LaCie HARD DRIVE User manual

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LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual

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BigDiskFW800_UG_030311_4.0 3/11/03 4:46 PM Page 1

LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Foreword

page 1

Copyrights

Copyright © 2003 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.

FCC Statement:

Warning!

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 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 to 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 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 interference


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Foreword

page 2

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.

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

With reference to the following conditions:

73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive

89/336/EEC EMC Directive


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Health and Safety Precautions

page 3

Health And 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 45° C (41° F to 104° F). 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.

• Use only the power supply shipped with the device.

• 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.

Warning!

The drive's warranty may be void as a result of the failure to respect the precautions listed above.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Table of Contents

page 4

Health And Safety Precautions 3

1. Introduction

6

1.1. Icons Used in This Manual 6

1.2. What Is FireWire? 7

1.3. What Is USB 2.0?

1.4. LaCie Storage Utilities Software

2. Getting To Know Your LaCie Big Disk

2.1. Minimum System Requirements

2.2. LaCie Big Disk – Views

2.3. FireWire Cables And Connectors

2.4. USB 2.0 Cables And Connectors

10

11

11

9

9

7

8

3. Setting Up Your LaCie Big Disk

3.1. Connecting The Power Supply

3.2. Installing Your LaCie Big Disk

3.2.1. FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b

3.2.1.1. Mac OS 10.2.4 And higher

3.2.1.2. Windows 2000 And Windows XP

3.2.2. FireWire 400/IEEE 1394

3.2.2.1. Mac OS 10.x

3.2.2.2. Mac OS 9.x

3.2.2.3. Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP

3.2.3. USB 2.0

3.2.3.1. Mac OS 10.x

3.2.3.2. Mac OS 9.x

12

13

13

13

14

12

12

12

12

15

15

15

16

3.2.3.3. Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP

3.3. Installing Multiple FireWire Peripherals

3.4. Installing Multiple USB Peripherals

3.5. Disconnecting Your LaCie Big Disk

3.6. Switching Between USB 2.0 & FireWire

3.7. Attaching The Drive Stand

4. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie Big Disk

4.1. Mac Users

4.1.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x

4.2. Windows Users

4.2.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 2000 And Windows XP

4.2.2. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 98SE And Windows Me

21

21

23

19

20

20

20

17

17

17

18

18



5. Technical Information

5.1. User Advice When Using FireWire

5.2. User Advice When Using USB 2.0

5.3. Data Transfers

5.4. Available Storage Capacity

5.5. FAT 32 vs. NTFS

5.6. Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended

5.7. USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 vs. FireWire 800

6. Troubleshooting

7. Contacting Customer Service

7.1. Warranty

8. Appendix 1 – FireWire Questions And Answers

9. Appendix 2 – USB Questions And Answers

10. Glossary

Table of Contents

page 5

26

26

27

27

29

34

36

24

24

24

25

37

40

42


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Introduction

page 6

1. Introduction

Congratulations on the purchase of your new LaCie Big Disk. This hard drive system will give you a unique combination of compatibility and convenience, as well as generous storage capacity. LaCie’s Big Disk is ideally suited for a wide range of high-end, high-traffic environments, including: servers, workstations, video/audio editing and database management. For even greater flexibility, your LaCie external U&I (one USB 2.0 port and two FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b ports) hard drive system is also cross-platform, which enables you to use it on both Macs and PCs.

The LaCie Big Disk was designed to allow you to use your desk-space efficiently – included with your LaCie Big Disk is a drive stand, so you can stand the drive vertically, freeing up even more valuable space. Engineered to be rack mountable, you can quickly and easily integrate the LaCie drive into your standard 19-inch computer equipment racks using the LaCie rackmount kit (sold separately).

With all it can do for you, we’re confident that your LaCie Big Disk will quickly become an important tool in your day-to-day business and personal computing.

This manual will help you to:

• Install your new device properly

• Get your drive up and running

• Quickly learn how to operate it

1.1. Icons Used In This Manual

Italicized paragraphs feature an icon describing the type of information being given.

Important Note

Warning!

(This icon indicates potential hazard).

Technical Information or News

Precautions

Always follow the basic precautions to use your LaCie Big Disk safely and correctly. Respecting these guidelines will help to avoid the possibility of personal injury to yourself or others, as well as to prevent damage to your device and other computer

equipment. For a complete list of precautions, please see Health And Safety Precautions .

Warranty

LaCie accepts no liability for any loss of data during the use of this device, or for any of the problems caused as a result.

Under no circumstances does LaCie guarantee the reliability of the hard drive.



page 7

Manual Updates

LaCie is constantly striving to give you the most up-to-date, comprehensive User’s Manuals available on the market. It is our goal to provide you with a friendly, easy-to-use format that will help you quickly install and utilize the many functions of your new device.

If your manual does not reflect the configurations of the product that you purchased, please check our Web site

( www.lacie.com

) for the most current version available, on the page of the product you purchased.

1.2. What Is FireWire?

FireWire, 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.

• Hot-pluggable: devices can be added and removed while the bus is active.

• Backwards compatibility: adapter cables allow FireWire 400 devices to operate under the FireWire 800 port.

• Isochronous data delivery: no dropped frames – FireWire 800 supports real-time data delivery.

• Flexible: up to 63 devices can be connected on a single bus.

Please see Appendix 1 – FireWire Questions And Answers

for a more detailed discussion of FireWire’s uses and capabilities.

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 iLink icon

DV icon

1.3. What Is USB 2.0?

The new USB 2.0 standard provides higher bandwidth for high-speed peripherals such as external hard drives, high-speed scanners, CD-RW and DVD drives. USB 2.0 delivers transfer rates of 480Mb/s, while conveniently maintaining backward compatibility with USB 1.1 devices.



page 8

USB 2.0 can still be used to connect lower-speed USB 1.1 ports and devices like digital cameras, scanners, modems, keyboards, mice, joysticks and printers. In the USB 2.0 system, existing USB peripherals do not have to be upgraded, and lowerspeed devices will not require additional performance, instead operating as USB 1.1 devices.

Please see Appendix 2 – USB Questions And Answers

for a more detailed discussion of USB’s uses and capabilities.

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.

USB 1.1 icon USB 2.0 icon

1.4. LaCie Storage Utilities Software

The LaCie Storage Utilities CD is a hybrid CD-ROM that has the Mac version, Silverlining Pro and SilverKeeper, and the PC version, Silverlining 98, on the same CD. Mac users will be able to only view and use the Mac portion, and PC users will be able to only view and use the PC version.

Mac Users Using Mac OS 9.x

Please see the Silverlining and SilverKeeper manuals for instructions on how to use this software. The manuals are located on your LaCie Storage Utilities CD in PDF format.

Mac Users Using Mac OS 10.x

Use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in the Apple Disk Utility. Please refer to 4.1.1. Formatting And Partitioning

Using Mac OS 10.x

for more information.

Please see the SilverKeeper manual for instructions on how to use this software. The manual is located on your LaCie Storage

Utilities CD in PDF format.

PC Users Using Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Use the formatting and partitioning capabilities that are included with your operating system. Please see 4.2.1. Formatting

And Partitioning Using Windows 2000 And Windows XP for more details.

PC Users Using Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows Me

You have the option of using Silverlining 98, included with your drive, or using the formatting and partitioning capabilities in

your operating system. Please see 4.2.2. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 98SE And Windows Me

for more details.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Getting To Know Your LaCie Big Disk

page 9

2. Getting To Know Your LaCie Big Disk

What can your external hard drive system do?

• Store and exchange data between several computers.

• Back up your computers’ internal hard drive.

• Store files created by your various applications.

2.1. Minimum System Requirements

FireWire 800

Hardware Requirements for FireWire 800:

• Mac: G4 with a FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b interface card

• PC: Pentium III or higher compatible processor, with a FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b interface card

• 128MB RAM or higher

FireWire 400

Hardware Requirements for FireWire 400:

• Mac: G3 or greater, with FireWire 400/IEEE 1394a interface card

• PC: Pentium II or higher -compatible processor, with a FireWire/IEEE

1394/iLink interface card (SBP-2 compatible) that supports mass storage devices.

