Amacom Technologies flip2disk User manual

AMACOM FLIP2DISK
USER MANUAL

GETTING STARTED 3
Unpacking The Flip2disk™3
Handling The Flip2disk™Drive 3
Connecting / Disconnecting Interface Cables On The Flip2disk™4
Handling The Flip PCMCIA Card 4
Hardware Setup 5
DEVICE DRIVER INSTALLATION 6
PCMCIA and Cardbus – Windows®95/98/98SE and ME 6
PCMCIA and Cardbus – Windows®NT 4.0 6
PCMCIA and Cardbus – Windows®2000 and XP 7
PCMCIA and Cardbus – Mac OS 8.6 and Above 7
PCMCIA and Cardbus – Windows®3.xx and Dos 7
USB – Windows®98/98SE 7
USB – Windows®ME/2000 and XP 8
USB – Mac®OS 8.6 and Above 8
Firewire®– Windows®98SE/ME/2000 and XP 8
Firewire®- Mac®OS 8.6 and Above 8
Parallel Port – Windows®95/98/98SE and ME 9
Parallel Port –Windows®2000 9
Parallel Port –Windows®NT 4.0 9
Parallel Port – Windows®3.xx and Dos 9
USING YOUR FLIP2DISK™10
Backing Up With Flip2disk™10
Formatting The Flip2disk™10
Using The Flip2disk™Cross-Platform 11
Transferring Files Between Mac®and PC 11
TROUBLESHOOTING 12
System Requirements – PCMCIA and Cardbus 12
System Requirements – USB 12
System Requirements – Firewire®13
System Requirements – Parallel Port 13
PCMCIA and Cardbus Guidelines 13
USB Guidelines 14
Firewire®Guidelines 14
Parallel Port Guidelines 15
Troubleshooting For PCMCIA and Cardbus 15
Troubleshooting For USB 16
Troubleshooting For Firewire®17
Troubleshooting For Parallel Port 19
CONTACT DETAILS 20
2
CONTENTS

3
The ‘Device Driver Installation’section contains
step-by-step instructions on installing the required
device drivers for your operating system.
The ‘Using Your Flip2disk™’section provides
instructions on how to get the most from your new
Flip2disk™drive and how to perform basic tasks.
The ‘Troubleshooting’section provides
compatibility information, minimum system
specifications, do’s & don’ts and answers to the
most common problems that you may encounter
while installing or using your Flip2disk™.
The ‘Contact Details’section contains details of
the various methods you can use to contact us,
together with useful web address for further
technical support, driver downloads, software
updates and user manuals.
The instructions contained in this user manual
assume that you have either purchased a
Flip2disk™drive and optional interface cable
separately or a Flip2disk™drive and interface
cable package.
UNPACKING THE FLIP2DISK™
Upon unpacking the Flip2disk™you should
check the contents of the box against the
checklist below. If anything is missing please
contact us immediately upon purchase using one
of the methods listed in the ‘Contacting Amacom’
section.
1) This User Manual.
2) Flip2disk™Drive.
3) Carry Case.
4) Amacom®Software CD
5) Warranty Registration Card
NOTE –The Amacom
®
Flip2disk
™
is sold in a
variety of packages and as such you may have
items in the Flip2disk
™
package that are not
listed in the contents above.
HANDLING THE FLIP2DISK™DRIVE
Here are a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind
to care for your Flip2disk™.
1) When in use, place the Flip2disk™on a
stable, flat surface away from the edge of
the desk.
2) Avoid exposure to dust, direct sunlight,
extreme temperatures, moisture and
magnetic fields.
3) Never use any interface or power cables that
are from third parties with the Flip2disk™as
this could damage the Flip2disk™and/or
computer and may invalidate the warranty.
4) Flip2disk™may feel warm to the touch after
prolonged periods of use. This is normal and
does not affect operation, performance or
data on the disk.
5) Always return the Flip2disk™to its case when
not in use for prolonged periods of time.
6) Use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth if you need to
clean the outside of the Flip2disk™.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK
GETTING STARTED
This section of the manual helps you become familiar with the contents of the
Amacom®Flip2disk™package, setting up your Flip2disk™hardware and handling
the Flip2disk™and the optional interface cables.

4
CONNECTING/DISCONNECTING
INTERFACE CABLES TO THE FLIP2DISK™
The Flip2disk™has several different interface
cable options available and when connecting or
disconnecting them from the Flip2disk™drive the
following guidelines should be observed.
1) Always support the Flip2disk™drive by
holding it with one hand, while
connecting/disconnecting any of the interface
cables with the other hand.
An example of this is shown below.
2) All the interface cables have a locking clip
feature that prevents the interface cable from
disconnecting. When connecting/
disconnecting any of the interface cables from
the Flip2disk™drive you should always
release the clip feature by depressing the two
buttons located either side of the interface
cable until fully connected/disconnected.
An example of this is shown below.
HANDLING THE FLIP PCMCIA CARD
The Flip PCMCIA card is a 16 bit PCMCIA card
that when attached to the Flip2disk™drive can
be folded underneath the Flip2disk™for easy
storage and portability.
When using the Flip PCMCIA card the
following guidelines should be followed to
prevent damage to the interface card or the
Flip2disk™drive.
1) The flip joint should be supported whenever
inserting or removing the Flip PCMCIA card
from your computers PCMCIA slot. This is
easily done by supporting the Flip2disk™
drive in the palm of your hand, while holding
the card with thumb and forefinger on the
grips either side of the card.
An example of this is shown below.
2) To prevent damage to the Flip PCMCIA card
when it is disconnected from your computer
you should place it in the carry case or fold it
underneath the Flip2disk™drive.
An example of how to fold the card
underneath the Flip2Disk
™
drive is
shown below.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM

5
HARDWARE SETUP – USB, FIREWIRE & 16
BIT PCMCIA
If you are using the Flip2disk™drive via USB,
Firewire®or 16 bit PCMCIA, then you simply
need to connect the interface cable to the
Flip2disk™drive following the guidelines in the
‘Connecting/Disconnecting Interface Cables On
The Flip2disk™’section and then proceed to the
relevant part in the ‘Device Driver Installation’
section to install the device drivers for your
operating system.
PLEASE NOTE –Do not connect your
Flip2disk
™
to your computer until instructed to do
so by the instructions in the ‘Device Driver
Installation’section.
HARDWARE SETUP –32 BIT CARDBUS
& PARALLEL PORT
If you are using the Flip2disk™drive via 32 bit
Cardbus or Parallel Port you will need to provide
external power to the Flip2disk™as unlike the
other interfaces they cannot draw power from
the computer. Follow the steps below to setup
your Flip2disk™using the supplied keyboard
power cables to provide external power.
1) Turn your computer off.
2) Connect the Parallel cable or 32 bit Cardbus
card to the Flip2disk™and the other end to
your computers parallel port or PCMCIA
socket. If you had to remove your printers
cable from the parallel port, this can be
connected to the pass through printer port on
the Flip2disk™Parallel cable.
3) Connect the keyboard power cable to the
keyboard or mouse port of your computer
and the other end to the power connector on
the Flip2disk™. If you had to unplug the
keyboard or mouse cable, this can be
connected to the pass through port on the
keyboard power cable.
4) Check all of the connections thoroughly.
5) Proceed to the relevant part in the ‘Device
Driver Installation’section for instructions on
how to install the drivers for your
operating system.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

6
To install the device drivers for your interface cable
go to the relevant section for the combination of
interface cable and operating system that you have
and then follow the steps to install the device
drivers.
Upon completing the installation of the device
drivers you will be able to use your Flip2disk™. For
more details on performing basic operations using
your Flip2disk™you may wish to consult the ‘Using
Your Flip2disk™’section of this user manual.
If you encounter any problems while installing the
device drivers for your Amacom®Flip2disk™you
should firstly consult the ‘Troubleshooting’section of
this manual for answers to the most common
questions that you may have.
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
–WINDOWS®95/98/98SE AND ME
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading.
3) Insert the PCMCIA or Cardbus card into the
PCMCIA slot of your computer, ensuring that
it is pushed firmly in.
4) Windows will detect the insertion of the card
and ask you to install a device driver.
5) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive.
6) Ensure that the option for Windows®to
search for a device driver is selected and
click ‘Next’.
7) Windows®will now search the Amacom®
driver diskette for a device driver and when
finished will prompt you to install the device
driver that it found. Click ‘Ok’to continue.
8) Windows®will now install the device driver,
during this installation Windows®may say
that it cannot find a file and ask you to
specify the location. If this error occurs
change the location in the dialog box to
‘a:\’(without the quotes) and click ‘Ok’.
9) When Windows®has completed the
installation of the device driver click ‘Finish’.
You may be asked to restart your computer
for the changes to take effect. If this happens
click ‘Yes’and your computer will restart.
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
–WINDOWS®NT 4.0
PLEASE NOTE: Windows
®
NT 4.0 does not
support Plug & Play when using PCMCIA cards.
This means that when using the Flip2disk
™
with
Windows
®
NT 4.0 you must ensure that the
Flip2disk
™
is only inserted and removed from the
PCMCIA slot when the computer is turned off.
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) With your computer turned off insert the
PCMCIA or Cardbus card into the PCMCIA
slot of your computer, ensuring that it is
pushed firmly in.
3) Turn your computer on and wait for
Windows™NT to load. You must log in as a
user with Administrator privileges to install the
Flip2disk™device drivers.
4) Double click on the ‘My Computer’icon and
then double click on the ‘Control Panel’icon
within the ‘My Computer’window.
5) When the ‘Control Panel’opens double click
on the ‘SCSI Controllers’icon. On the ‘SCSI
Controllers’window that opens select the tab
labelled ‘Drivers’and click the ‘Add’button.
6) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette that
came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive.
7) Click the ‘Have Disk’button and in the ‘Copy
Files From’box type ‘a:\winnt’(without the
quotes) and click ‘Ok’.
8) From the list that appears select the Amacom®
device driver and click ‘Ok’.
9) When asked to enter the OEM path type
‘a:\winnt’(without the quotes) into the path
box and click ‘Continue’. Windows®NT will
copy the driver to your computer and when
asked if you would like to reboot click ‘Yes’
and your computer will be restarted.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM
DEVICE DRIVER INSTALLATION
This section of the manual contains step-by-step instructions on installing the device
drivers for your choice of interface cable and operating system.

