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LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 User Manual
LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 User Manual

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Frequently Asked Questions

For help setting up and using your LaCie hard drive, review the frequently asked questions below. For additional support resources, go to LaCie customer support.

All users

Problem: My file transfers are too slow.

Thunderbolt 3/USB

Q: Are both ends of the cable firmly attached?
A: Review troubleshooting tips for cable connections below:

  • Check both ends of the cable and make sure they are fully seated in their respective ports.
  • Try safely ejecting LaCie 2big Dock from your computer and then disconnect the cable. Wait 10 seconds and then reconnect LaCie 2big Dock to the computer.

Q: Are there other Thunderbolt 3 or USB devices connected to the same port or hub?
A: Disconnect other devices and see if the drive's performance improves.

Thunderbolt 3

Q: Is the device connected to a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port on your computer or hub?
A: Connect LaCie 2big Dock to a USB-C port on your computer that supports Thunderbolt 3 devices. The lightning bolt icon that represents Thunderbolt 3 support should appear next to the USB-C port.

Q: Does your computer or operating system support Thunderbolt 3?
AConsult your computer and operating system documentation for Thunderbolt 3 compatibility information.

USB

Q: Is the device connected to Hi-Speed USB 2.0 on your computer or hub?
A: If your hard drive is connected to a USB 2.0 port, the slower performance is normal. LaCie 2big Dock USB performance is significantly better when it is connected to a USB 3.1 port or a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. Otherwise, LaCie 2big Dock operates at slower USB transfer rates.

Problem: I connected LaCie 2big Dock to my computer but it does not power on and I cannot see the device in LaCie RAID Manager.

Q: Which cable and ports are connecting LaCie 2big Dock to the computer?
A: Make certain that the correct ports are connected by the correct cable. If you’re connecting using Thunderbolt 3, make sure that one end of your Thunderbolt 3 cable is connected to one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports on LaCie 2big Dock, and the other end of the cable is connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer. A Thunderbolt 3 port is a USB-C port with a Thunderbolt icon next to it.

If your computer does not have a Thunderbolt 3 port, connect the USB 3.1 port on LaCie 2big Dock to a USB 3.1 port on your computer (using the Thunderbolt 3 cable). Please note that it is not possible to access the storage when connecting the Thunderbolt 3 port on LaCie 2big Dock to a USB-C port on a computer that does not support Thunderbolt 3. While it is possible to connect LaCie 2big Dock's USB 3.1 port to a Thunderbolt 3 port on a computer, the benefits offered by Thunderbolt 3 are lost. Such a connection only allows for using a single array at transfer rates up to 10Gb/s rather than Thunderbolt 3's potential of multiple arrays and transfer rates up to 40Gb/s.

If you see the storage using the USB connection but the Thunderbolt connection does not appear to work, confirm that LaCie RAID Manager is installed on your computer. The installer for LaCie RAID Manager includes an important driver that allows the computer to recognize the storage with Thunderbolt connections. The installer can be downloaded at LaCie RAID Manager.

Problem: I want to change the RAID level.

Q: How do I change the RAID level?
A: You can manage the storage for LaCie 2big Dock using LaCie RAID Manager. To download the installer, go to LaCie RAID Manager. For instructions how to use the application, see Manage RAID.

Problem: I disconnected my computer from the LaCie 2big Dock during RAID synchronization or initialization.

Q: Can I disconnect my computer during RAID synchronization or initialization?
A: Yes. Synchronization and initialization continue uninterrupted when the computer disconnects from LaCie 2big Dock. Similarly, LaCie 2big Dock can be placed into power-saving mode or powered off during synchronization and initialization. Provided the same hard drives are in the enclosure, the operation continues once the device is powered on. For more information, see Operation.

Problem: I have a USB-C hard drive that I want to add to the Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain. 

Q: Can I attach my USB-C hard drive to a Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain?
A: Yes. Make certain to add the USB-C hard drive to the end of a Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain since USB devices do not include a second port to continue the chain. Please note that USB-C devices do not become Thunderbolt 3 devices when added to a Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain. The USB-C device can only provide performance within its potential. For example, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 hard drive added to the end of a Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain can reach up to 5Gb/s while a USB 3.1 Gen 2 hard drive can reach up to 10Gb/s.

Problem: I must password protect and/or encrypt my hard drive.

Q: Can I attach my USB-C hard drive to a Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain?
A: Yes, it is possible to protect the hard drive or individual folders and files with a password. There are many third-party solutions for password protection. However, LaCie cannot guarantee them since we do not test third-party applications.

Some versions of Windows have a built-in utility called Bitlocker that can protect hard drives with a password. For more information about Bitlocker, consult Microsoft's support documentation.

Q: Can I encrypt my hard drive?
A: Yes, the hard drive can be encrypted. There are many third-party solutions for encryption. However, LaCie cannot guarantee them since we do not test third-party applications.

Some versions of Windows have a built-in utility called Bitlocker that can encrypt hard drives. For more information about Bitlocker, consult Microsoft's support documentation

Problem: I'm receiving file transfer error messages.

Q: Did you get an "Error -50" message while copying to a FAT32 volume?
A: When copying files or folders from a computer to a FAT32 volume, certain characters in the names cannot be copied. These characters include, but are not limited to: ? < > / \ :

Check your files and folders to ensure that these characters are not in the names.

If this is a recurring problem or you cannot find files with incompatible characters, consider reformatting the drive to NTFS (Windows users) or HFS+ (Mac users). See Formatting and Partitioning.

Problem: DisplayPort to HDMI display does not work.

Q: Why does my HDMI display not work correctly when connected to the DisplayPort expansion port?
A: The DisplayPort 1.2 on your LaCie 2big Dock does not support DP++ to HDMI adapters. If you do not have a DP 1.2 to HDMI adapter but still want to connect to an HDMI display, it’s recommended that you daisy chain your LaCie 2big Dock to the display using a USB-C to HDMI adapter (not included). This configuration is only possible if the LaCie 2big Dock is connected to your computer via a Thunderbolt cable.

Mac

Problem: The drive icon does not appear on my desktop.

Q: Is your Finder configured to hide hard drives on the desktop?
A: Go to Finder and then check Preferences > General tab > Show these items on the desktop. Confirm that Hard Disks is selected.

Q: Is your drive mounting in the operating system?
A: Open Disk Utility at Go > Utilities > Disk Utility. If the drive is listed in the left-hand column, check your Finder preferences to see why it is not displayed on the desktop (review the question above).

Q: Does your computer's configuration meet the minimum system requirements for use with this drive?
A: Refer to the product packaging for the list of supported operating systems.

Q: Did you follow the correct installation steps for your operating system?
A: Review the installation steps in Connect your LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3.

Windows

Problem: The drive icon doesn't appear in Computer.

Q: Is the drive listed in Device Manager?
A: All drives appear in at least one place in Device Manager.

Go to Search and enter Device Manager to launch it. Look in the Disk Drives section and, if necessary, click the plus sign to view the full list of devices. If you're uncertain that your drive is listed, safely unplug it and then reconnect it. The entry that changes is your LaCie hard drive.

Q: Is your drive listed next to an unusual icon?
A: Windows Device Manager usually provides information about failures with peripherals. While the Device Manager can assist with troubleshooting most problems, it may not display the exact cause or provide a precise solution.

An unusual icon next to the hard drive can reveal a problem. For example, an exclamation point, question mark, or X instead of the normal icon based on the type of device could indicate a problem. Right click on the icon and then choose Properties. The General tab provides a potential reason why the device is not working as expected.