Medion External hard disk User Manual

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Copyright © 2004
All rights reserved.

This manual is protected by Copyright.

The Copyright is owned by Medion®.
Trademarks:

MS-DOS
Pentium

Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

We reserve the right to make technical changes.

®

and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft®.

®

is a registered trademark of Intel®.

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Contents:

Safety and installation.................................................. 3

Cleaning ..................................................................... 4

Data security ............................................................ 4

Introduction .................................................................. 5

What’s included ........................................................... 5

System requirements ................................................... 5

Setting up ..................................................................... 6

Connecting the cables .................................................. 6

Turning on the hard disk............................................... 7

Installing the hard disk................................................. 7

Before you install your hard disk ... ............................. 7

Partitioning programs ................................................ 8

Partitioning the drive ................................................. 8

Formatting the drive .................................................. 8

Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32..................... 9

Deleting hard disks from the system .............................12

Customer service ..........................................................13

Troubleshooting .......................................................14

Do you require additional support? .............................15

WARRANTY ..................................................................16

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SAFETY AND INSTALLATION

Please read this chapter carefully and observe all listed
notes. This will ensure reliable operation and long life expec­tancy of your product. Keep these instructions with your
product at all times. The proper set up, use and care can
help extend the life of your product. In the event that you
transfer ownership of this product, please provide these in­structions to the new owner.

Changing the hard disk must only be performed by a person

who is experienced in repairing and upgrading PCs.

Should you not possess the necessary qualifications, call

in a technician.

Hard disks are extremely fragile. Never drop or shake the hard

drive - this could irreversibly damage the data on the hard disk.
Be especially careful when transporting the hard disk. We
provide no guarantee for this type of damage.

Follow the user guide for your PC.
Only use the hard disk with the original power supply unit.

The socket must be located near the equipment and be easy
to reach. If the power adapter plug is pulled out, the exter­nal hard disk will be disconnected from the mains.

Do not insert any objects through the slits and openings

into the interior of the hard disk. This could lead to a

short circuit or even cause a fire.

Never open the hard disk casing. If you do so, the hard disk

will no longer be covered by the guarantee.

Do not let children play unattended with electrical de-

vices. Children cannot always recognize the possible danger.

The hard disk is not designed for use in commercial applica-

tions/situations.

After transportation, wait until the equipment is at room

temperature before turning it on. If there is a large differ­ence in temperature or humidity, damp can build up through
condensation and cause an electrical short circuit.

In order to avoid damage from a fall, place the hard disk on a

stable and level surface which does not vibrate.

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Keep your hard disk and all connected equipment away from

damp and avoid dust, heat and direct sunlight in order to
prevent operational problems.

The slits and openings in the hard disk are for air circulation.

Do not cover these openings, as this could lead to overheating.

For additional safety, we recommend using power connection

through a power surge protection unit in order to protect your
equipment from power surges and lightning strikes.

The voltages and interfaces used in the equipment are in line

with the low voltage protection guidelines set out in
EN60950. Connections to other equipment may only be
made using similar interfaces with low voltage protection in
accordance with EN 60950.

Please use our Service Center if you have any technical prob-

lems with your hard disk. If repairs are needed, please use
exclusively our authorised service partners.

ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

On connecting the hard disk, you must keep to the guidelines

for electromagnetic compatibility.

Make sure that it is located at least one meter away from

sources of high frequency and magnetic disturbance (TVs,
speakers, mobile telephones, etc. ) in order to avoid opera­tional problems and data loss.

CLEANING

As a rule, it is not necessary to clean the equipment. Before cleaning,
always pull out the plug and all connection cables.

Caution! This equipment does not include any parts that

need servicing or cleaning.

Make sure that the hard disk casing does not get dirty. Do not

use any solvents, corrosive or gaseous cleaning products.