7
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
–WINDOWS®2000 AND XP
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading. You must log in
as a user with Administrator privileges to
install the Flip2disk™device drivers.
3) Insert the PCMCIA or Cardbus card into the
PCMCIA slot of your computer, ensuring that
it is pushed firmly in.
4) Windows will detect the insertion of the card
and install the device driver automatically.
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
–MAC OS 8.6 AND ABOVE
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for Mac®
OS to finish loading.
3) Insert the PCMCIA or Cardbus card into the
PCMCIA slot of your computer, ensuring that
it is pushed firmly in.
4) Mac®OS will detect the insertion of the card
and install the device driver automatically.
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
–WINDOWS®3.XX AND DOS
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for the C:\
prompt to appear. If your computer
automatically loads Windows®, go to the
‘File Menu’on Program Manager and select
‘Exit Windows’.
3) Insert the PCMCIA or Cardbus card into the
PCMCIA slot of your computer, ensuring that
it is pushed firmly in.
4) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive and at the C:\
prompt type ‘a:\dossetup.exe’(without the
quotes) and press ‘Enter’.
5) Follow the on screen instructions and when
asked which type of device you want to
install use the arrow keys to move down to
‘Hard Disk’, use the spacebar to select it.
Press ‘Enter’to continue.
6) When the installation is complete you must
restart your computer to use the Flip2disk™.
USB –WINDOWS®98/98SE
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading.
3) Plug the USB cable into the USB port on your
computer or hub, ensuring that it is pushed
firmly in.
4) Windows will detect the insertion of the USB
cable and ask you to install a device driver.
5) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive.
6) Ensure that the option for Windows®to
search for a device driver is selected and
click ‘Next’.
7) Windows®will now search the Amacom®
driver diskette for a device driver and when
finished will prompt you to install the device
driver that it found. Click ‘Ok’to continue.
8) Windows®will now install the device driver,
during this installation Windows®may say
that it cannot find a file and ask you to
specify the location. If this error occurs
change the location in the dialog box to ‘a:\’
(without the quotes) and click ‘Ok’.
9) When Windows®has completed the
installation of the device driver click ‘Finish’.
10)Windows®will then detect a second device
and ask you to install the device drivers for it.
Repeat steps 6 to 9 to complete the
installation of the device drivers.
11)You may be asked to restart your computer
for the changes to take effect. If this happens
click ‘Yes’and your computer will restart.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

8
USB
–WINDOWS®ME/2000 AND XP
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading. You must log in
as a user with Administrator privileges to
install the Flip2disk™device drivers (2000
and XP only).
3) Plug the USB cable into the USB port on your
computer or hub, ensuring that it is pushed
firmly in.
4) Windows will detect the insertion of the USB
cable and install the device driver
automatically.
USB
–MAC®OS 8.6 AND ABOVE
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for Mac®
OS to finish loading.
3) Insert the Amacom®software CD into your
CD-Rom drive. When the CD is mounted
double click on the icon on your desktop.
4) From the window that appears double click
on the ‘Drivers’folder followed by the ‘USB’
folder. Double click on the installer icon and
follow the instructions on screen to install the
extensions to your system.
5) When the installer is finished you will need to
restart your Mac®for the extensions to be
enabled.
6) Once your Mac®has restarted plug the USB
cable into the USB port on your computer or
hub, ensuring that it is pushed firmly in.
FIREWIRE®
–WINDOWS®98SE/ME/2000 AND XP
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading. You must log in
as a user with Administrator privileges to
install the Flip2disk™device drivers (2000
and XP only).
3) Plug the Firewire®cable into the Firewire®
port on your computer or hub, ensuring that it
is pushed firmly in.
4) Windows will detect the insertion of the
Firewire®cable and install the device driver
automatically.
FIREWIRE®
–MAC®OS 8.6 AND ABOVE
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for Mac®
OS to finish loading.
3) Insert the Amacom®software CD into your
CD-Rom drive. When the CD is mounted
double click on the icon on your desktop.
4) From the window that appears double click
on the ‘Drivers’folder followed by the
‘Firewire’folder. Double click on the installer
icon and follow the instructions on screen to
install the extensions to your system.
5) When the installer is finished you will need to
restart your Mac®for the extensions to be
enabled.
6) Once your Mac®has restarted plug the
Firewire®cable into the Firewire®port on
your computer or hub, ensuring that it is
pushed firmly in.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM

9
PARALLEL PORT
–WINDOWS®95/98/98SE AND ME
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading.
3) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive.
4) Click ‘Start’and select ‘Run’from the menu.
5) In the ‘Open’box type
‘a:\win9x_me\setup.exe’
(without the quotes) and click ‘Ok’.
6) Follow the on screen instructions to complete
the installation.
7) When the installation has finished restart your
computer when prompted.
PARALLEL PORT
–WINDOWS®2000
1) Setup your hardware by following the i
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for
Windows®to finish loading. You must log in
as a user with Administrator privileges to
install the Flip2disk™device drivers.
3) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive.
4) Click ‘Start’and select ‘Run’from the menu.
5) In the ‘Open’box type ‘a:\setup.exe’
(without the quotes) and click ‘Ok’.
6) Follow the on screen instructions to complete
the installation.
7) When the installation has finished restart your
computer when prompted.
PARALLEL PORT
–WINDOWS®NT 4.0
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the "Hardware Setup"
section of this manual.
2) Turn your computer on and wait for
Windows™NT to load. You must log in as
a user with Administrator privileges to
install the Flip2disk™device drivers.
3) Double click on the "My Computer" icon
and then double click on the "Control
Panel" icon within the "My Computer"
window.
4) When the "Control Panel" opens double
click on the "SCSI Controllers" icon. On
the "SCSI Controllers" window that opens
select the tab labelled "Drivers" and click
the "Add" button.
5) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into
your computers floppy disk drive.
6) Click the "Have Disk" button and in
the "Copy Files From" box type "a:\winnt"
(without the quotes) and click "Ok".
7) From the list that appears select the
Amacom®device driver and click "Ok".
8) When asked to enter the OEM path type
"a:\winnt" (without the quotes) into the
path box and click "Continue".
Windows®NT will copy the driver to your
computer and when asked if you would
like to reboot click "Yes" and your
computer will be restarted.
PARALLEL PORT
–WINDOWS®3.XX AND DOS
1) Setup your hardware by following the
instructions under the ‘Hardware Setup’
section of this manual.
2) Turn on your computer and wait for the C:\
prompt to appear. If your computer
automatically loads Windows®, go to the
‘File Menu’on Program Manager and select
‘Exit Windows’.
3) Insert the Amacom®device driver diskette
that came with your interface cable into your
computers floppy disk drive and at the C:\
prompt type ‘a:\dos\install.exe’(without the
quotes) and press ‘Enter’.
4) Follow the on screen instructions and when
asked which type of device you want to
install use the arrow keys to select
‘IDE HDD’.
5) When the installation is complete you must
restart your computer to use the Flip2disk™.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

10
Some of the things covered include:-
●Backing up with Flip2disk™
●Formatting the Flip2disk™
●Using the Flip2disk™cross-platform
●Transferring files between Mac®and PC
BACKING UP WITH FLIP2DISK™
It’s important to always keep current backups of
your valuable data –whether the primary data is
stored on your hard drive or the Flip2disk™!
You can use the Flip2disk™to back up both.
The quickest and easiest way to back up
important data files stored on your hard drive is
to use the supplied backup software. You can
also use the operating systems standard
procedures.
●On a Mac®, you can drag and drop files
from any folder on your desktop to the
Flip2disk™.
●In Windows®you can use ‘My Computer’or
‘Windows Explorer’to select files or folders
from your hard drive and drag and drop
them to your Flip2disk™.
One advantage of copying files directly to your
Flip2disk™is that you can access them easily
any time that you need them without having to
run a restore procedure.
NOTE: PC Users Only –An individual file that
is 4 GB or larger cannot be copied to the
Flip2disk
™
due to the Fat 32 file format
limitations. If you have a file that is 4 GB or
larger, try using a compression utility to make the
file smaller. If you can compress it to less than 4
GB, you will be able to copy it to the Flip2disk
™
.
FORMATTING THE FLIP2DISK™
The Flip2disk™is supplied preformatted with the
Fat 32 file system. You can reformat them using
the standard operating system tools.
CAUTION! Formatting a disk erases all the data
on the disk. Do NOT format any disk that
contains information you want to keep!
Mac
®
OS Users
1) Attach the Flip2disk™that you want to format
to your Mac®.
2) Select the icon on your desktop for the
Flip2disk™.
3) Click the ‘Special’menu on the Finder and
then select ‘Erase Disk’option.
4) Select the file system that you would like to
use and type the volume name for the
Flip2disk™.
5) Click ‘Ok’to start formatting the Flip2disk™.
Windows
®
PC Users
1) Attach the Flip2disk™that you want to format
to your PC.
2) Right click on the drive icon for the
Flip2disk™in ‘My Computer’or
‘Windows Explorer’.
3) Select ‘Format’from the drive shortcut menu.
4) Use ‘Short Format’if you want to quickly
erase all data on the Flip2disk™so that you
can reuse it. Use ‘Long Format’if you are
formatting a disk you need to repair that has
developed read/write errors due to bad
sectors.
5) Click ‘Start’to start formatting the Flip2disk™.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM
USING YOUR FLIP2DISK
™
This section provides instructions on how to get the most from your new Flip2disk™
drive and how to perform basic tasks.

11
USING THE FLIP2DISK™
CROSS-PLATFORM
Mac®OS and Windows®PC systems use
different disk formats. If you use your Flip2disk™
on both Mac®and PC systems here are some
important points you need to know:
CAUTION! Formatting a disk erases all the data
on the disk. Do NOT format any disk that
contains information you want to keep!
On Mac
®
OS Systems
●You can use PC-formatted Flip2disks on a
Mac®OS system that has File Exchange 3.0
or higher installed. It is recommended that
you use PC-formatted Flip2disks for file
transfer only. You may lose file resource
information if files you use on a Mac®OS
system are stored on a PC-formatted
Flip2disk™.
●You can change a PC-formatted Flip2disk™
to a Mac-formatted Flip2disk™by using the
standard tools on a Mac®OS system to
erase the disk.
On Windows
®
PC Systems
●PC systems cannot read a Mac-formatted
Flip2disk™unless special software is installed
on the system. If you try and use a Mac-
formatted Flip2disk™on a PC that does not
have disk exchange software installed, you
will see an error message indicating that the
disk is not formatted.
●You can change a Mac-formatted Flip2disk™
to a PC-formatted Flip2disk™by using the
standard tools on a PC to erase the disk.
TRANSFERRING FILES BETWEEN
MAC®AND PC
If you need to transfer files between a Mac®and
PC, you can use a PC-formatted Flip2disk™if File
Exchange 3.0 or higher, or PC Exchange 2.0 or
higher is loaded on the Mac®. You can use a
Mac-formatted Flip2disk™if the PC has disk
exchange software installed.
NOTE: The Flip2disk
™
does not convert file
formats. When using files cross-platform, the file
format and application must work on both Mac
®
and PC platforms.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

