Apricorn Aegis Padlock A25-PLE256 256GB User manual

User’s Manual
Aegis Padlock Pro

Copyright © Apricorn, Inc 2010. All rights reserved.
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All other trademarks and copyrights referred to are the property of their
respective owners.
Distribution of substantively modied versions of this document is prohibited
without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
Distribution of the work or derivative work in any standard (paper) book form for
commercial purposes is prohibited unless prior permission is obtained from the
copyright holder.
DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED AS IS AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR
NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH
DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID

Table of Contents
About the Aegis Padlock Pro Secure Hard Drive 4
Package contents 4
Aegis Padlock Pro button panel 5
Aegis Padlock Pro - Getting Started 6
Before you begin 6
Powering the Aegis Padlock Pro 6
Connecting via USB 6
Connecting via eSATA 7
How do I use the Aegis Padlock Pro for the rst time? 8
What if I forget the User Password? 8
Using the Aegis Padlock Pro 10
Entering the Standby Mode 10
Entering the User Mode 10
Exiting the User Mode 10
Entering the Admin Mode 11
Exiting the Admin Mode 11
Password Management 12
Changing the Admin Password 12
Adding a new User Password 13
Deleting the User Passwords 13
Changing the User Password 13
Aegis Padlock Pro Brute Force Protection 14
What is Brute Force Attack? 14
How does the Aegis Padlock Pro Protect against brute force attack? 14
Completely resetting the Aegis Padlock Pro 15
Initializing and formatting the Aegis Padlock Pro after a complete reset 15
Hibernating, Suspending, or Logging off from the Operating System 17
Troubleshooting 18
Technical Support 20
Warranty and RMA information 20

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About the Aegis Padlock Pro
Secure Hard Drive
Package contents
Aegis Padlock Pro drive• Travel pouch• Quick Start Guide• USB Power Cable• USB Data Cable• eSATA Combo Cable•
Looking for an effortless way to secure your
data? The Aegis Padlock Pro Secure Drive
is the ultimate portable hard drive and
secure storage system. With an easy-to-use
keypad design and software free setup, the
Aegis Padlock Pro Secure Drive enables you
to access the drive with your own unique
pin. Featuring a choice of AES-128 or 256
bit hardware encryption, the Aegis Padlock
Pro provides seamless real-time encryption,
keeping your data safe even if the hard
drive is removed from its enclosure.
A e g i s Pa d l o c k
Quick Start Guide
Before you begin
Be sure to review the following information before you begin to use the
Aegis Padlock Pro.
Attention: Use only the included cables with your Aegis Padlock Pro.
You might damage the drive if you use a cable
not included with the Aegis Padlock Pro.
Connecting via USB
Atta c h one end of t h e mini USB da t a
cabl e t o the Aegis P adlock Pr o, and
then a t tach the ot h er end to ano t her
ava i lable USB c o nnector o n your
comp u ter, as shown r i ght.
To power the Aegis Padlock Pro attach
one end of the power cable to the
secure hard drive, and then attach the
other end to an available USB connector
on your computer. The indicator light
will turn red, as shown right.
Powering the Aegis Padlock Pro
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Package contents
Aegis Padlock Pro drive• Travel pouch• USB Power Cable• Mini USB Data Cable• eSATA Combo Cable• Quick Start Guide•
P r o

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Aegis Padlock Pro button panel
The “Cancel” button can be used to:
Cancel current operation• Return to the previous step when you knowingly entered a wrong• password
Exit the Admin Mode•
The button can be used to access the Aegis Padlock Pro and it can also be
used as an OK acknowledgement in the following operations:
Entering a password•
Conrming a new password•
The indicator light displays the following colors to indicate the various modes of
operation:
Red: Standby Mode• Blue: Admin Mode• Green: User Mode•
The indicator light has other display methods to indicate different status of the
Aegis Padlock Pro. Details are provided later in this chapter.
3
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Cancel button
button
Indicator light
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Aegis Padlock Pro - Getting Started
Before you begin
Be sure to review the following information before you begin to use the
Aegis Padlock Pro.
Attention: Use only the included cables with your Aegis Padlock Pro.
You might damage the drive if you use a cable not included with the
Aegis Padlock Pro.
Connecting via USB
Attach one end of the USB data
cable to the Aegis Padlock Pro, and
then attach the other end to another
available USB connector on your
computer, as shown right.
To power the Aegis Padlock Pro attach
one end of the power cable to the
secure hard drive, and then attach the
other end to an available USB connector
on your computer. The indicator light
will turn red, as shown right.
Powering the Aegis Padlock Pro
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Once the Aegis Padlock Pro is
powered you have two options for
connection, via USB or eSATA.
Note: If your USB
port provides enough
power to run the drive then
you will not need to use the
extra USB power cable.