DATA SECURITY

Every time you update your data make back-up copies on an
external storage medium. MEDION does not assume liability
for data loss or damage to data storage units, and no claims
can be accepted for damages resulting from the loss of data
or consequential losses.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

Please check to ensure that your product is complete and inform
us within 14 days of purchase if anything is missing. The follow­ing should be included with the hard drive:

External 3.5” hard disk in compact casing

USB 2.0/1.1 connection cable

IEEE 1394 (FireWire/iLink) connection cable

Power supply unit

User guide, guarantee documents

Driver software for Windows® 98SE

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Computer

Processor

Operating system

Working memory

Connection

PC/AT compatible computer

Pentium class above 200 MHz

Windows® 98SE/2000/ME/XP

32 MB or more

USB or IEEE1394 interface

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CONNECTING THE CABLES

You can connect the external hard disk to your computer
using a free USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port. If your com­puter supports USB 2.0, it does not make a big difference if
you connect the hard disk using a USB or IEEE1394. The
speed of transmission is more or less the same for both sys­tems.
You can also connect the hard disk to computers with a USB

1.1 port. The speed of transmission is then somewhat slower.

(approximate diagram) n o p q

n Connection for USB 1.1/2.0

o Connection for IEEE 1394 (FireWire,iLink, 4 pole)

ON/OFF

p Connection for IEEE 1394 (FireWire,iLink)

q Connection for power adapter

®

1. Start your computer and wait until Windows

fully loaded.

2. Connect the desired data connection cable to the corre-

sponding connection (n, o or p) on your external hard
disk.

3. Connect the other end of the connection cable to your

computer.

4. Now connect the power adaptor to a socket that can

easily be reached. Plug the power adaptor plug into the
corresponding socket (q) in the hard disk.

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has been

TURNING ON THE HARD DISK

1. Push the on/off button on the back of

the hard disk. The LED display turns
orange as soon as the hard disk is
turned on. The LED display turns green
when the hard disk is ready.

®

2. With Windows

ME/2000/XP the hard
disk is now automatically recognised
and connected.

®

If you have Windows

98SE, you will need to
use the included data media with the driver
on. Insert this in order to install the required
driver and follow the instructions on the
screen.

INSTALLING THE HARD DISK

 CAUTION! Partitioning or formatting a disk drive

deletes data. We assume no responsibility for lost
data.

BEFORE YOU INSTALL YOUR HARD DISK ...

We would like to remind you once again that when installing
the new hard disk some programs are used that could cause
your data to be irreversibly lost if used incorrectly.

 Make a backup of all your data and check that the

recovery procedure works.

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PARTITIONING PROGRAMS

With Windows® 2000/XP use the data media management
help program in order to install the hard disk. You can find
the program in the computer management.

With some operating systems you must have administration
rights to install a hard disk.

®

With Windows

98SE/ME the hard disk is installed with the
DOS program FDISK. Look under help in Windows for de­tailed information on using this program.

PARTITIONING THE DRIVE

Partitioning a drive divides the space into different areas
which can be accessed as separate logic drives (with letters
C:, D:, E: etc.). Read the operating system manual to find
out to partition hard drives.

FORMATTING THE DRIVE

In order to remove data from the hard disk, the partitions
must be formatted.

 CAUTION! You must be totally sure about which

drive letter to enter so that you don’t format a drive
that contains data you wish to keep.

You can carry out the partitioning using Windows® Explorer
(right click on the drive and select format).
Read which formatting options you have in the next section.