12
If you continue to have problems after reading
through this section you should consult the
‘Contact Details’section for details of our web
site, which contains further troubleshooting
advice.
If you do not have Internet access or you are still
encountering problems after reading the extra
advice on our web site, please feel free to
contact our Technical Support department who
will be able to help you resolve these problems.
Details of how to contact them can be found in
the ‘Contact Details’section.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
–PCMCIA AND CARDBUS
Your system must meet the minimum requirements
below to support the PCMCIA or Cardbus
Flip2disk™drive.
Windows
®
PC Users:
●Pentium®100 or higher with built-in type II
or III PCMCIA slot (Cardbus requires a 32 bit
Cardbus controller).
●Microsoft®Windows®
95/98/98SE/ME/2000/XP or NT 4.0,
or Dos 6 and above.
●Recommended RAM requirements for your
operating system (see your OS manual
for details).
●4x CD-Rom drive (for backup
software installation).
Mac
®
OS Users:
●Apple iBook™or Powerbook computer with
built-in type II or III PCMCIA slot (Cardbus
requires a 32 bit Cardbus controller).
●Mac®OS 8.6 through 9.x (check with
Amacom for latest operating support).
●2x CD-Rom drive (for device driver
installation).
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
–USB
Your system must meet the minimum requirements
below to support the USB Flip2disk™drive.
Windows
®
PC Users:
●Pentium®100 or higher with built-in USB 1.x
or 2.0 controller. (some USB controllers or
motherboards may not support all types of
USB devices). A USB 2.0 controller is
required to achieve full USB 2.0 performance
with the optional USB 2.0 interface cable.
●Microsoft®Windows®98/98SE/ME/2000
or XP.
●Recommended RAM requirements for your
operating system (see your OS manual
for details).
●4x CD-Rom drive (for backup software
installation).
Mac
®
OS Users:
●Apple iBook™, iMac™or Power Macintosh™
computer with built-in USB 1.x or 2.0
connection. A USB 2.0 controller is required
to achieve full USB 2.0 performance with the
optional USB 2.0 interface cable.
●Mac®OS 8.6 through 9.x (check with
Amacom for latest operating support).
●2x CD-Rom drive (for device driver
installation).
FLIP2DISK AMACOM
TROUBLESHOOTING
This section provides compatibility information, minimum system specifications, do’s
& don’ts and answers to the most common problems that you may encounter while
installing or using your Flip2disk™.

13
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
–FIREWIRE®
Your system must meet the minimum requirements
below to support the Firewire®Flip2disk™drive.
Windows
®
PC Users:
●Pentium®100 or higher with an SBP-2
compliant 1394 controller.
●Microsoft®Windows®98SE/ME/2000
or XP.
●Recommended RAM requirements for your
operating system (see your OS manual
for details).
●4x CD-Rom drive (for backup software
installation).
Mac
®
OS Users:
●Any Macintosh™computer with built-in
Firewire®controller.
●Mac®OS 8.6 through 9.x (check with
Amacom for latest operating support).
●2x CD-Rom drive (for device driver
installation).
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
–PARALLEL PORT
Your system must meet the minimum requirements
below to support the Parallel Port Flip2disk™
drive.
Windows
®
PC Users:
●Pentium®100 or higher with a Bi-directional,
SPP or EPP parallel port.
●Microsoft®Windows®
95/98/98SE/ME/NT/2000 or Dos 6
and above.
●Recommended RAM requirements for your
operating system (see your OS manual
for details).
●4x CD-Rom drive (for backup
software installation).
PCMCIA AND CARDBUS GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines to ensure optimum and
reliable performance of your Amacom®
Flip2disk™drive.
Do’s:
●You can connect and disconnect your
PCMCIA or Cardbus cable while your
computer is on if you are using a Mac®or
running Windows®95, 98, 98SE, ME,
2000 or XP. (To prevent any data loss, stop
the Flip2disk™before disconnecting the
interface cable from the computer or
Flip2disk™).
NOTE: PC users must stop the PCMCIA or
Cardbus card by using the icon in the system
tray. Mac
®
users should select the Flip2disk
™
and drag the disk onto the wastebasket icon.
●You can avoid some system lockups by
waiting at least 30 seconds after connecting
or disconnecting any PCMCIA or Cardbus
device. (This allows the system to re-
enumerate the bus). Do not connect,
disconnect or use any other PCMCIA or
Cardbus device during this time.
Don’ts:
●Do not connect or disconnect any PCMCIA or
Cardbus device while the Flip2disk™is
transferring information –data loss will result!
To prevent any data loss, stop the Flip2disk™
before disconnecting the interface cable from
the computer or Flip2disk™.
NOTE: If the amber activity light is blinking, the
Flip2disk
™
is transferring data. Wait to connect
or disconnect any other PCMCIA or Cardbus
device until the activity light stops blinking.
●Do not use any PCMCIA or Cardbus cables
with your Flip2disk™other than Amacom®
cables.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