• 64MB RAM or greater

System Requirements for FireWire 800:

• Mac OS 10.2.4 or higher

• Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Important Note:

If you only have a 4-pin connector on your

FireWire 400 interface card, you will need to purchase a 4-to-

6 pin FireWire cable.

System Requirements for FireWire 400

:

• Mac OS 9.x (Apple FireWire support 2.3.3 and greater) and 10.x

• Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP

USB 2.0

Hardware Requirements for USB:

• Mac: G3 or greater, with USB 2.0 or 1.1 interface card

• PC: Pentium II or higher -compatible processor, with a USB 2.0 or 1.1 card

• 32MB RAM or greater

System Requirements for USB:

• Mac OS 9.x and 10.x (Apple USB support 1.3.5 and greater)

• Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP



2.2. LaCie Big Disk - Views

Front View

1

Getting To Know Your LaCie Big Disk

page 10

1

– On/Off Button / Power LED/Activity LED

Push the button to power the drive on. The LED remains lit to show that the drive is on, and blinks to indicate drive activity.

Back View

1 – Power Supply Connector

This is where you plug in the AC adapter supplied with the

drive. See section 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply


2 – FireWire and USB 2.0 Connectors

This is where you plug in the FireWire or USB cables fur-

nished with the drive. See section 3.2. Installing Your LaCie

Big Disk for more information.

5 5

3 – Ventilation Outlet

Helps to keep your drive cool during operation. Be sure not to block this opening when using your drive.

4

3 2

2 1

4 – Lock Slot

This slot is used to connect an anti-theft system, such as the

LaCie Security Lock, for maximum protection. Refer to your anti-theft system documentation for details on how to connect the lock.

5 – Rackmount Grooves

Used for mounting the drive’s stand (see the 3.7. Attaching The Drive Stand

section for instructions), and for mounting your drive with the rackmount kit (sold separately).

6 – Serial Number Sticker

This is where you will find your LaCie drive's serial number. Write down the serial number and keep it in a safe place, because you will need to provide the number in the event you have to call LaCie Technical Support for any reason in regards to the drive’s performance. The serial number would also come in handy if your drive is lost or stolen.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Getting To Know Your LaCie Big Disk

page 11

Side View

1 – Rackmount Grooves

Used for mounting the drive’s stand (see the 3.7. Attaching The Drive

Stand section for instructions), and for mounting your drive with the

rackmount kit (sold separately).

1

2.3. FireWire Cables And Connectors

9-pin to 9-pin Cable

There are three types of FireWire 800 cables on the market: 9to-9-pin, 9-to-6-pin, and 9-to-4-pin. FireWire 800 ports are 9pin, and FireWire 400 ports are 6-pin or 4-pin. The 9-to-9-pin cable, which use beta connectors (and is also known as the beta to beta cable), is used to connect a FireWire 800 equipped device to a FireWire 800 port. The 9-to-6-pin and 9to-4-pin cables, called bilingual connectors, are used to connect

FireWire 800 ports to FireWire 400 ports. Most FireWireequipped laptop computers feature 4-pin FireWire connectors, so to connect your LaCie drive to a laptop, you will need to purchase a 9-to-4-pin cable.

9-pin to 6-pin Cable

Important Note:

If the cable supplied with the LaCie drive does not meet your requirements, please contact your computer supply specialist.

2.4. USB Cables And Connectors

Your LaCie drive is shipped with a USB 2.0-certified USB cable, to ensure maximum data transfer performance when connected to a USB 2.0 port. The cable will also work when connected to a USB 1.1 port, but drive performance will be limited to USB 1.1 transfer rates.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Setting Up Your LaCie Big Disk

page 12

3. Setting Up Your LaCie Big Disk

3.1. Connecting The Power Supply

To operate the drive, you must use the AC adapter supplied with it.

Warning!

Use only the AC adapter supplied with your LaCie drive. Using any other power cable may cause damage to the device and void your warranty.

Important Note:

You may use your LaCie drive when in a foreign country, thanks to its auto-switching 100-240 Volt power supply. To be able to use this feature, you may need to purchase an appropriate adapter. Consult LaCie

Technical Support for assistance in choosing the right adapter. LaCie accepts no responsibility for any damage to the drive resulting from the use of an inappropriate adapter. Using an adapter other than one authorized by LaCie will void your warranty.

Connecting The AC Adapter To The Drive

1) Insert the round, four-pin metallic plug of the AC cable into the power input located at the rear of the drive.

2) Connect the wall-side plug to a power socket.

Disconnecting The AC Adapter From The Drive

1) Turn the drive off and wait for it to spin down (+/- 10 sec.).

2) Hold the drive steady with one hand, then remove the plug from the connector.

Warning!

Always remove the AC adapter before transporting your LaCie drive. Failure to remove the adapter may result in damage to your drive and will void your warranty.

3.2. Installing Your LaCie Big Disk

There are three interface connectivity options when connecting your LaCie Big Disk to your computer: FireWire 800, FireWire and USB 2.0. The installation steps below follow the connectivity options for each of the specific interfaces.

3.2.1. FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b

3.2.1.1. Mac OS 10.2.4 And Higher

1) After following the steps in 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply , power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button on the



page 13

front of the drive.

2) Connect the 9-pin end of the FireWire 800 cable into the FireWire 800 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.

3) Connect the other end of the 9-pin FireWire 800 cable into an available FireWire 800 port on your computer.

4) Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in the Apple

Disk Utility

to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to 4.1.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x


3.2.1.2. Windows 2000 And Windows XP

After the first connection of a FireWire 800-based peripheral, Windows detects the drive, and will install it automatically as a new peripheral, even if you have previously installed it on another port on the same FireWire bus. Let Windows install the

FireWire 800 drivers of your LaCie drive.

1) After following the steps in

3.1. Connecting The Power Supply , power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button on the

front of the drive.

2) Connect the 9-pin end of the FireWire 800 cable into the FireWire 800 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.

3) Connect the other end of the 9-pin FireWire 800 cable into an available FireWire 800 port on your computer.

4) Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. Now you will be able to format and partition the drive to suit your needs.

Please see 4.2.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 2000 And Windows XP


3.2.2. FireWire 400/IEEE 1394

3.2.2.1. Mac OS 10.x


front of the drive.

2) Connect the 9-pin end of the FireWire bilingual cable into the FireWire 800 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.

3) Connect the 6-pin end of the FireWire bilingual cable into an available FireWire 400 port on your computer.


Disk Utility


for



page 14

more information.

3.2.2.2. Mac OS 9.x

To use your new LaCie Big Disk, 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 and double-click on LaCie Installer.

3) The Silverlining Utilities screen appears. Click on Continue.

4) The About to Install screen appears. Read the following information and click on Continue.

5) The License Agreement screen appears. Click on Agree.

6) The Installation screen appears.

7) Check the Silverlining Pro and FireWire Support boxes.

8) Click on Install.

9) A message appears to confirm that the installation was successful.

10) Click on Restart to use your FireWire peripheral immediately.

Hardware Installation


front of the drive.



4) Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in Silverlining

Pro

to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to the Silverlining Pro documentation on the LaCie Storage Utilities CD-

ROM for more information.



page 15

3.2.2.3. Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 And Windows XP

After the first connection of a FireWire-based peripheral, Windows detects the drive, and will install it automatically as a new peripheral, even if you have previously installed it on another port on the same FireWire bus. Let Windows install the

FireWire drivers of your LaCie drive.


To install your LaCie Big Disk using a Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP system, please follow these procedures:


front of the drive.





and

4.2.2. Formatting And

Partitioning Using Windows 98SE And Windows Me


3.2.3. USB 2.0

3.2.3.1. Mac OS 10.x


front of the drive.

2) Connect the USB 2.0 cable into the USB 2.0 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.

3) Connect the other end of the USB 2.0 cable into an available USB port on your computer.

