Acomdata HD500FPMM User manual

mini Pal
User’s Guide

Contents
PART I: MEET MINI PAL& MUCH MORE
Welcome! ..............................................................................................8
Register for Warranty Coverage .........................................................9
Precautions ........................................................................................10
Package Contents ..............................................................................11
System Requirements for Mac ..........................................................12
System Requirements for PC ............................................................13
AcomData mini Pal at a Glance .........................................................14
AcomData mini Pal In-Depth ............................................................16
FireWire 400 Hard Drive .................................................................................... 16
FireWire 400 Hub ............................................................................................... 16
On-Bus Power ..................................................................................................... 17
PushButton™ Backup ....................................................................................... 18
How PushButton™ Backup Works .......................................................................................... 18
Duplicates vs. Backups ............................................................................................................... 19
About Backups .............................................................................................................................. 20
Hot-Pluggable .................................................................................................... 20
Fanless Design .................................................................................................... 21
Plug & Play Setup ............................................................................................... 21
Mac & PC Ready .................................................................................................. 21
Technical Specifications ....................................................................22
PART II: SETTING UP MINI PAL
Connecting the mini Pal to your Mac mini .......................................26
Connecting mini Pal to Computers other than Mac mini ...............29
Naming Your mini Pal ........................................................................30
Re-Formatting mini Pal .....................................................................31
Formatting mini Pal in Windows XP or 2000 ................................................ 33
Formatting mini Pal in Windows 98SE or Me ................................................ 34
Formatting mini Pal in Mac OS X ..................................................................... 35
Formatting mini Pal in Mac OS 9 ..................................................................... 36
How to Safely Turn Off (and Disconnect) mini Pal ..........................37
Mac Users ........� 38
PC Users ...........� 38
Connecting Peripherals .....................................................................39
Connecting USB Peripherals ............................................................................... 40
Connecting FireWire Peripherals ....................................................................... 42
PART III: PUSHBUTTON™ BACKUP
PushButton™ Backup for Mac ...........................................................46
Software Installation ............................................................................................ 46
Installing Retrospect® Express ........................................................................ 47
Installing AcomData PushButton™ Manager ............................................... 49

Setting up the Button Backup Script ................................................................ 51
Customizing the Button Backup Script ............................................................. 54
Install Retrospect Express 5.1 for Mac OS 9 and pre-OS 10.1.5 .............................. 61
PushButton™ Backup for PC .............................................................62
Software Installation ............................................................................................ 62
Installing Retrospect® Express ........................................................................ 62
Installing AcomData PushButton™ Manager ............................................... 64
Setting up PushButton™ Backup ...................................................................... 66
Customizing the Button Backup Script ............................................................. 68
APPENDIX
About FireWire & USB 2.0 ..................................................................76
FireWire 400 ........................................................................................................ 76
About USB 2.0 ..................................................................................................... 77
Maintaining Your mini Pal & Safeguarding Your Data ....................78
Backup Your Data ............................................................................................... 78
Defragmenting and Optimizing a Hard Drive .............................................. 78
Examining and Repairing a Hard Drive ......................................................... 79
Protect Your Data from Viruses ....................................................................... 80
Cleaning the mini Pal Case ............................................................................... 80
Troubleshooting ................................................................................81
Troubleshooting for Mac users .......................................................................... 82
Troubleshooting for PC Users ............................................................................. 84
Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................86
Glossary ..............................................................................................92
One Year Limited Warranty ...............................................................94
Obtaining Service for Your AcomData Product ...............................96
How to Purchase Accessories ............................................................97
Contact Information ..........................................................................98
Notices ................................................................................................99