14
USB GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines to ensure optimum and
reliable performance of your Amacom®
Flip2disk™drive.
Do’s:
●You can connect and disconnect your USB
cable while your computer is on if you are
using a Mac®or running Windows®98,
98SE, ME, 2000 or XP. (To prevent any data
loss, stop the Flip2disk™before disconnecting
the interface cable from the computer or
Flip2disk™).
NOTE: PC users must stop the USB cable by
using the icon in the system tray. Mac
®
users
should select the Flip2disk
™
and drag the disk
onto the wastebasket icon.
●You can optimise your USB Flip2disk™drives
performance by disconnecting other USB
devices when using your USB Flip2disk™. The
performance of all USB devices decreases as
additional USB devices are connected.
●You can ensure maximum performance by
connecting your Flip2disk™USB cable
directly to one of the USB connections on
your computer instead of to a USB hub
or keyboard.
●You can avoid some system lockups by
waiting at least 30 seconds after connecting
or disconnecting any USB device. (This allows
the system to re-enumerate the USB bus). Do
not connect, disconnect or use any other USB
device during this time.
Don’ts:
●Do not connect or disconnect any USB device
while the Flip2disk™is transferring
information –data loss will result! To prevent
any data loss, stop the Flip2disk™before
disconnecting the interface cable from the
computer or Flip2disk™.
NOTE: If the amber activity light is blinking, the
Flip2disk
™
is transferring data. Wait to connect
or disconnect any other USB device until the
activity light stops blinking.
●Do not use any USB cables with your
Flip2disk™other than Amacom®cables.
Never use a USB extension cable with your
USB Flip2disk™- data loss may result!
●Do not connect more than two USB devices to
a single computer. (More than two USB
devices will significantly reduce performance).
FIREWIRE®GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines to ensure optimum and
reliable performance of your Amacom®
Flip2disk™drive.
Do’s:
●You can connect and disconnect your
Firewire®cable while your computer is on if
you are using a Mac®or running Windows®
98SE, ME, 2000 or XP. (To prevent any data
loss, stop the Flip2disk™before disconnecting
the interface cable from the computer or
Flip2disk™).
NOTE: PC users must stop the Firewire
®
cable
by using the icon in the system tray. Mac
®
users
should select the Flip2disk
™
and drag the disk
onto the wastebasket icon.
●You can optimise your Firewire®Flip2disk™
drives performance by disconnecting other
Firewire®devices when using your Firewire®
Flip2disk™. The performance of all Firewire®
devices decreases as additional Firewire®
devices are connected.
●You can ensure maximum performance by
connecting your Flip2disk™Firewire®cable
directly to one of the Firewire®connections
on your computer instead of to other
Firewire®devices.
●You can use the Flip2disk™Firewire®cable
with SBP-2 compliant controllers. The
Flip2disk™is designed to work on SBP-2
compliant controllers as a bus-powered
device. Contact the manufacturer of your
computer if you do not know the type of
Firewire®controller in your computer.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM

15
Don’ts:
●Do not connect or disconnect any Firewire®
device while the Flip2disk™is transferring
information –data loss will result! To prevent
any data loss, stop the Flip2disk™before
disconnecting the interface cable from the
computer or Flip2disk™.
NOTE: If the amber activity light is blinking, the
Flip2disk
™
is transferring data. Wait to connect
or disconnect any other Firewire
®
device until the
activity light stops blinking.
●Do not use any Firewire cables with your
Flip2disk™other than Amacom®cables.
PARALLEL PORT GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines to ensure optimum and
reliable performance of your Amacom®
Flip2disk™drive.
Do’s:
●You can optimise your Parallel Port
Flip2disk™drives performance by changing
your computers parallel port mode to EPP in
the BIOS. (Please consult your computers user
manual for details).
●You can use the Flip2disk™Parallel Port
cable with Bi-directional, SPP or EPP
compliant parallel ports. Contact the
manufacturer of your computer if you do not
know the type of parallel port in your
computer.
Don’ts:
●Do not connect or disconnect the Parallel Port
cable while the Flip2disk™is transferring
information or your computer is turned on –
data loss will result! To prevent any data loss,
you should always turn your computer off
before disconnecting the interface cable from
the computer or Flip2disk™.
NOTE: If the amber activity light is blinking, the
Flip2disk
™
is transferring data.
●Do not use any Parallel Port cables with your
Flip2disk™other than Amacom®cables.
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR PCMCIA
AND CARDBUS
The Flip2disk
®
Icon Does Not Appear on
a Mac
®
OS Desktop:
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the Flip2disk™is receiving power.
If you are using Cardbus you must supply
external power via the keyboard power
cables or a mains adapter.
●Make sure that you are using interface cables
supplied by Amacom®.
●If the problem continues, there may be an
extensions conflict on your system. Please
consult the Amacom®web site for additional
troubleshooting information.
The Flip2disk
™
Is Not Assigned a Drive
Letter under Windows
®
:
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the Flip2disk™is receiving power.
If you are using Cardbus you must supply
external power via the keyboard power
cables or a mains adapter.
●Make sure that you are using interface cables
supplied by Amacom®.
●Check to see if your PCMCIA controller is
enabled and is working correctly. This can be
done by looking under ‘Device Manager’for
PCMCIA controllers. If you see an
exclamation mark or red X next to any of
your PCMCIA controllers or if they are not
listed at all, there is a problem with the
PCMCIA controller and you should contact
the manufacturer of your computer for help on
fixing it.
●Check your BIOS to ensure that PCMCIA is
enabled. Consult your computers user manual
for details on how to do this.
●If the problem continues, there may be a
driver conflict on your system. Please consult
the Amacom®web site for additional
troubleshooting information.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