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Connecting via eSATA
eSATA/USB Combo
Connector Standard eSATA Connector
If you are using the eSATA/USB combo
connector on your computer, attach one
end of the eSATA data cable to the Aegis
Padlock Pro, and then attach the other
end to the eSATA/USB combo connector
on your computer, as shown below.
If you are using the standard eSATA
connector on your computer, attach
both the USB AC Adapter and the
eSATA data cable to the Aegis Padlock
Pro and your computer, as shown
below.
Note: When you are using the
eSATA/USB combo connector,
the eSATA data cable functions
as a data cable and power cable
simultaneously, in most cases
you should not need the USB
AC Adapter.
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Note: As the Standard eSATA
connection transfers data only
and does not provide power,
you will need to use the
USB AC Adapter for
power.

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How do I use the Aegis Padlock Pro
for the rst time?
What if I forget the User Password?
Use your Admin Password to enter Admin Mode, and then create another
User Password in Admin Mode.
You can use it in one of the following ways:
Enter the Admin Mode with1. 123456 (default administrator password),
and then you are able to change the Admin Password or create a User
Password - this option is recommended.
For directions on how to change the Admin Password or create
a User Password please refer to the directions on pages 12 and
13 of this manual.
Directly enter the Secure User Mode with2. 123456 (default Admin
Password) to use the Aegis Padlock Pro.

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Aegis Padlock Pro Setup for Mac OS
®
Your Aegis Padlock Pro is preformatted in NTFS for Windows®. To reformat the
drive to a Mac compatible format please read the below.
Once the drive is unlocked, open Disk Utility from Applications/Utilities/
Disk Utilities.
To format the Aegis Padlock Pro:
Select the Aegis Padlock Pro from the list of drives and volumes. Each drive1. in the list will display its capacity, manufacturer, and product name, such as
232.9 Apricorn Padlock.
Click the ‘Erase’ tab.2. Enter a name for the drive. The default name is Untitled. The drive’s name3. will eventually appear on the desktop.
Select a volume format to use. The Volume Format dropdown menu lists4. the available drive formats that the Mac supports. The recommended
format type is ‘Mac OS Extended (Journaled).’
Click the ‘Erase’ button. Disk Utility will unmount the volume from the
5. desktop, erase it, and then remount it on the desktop.
Your Aegis Padlock Pro is now formatted and ready to use. To change your
ADMIN PIN please refer to the directions on the previous page.

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Using the Aegis Padlock Pro
Entering and exiting the Standby Mode, Admin
Mode, and User Mode
Entering the Standby Mode
The Standby Mode is the default working mode of the Aegis Padlock Pro and is the
gateway to other working modes.
To enter the Standby Mode, attach the Aegis Padlock Pro to your computer. The drive
automatically goes into Standby Mode and the indicator light turns red. In this mode,
the Aegis Padlock Pro is locked. It cannot be recognized by My Computer and it
does not provide either the regular functions or the encryption function. However, it
enables you to enter and switch between the Admin Mode and the User Mode.
Attention: To switch between the Admin Mode and the User Mode, you are
required to switch to the Standby Mode rst, and then you can enter the
mode of your choice.
Entering the User Mode
To enter the User Mode, do the following:
Attach the Secure Hard Drive to your computer. It enters the Standby Mode.1. Enter the User Password or the Admin Password (the default Admin Password is2. 123456) and press . The indicator light turns green indicating that the drive
is in the User Mode. If the indicator light ashes red, you need to re-enter the
correct password.
Exiting the User Mode
To exit the User Mode, double-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon from
the Microsoft®Windows®desktop, and then remove the Aegis Padlock Pro from
your computer.
Attach the Aegis Padlock Pro to your computer again and the indicator light turns
red. This indicates that you are in the Standby Mode.

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Note: The Aegis Padlock Pro cannot be recognized by the operating system in the
Admin Mode.
To enter the Admin Mode, do the following:
Attach the USB cable to an available USB port on your computer. The Aegis1. Padlock Pro goes into the Standby Mode, and the indicator light turns red.
Press and hold + 0 for ve seconds until the indicator light ashes red. This 2. indicates that you can enter the Admin Password.
Enter the Admin Password and press . The default Admin Password is3. 123456. The Secure Hard Drive is in Admin Mode when the indicator light has
changed to blue.
Entering the Admin Mode
Note: If the indicator light ashes red for a few seconds, indicating the
Aegis Padlock Pro has returned to the Standby Mode, go back to Step 2.
This is due to one of the following conditions:
You entered an incorrect Admin Password in Step 3.• No activity was detected within two minutes in the Admin Mode.•
Exiting the Admin Mode
To exit the Admin Mode, press the “Cancel” button in the Admin Mode until the
indicator light turns red. This indicates that you are in the Standby Mode.

