Apacer Technology aC 233 User manual

Apacer USB 3.0 2.5” Portable Hard Drive
AC 233
User’s Manual
Version 1.0

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For Your Safety
Precautions
zTo prevent electric shock or other injury, please do not disassemble or
reassemble this device.
zTo prevent fire, electric shock, or device malfunction, please keep this device
away from wet environment such as a bathroom or any contact with liquid.
zDuring operation, do not expose this device under the temperature above 55°C
(131°F) or below 5°C (41°F) for optimal performances.
zAvoid placing the device near a source of heat such as heater or air conditioner,
or in an area with strong magnetic fields or excessive vibration, or exposing it to
direct sunlight.
zNever insert any metallic subject into the device to avoid any risk of electrical
shock, fire, short-circuiting, or dangerous emission.
zThis product is an electronic device; please avoid dropping it or subjecting it to
other severe shock.
zDo not place heavy objects on the top of the device or excessive force on it.
zAvoid squeezing the device to prevent from damage of the internal HDD.
zWhen carrying the device, always put it in proper protection to avoid physical
contact.
Warnings
zCarefully unpack the contents of the product package.
zApacer is not held responsible for data loss or damage during operation.
zDo not disconnect, power off, or restart the device while jobs in progess,
otherwise it may cause a program error.
zNo liability shall be taken by Apacer for any damage to or loss of any program,
data, or other information stored on any media or any part of this device,
caused by misuse, improper handling, when the device unit is in the possession
of someone other than Apacer. Please refer to Warranty on our official website
for further information.
zThe contents of this documentation are subject to change without notices.
Reminders
zBack up your data regularly, either to a computer or another storage device.
Apacer assumes no liability to data loss or damage during operation.
zMost of the screenshots images about operating the unit are based on Windows
XP.

© 2011 Apacer Technology Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Table of contents
For Your Safety......................................................................................... 1
Precautions .........................................................................................1
Warnings ............................................................................................1
Reminders...........................................................................................1
Introduction ......................................................................................... 3
Product Features................................................................................... 3
Diagram of AC233 .................................................................................. 4
Package Contents .................................................................................. 4
System Requirements ............................................................................. 4
Connect to Computer and Data File Transmission .......................................... 4
Disconnecting AC233 from the Host Computer ...............................................5
Reformatting AC233 ............................................................................... 6
For Windows Users ................................................................................6
Regarding Partitioning Your AC233 on Windows..............................................8
For Mac Users .................................................................................... 13
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................15
Service and Support ..............................................................................16
Product Specifications ...........................................................................16

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W
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assume
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errors,
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document, nor for the data or files lost of the device.
Microsoft Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Mac OS X is a
trademark of Apple Inc. Trademarks of other products mentioned in this user's
manual are owned by their respective companies or organizations.
λIntroduction
Thank you for purchasing the Apacer USB 3.0 2.5” Portable Hard Drive. This ultra-
speed, stylish and compact designed USB storage with huge capacities is your
ideal portable hard drive for transferring and storing your files and even
multimedia ones. In terms of transporting, this slim and light weighted portable
hard drive is powered by USB, making it highly convenient to travel around with it.
This manual provides information for using many of the handy features of this
device. Please read this manual carefully before using the unit and keep it for
future reference.
This manual contains important safety measures and operational information, so
please read all the information carefully before you use the device in case of
unexpected accidents.
λProduct Features
z USB 3.0 compliant 2.5” Protable Hard Drive, backward compatible with USB 2.0
interface
z “Streamline Shark” curve shape design
z Smart power management of auto sleep mode
z Supported capacities: 500GB, 750GB, or 1TB
z LED Indicators for data access: red for USB 2.0; blue for USB 3.0

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λDiagram of AC233
λPackage Contents
z Apacer Portable Hard Drive AC233 x 1
z USB 3.0 cable x 1
z Quick Start Guide x 1
λSystem Requirements
z A desktop, laptop, or tablet computer system with a working USB port,
preferably 2.0 or above.
z For USB2.0: Win2000 SP4 / Windows XP SP3 / Vista -32bit / Windows 7 -
32,64bit / Mac OSX 10.4 or later/ Linux Kernel: 2.6.4 or above
z For USB3.0 : Windows XP SP3 / Vista -32bit / Windows 7 - 32,64bit / Linux
Kernel: 2.6.4 or above
λConnect to Computer and Data File Transmission
1. Connect the Micro USB 3.0 connector to the USB 3.0 port on your AC233. Then
connect the USB 2.0/3.0 connector to the USB 2.0/3.0 port on a computer
(USB 3.0 ports for best performance).
USB 2.0/3.0 Connector Micro USB 3.0 Connector
USB 3.0 Cable
USB 2.0/3.0 port
Micro USB 3.0 port on AC 233