16
The Cardbus Card Does Not Work
on an Older Laptop
Some older laptops PCMCIA controllers only
work with 16 bit PCMCIA cards. The Amacom®
Cardbus is a 32 bit PCMCIA card and requires
that your computer has a 32 bit PCMCIA
controller.
Please consult your computers user manual for
details of the type of PCMCIA controller that is
built in. If you only have a 16 bit controller you
can still use the Cardbus card with your system
by changing the mode of the card from 32 bit to
16 bit using the switch on the side of card (see
below for location of switch).
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR USB
CAUTION! The USB Flip2disk
™
cable is
designed to the latest USB specification.
However, there are some USB devices (including
controller chips and hubs) currently available on
the market that do not conform to the USB
standard. If you experience problems after
connecting the Flip2disk
™
drive, your system may
contain a non-compliant USB controller. Contact
the manufacturer of the USB controller or your
computer for possible solutions.
The Flip2disk
™
Icon Does Not Appear on
a Mac
®
OS Desktop:
●If you did not reboot your computer after
installing the Amacom®drivers, do so now.
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the drive system is
receiving power.
●Make sure you are using USB cables supplied
by Amacom.
●Make sure the Amacom®drivers are
installed. The Amacom®software CD shipped
with your Flip2disk™includes drivers required
for the USB cable. Restart after running the
Amacom®drivers installer.
●If you are connected to a USB hub, ensure the
hub is connected correctly and has power.
●Try connecting the Flip2disk™drive directly to
one of the USB connections on your computer,
rather than a USB hub or keyboard.
●If the problem continues, there may be an
extension conflict on your system. Please
consult the Amacom®web site for additional
troubleshooting information.
The Flip2disk
®
Is Not Assigned a Drive
Letter under Windows
®
:
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the drive system is
receiving power.
●Make sure you are using USB cables
supplied by Amacom®.
●If you are connected to a USB hub, ensure the
hub is connected correctly and has power.
●Try connecting the Flip2disk™drive directly to
one of the USB connections on your computer,
rather than a USB hub or keyboard.
●Check to see if your USB controller is enabled
and is working correctly. This can be done by
looking under ‘Device Manager’for USB
controllers. If you see an exclamation mark or
red X next to any of your USB controllers or if
they are not listed at all, there is a problem
with the USB controller and you should
contact the manufacturer of your computer for
help on fixing it.
●Check your BIOS to ensure USB is enabled.
Refer to your computer's User's Guide or
manual for directions.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM

17
Flip2disk
™
USB Drive Performance
Seems Slow:
Other USB devices connected at the same time as
the Flip2disk™drive can affect the Flip2disk™
drives performance, especially digital cameras or
scanners that are processing large amounts of
data. If you are using a hub to connect several
devices to your computer, disconnect the other
devices and connect the Flip2disk™directly to
either of the computer's USB ports.
Your Flip2disk
™
Drive Stops Responding
(Locks up), or Information Gets Lost or
Corrupted While You Are Saving or
Copying Files:
The problem is probably due to a non-compliant
USB controller chip or other USB device on your
computer system. Try the following suggestions:
●Carefully follow the USB Guidelines. They are
designed to help you avoid some of the
problems caused by non-compliant USB
devices.
●Upgrade your system software to Windows
98 Second Edition. This version of Windows
98 includes USB driver upgrades that fix most
of the problems associated with USB
controllers and motherboards.
●If the problem still continues, you may want to
upgrade the USB controller in your computer
system to one that complies with the latest
USB specification. In this case, contact your
computer manufacturer for help.
●Do not connect or disconnect any USB device
while the Flip2disk™drive is transferring
information. Data loss will result!
CAUTION! USB devices (including controller
chips, hubs, cables, cards, mice, joysticks, and
peripherals) that do not comply with the USB
specification may cause system lockups or
possible data loss when used with your Flip2disk
™
USB drive. If you are not sure that a USB device
complies with the latest USB specification, contact
the manufacturer of the device.
The Flip2disk
™
USB Drive Does Not
Work on an Older Laptop Computer:
Some older laptops use a USB port called an
‘Open Host’that is not compliant with the latest
USB specification. If your laptop has an ‘Open
Host’USB port, your Flip2disk™USB drive may
not be assigned a drive letter when connected to
the laptop. Try following the USB Guidelines.
They are designed to help you avoid some of the
problems caused by non-compliant USB devices.
If you continue to have problems, contact the
manufacturer of your laptop computer for
additional information.
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR FIREWIRE®
The Flip2disk
™
Icon Does Not Appear on
a Mac
®
OS Desktop:
●If you did not reboot your computer after
installing the Flip2disk™drivers, do so now.
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the Flip2disk™is receiving power.
If you are using a 4 pin connector, make sure
your power supply is connected and working.
If you are using a 6 pin connector make sure
the green power light is on.
●Make sure the Amacom®drivers are
installed. The Amacom®software CD
shipped with your Flip2disk™includes drivers
required for the Firewire®cable. Restart after
running the Amacom®drivers installer.
●If you are connected to a Firewire®
repeater/hub, ensure it is connected correctly
and has power.
●Try connecting the Flip2disk™Firewire®
cable directly to one of the Firewire®
connections on your computer, rather than a
Firewire®device.
●If the problem continues, there may be an
extension conflict on your system. Please
consult the Amacom®web site for additional
troubleshooting information.
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