Important Note:

At the time of publication (March, 2003), Apple does not incorporate a native USB 2.0 host interface. To achieve USB 2.0 speeds, you will need to purchase a third-party USB 2.0 host interface PCI card.

Otherwise, you will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.


Disk Utility





page 16

3.2.3.2. Mac OS 9.x

To use your new LaCie Big Disk, 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 and double-click on LaCie Installer.

3) The Silverlining Utilities screen appears. Click on Continue.

4) The About to Install screen appears. Read the following information and click on Continue.

5) The License Agreement screen appears. Click on Agree.

6) The Installation screen appears.

7) Check the Silverlining Pro and USB Support boxes.

8) Click on Install.

9) A message appears to confirm that the installation was successful.

10) Click on Restart to use your USB peripheral immediately.


1) After following the steps in

3.1. Connecting The Power Supply , power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button on the

front of the drive.



Important Note:

At the time of publication (March, 2003), Apple does not incorporate a native USB 2.0 host interface. To achieve USB 2.0 speeds, you will need to purchase a third-party USB 2.0 host interface PCI card.

Otherwise, you will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds.

4) Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in Silverlining



page 17

Pro

to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to the Silverlining Pro documentation on the LaCie Storage Utilities CD-

ROM for more information.

3.2.3.3. Windows Me, Windows 2000 And Windows XP

Before connecting your LaCie Big Disk via the USB 2.0 port, you will need to install the necessary drivers, located on the

LaCie Storage Utilities CD-ROM, under the USB 2.0 Drivers folder.


To install your LaCie Big Disk using a Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP system, please follow these procedures:


front of the drive.





and 4.2.2. Formatting And

Partitioning Using Windows 98SE And Windows Me


3.3. Installing Multiple FireWire Peripherals

FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 allow for the connection of up to 63 devices on the bus, with a maximum of 16 devices on one branch. FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 devices can be connected on a chain and do not necessarily need a hub.

Simply connect the first peripheral to a FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 port on your computer. Connect the second peripheral to the other FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 port on the first drive etc., using the cables provided with your drives.

FireWire 800 devices can be chained together with the original FireWire 400 standard (provided the correct cables are used), but transfer rates will be limited to the original FireWire 400 speeds.

3.4. Installing Multiple USB Peripherals

Technically, you can connect up to 127 individual USB peripherals at one time. However, you probably will not use more than

6 to 8 peripherals on your USB system. Most computers only have two USB ports, so you would need a hub to connect more than two peripheral drives. The hub regenerates the signals, generally providing between 4 to 7 connections. To add even more drives, connect a new hub to a connector of the original hub, creating a new series of peripherals, etc. But the hub



page 18

slows down the transfer rate by lengthening the path of the signal. To optimize performance, connect your drive directly to one of the built-in ports in your computer.

3.5. Disconnecting Your LaCie Big Disk

FireWire external devices feature “plug & play” connection. This means that your drive can be connected and disconnected while the computer is running. To prevent failures, it is important you follow these steps when disconnecting your FireWire peripheral device.

Warning!

Do not disconnect the USB or FireWire cable when the drive is reading or writing. Disconnecting while the drive is operating could cause the loss of data. Make sure that your drive is not reading or writing and that the activity LED is off before disconnecting the USB or FireWire cable.

3.5.1. Mac Users

You must unmount the hard drive system before disconnecting it or powering it down. Either:

• Drag the hard drive icon to the trash.

• Launch Silverlining Pro, highlight the hard drive and select “Unmount.”

The drive can now be disconnected.

3.5.2. Windows Users

1) From the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand side 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 be given the following message: “Safe to Remove Hardware” (or similar). It is now safe to disconnect the device.

3.6. Switching Between USB2.0 And FireWire Connections

USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 are “hot-pluggable,” meaning that you can connect a drive to a USB or FireWire port on your computer even when the computer is running. However, there are important steps to follow for your drive to function properly. When changing from a USB 2.0 connection to a FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 connection (and vice versa), follow these steps:

1) Follow the steps in section 3.5 Disconnecting Your LaCie Big Disk to unmount the drive.



page 19

2) Disconnect the USB or FireWire cable.

3) Connect either the USB or FireWire cable.

After switching between interfaces, you may need to quit the application that you were using to access the drive and then reboot the program. The drive should then be visible and accessible.

3.7. Attaching The Drive Stand

You can use your LaCie drive in its upright position after installing the drive stand.

1) Using the hex key (provided with the drive stand kit), loosen the two screws on the bottom of the foot plate (do not remove the screws) to create a degree of separation between the foot plate and the two rails.

2) From the rear of the drive, separate the two rails and slide the larger stand rail into the side groove of your LaCie drive as shown below:

3) Slide the stand forward until its rail touches the front of the drive.

4) Tighten the two socket screws from the underside of the stand, using the hex key, until the stand is firmly in place.

5) When the stand is mounted, your drive should look like this:


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Formattng And Partitioning Your LaCie Big Disk

page 20

4. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie Big Disk

Once you have set-up your LaCie Big Disk, you can reformat or partition it to suit your needs.

4.1. Mac Users

• Mac OS 8.6 and 9.x – Install and use LaCie Silverlining Pro, which is included with your drive.

• Mac OS 10.x – Use the Apple Disk Utility application, which is native to the operating system.

For instructions on installing and using Silverlining Pro, please refer to the Silverlining manual, located on your LaCie Storage

Utilities CD, in PDF format.

For instructions on using the Mac OS 10.x Apple Disk Utility application, please refer to the section below.

4.1.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x

Warning!

Following these steps will erase anything that is on the hard drive. Therefore, if you have information that you want to protect or continue to use, backup this information before performing these steps.

1) Connect the drive to the computer via the FireWire or USB port.

2) Once the drive mounts onto the desktop, go to the Menu Bar, and open Go.

3) From the Go menu, click on Applications.

4) In the Applications menu, open the Utilities folder, and then double-click Disc Utility from the Utilities folder.

5) The Disc Utility window will open. In the left side of the window will be a list of the available hard disk drives. You should see a volume that represents your internal hard drive, and one that reads LaCie.

6) Select the LaCie drive, and then click on the Partition tab.

7) From the Volume Scheme: button, choose the number of partitions you want to divide the drive into by clicking on the pull down menu starting with Current (Mac OS 10.x gives you the option of dividing the drive into at most 8 partitions). You can customize the size of the partitions by using the slide bar between the partitions in the Volume Scheme: area.

8) In the Volume Information section, create a name for each partition, choose the volume format (Mac OS Extended, Mac

OS Standard or UNIX File System) and the volume size.



page 21

Important Note:

Please refer to Chapter 5. Technical Information, section 5.6. Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS

Extended , for a more detailed discussion on the differences between the two systems.

Important Note:

Apple recommends that unless you have a specific reason to use the UNIX File System (UFS), you should use the Mac OS Extended format since it provides a more familiar experience to Macintosh users.

9) In the Options section, click the Install Mac OS 9 Disk Drivers box if you plan on sharing the drive between the Mac OS

9.x and Mac OS 10.x.

10) Once you have finalized the volume format, number of partitions, size and options, click OK. The following message will appear: “Warning! Saving the new volume will erase all existing volumes. This can NOT be undone. Are you sure you want

to do that?” Click Partition to continue.

11) Mac OS 10.x will automatically setup the disk with the partitions and volume format you selected, and your new drive will be available for use.

4.2. Windows Users

• Windows 98 SE and Me – Install and use LaCie Silverlining 98, which is included with your drive.

• Windows 2000 and XP – Use the Disk Management Utility, which is native to the operating system.

For instructions on installing and using Silverlining 98, please refer to the Silverlining manual, located on your LaCie Storage

Utilities CD, in PDF format.

4.2.1. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 2000 And Windows XP

The process of formatting and partitioning a drive on a computer running Windows 2000 or Windows XP consists of two steps: (1) installing a signature on the drive, and (2) partitioning/formatting the drive. These steps will erase anything that is on the disk.

1) Connect the drive to the computer via the FireWire or USB port.

2) Right-click My Computer and click Manage.

3) From the Computer Management window, select Disk Management (located below the Storage group).

4) If this is the first time the drive is being formatted, Windows 2000 will launch the Write Signature Wizard (Write Initialize

Wizard

in Windows XP). Click Next.



page 22

5) Windows will list the new drive(s) attached. If you are formatting a single drive, only one drive should be visible. Select the checkbox next to the drive and click Next.

6) Click Finish to exit the Wizard.

7) Now, with the disk management window open, a new drive will be visible. Right-click on the available space and select

Create Partition..

.

8) This will bring up the Create Partition Wizard. Click Next.

9) Select Primary Partition. Click Next.

10). Here you must specify partition size. It is recommended that you leave the partition set to the maximum available size, unless you want multiple partitions on the same drive. Click Next.

11) Select Assign drive letter and select the desired letter for the drive. Click Next.

12) Select Format this partition… and then select a file system:

FAT32

FAT32 is a file system that is compatible with Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP; however, it has limitations. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you will not be able to create a partition greater than 32GB.

NTFS

NTFS is a newer file system that is compatible only with Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It has fewer limitations than FAT 32 and will enable a partition to be created that is larger than 32GB.

Important Note:

Please refer to Chapter 5. Technical Information, under section, 5.5. FAT 32 vs. NTFS , for a more

detailed discussion on the differences between the two systems.

13) Click Next.

14) Click Finish.

15) Disk Management will create the partition and begin formatting the drive. Once completed, close Disk Management and your new drive will be ready to use.



page 23

4.2.2. Formatting And Partitioning Using Windows 98 SE And Windows Me

Important Note:

If you want to create a new partition and format the drive, you should install and use Silverlining

98. For complete instructions on how to use Silverlining 98, please refer to the User’s Manual included in PDF format on the LaCie Storage Utilities CD-ROM.

Warning!

Users utilizing Windows 98 SE or Windows Me should only follow these steps if a partition has already been created and you want to format the drive again.

If you wish to utilize the native disc utilities programs on Windows 98 SE or Windows Me, the drive needs to be assigned a letter, and then formatted. Be sure to start this process with the drive disconnected.

1) Right-click My Computer. Select Properties.

2) Click the Device Manager tab.

3) Ensure that View devices by type is selected. Expand the menu next to Disk Drives by clicking the + sign, and current hard drives connected to the computer will be listed. Next, connect the hard drive and click Refresh. A new drive should be listed.

Double-click on the new drive.

4) Click the Settings tab.

5) If selected, deselect the Int 13 unit option, and select Removable. With the removable box checked, you will be able to assign the drive a new letter below (be sure you select a letter that is not already in use by another drive).

6) Click OK.

7) In most cases, Windows 98 SE and Windows Me will warn you that you have made changes to the hardware settings, and will ask if you want to shut down your computer. Click Yes.

8) Power the computer back on.

9) After Windows reboots, open up My Computer.

10) Right-click on the new drive (with the letter it was assigned), and select Format. Proceed to format the drive (time will vary depending on the drive size).


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Technical Information

page 24

5. Technical Information

Power Save

The LaCie Big Disk manages power consumption. If the system’s power save feature supports it, the drive will spin down during the power save mode. After the system comes out of power save, the drive will take a few seconds to spin up to full power before it can be accessed.

5.1. User Advice When Using FireWire

The following technical information relates to your LaCie Big Disk and gives some practical advice:

5.1.1 FireWire 800 Host Bus Adapters And Performance

At the time of publication (March 2003), only Mac OS 10.2.4 and higher, and Windows 2000 and Windows XP, support

FireWire 800 functionality, and the IEEE 1394b interface is not a standard feature implemented on the motherboards of all

PC-compatible computers.

To utilize the newly enhanced FireWire 800 performances, your computer must be equipped with a FireWire 800 host bus adapter card, either sold by a third-party manufacturer, or integrated by your computer’s manufacturer. You must also be running Mac OS 10.2.4 and higher, or Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

5.2. User Advice When Using USB 2.0

The following technical information relates to your LaCie Big Disk and gives some practical advice:

5.2.1. USB 2.0 Host Bus Adapters And Performance

At the time of publication (March 2003), Mac OS does not support USB 2.0 functionality, and the USB 2.0 interface is not a standard feature implemented on the motherboards of all PC-compatible computers. Future versions of Windows will include

USB 2.0 drivers to automatically manage USB 2.0 devices. For the most up-to-date information on USB 2.0 driver availability, we advise you to check the Microsoft and Apple Web sites regularly.

To utilize the newly enhanced USB 2.0 performances, your computer must be equipped with a USB 2.0 host bus adapter card

(sold separately, or integrated by your PC manufacturer)and the appropriate drivers. These host bus adapter cards, which include one or more USB ports, are shipped with special USB 2.0 drivers that enable the computer to control the card. These drivers must be installed in order for USB 2.0 devices connected to the port to work at their correct speeds. For installation instructions, please refer to the documentation that comes with the host adapter card.

LaCie supplies only the appropriate USB 2.0 drivers for its peripherals and does not provide drivers for third-party host adapter cards. To obtain the right drivers for your host adapter card, visit your card manufacturer’s Internet site.



page 25

5.3. Data Transfers

During data transfers, it’s best to wait before launching other applications on the same USB or FireWire port. Anomalies may arise with computers that have USB or FireWire controllers that do not conform to OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface) standards. In any other configurations, we cannot ensure 100% correct operation. Due to this, you may encounter hanging problems. If this happens, proceed as follows:

1) Make sure that the USB or FireWire cable is connected tightly and securely on both ends of the cable, from the drive to the computer. If you are using a USB or FireWire cable other than the one supplied with your LaCie drive, check that your USB or

FireWire cable is properly certified. The cable that is provided with your LaCie drive is USB or FireWire certified.

2) Disconnect your computer’s USB or FireWire cable. Wait 30 seconds and reconnect it.

3) Check the Windows 98 SE version installed on your computer. Supported versions of Windows 98 SE are 4.10.2222A

and above. To check the version number, you need to execute the program Systems.

4) To proceed, launch the following command from the Windows Task Bar: Start > Settings > Control Panel > System.

If your drive is still not recognized or if you encounter any difficulties, check the type of USB or FireWire controller available in your computer. You can access it from the Task Bar of Windows. Proceed as follows:

1) Double click on Start: a- Double click on Settings b- Double click on Control Panel c- Double click on System

2) Go to Peripheral manager and double click on either USB Bus Controller or IEEE 1394 Bus Controller.

3) The USB or FireWire controller type appears on the second line.

4) Double click on this line and note the information which follows in order to communicate it to LaCie Technical Support:

• Peripheral type

• Manufacturer

• Equipment version

• Peripheral state

Important Note: Windows 98 SE Users:

Microsoft has released an IEEE 1394 Storage Supplement update to enhance compatibility and help alleviate lock-ups. Check Microsoft’s Web site, support.microsoft.com

, for more information.



page 26

5.4. Available Storage Capacity

A gigabyte (GB) means 1,000,000,000 bytes. In order to utilize a hard disk drive, it has to be formatted first. Formatting a disk consists of the following: the operating system erases all of the bookkeeping information on the disk, tests the disk to make sure that all of the sectors are reliable, marks bad sectors (i.e., those that are scratched) and creates internal address tables that it later uses to locate information. Once formatted, the actual available storage capacity varies, depending on operating environment, and is generally about 10% less than the non-formatted capacity.

5.5. FAT 32 vs. NTFS

There are basically two file system formats for PCs: FAT 32 and NTFS. Performance is very similar between the two systems, and the following information will hopefully make choosing one or the other a little easier.

FAT 32

FAT is an acronym for File Allocation Table, which dates back to the beginnings of DOS programming. Originally, FAT was only 16 bits, but after the second release of Windows 95 it was upgraded to 32 bits, hence the name FAT 32. In theory, FAT

32 volume sizes can range from less than 1MB all the way to 2TB. It is the native file system of Windows 98 and Windows

Me, and is supported by Windows 2000 and XP. When FAT 32 is used with Windows 2000 and XP, though, volume size is limited to 32GB (by the Windows partition utility, i.e. Disk Manager), and the individual file size is limited to 4GB.

NTFS

This acronym stands for New Technology Filing System, and it is the native file system for Windows NT, Windows 2000 and

XP. NTFS offers several features that are not available with FAT 32; i.e. file compression, encryption, permissions, and auditing, as well as the ability to mirror drives and RAID 5 capabilities. The minimum supported volume size for NTFS is 10MB, with a maximum of 2TB, with no limit to file size. Volumes created in NTFS can only be directly accessed (not through shares) by Windows NT, Windows 2000 and XP, without resorting to help from third-party products.

Guidelines for Choosing FAT 32 Or NTFS

Use FAT 32 if:

• You will be dual booting with an Operating System other than Windows NT or Windows 2000.

• You want to access the stored volumes on any Operating

System other than Windows NT, Windows 2000 or XP.

• You may need the ability to dual boot down the line. Once you have converted a volume from NTFS to FAT 32, there is no going back. You can convert from FAT 32 to NTFS, but not the other way around.

• You want to connect to a Mac and have access to the data.

Use NTFS if:

• You want to encrypt files, assign permissions to files, or want to audit files for access.

• You will be formatting partitions larger than 32GB.

• You need to store individual files that are larger than 4GB.

• You need a filing system that can be mirrored or structured like a RAID 5 configuration.



page 27

5.6. Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended

There are basically two file systems for the Mac OS: Mac OS Standard (HFS) and Mac OS Extended (HFS+).

Mac OS Standard

Mac OS Standard refers to the file system used by Mac OS 8.0 and earlier. This was the original Hierarchical File System employed by Apple, and was used before computers really began to see dramatic increases in hard disk drive sizes. In HFS, the disk is divided into a maximum of 65,536 equal-sized blocks, with these blocks being the destination point of data stored by the Mac.

Initially, these spaces were small, due to the lack of size in hard drives (i.e. hard drives smaller than 1GB), but as hard drive space increased, the file system became inefficient. With HFS, even the smallest file on any disk has to occupy at least one block. For example, if you had a 4GB hard drive and divided it by 65,536, that would equal roughly 64K, and that would be the smallest block size under HFS. So, if you had a file that was only 4K, it would still have to occupy 64K.

Mac OS Extended

Mac OS Extended refers to the file system used by Mac OS 8.1 and later. HFS+ represents an optimization of the older HFS file system by using hard disk space more efficiently. As hard disk capacity increased over the years, Apple realized that they needed to improve the space-saving capabilities of their file system. Building off of HFS, they increased the number of blocks from 65,536 to 4.29 billion. With HFS+, you are no longer limited by block size. Now, for example, if you have a 4K file, it will only take up 4K of space.

Guidelines for Choosing Mac OS Standard Or Mac OS Extended

This is actually a fairly easy decision. You should only use Mac OS Standard if you are creating a volume smaller than 32MB, you are using a Mac with a 680X0 processor or you are creating a file structure that will need to be used by Macs using Mac

OS 8.0 or earlier. Otherwise, you should select Mac OS Extended.

5.7. USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 vs. FireWire 800

Trying to decide which interface to use, USB 2.0 or FireWire, can be a complicated decision. Your decision should be based on the following:

Computer With USB 2.0, FireWire 400 And FireWire 800 Ports

If your computer is equipped with all three interfaces, you have several options to consider. The key decision in this equation is simple: speed. FireWire 800 effectively offers twice the bandwidth of both USB 2.0 and FireWire 400. So, if you are running bandwidth-intensive applications, such as digital audio, video or graphics, FireWire 800 is your clear choice.



page 28

Computer With USB 2.0 And FireWire 400 Ports

If your computer is equipped with both USB 2.0 and FireWire ports, drive performance will be relatively similar. The theoretical transfer rates are 480Mb/s for USB 2.0 and 400Mb/s for FireWire. Realistically, the two are extremely close to each other in terms of performance and speed.

The main reason for choosing one over the other should be hinged on the existing devices you are already using. For instance, if you are already using both of your USB 2.0 ports on your computer, you would use the FireWire port to connect your drive, and vice versa. Avoiding hubs (for USB topology) and daisy-chains (for FireWire topology) will help improve performance because your drive will be connected directly to your computer.

Computer With USB 1.1 And FireWire 400 Ports

If your computer is equipped with a USB 1.1 port and a FireWire port, you will get noticeably better performance by using the FireWire connection. Even though your LaCie drive comes with a USB 2.0 cable and interface, by connecting through the

USB 1.1 port, the drive will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds and performance.

Computer With Only USB1.1 Ports

If your computer is only equipped with a USB 1.1 port, your decision is fairly simple: connect via the USB cable provided with your drive. USB 2.0 is backward compatible and can be used in USB 1.1 ports. Again, you will be limited to USB 1.1 speeds and performance.

Another alternative is to purchase a FireWire or USB 2.0 host adapter card that you would install into a PCI or PCMCIA slot on your computer, thereby allowing your computer to take advantage of the performances that FireWire and USB 2.0 have to offer.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Troubleshooting

page 29

6. Troubleshooting

In the event that your LaCie Big Disk is not working correctly, please refer to the following checklist to find out where the problem is coming from. If you have gone through all of the points on the checklist and your drive is still not working correctly, please have a look at the FAQs that are regularly published on our Web site – www.lacie.com

. One of these FAQs may provide an answer to your specific question. You can also visit the drivers pages, where the most recent software updates will be available.

If you need further assistance, please contact LaCie Technical Support (see 7. Contacting Customer Service

for details).

The Problem

The drive is not recognized.

Questions to Ask

Is the drive formatted?

Possible Solutions

Make sure the drive has been formatted.

Is the file system supported by your

Operating System?

Check the documentation for your

Operating System.

Does an icon for the drive appear on the computer?

Check for an icon on the Desktop (on a

Mac) or in My Computer (on a PC).

Is the drive powered up?

Are both ends of the USB or FireWire cable connected and properly seated?

Make sure the Power LED is on.

Check both ends of the USB or FireWire cable. Disconnect them, wait 10 seconds, and reconnect them. If the drive is still not recognized, restart your computer and try again.

Has the correct drive installation procedure been followed?

Review the installation procedure

described in 3. Setting Up Your LaCie

Hard Drive .

Is there a conflict with other device drivers or extensions?

Contact LaCie Technical Support.

Does your computer’s configuration meet the minimum system requirements for use with this drive?

Check section 2.1. Minimum System

Requirements .



The Problem


Troubleshooting

page 30


Are the USB or FireWire drivers installed correctly and enabled?


Windows 98 SE & Me Users:

Go to

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System

> Device Manager > USB Controller or

IEEE 1394 Controller > click on the plus sign next to the controller icon, and you should see your device listed.

Windows 2000 Users:

Go to Start >

Settings > Control Panel > System >

Hardware tab > Device Manager button

> USB Controller or IEEE 1394

Controller > click on the plus sign next to the controller icon, and you should see your device listed.

Windows XP Users:

Go to Start >

Control Panel > Performance and

Maintenance > System > Hardware tab

> Device Manager button > USB

Controller or IEEE 1394 Controller > click on the plus sign next to the controller icon, and you should see your device listed.

Mac Users:

Open Apple System Profiler and click on the Devices and Volumes tab. If your device is not listed, recheck the cables and try the other troubleshooting solutions listed here.

If you cannot see the device, recheck the cables and try the other troubleshooting solutions listed here.



page 31

The Problem


Error messages under Mac OS 10.x.


Was the drive originally formatted as a removable disk?


If the drive is configured as a removable drive under Windows 98SE or Windows

Me, the removable setting will need to be re-checked each time that the drive is taken to a new system. To do this, go the

Device Manager

and click on the

Drives

Settings

tab.

Did you start using the drive with a USB connection and then change to the

FireWire port, or vice versa?

If you are going to change interface connections, you need to first close the application program you were using.

Now disconnect the USB or FireWire cable from the drive and your computer.

Connect using the new interface. You should then be able to control the drive once you re-open your application program.

