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Notes from the LaCie SAFE Mobile Hard Drive Manual

Chapter – Forward

Caution

• Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.
• The LaCie SAFE mobile hard drive's warranty may be void as a result of the failure to respect the precautions listed above.

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Important Info

• Any loss, corruption or destruction of data while using a LaCie drive is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances will LaCie be held liable for the recovery or restoration of this data. To help prevent the loss of your data, LaCie highly recommends that you keep two copies of your data; one copy on your external hard drive, for instance, and a second copy either on your internal hard drive, another external hard drive or some other form of removable storage media, such as CD, DVD or tape. LaCie offers a complete line of CD, DVD and tape drives, and if you would like more information on backup, please refer to the LaCie white paper on backup methods and technology.

Chapter 2 - Unpacking Your LaCie SAFE Drive

Technical Notes

• To achieve USB 2.0 speeds, your drive must be connected to a USB 2.0 host port. If it is connect¬ed to a USB 1.1 port, your drive will operate at USB 1.1 speeds. For more details see section 7.3. Optimizing USB 2.0 Connections.

Chapter 3 - Before Installing Your LaCie SAFE Drive

Important Info

• The first person to use the drive becomes the Administrator by default. However, any user can be given Administration privileges.
• You can register more fingerprints per user as long as you don’t exceed a maximum of 10 fingerprints total for all users. So, for example, you could register 2 fingerprints each for 5 users (including the Administrator) or 10 fingerprints for 1 user or any other combination inbetween.

Chapter 4 - Connecting Your LaCie Drive

Important Info

• Be sure to attach the USB Power Sharing Cable before attaching the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable. If you attach the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable first, then the drive will not work correctly.
Technical Notes
• The LaCie SAFE drive does not require a power supply for computers equipped with a standard bus-powered USB port. Some USB hubs or boards are not powered; if your computer’s USB hub or bus does not provide the necessary power to operate your drive, use one of the optional power sharing cables to turn on your drive. See section 4.2. Connecting the USB Power Sharing Cable for instructions.
• Please refer to section 7.3. Optimizing USB 2.0 Connections for important information on disconnecting USB 2.0 devices and ensuring optimum performance.
• To achieve USB 2.0 speeds, your drive must be connected to a USB 2.0 host port. If it is connected to a USB 1.1 port, your drive will operate at USB 1.1 speeds. For more details see section 7.3. Optimizing USB 2.0 Connections.
• If no USB port is available and if your computer has a PS2 port, please contact your LaCie reseller or LaCie Customer Service for more information. LaCie offers an optional PS2 power sharing cable, sold separately. The PS2 power supply adapter cable connects to either of the ports used to connect a keyboard or mouse to your computer.
• If the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable and the USB Power Sharing Cable do not provide enough power to make the drive work properly, then you'll need a power supply, which LaCie sells separately. Please contact your LaCie reseller or LaCie Customer Support for more information.

Chapter 5 - Configuring Your LaCie SAFE Drive

Important Info

• If the top LED doesn’t blink orange or doesn’t turn red, please contact LaCie Customer Support.
• Windows Users: It may take a few seconds for your computer to recognize the drive and assign it an icon, especially if the computer is equipped with a USB 1 connector. Mac Users: It may take a few seconds for the drive to appear on your desktop.
• If the swipe is not successful, you’ll get an error dialog stating that the swipe registration failed. Consult section 10. Troubleshooting the Fingerprint Sensor if you cannot get a successful swipe after several attempts.
• Each user must register at least two fingerprints in order to use the drive. That way, if one finger is injured and must be bandaged, the user will still be able to access the drive.
• A user can register more than two fingerprints. The SAFE drive supports a total of 10 fingerprint registrations. So, for example, you could have five users each of whom has two fingerprints registered or you could have one user with 10 fingerprints registered. To add a new user, refer to section 5.3. Registering Additional Users.
Technical Notes
• The volume of the drive does not yet appear. Instead, you'll see a virtual partition of 100MB, which includes the Configuration Tool application. You'll use this application to configure your drive and create your user profile. Once that is done, then the total storage volume mounts and you can begin using your drive.
• If after a few seconds, your drive doesn’t mount on your computer but the top LED is red and the drive is making a clicking noise, your USB port may not be providing enough power to the drive. Please refer to section 4.2. Connecting the USB Power Sharing Cable.

Chapter 6 - Using Your LaCie SAFE Drive

Important Info

• If you are having trouble getting the fingerprint sensor to recognize you, see section 10. Troubleshooting the Fingerprint Sensor.
• The drive is not formatted if it has been reset to factory settings. The data stored won’t be lost or modified.
• You can also remove a fingerprint by selecting it and clicking “Remove this fingerprint...”. You’ll see a confirmation dialog asking if you are sure you want to remove the fingerprint. This action cannot be undone.
Technical Notes
• While the top LED blinks orange, you can swipe your finger over the sensor to be authenticated. You don’t have to wait for the drive to mount on the desktop.
• Once the drive is connected, the top LED blinks for 5 seconds. During this 5 seconds, you can swipe your finger over the sensor without waiting for the drive to mount on the desktop.

Chapter 7 - Helpful Information

Caution

• 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.
Important Info
• If you will be sharing the hard drive between Mac and Windows operating environments, you will want to leave the drive formatted in FAT 32.
• Please refer to section 7.1. File System Formats, for a more detailed discussion on the differences between the two systems.
• 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.
Technical Notes
• 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. An external controller is an expansion card which fills on of the free slots (for example, PCI or PCMCIA) inside your PC and which enables a peripheral (such as a CD-R/RW drive, Hard Drive, scanner, or printer) to be connected to the computer. If your computer is not equipped with a USB 2.0 controller card, you can purchase an external controller through LaCie. Contact your LaCie reseller or LaCie Technical Support (11. Contacting Customer Support) for more information.

Chapter 9 - Troubleshooting Your LaCie Drive

Important Info

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

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