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CHOOSING BETWEEN NTFS, FAT, AND FAT32

When you use Windows XP and Windows 2000 you can
choose between three file systems for disk partitions: NTFS,
FAT, and FAT32. Use the information below to compare the
file systems. NTFS is the recommended file system for the
following reasons:

NTFS is more powerful than FAT or FAT32, and includes fea­tures required for hosting Active Directory as well as other
important security features. You can use features such as
Active Directory and domain-based security only by choosing
NTFS as your file system.
It is easy to convert partitions to NTFS. The Setup program
makes conversion easy, whether your partitions used FAT,
FAT32, or the older version of NTFS. This kind of conversion
keeps your files intact (unlike formatting a partition). If you
do not need to keep your files intact and you have a FAT or
FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you format the parti­tion with NTFS rather than convert from FAT or FAT32. For­matting a partition erases all data on the partition and allows
you to start with a clean drive.
Whether a partition is formatted with NTFS or converted us­ing the convert command, NTFS is the better choice of file
system. (For more information about Convert.exe, after
completing Setup, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then
press ENTER. In the command window, type help convert
and then press ENTER.)
In order to maintain access control on files and folders and
support limited accounts, you must use NTFS. If you use
FAT32, all users will have access to all files on your hard
drive, regardless of their account type (administrator, lim­ited, or standard.)
NTFS is the file system that works best with large disks. (The
next best file system for large disks is FAT32.)
There is one situation in which you might want to choose FAT
or FAT32 as your file system. If it is necessary to have a
computer that will sometimes run an earlier version of Win­dows and other times run Windows XP, you will need to have

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a FAT or FAT32 partition as the primary (or startup) partition
on the hard disk. Most earlier versions of Windows cannot
access a partition if it uses the latest version of NTFS. The
two exceptions are Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 with
Service Pack 4 or later. Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4
or later has access to partitions with the latest version of
NTFS, but with some limitations: It cannot access files that
have been stored using NTFS features that did not exist
when Windows NT 4.0 was released.

For anything other than a situation with multiple operating
systems, however, the recommended file system is NTFS.

 Important: Once you convert a drive or partition

to NTFS, you cannot simply convert it back to FAT
or FAT32. You will need to reformat the drive or
partition which will erase all data including programs
and personal files on the partition.

The following table describes the compatibility of each file
system with various operating systems.

NTFS FAT FAT32

A computer running
Windows XP or Windows
2000 can access files on
an NTFS partition. A
computer running Win­dows NT 4.0 with Ser­vice Pack 4 or later
might be able to access
some files. Other operat­ing systems allow no
access.

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Access is avail­able through
MS-DOS, all
versions of Win­dows, Windows
NT, Windows
2000, Windows
XP, and OS/2.

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Access is avail­able only
through Win­dows 95 OSR2,
Windows 98,
Windows Millen­nium Edition,
Windows 2000,
and Windows XP.

The following table compares disk and file sizes possible with
each file system.

NTFS FAT FAT32

Recommended
minimum volume
size is approxi­mately 10 mega­bytes (MB). Vol­umes much larger
than 2 terabytes
(TB) are possible.
Cannot be used on

Volumes from size
up to 4 gigabytes
(GB). Does not
support domains.

Volumes from 512
MB to 2 TB. In Win­dows XP, you can
format a FAT32
volume up to 32 GB
only. Does not sup­port domains.

floppy disks.
File size limited

only by size of vol­ume.

Maximum file size is
2 GB.

Maximum file size is
4 GB.

 Note: Some older programs may not run on an

NTFS volume, so you should research the current
requirements for your software before converting.

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DELETING HARD DISKS FROM THE SYSTEM

Depending on the operating system, the external hard disk
must be disconnected before it can be deleted. This is usually
the case for Windows 2000. Read how this works in the help
files of your operating system.

1. Disconnect the hard disk from the operating system if

necessary.

2. Press the on/off button on the hard disk.

3. Now pull out the plug and disconnect all the connection

cables from the external hard disk.

 Caution: While accessing the hard disk, the hard

disk must not be deleted or turned off. This can lead
to data loss.

 You can see that data is being transmitted when the

LED display flashes orange. When the LED dis­play is green, no data is being transmitted. How­ever, you should make sure that all files that you
have opened from the hard disk (documents, etc.)
have been closed again before you delete or turn off
the hard disk.

