USER'S GUIDE HARD DRIVE HI-SPEED USB 2.0 EXTERNAL E5 Important 1. Please retain the bill of sale from the purchase of your AcomData product. A copy of the bill of sale will be needed in the event that the product requires warranty service. 2. Please fill in the information requested below. You will need this information at hand for product registration and in the event that the product requires service. (See "Obtaining Service" for more information.) The Model and Serial numbers are printed on the label affixed to the underside of the Drive's stand. Model Number:________________________________________ Serial Number:_________________________________________ Date of Purchase:_______________________________________ Name of Reseller:___________________________________ ContactAcomData Address: 3410 Pomona Blvd., Pomona, CA 91768 (909) 598-8663 www.acomdata.com customerservice@acomdata.com techsupport@acomdata.com Telephone: (909) 348-0680 Fax: Web Site: Customer Service: Technical Support: Pre-Sales Questions: sales@acomdata.com Contents 1 2 Important ContactAcomData Introduction 8 10 11 12 14 16 Welcome Precautions PackageContents ProductRegistrationforWarrantyCoverage SystemRequirementsforWindows SystemRequirementsforMac GettingtoKnowYourAcomDataDrive 20 21 21 22 23 25 25 26 TheDriveataGlance TheDriveIn-Depth About Hi-Speed USB 2.0 CD + SecureHD Password Security PushButtonTM Backup Synchronization (Sync) Mac & PC Ready 26 27 27 28 Hot-Pluggable Fanless Design On-Off Switch TechnicalSpecifications DriveInstallation&Setup 30 30 30 32 34 35 SettingUptheDrive Choosing an Orientation (Vertical or Horizontal) Vertical Placement Horizontal Placement InstallingtheUSB2.0Driver ConnectingtheDrive UsingPasswordSecurity 40 40 41 42 44 44 45 46 47 PasswordSecurityforWindows Changing the Password Disabling Password Security Enabling Password Security PasswordSecurityforMac Installing the SecureHD Login Software Changing the Password Disabling Password Security Enabling Password Security 49 Whatifyouforgetyourpassword? Using&MaintainingYourDrive 52 54 56 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 63 64 65 65 66 HowtoProperlyTurnOffandDisconnecttheDrive NamingtheHDPartition Re-FormattingtheHDPartition About Formatting and File Systems Choosing a File System Formatting the HD Partition in Windows XP or 2000 Formatting the HD Partition in Windows Me or 98SE Formatting the HD Partition in Mac OS X PerformingRoutineTasks MaintainingyourDrive Defragmenting and Optimizing a Hard Drive Examining and Repairing a Hard Drive Protecting Your Data from Viruses Cleaning the Drive Case StackingDrives Help&OtherInformation 68 69 72 Troubleshooting&TechSupport Troubleshooting for Windows Users Troubleshooting for Mac Users 75 76 80 83 85 ObtainingService FrequentlyAskedQuestions GlossaryofTerms OneYearLimitedWarranty Notices Introduction Welcome Welcome, and thank you for choosing an AcomData E5 External Hard Drive. Your AcomData Drive features high-quality construction, advanced engineering, and state-of-the-art data storage technology, designed to provide years of reliable, user-friendly performance. Your AcomData Drive is furnished with two guides: 1) this Hard Drive User's Guide, and; 2) a PDF* PushButton Backup User's Guide, located on the Drive's CD partition (more on the CD partition later). * Viewing PDF Documents requires ADobe AcrobAt or ADobe reADer V. 5 or lAter. You cAn DownloAD ADobe reADer For Free At: www.ADobe.com/ProDucts/AcrobAt/reADsteP2.html This User's Guide will help you set up your Drive as a high-performance data storage device, complete with robust, portable Password Security (if desired). Please read this guide carefully and retain it for future reference. If you want to use PushButtonTM Backup or Synchronization, please follow the instructions in this guide first; then refer to the PushButtonTM Backup User's Guide. Symbols used in this guide: Alerts the reAder to A wArning or importAnt informAtion. indicAtes A helpful tip or other useful informAtion. Alerts the reAder to importAnt informAtion About usb-relAted issues. indicAtes informAtion specific to mAc users. specific to indicAtes informAtion windows users. Precautions Please follow the precautions listed below. Not doing so may result in damage to the device, loss of data, and voiding of the warranty. · If using this device for general-purpose storage, we strongly recommend 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 attempt to open, disassemble, or modify the device. · 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. · Do not expose this device to temperatures outside the range of °C to °C when the device is in operation, and -0ºC to 60ºC when not in operation. · Do not use a third-party AC adapter or power cord. · Do not bump, jar or drop the device. · Do not 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. 10 PackageContents AcomdAtA e5 drive & stAnd usb cAble Ac AdApter & power cord usb 2.0 driver instAllAtion cd hArd drive user's guide mAil-in registrAtion cArd rubber feet If you are missing any item shown above, please contact Customer Service at customerservice@acomdata.com, or call 800-470-4495. 11 ProductRegistration forWarrantyCoverage Registration is required in the event that your product needs servicing. (See "Obtaining Service " for details.) Online Registration Register your product instantly online at www.acomdata.com. Once you enter the site, click on the ProductRegistration button and follow the instructions on screen. Advantages of Online Registration: 1. It's fast, free, and your product is registered immediately; . Free unlimited online technical support; . 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; . If you need warranty service, arranging product returns is faster and easier if you registered online. 1 Mail-in Registration 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 underside of the Drive's stand. 1 SystemRequirementsforWindows What you need for the Drive itself: · Minimum MHz processor (Pentium, Celeron, AMD, etc.) · One of the following operating systems: - Windows XP (Home Edition, Professional, Professional x64 Edition, Media Center Edition) - Windows 000 - Windows Me - Windows SE · Available USB .0 or USB 1.1 port Password Security has no additional requirements. PushButton Backup requires: · 00 MHz or faster processor · 0 MB of free hard disk space on your computer 1 IMPORtANt NOteS: Windows 98SE users: You will need to install the supplied USB 2.0 driver. Instructions are provided in "Installing the USB 2.0 Driver." Windows 2000 Users: If you do not have Service Pack 4 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). 1 SystemRequirementsforMac What you need for the Drive itself: · Mac or Power Mac with a PowerPC or Intel processor · Mac OS 10. or later · Available USB .0 or USB 1.1 port Password Security requires: MB of free computer hard disk space for the SecureHD Login software PushButton Backup requires: · Mac OS 10. or later · 10 MB of free computer hard disk space for the backup software 16 IMPORtANt NOteS: If using a USB 1.1 connection the device will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12 Mbps). Mac OS 10.2 users whose Drives are 128 GB or larger: Mac OS 10.2 does not recognize FAt32/MS-DOS formatted volumes larger than 128 GB. (For more information on this issue, go to: http://docs.info.apple.com/article. html?artnum=107483 on the Apple web site.) If you are using Mac OS 10.2 and your Drive is larger than 128 GB there are several ways to deal with this issue: 1. If you don't need Windows compatibility, you can re-format the Drive using one of the Mac OS Extended file systems; 2. If you want to maintain Windows compatibility, you can partition the Drive such that no 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; 3. Before you connect the 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 reformatting is required. 17 Gettingto KnowYour AcomDataDrive ...