PART I:
MEET MINI PAL
& MUCH MORE

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Welcome!
Thank you for choosing an AcomData
mini Pal. Your mini Pal is equipped
with a high-performance FireWire
hard drive, a FireWire hub, and a
USB 2.0 hub for connecting USB and
FireWire peripherals.
Your mini Pal features high-quality construction, advanced engineering, and
state-of-the-art data storage technology, designed to provide years of reliable
performance.
This guide contains important information for the proper installation, use,
and care of your mini Pal. Please read this guide carefully and retain it for
future reference.
Symbols used in this guide:
Register for Warranty Coverage
Registration is required in the event that your product needs servicing. See
“Obtaining Service for Your AcomData Product” for details.
Online Registration
You can register online at www.acomdata.com. Once you enter the site, click
on the Product Registration button and follow the instructions on screen.
Advantages of Online Registration:
1. It’s fast, free, and your product is registered immediately;
2. Free unlimited online technical support;
3. You get your own personalized support page where you can:
download software updates; access all online support services; view all of
your registered AcomData products; manage your personal profile;
4. Arranging product returns is faster and easier if you registered online.
Mail-in Registration
You may also register via mail by filling out and returning the Registration
Card included in the package.
When registering, you will need the Model number and Serial number. Both of
these are printed on the label affixed to the underside of your mini Pal.
THIS SYMBOL ALERTS THE READER TO A WARNING
OR TO SOME VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
THIS SYMBOL ALERTS THE READER TO HELPFUL
TIPS AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT MAY BE
USEFUL.
THE WINDOWS LOGO ALERTS THE READER TO
IMPORTANT INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO WINDOWS
USERS.
THE APPLE LOGO ALERTS THE READER TO IMPOR-
TANT INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO MAC USERS.
THE USB 2.0 LOGO ALERTS THE READER TO
IMPORTANT INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO USB 2.0
USERS.
THE FIREWIRE LOGO ALERTS THE READER TO
IMPORTANT INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO FIREWIRE
USERS.

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Precautions
Failure to follow the precautions below may result in damage to the device,
loss of data, and voiding of the warranty.
• If using your AcomData product as a general-purpose storage device (as
opposed to a backup device) AcomData strongly recommends that you
backup the files stored on the device. AcomData is not responsible for data
loss or corruption; nor will AcomData perform recovery of lost data or files.
• Do not open the device or attempt to disassemble or modify it. If the device
is malfunctioning, contact AcomData Technical Support via the Customer
Support page at www.acomdata.com or call [phone] (Pacific Time)
during regular business hours.
• Do not expose the device to rain or use it in damp or wet conditions.
• Never place containers of liquids on the device. This can damage the device
and increase the risk of electric shock, short-circuiting, fire, or personal injury.
• If the device has a three-prong plug, never plug the device into a two-
prong outlet.
• Do not use the device in temperatures outside the range of 5° C – 35° C.
• Do not use a third-party AC adapter/power cord.
• Do not bump, jar or drop the device.
• Do not try to stand the device in a way not described in this guide.
• Do not disconnect any cables while the device is powered on without first
unmounting the device.
Package Contents
If you are missing any item listed above, please contact Customer Service at
[e-mail], or call 800-470-4495.
AcomData mini Pal
6-pin to 6-pin
FireWire cable
AC Adapter &
Power Cord
User’s Guide
Mail-In
Registration Card
USB cable
Software CD

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System Requirements for Mac
• Power Macintosh (Mac mini, G5, G4, G3, iBook, PowerBook or iMac)
• Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X
• Available data port(s):
- 6-pin FireWire port (for operation of hard drive and FireWire hub)
- USB 2.0 port (for operation of the USB 2.0 hub)
• PushButton™ Backup requires:
- Mac OS X v.10.2 or later
- 128 MB of RAM
Mac OS 9 Users:
• Mac OS 9 does not support USB 2.0. If using the USB 2.0 connection with
Mac OS 9, any attached USB devices will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12
Mbps).
• You will need FireWire software version 2.7 or later from Apple. If you have
Mac OS 9.1 or later you already have FireWire 2.7 or later. Mac OS 9 updates
are available at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75288.
System Requirements for PC
• Minimum 233 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Celeron, AMD, etc.)
• Windows XP, 2000, Me or 98SE
• Available data port(s):
- 6-pin FireWire port (for operation of hard drive and FireWire hub)
- USB 2.0 port (for operation of the USB 2.0 hub)
• PushButton™ Backup requires 128 MB of RAM
Windows 98SE users:
You’ll need Windows 98 Second Edition 1394 Storage Supplement, available at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/default.asp.
USB 1.1 compatibility:
If you connect mini Pal to a USB 1.1 port on your computer, any attached USB
devices will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12 Mbps).
FireWire users with laptops:
If your laptop has a 4-pin FireWire port, you will need a 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire
cable (sold separately). See “How to Purchase Accessories.”