Did you get an Error –50 message while copying to a FAT 32 volume?

When copying files or folders from Mac

OS 10.x to a FAT 32 volume, certain characters cannot be copied. These characters include, but are not limited to:

? < > / \ :

Check your files and folders to ensure that these types of characters are not being used.

Did you get an error message telling you that the drive has been disconnected when coming out of sleep mode?

time to spin-up from its sleep mode.

Simply ignore this message. The drive will remount to the desktop. LaCie drives conserve power by spinning down when you set your computer to sleep mode, and when the computer is “woken” from sleep, it does not give the drive enough time to spin-up from its sleep mode.



page 32

The Problem

Error messages under Mac OS 10.x.


Are you having problems getting your

FireWire device to be recognized?


If you are having problems with your

FireWire connection under Mac OS

10.2.x, upgrade to the latest version.

FireWire 800 will not work under

Windows 2000.

The drive is working slowly.

Have you installed Windows 2000

Service Pack 4?

In order to operate FireWire 800 devices under Windows 2000, the

Service Pack 4 update must be installed.

This is a free download offered on

Microsoft’s Web site.

Are other USB or FireWire devices connected to the same port or hub?

Disconnect any other USB or FireWire devices and see if performance improves.

The USB 2.0 drive is not running noticeably faster than a USB 1.1 drive.

Is the drive connected to a USB 1.1 port on your computer or to a USB 1.1 hub?

If so, it is normal for the drive to run at

USB 1.1 speeds. A USB 2.0 device can only run at USB 2.0 speeds when connected to a USB 2.0 port or hub and controlled by appropriate USB 2.0 drivers.

Is the drive connected to a USB 2.0 port on your computer?

Check to see that the USB 2.0 drivers

(drivers for your Host USB 2.0 port and for your USB 2.0 device) have been correctly installed. If in doubt, uninstall the drivers and reinstall them.

Does your Computer or Operating

System support USB 2.0?

See section 5.2.1. USB 2.0 Host Bus

Adapters And Performance for more

information.

Are you using a USB 2.0 certified cable?

Ensure that you are using a certified USB

2.0 cable. The USB 2.0 cable that was shipped with your LaCie drive is certified.



The Problem

You wish to uninstall the USB 2.0 drivers from your PC.


What is the uninstall procedure?

Troubleshooting

page 33


1) From the Start menu, go to Settings >

Control Panel > Add/Remove

Programs

.

2) In the list of programs, select TPP

Storage Driver 5.0

and click on the

Add/Remove

button.

3) Follow any onscreen instructions and restart your computer when prompted.


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Contacting Customer Support

page 34

7. Contacting Customer Support

Before You Call Technical Support

1) Read the manuals and review the Troubleshooting section.

2) Try to isolate the problem. If possible, make the drive the only external device on the CPU, and make sure all cables are correctly and firmly attached.

If you have asked yourself all of the pertinent questions in the troubleshooting checklist, and you still can't get your LaCie drive to work properly, call us directly using the number below. Before calling, make sure that you are in front of your computer and that you have the following information on hand:

1) Your drive's serial number

2) Computer brand and model

3) Operating system and version (Mac OS or Windows)

4) Amount of memory installed

5) Names of CD or DVD drives installed on your computer

6) Names of any other devices installed on your computer

LaCie Australia

• Monday through Friday, 9:30AM –

5:30PM EST

Contact Us At:

• (61)2 9669 6900 phone

• [email protected]

Technical Support Help Hours

LaCie Belgium

• Monday through Friday, 9AM – 5PM

Contact Us At:

• 32 (0) 2 639 14 71


LaCie Canada

• Monday through Friday, 9:30AM –

5:30PM EST

Contact Us At:

• (416) 530 2545 phone

• (416) 530 2546 fax


LaCie Denmark


LaCie France


LaCie Germany


Contact Us At:

• 45 70 27 65 43


Contact Us At:

• 33 (0) 1 69 32 84 23


Contact Us At:

• 49 (0) 211 30 121-111



LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Contacting Customer Support

page 35

Technical Support Help Hours - Continued

LaCie Italy


LaCie Japan


LaCie Netherlands


Contact Us At:

• 39 02 89 14 09 20


Contact Us At:

• 81 3 5733 2205


Contact Us At:

• 31 (0) 713 326 833


LaCie Nordic

(Finland, Norway and Sweden)


LaCie Spain

• Monday through Friday, 9AM – 2PM, and 4PM – 7PM

LaCie Switzerland

• Monday through Friday, 9AM –

5:30PM

Contact Us At:

• 46 (0) 8 411 60 02


Contact Us At:

• 34 91 323 83 11


LaCie United Kingdom & Ireland


Contact Us At:

• 44 (0) 20 7872 0872


LaCie USA


PST

Contact Us At:

• 503-844-4503 phone

• 503-844-4505 fax


Contact Us At:

• 41 (0) 61 386 80 45



LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Warranty

page 36

7.1. Warranty

LaCie warrants your Big Disk against any defect in material and workmanship, under normal use, for the period designated on your warranty certificate. In the event this product is found to be defective within the warranty period, LaCie will, at its option, repair or replace the defective hard drive.

This warranty is void if:

• The drive was operated/stored in abnormal use or maintenance conditions;

• The drive is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification or alteration is expressly authorized in writing by

LaCie;

• The drive was subjected to abuse, neglect, lightning strike, electrical fault, improper packaging or accident;

• The drive was installed improperly;

• The serial number of the drive is defaced or missing;

• The broken part is a replacement part such as a pickup tray, etc.

• The tamper seal on the hard drive casing is broken.

LaCie will not, under any circumstances, be liable for direct, special or consequential damages such as, but not limited to, damage or loss of property or equipment, loss of profits or revenues, cost of replacement goods, or expense or inconvenience caused by service interruptions.

Under no circumstances will any person be entitled to any sum greater than the purchase price paid for the drive.

To obtain warranty service, call your LaCie Reseller or LaCie Technical Support. You maybe asked to furnish proof of purchase to confirm that the drive is still under warranty.

All drives returned to LaCie must be securely packaged in their original box and shipped with postage prepaid.

Register online for free technical support: www.lacie.com/register.htm


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Appendix 1

page 37

8. Appendix 1 – FireWire Questions & Answers

What Does IEEE 1394 Mean?

IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) refers to the engineering corps that developed the 1394th standard, defining the high-performance serial input/output (I/O) bus used to connect peripheral devices. There are now two standards:

IEEE 1394a, which refers to the original standard adopted in 1995, and IEEE 1394b, which refers to the new standard, adopted in 2002.

What Is The Relationship Between IEEE 1394, FireWire, iLink And DV?

These four names all refer to the same interface:

• IEEE 1394 is the term commonly used in the computer industry.

• FireWire is the brand name used by Apple.

• iLink is the brand name used by Sony for both consumer electronics and personal computers.

• DV is short for “Digital Video,” and is used as the logo for the interface on most video camcorders.

What Are The Benefits Of The FireWire Interfaces?

The FireWire interface is a fast, cross-platform serial bus, and is ideal for digital audio, video and graphic applications that demand plenty of bandwidth. Both versions of FireWire offer Plug & Play connectivity, so all you have to do is plug in your drive and begin using it, they also allow up to 63 devices to be connected via a single bus and offer peer-to-peer connectivity, enabling multiple computers and FireWire devices to be connected at the same time. FireWire also supports both isochronous and asynchronous capabilities, meaning that it can guarantee real-time data delivery, so there is no danger of inaccurately ordered or delayed frames.

What Is The Difference Between FireWire 400 And FireWire 800?

Essentially, the main difference between the two interfaces can be summed up in one word: speed. FireWire 800 effectively doubles the bandwidth of the original FireWire 400 interface. The new FireWire 800 interface offers truly impressive results, with speeds up to 800Mb/s for a single bus, and even greater for several buses in RAID0 configurations.

Other key advancements include the support of increased cabling distances and a newly enhanced arbitration architecture.