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2. AC233 will power on and appear on your host computer system in a few seconds.
The “found new hardware” message will appear with the icon in the system
tray.
The LED indicator on your AC233 will indicate if you have properly connected it
to a computer. For instance, when the LED appears in red color, it means you have
eastablished connection via USB 2.0 interface. When the LED appears in blue color,
it indicates you have established connection via USB 3.0 interface.
3. Select and organize files and folders that you want to transfer to your AC233.
Note:
To run at USB 3.0 transfer rate, this Apacer drive is required to work with
standard USB3.0 interface and relevant drivers. For questions about whether your
computer can operate at USB 3.0 or not, please refer to the user manual or the
provider of your computer system.
Please try not to use a USB hub to establish the connection. The hub can not supply
enough power.
Disconnecting AC233 from the Host Computer
z Never disconnect, power off, or restart the device while jobs in progess,
otherwise it may cause a program error.
z For Windows users, always use “Safely Remove Hardware” method before
unplugging AC233 from the computer.
1.
Right click on the attached hardware icon, the one with a green arrow.
The message “Safely Remove Hardware” will appear.
2. A window displaying a list of attached devices to your computer will
appear. Click “Stop” and you will see the message “safe to remove
hardware”. Sometimes, when there is only one device attached, the
“Safe to Remove Hardware” message will appear directly.
z For Mac OS users, locate the attached device icon and open the Finder, and
click the Eject.
LED lights in blue:
connection established via USB 3.0
LED lights in red:
connection established via USB 2.0

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λReformatting AC233
For Windows Users
Please follow the steps below to reformat your AC233 hard drive.
Reminder: Disk formatting will eliminate all the data in your AC233. Back up the
data before you start to format your drive. In addition, the images shown below
are based on Windows XP.
1. Connect your AC233 hard drive to an unoccupied USB 2.0/3.0 port of a
computer with Windows operating system through the provided USB cable.
(See “System Requirements” for the list of supported operating systems).
2. Go to “ My Computer ”, and right click on the newly added hard drive icon.
Then, select “ Format ”. The name of the drive can be renamed. Regarding the
name of the drive and the drive letter, it appears in default defined by
Windows once detected (such as “Local Disk”, “Removable Storage”). For the
drive letter, it may vary.
3. A format option window will pop up. Please select the “File System”
(NTFS/FAT32, the default is NTFS for large capacity), name the volume label or
enable “Quick Format”/”Enable Compression”. Then click on “Start” and wait for
it to complete.

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Alternative Method
1. Once the AC233 is properly connected to a computer, right click on “ My
Computer ” and select “ Management ” to enter the “ Computer Management ”
window.
2. Go to “ Disk Management ” and right click on the newly added disk drive. Then
select “ Format ”. Regarding the name of the drive and the drive letter, it
appears in names defined by the Windows once detected (such as “Local Disk”,
“Removable Storage”). For the drive letter, it may vary.
3. A format option window will pop up. Please select the “File System”
(NTFS/FAT32, the default is NTFS for large capacity), name the volume label or
enable “Quick Format”/”Enable Compressio n ”. Then click on “Start” and wait for
it to complete.

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Regarding Partitioning Your AC233 on Windows
The Apacer AC233 portable hard drives have been partitioned before the release.
In other words, the drive is ready-to-use once it is in the hands of a Windows user.
However, if there is a need for partitioning the drive again, please follow the
steps below.
1. Please use the USB cable to connect AC233 to your computer.
2. Please go to “ Start ”, right-click “ My Computer ” and then choose
“ Management ” to enter the “ Computer Management ” window.
3. Select “ Disk Management ” and right click on the newly added disk. Then
select “ Delete Partition ”.