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AcomData mini Pal at a Glance
PushButton™
Press to initiate a backup.
Requires installation of the
included software.
Aluminum Alloy Case
Designed with the same
shape, footprint, material, and
surface finish as Mac mini.
Hi-Performance
Hard Drive
With a huge capacity for your
demanding storage needs.
GND
12V
5V
A B
GND
12V
5V
A B
POWER
SWITCH
You can turn
the mini Pal
on only when
needed, to save
electricity.
POWER
PORT
The included AC
adapter plugs in
here.
USB 2.0 HUB
This is where you can
connect your printer,
scanner and other
USB devices.
USB 2.0
TYPE B PORT
Used to connect
mini Pal to your
computer.
FIREWIRE PORTS
Use one port to connect
mini Pal to your computer. Use
the remaining two ports to add
a whole arsenal of FireWire
(1394a) devices on up to two
daisy-chains.

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AcomData mini Pal In-Depth
FireWire 400 Hard Drive
mini Pal’s internal hard drive boasts state-of-the-art features, including 7200
RPM rotational speed, up to 8 MB cache, giant magnetoresistive (GMR) tech-
nology, and advanced integrated electronics, for great performance and solid
reliability. The FireWire 1394a interface makes the drive ideal for even the
most demanding applications––including capturing and editing full-motion,
digital video. As a data backup device, the drive offers much higher transfer
speeds than tape or optical media, and you get tons of storage for photos,
music, graphics and your important documents.
FireWire 400 Hub
mini Pal is equipped with three 6-pin FireWire 400 (1394a) ports. One port
is used to connect mini Pal to your computer (it does not matter which port
you use); the remaining two ports can be used for connecting a whole slew of
FireWire peripherals (digital camcorders, optical/hard drives, scanners etc.) on
two daisy-chains (additional FireWire cables sold separately). See “Connecting
FireWire Peripherals” for details.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hub
mini Pal is equipped with one USB 2.0 type B port and four USB 2.0 type A
ports. The single type B port is used to connect mini Pal to your computer.
The type A ports can be used to connect other USB devices (additional USB
cables sold separately). See “Connecting USB Peripherals” for details.
On-Bus Power
Some low-powered USB and FireWire peripherals have the option of being
bus powered. This means they do not need to be plugged into an AC outlet;
they can get the power they need via a USB or FireWire connection.
mini Pal’s USB 2.0 hub can supply up to 2.5 Watts of power from each USB
type A port, with a maximum of 5 Watts for all four ports. The combined peak
power of all attached, bus-powered USB devices cannot exceed 5 Watts. For
example, you can connect two 2.5-Watt devices, or four 1-Watt devices…etc.
The FireWire hub can supply up 8 Watts of power, shared among the three
FireWire ports. Since one FireWire port is used to connect mini Pal to your
computer, the 8 Watts is actually only shared by the two remaining FireWire
ports. The combined, peak power usage of all attached, bus-powered
FireWire devices cannot exceed 8 Watts. For example, you can connect one
FireWire device that uses 8 Watts, or two devices that use 4 Watts each… etc.
The USB and FireWire connections will only supply electrical power when
needed. An attached USB or FireWire peripheral that is plugged into an AC
outlet will not draw power from the USB or FireWire connection.
Before attempting to run any device off of bus power, check the device
manufacturer’s specifications to make sure that the device can actually be bus
powered.