18
●It may be because there are other bus-
powered devices connected and there is not
enough available power for the Flip2disk™.
If this condition exists try the following:
–disconnect other Firewire®devices from
the computer.
–Connect the AC adapter to the
other device(s).
NOTE: To prevent data loss, do not plug in
additional Firewire
®
devices while any Firewire
®
device is in use.
Identifying Your Version of
Windows
®
98:
Your Flip2disk™Firewire®drive will only run
under Windows 98 Second Edition. Follow these
instructions, if you are unsure which version of
Windows 98 is installed on your computer:
●Right click on the icon for My Computer and
select Properties.
●Click the tab for General.
●Your version of Windows 98 is listed in the
upper right hand corner of the window. If the
System information does not read ‘Microsoft
Windows 98 Second Edition 4.10.2222A,’
you will need to update your operating
system.
Your Flip2disk
™
Stops Responding
(Locks up), or Information Gets Lost or
Corrupted While You Are Saving or
Copying Files:
PC Users:
The problem is probably due to a Firewire®
controller chip or other Firewire®device on your
computer system that is not SBP-2 compliant. Try
the following suggestions:
●Carefully follow the Firewire®Guidelines.
They are designed to help you avoid some of
the problems caused by non-compliant
Firewire®devices.
●If the problem still continues, you may want to
upgrade the Firewire®controller in your
computer system to one that complies with the
FireWire SBP-2 specification. In this case,
contact your computer manufacturer for help.
●Do not disconnect the Flip2disk™drive while
it is transferring information—data loss
will result!
●You must have Windows 98 SE, Me, or
Windows 2000 to use the Flip2disk™
Firewire®drive.
CAUTION! Firewire
®
devices (including
controller chips, cables, cards, and peripherals)
that do not comply with the Firewire
®
specification may cause system lockups or
possible data loss when used with your
Flip2disk
™
Firewire
®
drive. If you are not sure
that a Firewire
®
device complies with the latest
Firewire
®
specification, contact the manufacturer
of the device.
FLIP2DISK AMACOM

19
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR PARALLEL PORT
The Flip2disk
™
Is Not Assigned a Drive
Letter under Windows
®
:
●Check all connections.
●Make sure the drive system is receiving
power. You must use the keyboard power
cables or a mains adapter to provide power
when using Parallel Port.
●Make sure you are using Parallel Port cables
supplied by Amacom®.
●Check your BIOS to ensure that your
computers parallel port is enabled and that it
is set to Bi-direction, SPP or EPP. Refer to your
computer's User's Guide or manual for
directions.
Flip2disk
™
Parallel Port Drive
Performance Seems Slow:
You can optimise your Parallel Port Flip2disk™
drives performance by changing your computers
parallel port mode to EPP in the BIOS. (Please
consult your computers user manual for details).
AMACOM FLIP2DISK

CONTACT DETAILS
© 2001 Amacom Technologies Limited. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Amacom. Your
rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement.
Amacom, the stylised ‘Flip2disk’logo and ‘Flip2disk’are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Amacom Technologies Limited in the United Kingdom and/or other countries.
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries.
Apple, Macintosh, Firewire and Mac are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., in the United
States and/or other countries.
Certain other product names, brand names and company names may be trademarks or designations of their respective owners.
Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a
recommendation. Amacom assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products.
Legal Disclaimer:
Amacom Technologies Limited accepts no responsibility for any data loss that may occur as a result of using this product,
regardless of the cause. Users should ensure that they run Anti-Virus software on all supplied software or drivers and that they
have a recent backup of all important data.
FCC Statement:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
UK & Europe:
Web site: www.amacom-tech.com
E-mail: Technical Support –[email protected]
Sales Enquiries –[email protected]
General Enquiries –[email protected]
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Post:- Amacom Technologies Limited, 7 Western Avenue Business Park,
Mansfield Road, London, W3 0BZ, United Kingdom
North America:
Web site: www.amacom-tech.com
E-mail: Technical Support –[email protected]
General Enquiries –[email protected]
Telephone: [phone]
Toll Free: 866 437 3501 (Technical Support)
Facsimile: (1) 408 744 6503
Post: Amacom Technologies Inc, 1010 Morse Ave, STE 23,
Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA