OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini Assembly Manual

Mercury Elite Pro mini

ASSEMBLY MANUAL & USER GUIDE

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................1

1.1 MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1.1.1 Mac® Requirements

1.1.2 PC Requirements

1.2 PACKAGE CONTENTS

1.3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL

1.4 REAR VIEW

1.4.1 Rear Features

2. DEVICE SETUP ......................................................................................... 4

2.1 QUICK START

2.2 ASSEMBLY

3. APPENDIX ................................................................................................. 8

3.1 FORMATTING

3.2 UNMOUNTING DRIVES

3.3 TROUBLESHOOTING

3.4 ABOUT DATA BACKUP

3.5 ONLINE RESOURCES

3.6 TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

INTRODUCTION

1

1.2 PACKAGE CONTENTS

*FireWire 800 cable included only with models that include FireWire 800 ports.
** eSATA cable included only with modles that include eSATA ports.

Not Pictured: Inside the Mercury Elite Pro mini is a bag of four Phillips screws.

1.3 ABOUT THIS MANUAL

Firmware, images, and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit
shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. Please
visit the product webpage for the most recent specifications.

INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 Mac® Requirements

• FireWire: OS X® 10.2 or later

• USB 3.0: OS X 10.3 or later*

• eSATA: OS X 10.3 or later

1.1.2 PC Requirements

• FireWire: Windows® XP SP2 or later

• USB 3.0: Windows XP SP2 or later*

• eSATA: Windows XP SP2 or later

1.1 MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

FireWire 800 (1394b)

9-9 pin cable*

Mercury Elite Pro mini USB 3.0 cable

(Standard-A to Micro-B)

eSATA Cable**

*USB 3.0 ports are backward compatible with USB 2.0 connections.

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

INTRODUCTION

2

1.4 REAR VIEW

The Mercury Elite Pro mini comes in three port configurations:

USB 3.0

USB 3.0 / Firewire 800

USB 3.0 / eSATA

1.4.1 Rear Features

1. USB 3.0 port — Attach the included USB 3.0 (Standard-A to Micro-B) cable here.

2. FireWire 800 ports — Attach the included FireWire 800 cable here. Use the other

FireWire 800 port to daisy-chain other FireWire 800 devices. NOTE: Any device daisy­chained device must use its own power supply. The Mercury Elite Pro mini cannot
bus-power other devices.

3. eSATA p or t — Attach the included eSATA cable here. NOTE: The connector is keyed
to use one specific orientation. If the connector does not go in smoothly, do not force
it. Flip it over and re-insert it in the port.

4. On/o switch — Turn on and off the Mercury Elite Pro mini here.

5. Power input — Connect the optional 5V power adapter here (sold separately).

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OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

INTRODUCTION

3

IMPORTANT:

• The Mercury Elite Pro mini is designed to receive all needed power
through the USB or FireWire cable, therefore a separate power adapter is
not necessary and not included. For the few situations in which external
power may be necessary, an optional 5V power adapter is available at:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/owc/motgpwr/

• If the Mercury Elite Pro mini is daisy-chained to another FireWire device
instead of being connected directly to a computer, you must use the
optional 5V power adapter. Attempting to bus-power the Mercury Elite
Pro mini using the FireWire port of another device could cause damage
to one or both devices and should not be attempted.

• Even when the optional v5V power adapter is not connected, the on/
off switch must be in the “on” position to use the Mercury Elite Pro mini.

• Only one interface (USB, FireWire, or eSATA) at a time can be used.

• For the safe removal of your drive and to assure that no data is lost, always
eject or unmount the drive from your OS before powering off.

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

DEVICE SETUP

4

DEVICE SETUP

2.1 QUICK START

If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro mini as an empty enclosure, proceed to Section

2.2 - Assembly. If you purchased the device with drives already installed, the OWC Drive

Guide formatting utility has been installed on your Mercury Elite Pro mini. Follow the
steps below to use the OWC Drive Guide to format your device for Mac (OS X 10.4 and
later) or Windows (XP and later).

1. Plug in your drive, then connect your drive to your computer using the proper cable.
If you prefer to use a different formatting utility, do so at this time and skip the rest of
these instructions.

2. Your drive will show up as “OWC SETUP”. Open your drive to view its contents.

3. Double-click the OWC Drive Guide application.

4. Follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the formatting process.

5. Once the formatting is finished the drive is ready to use.

2.2 ASSEMBLY

The Mercury Elite Pro mini comes in three configurations, as shown in Section 1.4: either
a single USB 3.0 port, one USB 3.0 port and two FireWire 800 ports, or one USB 3.0 port
and one eSATA port. The pictures in the following assembly instructions show the model
with a single USB 3.0 port, but the process is exactly the same for all three models.

NOTICE ! If your Mercury Elite Pro mini was purchased with a drive already installed,

opening the case will void your warranty. Once the warranty period expires, if you
would like to open the case at that time, you may do so.

1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws at the rear of the enclosure (circled
below in red).

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

DEVICE SETUP

5

2. Tilt the Mercury Elite Pro mini up at the front to allow the back plate to fall free, as
shown below. If the back plate does not immediately fall free, you can push gently on
the on/off switch to disengage the ports from the back plate and allow it to come off.