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PushButton™ Backup
PushButton™ Backup allows you to run routine backups simply by pressing
the PushButton™ on the front of your mini Pal.
How PushButton™ Backup Works
Along with special internal hardware and firmware components, PushButton™
Backup uses a customized version of Dantz Retrospect Express and the
AcomData PushButton™ Manager software (on the included CD) that work
together to initiate and run backups whenever you press the PushButton™.
Retrospect Express is the software that performs the actual data backups.
The Retrospect Express software bundled with your mini Pal was specially
configured to work with PushButton™ Backup. The primary function of the
AcomData PushButton™ Manager is to enable the PushButton™ on the
mini Pal to initiate a backup when pressed.
The first time you use PushButton™ Backup, the Retrospect Button Backup
wizard will launch and help you quickly setup a Duplicate script that specifies
the volume (drive) you want to backup, and the types of files you want to
include in your routine backups.
After setup is complete, each subsequent time you press the PushButton™,
Retrospect Express will automatically launch and perform an incremental
Duplicate, saving the files to your mini Pal.
You only need to set up the script once. If you happen to delete the script,
the next time you initiate a PushButton™ Backup, Retrospect Express will run
the Button Backup wizard.
Duplicates vs. Backups
There are three types of backup operations available with Retrospect Express:
Duplicates; Backups, and; Archives. (The Archive operation is not discussed in
this guide. For information on Archives see the Help menu in Retrospect Express.)
By default, PushButton™ Backup performs Duplicates. However, after you set
up PushButton™ Backup, you can change the Button Backup script to run
Backups or Archives instead. (Full instructions for customizing the Button
Backup script are given in Part II: PushButton™ Backup.)
About Duplicates
The Duplicate operation uses what is essentially a “smart” copying process.
Files and folders from the source volume (e.g. your computer’s startup disk)
are copied to your mini Pal’s hard drive. Duplicated files and folders can be
viewed and utilized just like the original source file because a duplicate is a
straight copy of the original.
The Duplicate process saves space by overwriting old versions of duplicated
files with the latest versions from the source volume. It also saves time by
copying only files that are new or have been changed since the last backup.
If you erase a file or folder on the source volume, the duplicated file or folder
on your mini Pal will also be erased the next time you press the PushButton™.
In this way, the backup is always an exact duplicate of the source. You can
restore duplicated files simply by dragging and dropping them back onto
your computer’s hard drive.
The Duplicate operation is best suited for users who need quick access to
their backed up files and who do not want to backup their operating system
or application files.

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About Backups
The Backup process “packages” backed up files into a Backup Set. Files in a
Backup Set are not accessible via the Desktop. To retrieve a file in a Backup
Set you need to “restore” the file using Retrospect’s Restore function.
Instead of overwriting previously backed up files with the latest versions,
with Backups all previous versions of backed up files are saved, which allows
you to restore multiple versions of the same file as it has changed over time.
As well as backing up your files, Backups can also save other types of data,
including user settings, applications and their settings, and the operating
system and its settings (including the registry). This information is invaluable
if you need to perform disaster recovery on a computer that has become
unresponsive. Backup Sets can be compressed to save space, and encrypted
for added security.
The Backup operation is best suited for users who want to backup their entire
startup disk.
Hot-Pluggable
You can turn the mini Pal on and off while your computer is running (i.e. “hot”),
in order to conserve energy. Let’s say you use your mini Pal solely for data back-
ups––so it only needs to run a few minutes every day––but your computer
needs to run all day. If mini Pal was not hot-pluggable, you would either have
to shut down your computer every time you wanted to turn mini Pal on or
off; or you would have to leave the mini Pal running all day unnecessarily.
You can also connect or disconnect mini Pal while your computer is run-
ning, making portability easier and faster. See “How to Safely Turn Off (and
Disconnect) mini Pal” for details.
Even if mini Pal is turned off, as long as it is plugged into an AC outlet, any
attached USB and FireWire devices will still work.
Fanless Design
mini Pal was engineered to generate less heat and to dissipate that heat so
efficiently that it does not need a fan, for near-silent operation.
Plug & Play Setup
In most cases, installing mini Pal on your system involves nothing more than
connecting the cables and turning it on. PushButton™ Backup requires the
installation of the PushButton™ Backup software suite.
Mac & PC Ready
Although mini Pal was designed specifically for Mac mini, it is also compatible
with other Macs and even Windows PCs. As a matter of fact, mini Pal is ready
to use on either a Mac or a PC right out of the box––no formatting is required.
mini Pal was formatted at the factory using the FAT32 file system, which
makes the mini Pal compatible with all supported operating systems. That
said, you may want to consider re-formatting the mini Pal using one of the
other file systems that may be available to you.
For more information and formatting instructions, see “Re-Formatting mini Pal.”

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Technical Specifications
Model #: .........................................................................................................HDxxxFPMM-72
(The "xxx" is a placeholder for capacity. For example, if your mini Pal has a capacity of 250 GB, the model number
is HD250FPMM-72.)
Physical
Dimensions:
(inches) ......................................................................................................6.5” X 6.5” X 1.55”
(mm) ..................................................................................................... 165.2 X 165.2 x 39.5
Weight .............................................................................................................. 2.65 lbs.; 1.2 Kg
Configuration
Hard Drive Interface .................................................................FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a)
Hubs:
FireWire 400 ...................... three 6-pin ports (one used for mini Pal’s hard drive)
USB 2.0 .......... four type A ports; one type B port (connects to your computer)
Chassis (approved/recognized) ....................................................................... FCC/CE/UL
Performance
Interface transfer rate (max.)
FireWire 400 ........................................................................................................... 400 Mbps
USB 2.0 ..................................................................................................................... 480 Mbps
Data buffer (cache)
Drives with less than 250 GB capacities ................................................................2 MB
Drives with 250 GB + capacities ...............................................................................8 MB
Rotational speed .....................................................................................................7200 RPM
Latency (average) .........................................................................................................4.17 ms
Seek time (read typical) ...............................................................................................8.9 ms
Error rate (non-recoverable) ....................................................................<1 in 10E14 bits
Power
Requirement ..............................................................+5VDC (+/- 5%) +12VDC (+/- 5%)
Startup current (max.) ......................................................... 1.55 A @ 12 V; 0.35 A @ 5V
Idle .........� 8.1 W
External Power Supply
Type: ............................................................................................ 25W switching UL/CSA/CE
AC Input .................................................................................................... 100-240V, 50/60Hz
Environmental characteristics (operating)
Ambient temperature ...........................................................................................5ºC – 35ºC
Relative humidity (non-condensing) ............................................................... 8% – 90%
Maximum wet bulb (non-condensing) .................................................................. 29.4ºC
Shock (half sine wave) ............................................................................................55 G/2ms
Vibration (random [RMS]) ..........................................0.67 (horizontal), 0.56 (vertical)