 When the hard disk is turned off, the plug can be

pulled out of the socket so it does not consume

any electricity.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE:

1. a stable, trouble-free computer

2. a correctly installed operating system

3. cables correctly attached to the hard disk

4. regular execution of the Windows

scandisk programs to remove sources of error and in­crease the system performance.

Defragmenting your hard drive can take some time (several
hours even on a fast PC), and you cannot use your PC during
this time. It's advised that you leave your PC defragmenting
over night. To defragment your drive in Windows 2000/XP:

1. Close down all applications and disable your virus

scanner if possible. Also switch turn off any
screensavers.

2. Click Start and then Programs->Accessories->System

Tools->Disk Defragmenter

3. Select a drive an click Analyze.

4. Defragment if it is recommended.

ScanDisk is not present in Windows XP. Instead, use Check
Disk. To start Check Disk:

1. Open My Computer, right-click a drive, and then click

Properties.

2. On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check

Now
Sometimes Defragmenter or Scandisk works on 10% or 30%
of a hard drive and then hangs. This is usually caused by
Windows programs running in the background. If this hap­pens, you can prevent force Windows to not run automatic
background programs. To run ScanDisk/Defrag successfully:

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defragmenter and

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1. Go to Start->Run and type msconfig in the Open:

box.

2. On the General tab, uncheck all items listed under Se-

lective startup (make sure that Selective startup
is selected).

3. Hit apply and OK and restart Windows. This starts

Windows with only the basics running; Insures noth­ing will interfere with ScanDisk and Defragmenter.

4. Run ScanDisk and Defrag.

5. Go to Start->Run and type msconfig in the Open:

box. Select Normal Startup.

6. Restart Windows.

TROUBLESHOOTING

PROBLEM: Windows stops responding when I disconnect the
external hard drive.
ANSWER: This may occur because Windows is trying to ac­cess a file that is on external hard drvie. Make sure that none
of the files on the disk are open when you unplug the drive.
Be sure to stop the drive before disconnecting the power or
adapter cable to prevent any data loss.

PROBLEM: The drive is not recognized by my computer.
ANSWER: Restart your computer.

PROBLEM: The hard drive does not seem to have as much
storage capacity as I allocated.
ANSWER: Check that your operating system and file system
support the desired amount.

PROBLEM: ScanDisk reports an unrecoverable error.
ANSWER: The Scandisk program tests drives for errors. If
ScanDisk finds a problem and is unable to fix it, there may
be a problem with the hard disk

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DO YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT?

If the suggestions in the previous section have not solved
your problem, please contact the hotline. We will try and help
you over the telephone. However, before you contact your
nearest MEDION Technology Centre, please have the follow­ing information available:

- How is your computer configured?

- What additional peripherals do you use?

- What messages, if any, appear on your screen?

- What software were you using when the error occurred?

- What steps have you already undertaken to solve the

problem?

- If you have already been given a customer number,

please have this available.

For fast answers to common questions, visit us online at
www.medion.com. You can find FAQs and Knowledge Base
articles, or email customer support.

You can also reach us at our toll-free telephone number:
1-866-633-4660

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WWAARRRRAANNTTYY

MEDION warrants to our customers that this product is free from defects in
materials and workmanship as follows: for a period of one (1) year from the
date of original purchase, defective parts or a defective product returned to
a MEDION repair facility or a MEDION Authorized Service Center ("ASC") for
such product, as applicable, and proven to be defective upon inspection, will
be exchanged for new or comparable rebuilt parts, or a refurbished product,
as determined by the MEDION repair facility or the ASC.

Limited warranty repair or replacement shall not extend the original limited
warranty period of the defective product. This limited warranty does not
cover any supplies or accessories.