3. Gently push on the inner chassis that was
exposed by removing the back plate. The
inner chassis should slide out of the outer
enclosure. Once there is enough room at the
front, as shown to the left, you can pull on the
front of the inner chassis to remove it fully.

4. Once the inner chassis has been removed
from the outer enclosure (shown below), note
the SATA connector at left. There are also four
screw holes: two through the metal on the
right and two through the green circuit board
on the left.

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

DEVICE SETUP

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5. Place your drive in the inner chassis as shown below. Press the drive toward the rear
of the inner chassis to make sure that the drive is fully seated in the SATA connector.

6. Use one hand to hold the drive down, then turn over the inner chassis. There are four
screw holes on the bottom of the inner chassis (circled in red below).

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

DEVICE SETUP

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7. Using a Phillips screwdriver, insert the four included screws into the screw holes to
fasten the drive to the inner chassis (shown below). When this is done, turn the inner
chassis back over.

8. Slide the inner chassis back into the outer enclosure.
Note that the inner chassis can slide in either end of the
outer enclosure, but the rails on one end of the outer chas­sis are notched, as shown to the left. This allows the back
plate to sit flush when attached.

9. Using a Phillips screwdriver, attach the back plate as shown to complete the assembly.

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

APPENDIX

8

3.1 FORMATTING

For additional formatting information, please visit:

http://www.macsales.com/format

3.2 UNMOUNTING DRIVES

To properly unmount any connected drives from your computer, you need to follow a
few simple steps.

For Mac OS X systems:

There are two main methods to umount disks with Mac OS X systems. Either drag the
icon for the disk you wish to unmount to the trash can, or right-click the disk icon on
the desktop, then click “Eject”.

For Windows systems:

1. Go to the System Tray (located in the lower right corner of your screen). Click on the
“Eject” icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image).

2. A message will appear, detailing the devices that the “Eject” icon controls, i.e.,
“Safely remove...” Click on this prompt.

3. You will then see a message that says, “Safe to Remove Hardware.” It is now safe to
disconnect the Mercury Elite Pro mini from the computer.

3.3 TROUBLESHOOTING

Begin your troubleshooting by verifying that both ends of your cables are properly
plugged into the computer and the Mercury Elite Pro mini. If the Mercury Elite Pro
mini is still not working properly, try connecting to another interface such as the USB
connection and see if the device works properly. You can also connect the Mercury Elite
Pro mini to a different computer.

In rare instances, the power being provided through the interface cable may not be
sufficient to power the Mercury Elite Pro mini, depending on the computer you are using
and the hard drive or SSD inside the Mercury Elite Pro mini. An optional 5V power adapter
is available at: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/owc/motgpwr/

If problems persist, please visit www.macsales.com/faq/ for answers to frequently
asked questions, or check Section 3.6 to contact technical support.

APPENDIX

OWC MERCURY ELITE PRO MINI

APPENDIX

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3.4 ABOUT DATA BACKUP

To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that
you keep two copies of your data: one copy on your Mercury Elite Pro mini and a second
copy on either your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup,
or on another external storage unit. Any data loss or corruption while using the Mercury
Elite Pro mini is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances will Other
World Computing be held liable for compensation or the recovery of any lost data.

3.5 ONLINE RESOURCES

To access our online help resources, including things like FAQs, formatting tips, and a
step-by-step walkthrough of our recommended method for migrating your data from
an old drive to a new one, please visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/

3.6 TECHNICAL SUPPORT HOURS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

8AM - 8PM (CT) Monday - Friday
9AM - 4PM (CT) Saturday

By telephone: [phone] (North America only)
International customers please call: [phone]

Live chat is available during normal business hours:

www.macsales.com/livechat

Or you can email us. Submit your email at:

www.macsales.com/ts_email

COPYRIGHT 2015 OTHER WORLD COMPUTING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. OTHER WORLD COMPUTING’S

LIMITED WARRANTY IS NOT TRANSFERABLE AND SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS.

OWCMANMEPMU3AMR2 05/19/15 DM

Changes:

The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice. While reasonable
efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, Other World Computing and its
officers and employees assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the
information contained herein. Other World Computing 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.

FCC Statement:

Warning! Modications 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 A digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference with
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which
case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
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 with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the 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 to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Health And Safety Precautions:

• Use proper anti-static precautions while performing the installation of your hard drives into this drive enclosure. Failure
to do so can cause damage to your drive mechanisms and/or the hard drive enclosure.

• Read this user guide carefully and follow the correct procedures when setting up the device.

• Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the device. To avoid any risk of electrical shock, fire, short-circuiting or
dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device. If it appears to be malfunctioning, contact Other
World Computing technical support.

• 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:

• To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the range of 5° C to 40° C (41° F to 104° F).

• Always unplug the device 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 device 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 device near sources of magnetic interference, such as computer displays, televisions or speakers.
Magnetic interference can affect the operation and stability of hard drives.

• Do not place heavy objects on top of the device.

• Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device,
increasing the risk of damage or malfunction.

• Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation. Blocking
the ventilation openings may cause damage to the device and cause an increased risk of short-circuiting or fire.

• For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product webpage.

Copyrights and Trademarks:

© 2015 Other World Computing. 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 Other World Computing. Mercury Elite, Other World Computing, and OWC are
trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in
Canada. The OWC logo is a trademark of New Concepts Development Corporation Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are

trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation
in the U.S. and/or other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other
countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.