PART II:
SETTING UP
MINI PAL

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Connecting the mini Pal
to your Mac mini
About the supplied
USB and FireWire cables:
Each end of the USB cable has different connectors,
called type A and type B. The 'A' connector plugs into
your computer. The 'B' connector plugs into your
mini Pal.
The connectors on both the USB and FireWire cables
are made to be inserted only one way. When connect-
ing mini Pal to your computer, be sure to correctly
insert the connectors, or you may damage the
mini Pal and void the warranty.
1. Depending on which arrangement you pre-
fer, either set your Mac mini onto the mini
Pal (as shown) or place the mini Pal onto
your Mac mini. Align the two devices so that
they are squarely stacked together. The large,
grippy, rubber pad at the bottom of both
devices will keep them firmly planted.
2. The pins of the small AC adapter plug are off-set so that the
plug can be inserted only one way. Orient the plug correctly and
insert the plug into the Power Port. The plug should not require
much effort to insert. If the plug will not go in, check that the
orientation is correct and try again. Do not force the plug or you
may damage it and/or the mini Pal.
3. Plug the power cord into the socket in the AC adapter. Plug the
other end into an AC outlet.
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4. Connect the USB cable: Plug the type B connector into the USB type B port
on the mini Pal. Plug the type A connector into a free USB port on your
Mac mini.
5. Connect the FireWire connector: Plug one end of the FireWire cable into
any one of the FireWire ports on your mini Pal. Plug the other end into the
FireWire port on your Mac mini.
6. If your Mac mini is powered on, when you press the power switch located
on the back of the mini Pal, it will mount to your Mac mini and a new drive
icon labeled “External” will appear on the Desktop.
Connecting mini Pal to
Computers other than Mac mini
Follow the same basic instructions given in the section “Connecting mini Pal
to your Mac mini.”
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STACK ANY COMPUTER OR DEVICE OTHER THAN
A MAC MINI ONTO A MINI PAL.
About cable length:
The supplied USB and FireWire cables were made specifically for connecting
mini Pal to a Mac mini. If you plan to connect your mini Pal to a computer
other than a Mac mini, you may need to purchase longer cables in order to
properly place the mini Pal where you would like on your desktop.
FireWire user with laptops:
If you want to connect mini Pal to a laptop equipped with a 4-pin FireWire
port, you will need a 6-pin to 4-pin cable (sold separately).
Windows 98SE and Me Users:
Once the mini Pal has been properly connected and powered on, you should
see a new drive icon/letter in My Computer/Windows Explorer. If your comput-
er cannot detect the mini Pal, you may need to manually search for and install
the driver named GPIO98.SYS. If you have Windows 98 Second Edition 1394
Storage Supplement, this file should be located at C:\WINDOWS/SYSTEM\IO-
SUBSYS\GPIO98.SYS.

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Naming
Your mini Pal
Now that your mini Pal has been connected and
mounted to your operating system, you may want
to give it a name (other than “External”) to distinguish it
from other devices connected to your computer.
If you wish to re-format your mini Pal, you will have the opportunity to assign
a name during the formatting setup process.
Mac Users:
1. Locate the mini Pal icon on your Mac’s Desktop.
2. Click and hold the mouse button on the icon’s label until it is highlighted.
3. Type in a name and press Return/Enter.
PC Users:
1. Double-click on My Computer.
2. In the My Computer window click on the mini Pal (“External”) icon/letter.
3. In the File menu, select Properties.
4. Under the General tab of the Properties window, type a name in the text
field beside the mini Pal icon.
Re-Formatting mini Pal
FORMATTING A HARD DISK ERASES ALL DATA STORED ON THE DISK!
BEFORE YOU FORMAT THE MINI PAL, BE SURE TO SAVE A COPY OF ANY
FILES YOU WISH TO KEEP TO ANOTHER STORAGE DEVICE.
Your AcomData mini Pal was formatted at the factory with the FAT32 file sys-
tem. This makes mini Pal both Mac and PC compatible right out of the box,
and allows you to share files between platforms.
If you plan to use your mini Pal only on a Mac or only on a PC, you should
consider re-formatting the mini Pal with one of the more advanced file sys-
tems that may be available to you.
Formatting Options for Mac Users
If you plan to use mini Pal only on a Mac, consider re-formatting it with the
Mac OS Extended file system.
Formatting Options for Windows XP/2000 Users
If you do not plan to use the mini Pal on a Mac or Windows 95 or Me, con-
sider re-formatting your mini Pal with the NTFS file system. NTFS provides
several advantages over FAT32, including better security and support for files
larger than 4 GB. NTFS is not compatible with Windows 98SE and Me.

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Formatting Options for Cross-Platform Compatibility
If you ever need to re-format your mini Pal and you need both PC and Mac
compatibility, you have two options:
1. Format the mini Pal on a PC running Windows 98SE or Me with the FAT32
file system.
2. Format the mini Pal on Mac OS X v.10.3 or later with the MS-DOS file sys-
tem. The MS-DOS files system is the equivalent of FAT32 on the PC.
Mac OS 10.2 Users:
Hard drives or drive partitions that are larger than 128 GB and formatted with
the FAT32/MS DOS file system will not mount on Mac OS 10.2 through 10.2.8.
If your mini Pal’s drive capacity is larger than 128 GB, and you are using Mac
OS 10.2, you have several options to deal with this issue:
1) Re-format the mini Pal using the Mac OS Extended file system;
2) Partition the mini Pal so that no single partition is larger than 128 GB;
3) Upgrade to Mac OS 10.3 or later. For more information, go to http://docs.
info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107483 on the Apple web site.
Users of Mac OS X v.10.3 and later:
If you connect an NTFS-formatted disk to a Mac running Mac OS X v.10.3 or
later, the computer will be able to read the Mac-compatible files, but you will
not be able to save any data to the disk.
Formatting mini Pal
in Windows XP or 2000
1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running in the background.
2. Double-click on My Computer/Explorer. In the My Computer/Explorer win-
dow you should see the icon/letter for the mini Pal (labeled “External’). If
you are not sure which icon represents the mini Pal, unmount and turn off
the mini Pal to see which one of the icons disappears. Then turn on the
mini Pal and wait for the icon to reappear.
3. Right-click on the mini Pal letter/icon and select Format… in the pop-up
menu. The Format dialog box will appear.
4. Under Capacity, verify the capacity. It should be close to the stated capacity
of your mini Pal in Gigabytes.
5. In the File System pop-up menu, select NTFS. Do not select FAT32 as you
cannot format the mini Pal using FAT32 file on Windows 2000 or XP.
6. In the Allocation unit size pop up, select “Default allocation size.”
6. In the Volume label field, type in a name for your mini Pal. You should give
the mini Pal a unique name that will allow you to easily distinguish it from
other hard drives or storage devices connected to your computer.
7. The default formatting option is Full format; you can also select Quick
Format. A Full format will take about 30-90 minutes. A Quick format will
take just a few minutes, but will do less verification than a Full format will.
Do not check Enable Compression.
8. Click Start. Once the format process is complete, the mini Pal will be ready
to use.

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Formatting mini Pal
in Windows 98SE or Me
1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running in the background.
2. Double-click on the My Computer icon. In the My Computer window you
should see the icon/letter for the mini Pal (labeled “External”). If you are
not sure which icon represents the mini Pal, unmount and turn off the mini
Pal to see which one of the icons disappears. Then turn on the mini Pal and
wait for the icon to reappear.
3. Right-click on the mini Pal icon/letter and select Format. In the Format win-
dow, verify the capacity; it should be close to the stated capacity of your
mini Pal in Megabytes.
4. Under Format type, select Full; everything else should be left at the default
setting. In the Label field under Other options, type in a name for your
mini Pal. (The name is limited to 8 characters, and no symbols are allowed.)
5. Click Start. The following warning message will appear: “This device is
either a hard disk or a large removable disk. Formatting it will destroy all
files currently on the drive. Are you sure you want to format this drive?” If
no data was previously written to the mini Pal, or you already backed up
the data you wish to keep, click OK.
6. If you see a warning from an antivirus program, click Exclude.
7. When formatting is complete, you will be asked to run a thorough
Scandisk. Periodically running Scandisk is a part of regular hard drive main-
tenance. If you do not wish to run Scandisk at this time, close the Format
window.
Formatting mini Pal
in Mac OS X
1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running in the background.
2. Launch the Disk Utility application (Applications folder > Utilities folder >
Disk Utility). The Disk Utility window will open with a small window at left
and a larger window with a series of tabs at the top.
3. You should see the mini Pal, listed in the left window as “External.” Click
on the mini Pal listing to highlight it. Information about the mini Pal will
appear in the Information window.
4. Click on the Erase tab. In the Erase window you will see a Volume Format
pop-up menu and a Name field.
5. From the Volume Format pop-up, select Mac OS Extended. (With Mac
OS 10.3 and later, you have the option of selecting Mac OS Extended
(Journaled). Journaling is a feature that helps protect the file system
against power outages or hardware failures, reducing the need for repairs.
We recommend using journaling, if available.)
6. In the Name field, type in a name for the mini Pal. You should give the mini
Pal a unique name that will allow you to easily distinguish it from other
hard drives or storage devices connected to your computer.
7. Click Erase. You should see an alert pop up with the message: “Erasing a
disk will destroy all information…” Click Erase.
8. Once initializing is complete, you should see the mini Pal listed in the left
window of the Disk Utility screen with whatever name you assigned. Quit
Disk Utility. You should now see the mini Pal icon on the Desktop.

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Formatting mini Pal
in Mac OS 9
Before you can re-format the mini Pal you will need to restart your computer
from the Mac OS 9 System Software CD that come with your computer or
which you purchased as an upgrade.
1. Disable any anti-virus software you may have running in the background.
2. Insert the System Software CD into your CD drive.
3. With your AcomData mini Pal connected and powered on, restart the com-
puter and hold down the C key while the computer is starting up.
4. You will see the alert message: “This disk is unreadable by this computer.
Do you want to initialize this disk?” Click OK.
5. In the Name field, type in a name for your mini Pal. You should give the
mini Pal a unique name that will allow you to easily distinguish it from
other hard drives or storage devices connected to your computer.
6. From the Format menu, select Mac OS Extended.
7. Click Initialize. You should then get the alert message: “Initializing will erase
all information on this disk.” Click Continue. Once initializing is complete,
you should see the mini Pal mounted on your Desktop with the name you
assigned.
8. Go to Control Panels--> Startup Disk and select the computer’s startup
disk. Restart the computer.
How to Safely Turn Off
(and Disconnect) mini Pal
NEVER TURN OFF A HARD DRIVE WITHOUT UNMOUNTING IT FIRST. YOU
MAY LOSE DATA OR DAMAGE THE DRIVE.
The Importance of Mounting and Unmounting
A hard drive requires two types of connections to "talk" to a computer: a
physical connection, which is made using the interface cable (USB, FireWire),
and which serves as the line of communication; and a logical connec-
tion, which allows the two devices to detect and recognize each other.
Establishing the logical connection is called “mounting.”
Mounting occurs automatically when you turn on a hard drive that is con-
nected to a computer (assuming the computer has the necessary drivers).
Think of mounting as the computer and hard drive saying “hello.” You know
that a hard drive is mounted when you see the drive icon on the Desktop
(Mac) or the drive icon/letter in My Computer (Windows).
If you want to turn off a hard drive, you first need to unmount it. Think of
unmounting as the computer and the drive saying “goodbye.” If you turn off a
drive or disconnect the interface cable without unmounting it first, the logi-
cal connection will have not been properly terminated. As a result, you could
lose data or even damage the drive.

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Mac Users
Drag the mini Pal icon on the Desktop to the Trash. Wait until the icon disap-
pears, and then turn off mini Pal.
PC Users
1. In the system tray at the bottom of your screen, click the safely remove/
icon (the icon with the green arrow)…
On Windows 2000 and XP you will see the alert message “Safely Remove…”
or “Stop…” followed by the drive letter.
On Windows 98SE and Me a rectangle will appear with the name of the mini
Pal followed by the drive letter.
2. Select the mini Pal. After a few seconds, Windows will give you a message
that it is safe to remove the device. Click OK. The mini Pal will unmount.
You can then safely turn it off.
Whether you are using a Mac or PC…
When you shut down your computer, mini Pal will unmount automatically.
After your computer has turned off, you can turn off mini Pal and disconnect
the cables.
Connecting Peripherals
The vast majority of computer peripherals today (printers, scanners, external
storage devices, digital cameras, digital camcorders, MP3 players, modems,
mice, keyboards, audio equipment, etc.) have either a USB or a FireWire inter-
face––or both.
With its built-in USB 2.0 and FireWire hubs, mini Pal allows you to connect
a whole arsenal of USB and FireWire devices to your computer, while also
affording you a great deal of flexibility and choice.
Although instructions for connecting USB and FireWire devices are provided
separately in this guide, you can have both USB and FireWire devices connected
to mini Pal at the same time.