EXCLUSIONS: this limited warranty does not apply, and you will have no
remedy hereunder with respect to (a) products that have been modified,
opened, repaired or otherwise altered, except by MEDION or an ASC, (b)
products that have been damaged or destroyed after delivery to the cus­tomer, (c) any third party software, interfaces, parts, supplies, peripherals
or other products or any defects resulting from use of the product in connec­tion with such third party products, (d) defects resulting from improper or
inadequate maintenance, calibration or site preparation, (e) defects resulting
from any misuse, abuse, accident, neglect, negligence or any use other than
in accordance with the handling or operating instructions provided by
MEDION, (f) defects resulting from exposure to unusual physical or electrical
stress or from any operation other than in accordance with the published
environmental specifications for the product.

TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, THE ABOVE
WARRANTIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND NO OTHER WARRANTY OR CONDITION,
WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AND MEDION
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE AND NO IMPLIED WARRANTY APPLIES TO THE PRODUCT AFTER
THE APPLICABLE PERIOD OF THE EXPRESS LIMITED WARRANTY STATED
ABOVE. Some countries, states or provinces do not allow exclusions or limi­tations on the duration of an implied warranty, so the above limitation or
exclusion might not apply to you. This limited warranty gives you specific
legal rights and you might also have other rights that vary from country to
country, state to state, or province to province.

MEDION´s limited warranty is valid in any country or locality where MEDION
has a support presence for this product and where MEDION has marketed
this product. The level of warranty service you receive may vary according

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to local standards. MEDION will not alter form, fit or function of the product
to make it operate in a country for which it was never intended to function.

TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, THE REMEDIES IN
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY STATEMENT ARE YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE
REMEDIES. EXCEPT AS INDICATED ABOVE, IN NO EVENT WILL MEDION OR
ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OF DATA OR FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL (INCLUDING LOST PROFIT OR DATA), OR
OTHER DAMAGE, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL RECOVERY OF ANY KIND AGAINST MEDION BE
GREATER IN AMOUNT THAN THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCT SOLD
BY MEDION WHICH CAUSED THE ALLEGED DAMAGE. WITHOUT LIMITING
THE FOREGOING, YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND LIABILITY FOR LOSS,
DAMAGE OR INJURY TO YOU AND YOUR PROPERTY AND TO OTHERS AND
THEIR PROPERTY ARISING OUT OF USE OR MISUSE OF, OR INABILITY TO
USE THE PRODUCT NOT CAUSED DIRECTLY BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF
MEDION. Some countries, states or provinces do not allow the exclusion or
limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or
exclusion may not apply to you.

THE WARRANTY TERMS CONTAINED IN THIS STATEMENT, EXCEPT AS
LAWFULLY PERMITTED, DO NOT EXCLUDE, RESTRICT OR MODIFY AND ARE
IN ADDITION TO THE MANDATORY STATUTORY RIGHTS APPLICABLE TO THE
SALE OF THIS PRODUCT TO YOU.

Please note the following:
Be sure to keep your purchase receipt in a safe place. MEDION, at its option,
may require a copy of the receipt to validate the warranty period effective
date (i.e. date of purchase). Warranty liability only applies to material or
factory faults. It does not apply to damage due to breakage, for example, a
crack in the housing. Our service includes unit exchange or send-in repair:

Unit Exchange
In locations where Unit Exchange is available, MEDION will send you a re­placement product. You must return the defective product to MEDION (using
the shipping carton that the new one came in.)

Send-In Repairs
In locations where Send-In Repair Service is available, repair service can be
obtained by shipping your product to the MEDION Repair Center. The prod­uct will be repaired and returned to you.

For either Unit Exchange or Send-In Repairs, you must have an authorized
RMA number from Medion support before shipping your defective product.

Replacement products may be either new or equivalent in performance to
new. MEDION replacement or repaired products may contain remanufac-

WWAARRRRAANNTTYY

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tured parts equivalent to new in performance or may have been subject to
incidental use.

Out-of-Warranty Support
In addition to providing free technical support during the warranty period,
MEDION is also available to support your product after the warranty period
has ended. This out-of-warranty support will be provided on a fee basis.

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