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4. Once it has become an “Unallocated” disk. Then, right-click and select “ New
Partition ”. On the window of “ New Partition Wizard ”, click “Next”.
New Partition Disk
New Partition Wizard window

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5. Choose “Primary Partition” and then press “Next”.
Choice of partition type
6. You can choose the partition size and then press “Next”.
Assign partition capacity

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7. Assign drive letter or path and then press “Next”. In most cases, just select the
default letter/path at the “Assign the following drive letter”.
Assign disk path
8. Choose “File System” type. For NTFS, there is no limitation for allocation unit
size, making it a preferred choice for drives with large capacity. However, for
FAT32, individual single file size is limited to 4 GB (please be noted that the
FAT32 option does not appear in large capacities).
The choice of file system

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9. Click “Finish”.
Partitioning operation completed
10. Wait for the formatting process. Once the formatting is completed, the disk
will be ready for use.
Notes:
There is a “Perform a quick format” option in a previous step where you choose
the file system type for configuring your format partition. This format option is
recommended only if the disk to be formatted is brand new, as it does not scan
and format damaged sectors.

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For Mac Users
Please follow below steps to format your AC233:
1. Make sure the drive you wish to format is currently attached to the computer,
and then open Finder / Applications / Utilities / Disk Utility .
2. Select “Apacer AC233” from the column on the left.
3. Click the Partition tab to the right.
4. From the Volume Scheme pop-up menu, choose the number of partitions you
want for this drive. You must choose at least one partition.
5. Once you have selected the number of partitions you desire, click the Options
button at the bottom of the partition diagram to set the partition scheme.
6. Select your partition scheme, and then click the “OK” button to return.

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7. Choose a name and volume format for each partition.
8. Once you have double-checked all your choices, click the “Apply” button.
Partitioning and formatting takes only a few moments, and once the process is
complete, you should see new volumes in the Disk Utility list and in the
Finder .
Note:
1. Formatting will erase everything on the drive. If you have data or files that
you want to protect and keep using, back them up in another storage before
performing the formatting procedure.
2. In Windows operating systems, a FAT32 partition is limited to 4GB. For drives
larger than this capacity, please reformat it with NTFS. For Mac users, use
MAC OS Extended (Journaled) when using large size drive.

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λTroubleshooting
If you encounter any difficulty in using the device, please check the following possible
problems and their solutions for help at first.
Problem Causes
zPower will not turn on z Make sure if the device is properly connected
to the USB port on your computer.
z Make sure if the USB port is working properly.
zThe product is not
recognized by computer
z Make sure that the device is properly
connected to the USB port on your computer.
z Power supplied to the device may not meet
requirement. Try connecting the USB power
sharing cable or the spare large end of the USB
Y cable to a secord USB port in your computer.
Avoid connecting the product through a USB
Hub unless the USB Hub is powered by a DC
power adapter.
z Make sure the USB cable is not defective.
z Make sure the device has been formatted.
z Make sure the operating system supports the
file system of the device.
zActual capacity is different
from what is listed on
package
Small discrepancies are due to different file
systems and algorithms used by various operating
systems.
zThe product is working
slowly
Make sure that your system operates at USB 2.0
speed or above.
zI installed an OS onto this
product. Why can’t I boot
from it?
The current USB 3.0 host devices do not support
operating system boot up. In other words, you can
not boot an operating system from this product.
zI have difficulty with
transferring large files
Please double check if your drive is formatted in
NTFS (the default for large sized drive is in NTFS),
instead of FAT32. FAT32 is limited to 4GB file
transfer size.
zThe drive can not be
reformatted
Double check if you are the Administrator of the
computer system. If not, enable the Administrator
user setting. To do so, go to “Control Panel” of
your Windows operating system and find the
administrator setting.

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λService and Support
Please contact our local distributor or customer service center for technical
problems.
For details, log on to http://www.apacer.com
λProduct Specifications
The contents of this manual are subject to change without prior notice for further
improvements.
Product Model Name AC233
HDD Interface 2.5” SATA I/II HDD
Device Interface USB 3.0 (backward compatible with USB 2.0)
Capacity 500GB/750GB/1TB
Device Interface Transfer
Rate USB 2.0 interface: up to 480 Mbps USB 3.0 interface: up to 5 Gbps
Rotation Speed 5400 RPM
Cache 8M
LED Indicator Light’s on solid for power on, flashing for data
access: red for USB 2.0; blue for USB 3.0
Power USB-empowered
Operating System Supports USB3.0: Windows XP/Vista/7/Linux Kernel 2.6.4
or above
USB2.0: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 & Mac OSX
10.4 or later & Linux Kernel 2.6.4 or above
Certification CE; FCC; BSMI
Dimensions (L) 127.7 x (W) 80.4 x (H) 15 mm
Weight 152g (with HDD)
Accessories USB 3.0 cable, Quick Start Guide