Utilizing cables constructed of professional-grade glass optical fiber, when both devices are connected via a FireWire 800 hub, FireWire 800 can burst data across 100 meters of cable.

The new arbitration scheme greatly improves on the existing architecture by incorporating advanced 8B10B data encoding

(based on codes used by Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel), which reduces signal distortion, and also improves the arbitration time by prepping the arbitration while the current data packet is being sent, so that data is sent as soon as the current transmission is completed.



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What Are The Ideal Uses For FireWire?

FireWire helped fuel a revolution for digital content creators, and was awarded a 2001 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its contribution. Due to its high bandwidth and support of both isochronous and asynchronous data delivery, FireWire has found a very successful place in both the computer and consumer electronics industries. Whether connecting game consoles, personal video recorders, home stereo equipment, digital TVs, hard drives,

CD/DVD-RW drives, printers, scanners, tape drives or other digital hardware equipment, FireWire is well-suited to handle all these various requirements.

With the advent of the new FireWire 800 standard, the revolution created by the original will only grow. For those working with digital video, the new standard will enable new bandwidth-intensive applications, such as multiple-stream, uncompressed, standard-definition video.

Will FireWire 400 Devices Run Faster When Connected To A FireWire 800 Port?

Unfortunately, this is not the case. In order to attain FireWire 800 speeds, both the device and port have to be FireWire 800 enabled. For instance, an external hard drive with a FireWire 800 9-pin connection will only reach FireWire 800 transfer rates when it is connected to a FireWire 800 9-pin host bus adapter card via a properly certified FireWire 800 9-pin to 9-pin beta cable.

When a FireWire 400 device is connected to a FireWire 800 port, the FireWire 400 device will only operate at the original

FireWire 400 speeds.

Will FireWire 800 Devices Work On FireWire 400 Ports And Vice Versa?

The new standard was designed to be backwards compatible, meaning that FireWire 800 devices will still operate via the original FireWire 400 port. To connect a FireWire 800 device to a FireWire 400 port, a specific adapter cable must be used, though. There are two types of FireWire 400 ports: 6-pin and 4-pin. For FireWire 800 devices to work, they must be connected by placing the 9-pin end of the FireWire cable into the FireWire 800 port of the device, and the opposite 6-pin or 4-pin end into the FireWire 400 port.

The same holds true for FireWire 400 devices being connected to a FireWire 800 host port. The 4-pin or 6-pin end of the

FireWire cable must be connected to the FireWire 400 port of the device, and the 9-pin end must be connected to the

FireWire 800 port.

When FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 devices are mixed, all transfer rates revert to the original FireWire 400 speed.

What Do I Do If My Computer Does Not Have A FireWire Port?

Most computers manufactured today incorporate at least one FireWire port. If your computer does not have a native port, you can install one by adding a PCI or PCMCIA host bus adapter card. Please contact your computer supply specialist for a spe-



cific card that will work with your system.

For more information about the FireWire interface, please visit: http://www.lacie.com/technologies

Appendix 1

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9. Appendix 2 – USB 2.0 Questions & Answers

What Are The Benefits Of The USB Interfaces?

The USB 1.1 and 2.0 interfaces provide many of the same benefits, particularly:

• They are based on serial bus technology.

• Cross-platform capabilities: you can use your USB peripherals on both Mac and Windows platforms.

• “Plug and Play” capability: this incredibly convenient function eliminates any need to turn off or restart the computer when connecting a new peripheral. Just plug it in and off you go.

• Automatic configuration: your new device is automatically recognized and installed by your operating system, which makes setting up and using your peripherals a snap.

• The ability to connect several peripherals on the same bus: with USB ports on your computer, you can connect up to 127 peripherals using hubs.

• No need for peripheral addresses or terminators, easy-to-install cables and other features.

What Is The Difference Between USB 1.1 And USB 2.0?

The main difference is speed. USB 1.1, the original version of the interface, is capable of throughput up to 12Mb/s. USB 2.0

supports data speeds up to 480 Mb/s, making it 40 times faster than its predecessor. This increased bandwidth translates into higher performance in demanding applications requiring high transfer rates.

What Are The Ideal Uses For USB 1.1?

USB 1.1 is ideal for more traditional connections such as keyboards, mice, joysticks and scanners. With its 12Mb/s speed, it can also be used for more advanced applications such as games and audio software, as well as storage on hard disks, CD-

RW, and other drives. USB 2.0 devices will have far superior performance in these more demanding applications, however.

What Are The Ideal Applications Of USB 2.0?

Except low-end devices, such as mice and keyboards, virtually any hardware will benefit from the extra bandwidth provided by USB 2.0. PC video conferencing applications will be further enhanced by the usability of USB 2.0 digital video cameras.

The new breed of USB 2.0 video capture adapters will enable professionals and consumers alike to record the highest video quality possible. USB 2.0 scanners will raise the performance bar by offering speeds that match SCSI and FireWire scanners, at a more affordable price. And USB 2.0 storage devices, such as CD-RW, DVD-RAM and DVD-R/RW, and removable cartridge drives, will also benefit from the new I/O performance.

Will USB 1.1 Devices Run Faster When Connected To A USB 2.0 Bus?

Unfortunately, no. The USB 2.0 specification is specifically written to allow developers to design higher speed peripherals that can take advantage of the extra bandwidth. USB 1.1 devices, though, will still operate at 12Mb/s at full-speed and 1.5Mb/s at low-speed on a USB 2.0 bus. Even though USB 1.1 devices won’t run any faster, they can work alongside USB 2.0 devices



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on the same bus. However, if you plug in a USB 2.0 device to a USB 1.1 bus, the speed of the USB 2.0 device will decrease to 12Mb/s.

What Is A USB Hub? Will USB 2.0 Devices Work On USB 1.1 Hubs And Vice Versa?

You can connect up to 127 devices to a single USB bus. For more than two devices, you must make new connections using a peripheral called a "hub.” A hub, which you hook up directly to a USB connector on your computer, usually has 4 or 7 output connections enabling you to connect the same number of peripherals. One of the hub's main functions is to regenerate signals that lose part of their strength as they are transmitted via the USB cable. By connecting yet another hub to a connector on the existing hub, you can then plug in a new set of peripherals and so on, up to a maximum of 127.

You can use your USB 2.0 devices with USB 1.1 hubs, but the peripherals will be limited to USB 1.1 performance levels. In the near future, USB 2.0 repeaters will be available, able to communicate in three modes: high-speed (480Mb/s), full-speed

(12Mb/s), and low-speed (1.5Mb/s). As USB 2.0 is backwards compatible, you will be able to connect USB 1.1 devices to

USB 2.0 hubs; however, the USB 1.1 devices will still maintain their normal performance levels (i.e. 12 Mb/s).

In practice, users who desire enhanced USB 2.0 throughput will need to connect their USB 2.0 hardware on both ends of a

2.0 hub to achieve the “high-speed” mode. On one end, a USB 2.0 compliant host controller resides on the host PC to manage the enumeration process and power management. On the other end, USB 2.0 hardware must be connected directly to the root hub or through a USB 2.0 hub.

Some hubs have no power supply and others are self-powered. When you choose a hub, opt for the self-powered variety, as they have their own AC adapter. The most powerful hubs provide 0.5A of power to each port.

If you buy a hub, make sure that it supports per-port switching. This function prevents the entire chain of peripherals from freezing up if one of them is not working properly or is down.

Important Note:

Avoid using USB connectors found on certain peripherals such as keyboards. These are passive (or pass-through) connectors that lead to power loss and unstable operation.

Important Note:

Only use USB cables shorter than 5 meters (approximately 15 feet). Using longer cables cause the peripherals to malfunction due to excessive reduction in electrical signal strength.

For more information about the USB interface, please visit: http://www.lacie.com/technologies


LaCie Big Disk User’s Manual Glossary

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9. Glossary

Asynchronous –

Data transfer method where the data is transferred independently of other processes. With this transfer method, the intervals between transmissions can vary, and data can be resent if it is initially missed.

