use your new LaCie Little Big Disk with Triple Interface, first install the necessary driver software.
Silverlining Pro Installation
1. Insert the LaCie Storage Utilities CD in your computer’s internal
CD/DVD drive.
2. Open the CD icon, double-click the Silverlining Software folder and
double-click on the Silverlining Installer (fig. A).
3. The Silverlining Utilities screen appears. Click Continue.
4. The About to Install screen appears. Read the following information
and click Continue.
5. The License Agreement screen appears. Click Agree.
page 15
6. The Installation screen appears.
7. Leave the installation setting at Easy Install unless you want to customize the installation process.
8. Click Install.
9. A message appears to confirm that the installation was successful.
10. Click on Restart to use your FireWire or USB peripheral immediately.
Now you are ready to move to the next step, Connecting the Little Big Disk
to your computer.
Fig. A
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