Backup –

(1) The act of creating at least one additional copy of data onto a different (and safe) storage device from where it can be retrieved at a later time if needed. (2) A copy of a file, directory, or volume on a separate storage device from the original, for the purposes of retrieval in case the original is erased, damaged, or destroyed.

Bit –

The smallest measure of computerized data, either a 1 or a 0. Eight bits equal one byte, or one character.

Block –

A very small section of the storage media comprised of one or more sectors. A block is the smallest amount of space allocated on a drive for data storage. By default, a sector of data consists of 512 bytes.

Buffer –

RAM cache that is faster than the data that is being delivered. Buffers are used so data may be stored and delivered to the receiving item as it is needed.

Bus –

Electronic links that enable data to flow between the processor, RAM and extension cables (peripherals).

Byte –

A sequence of adjacent binary digits, or bits, considered as a unit, 8 bits in length. There are 8 bits in 1 byte. See also

MB (Megabyte) or GB (Gigabyte).

Cache, -ing –

This is an area of electronic storage (usually RAM) set aside to store frequently used data from electro-mechanical storage (hard drives, floppy disks, CD/DVD-ROM, tape cartridges, etc.) Therefore, storing frequently used data in RAM can enhance your system’s overall response to disk-intensive operations significantly.

Configuration –

When talking about a PC, configuration is understood to be the sum of the internal and external components of the system, including memory, disk drives, the keyboard, the video subsystem and other peripherals, such as the mouse, modem or printer. The configuration also implies software: the operating system and various device managers (drivers), as well as hardware settings and options set by the user via configuration files.

Controller –

This is a component or an electronic card (referred to in this case as a "controller card") that enables a computer to communicate with or manage certain peripherals. The controller manages the operation of the peripheral associated with it, and links the PC bus to the peripheral via a ribbon cable inside the PC. An external controller is an expansion card which fills one of the free slots inside your PC and which enables a peripheral (CD-ROM drive, scanner or printer, for instance) to be



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connected to the computer.

Cross-platform –

Term that refers to a device that is able to be operated by both Mac and Windows operating systems.

Data Stream –

The flow of data that accomplishes a task, usually related to moving data from storage to computer RAM or between storage devices.

Digital –

Discrete information that can be broken down to zero or one bits.

Driver (peripheral manager) –

A software component that enables the computer system to communicate with a peripheral.

Most peripherals will not operate correctly – if at all – if the appropriate drivers are not installed on the system.

File System –

Links the physical map of a disc to its logical structure. Thanks to the file system, users and computers can easily display path, directories and files recorded onto the disc.

Firmware –

Permanent or semi-permanent instructions and data programmed directly into the circuitry of a programmable read-only memory or an electronically-erasable, programmable read-only memory chip. Used for controlling the operation of the computer or tape drive. Distinct from the software, which is stored in random access memory and can be altered.

Folder –

A list created on a disk to store files. Creating folders and sub-folders enables you to organize the storage of your files in a logical, hierarchical manner so that you can find and manage them more easily.

Format, -ting, -ted –

This is a process where a device is prepared to record data. In this process, the hard disk writes special information onto its own recording surfaces into areas (blocks) that are ready to accept user data. Since this operation causes all current user data stored on the hard disk to be lost, this is an infrequent operation that usually only happens at the factory that created the hard disk. It is unusual for something to happen to a hard disk that requires the end-user to initially perform this operation.

GB (GigaByte) –

This value is normally associated with data storage capacity. Basically, it means a thousand million or a billion bytes. In fact, it equals 1,073,741,824 bytes (or 1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024).

Hardware –

Physical components of a computer system, including the computer itself and peripherals such as printers, modems, mice, etc.

Host Bus Adapter (HBA) –

A printed circuit board that installs in a standard microcomputer and an interface between the device controller and the computer. Also called a controller.



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Initialize, -ed, Initialization –

After a hard drive (or other storage device) is formatted and partitioned, some special data needs to be written to it that helps the Mac and Windows create files and save data. The process is called initialization. This process, like formatting, causes all user data on the storage device to be lost.

Interface –

The protocol data transmitters, data receivers, logic and wiring that link one piece of computer equipment to another, such as a hard drive to an adapter or an adapter to a system bus. Protocol means a set of rules for operating the physical interface, such as: do not read or write before the drive is ready.

I/O (Input/Output) –

Refers to an operation, program or device whose purpose is to enter data into or to extract data from a computer.

Isochronous –

Data transfer method that ensures that data flows continuously and at a steady rate. These transfers provide guaranteed transmission opportunities at defined intervals.

Kb (Kilobit) –

Equivalent to 1,000 bits.

Kb/s –

Kilobits per second. 480Kb/s is equal to 60KB/s.

KB (KiloByte) –

Basically, this means 1,000 bytes, but it is actually 1,024 bytes.

KB/s –

Kilobytes per second. A means of measuring throughput.

Mb (Megabit) –

Equivalent to 1,000,000 bits.

Mb/s –

Megabits per second. A means of measuring throughput. 480Mb/s is equal to 60MB/s.

MB (Megabyte) –

Basically means one million bytes, but is actually 1,024 Kilobytes or 1,024 x 1,024 bytes, which equals

1,048,576 bytes.

MB/s –

Megabytes per second. A means of measuring throughput.

Media –

The material or device used to store information in a storage subsystem, such as a tape cartridge, CD, DVD or disk drive.

Operating System (OS) –

Software that controls the assignment and use of hardware resources such as memory, processor time, disk space and peripherals. An operating system is the basis on which software (applications) run. Windows, Mac OS and UNIX are among the most common.



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Overwrite –

To write data on top of existing data thus erasing the original data.

Partition, -ing –

After formatting, the hard drive is not yet ready to store files. It must be divided into sections that will contain special information required for a Mac or PC to operate and other sections that will contain the files. This process of dividing up the hard drive is called partitioning. A partition is just one section of the hard drive that will contain either special data put there by Silverlining or other files and data.

Peripheral –

A generic term applied to printers, scanners, mice, keyboards, serial ports, graphics cords, disk drives and other computer subsystems. This type of peripheral often relies on its own control software, known as a peripheral driver.

Port, hardware –

A connection component (SCSI port, for example) that enables a microprocessor to communicate with a compatible peripheral.

Port, software –

A memory address that identifies the physical circuit used to transfer information between a microprocessor and a peripheral.

RAM (Random Access Memory) –

Generally referred to as a computer’s “memory.” An integrated circuit memory chip that allows information to be stored and retrieved by a microprocessor or controller. The information can be stored or accessed in any order, and all storage locations are equally accessible.

Seek Time –

The amount of time (in thousandths of a second, or milliseconds) that it takes a hard drive’s read/write head to move to a specific location on the disk. Average seek, then, is the average of a large number of random samplings all over the disk. Seek time is CPU independent, meaning that seek time is the same for a disk drive, whether it is attached to a computer or not.

Software –

In a nutshell, software is a set of instructions for the computer. A set of instructions to perform a particular task is called a program. There are two main types of software: system software (an operating system such as Mac OS or Windows) which controls the operation of the computer and application software (programs such as Word or Excel) which enable users to perform tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet creation, graphics, etc.

Storage –

In computers, any equipment in which information may be kept. PCs generally use disk units and other external storage media (diskettes, CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, etc.) for permanent storage of information.

Striping –

Spreading data evenly over multiple disk drives to enhance performance. Data striping can be performed on a bit, byte or block basis for optimum application performance.

Transfer Rate –

The rate at which the drive sends and receives data from the controller. Transfer rates for reading data from



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the disk drive may not be the same as the transfer rate for writing data to the disk drive. Transfer rates are CPU dependent, meaning that regardless of how great a transfer rate your drive is capable of, the actual transfer rate can only be as fast as the slowest of your hard drive and computer.

Volume –

A desktop mountable storage area, may be a partition of a hard drive, a removable disk or a cartridge. Typically measured in Megabytes or Gigabytes.

Utility –

Software designed to perform maintenance tasks on the system or its components. Examples include backup programs, programs to retrieve files and data on disk, programs for preparing (or formatting) a disk or and resource editors.

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