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Password Management
Changing the Admin Password
Note: If the indicator light ashes red three times, this indicates that the
password is less than 6 digits or more than 16 digits. Enter a
password that contains 6 – 16 digits after the indicator light ashes
blue intermittently.
If the indicator light ashes red intermittently and then blue 1. intermittently, go back to step 3. This is due to one of the following
conditions:
You waited longer than 10 seconds before entering a password.•
The new password was entered incorrectly.•
If no activity is detected within two minutes in the Admin Mode, the2. Aegis Padlock Pro will return to the Standby Mode.
To enter Admin Mode, rst plug the drive into the USB port and wait 1. until the LED light turns RED.
Next, press and hold 0 + for 5 seconds until the LED light ashes RED.2. Enter the Admin PIN number (default is 123456) and press . The3. LED light will turn BLUE indicating you are in Admin Mode.
While in Admin Mode, press and hold 9 + until the LED light ashes 4. BLUE.
Enter the new PIN number (minimum 6 digits) and press . The LED5. light will ash GREEN 3 times if successful.
Re-enter the new PIN number and press . The LED light will stay6. solid GREEN for 2 seconds indicating you have successfully changed the
Admin PIN.
To exit admin mode and begin using your Aegis Padlock Pro drive, press7. the CANCEL button until the LED turns RED. Now enter your new PIN
number and press .

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You can add a new User Password by doing the following:
Enter the Admin Mode (refer to page 9 for details).1.
Press and hold + 1 until the indicator light ashes blue intermittently.2. Enter a User Password and press (a minimum of 6 digits and a maximum3. of 16 digits) The indicator light ashes green three times.
Re-enter the new User Password and press . If the indicator light stays4. solid green for two seconds, the User Password was added successfully.
Adding a new User Password
Deleting the User Passwords
You can delete all User Passwords by doing the following:
Enter the Admin Mode (refer to page 9 for details).1.
Press and hold 7 + 8 + for ve seconds until the indicator light ashes blue 2. intermittently. After the indicator light ashes green three times and then blue
intermittently.
Press and hold 7 + 8 + a second time for ve seconds until the indicator 3. light goes on solid green for two seconds and then back to solid blue, this
indicates that the User Passwords were deleted successfully.
Changing the User Password
You can change the User Password by doing the following:
Enter User Mode (refer to page 8 for details).1.
Press and hold + 1 until the indicator light ashes red.2. Enter your old password and press . The indicator light will turn green,3. then change to ashing blue.
Enter the new password and press (The Password must be a minimum of4. 6 digits and a maximum of 16 digits). The indicator light will ash green three
times.
Re-enter the new User Password and press . The indicator light stays solid5. green for two seconds and the Admin Password is changed successfully.

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Aegis Padlock Pro Brute Force Protection
What is Brute Force Attack?
In cryptanalysis, a brute force attack is a method of defeating a cryptographic
scheme by systematically trying a large number of possibilities; for example, a
large number of the possible keys in a key space in order to decrypt a message.
In most schemes, the theoretical possibility of a brute force attack is recognized,
but it is set up in such a way that it would be computationally infeasible to carry
out. Accordingly, one denition of “breaking” a cryptographic scheme is to nd a
method faster than a brute force attack.
With the drive locked and in the standby state the LED is red solid
1. After six tries to enter the correct user or admin password the keypad will2. not respond and LED will turn off. The drive will need to be unplugged from
the USB port and repluged. This will be repeated for each six unsuccessful
attempts.
If the user, unsuccessfully tries to unlock the drive on his 50th try the3. keypad will lock and the LED will begin blinking quickly. Even if unplugging
and replugging the drive will remain locked with the LED blinking quickly
Here are the steps to allow the user to unlock the keypad for 50 more4. attempts to unlock his drive.
a. Unplug the device from the computer
b. Push and hold the number ve key and plug-in the drive
c. The LED will be blinking alternating red and green fast
d. Enter the code 5278879
e. The keypad will unlock and will be in the standby state with the LED
solid red, this will allow only 50 more attempts
g. After a total of 100 Attempts the drive will remain locked with the
LED ashing red quickly. You must now go through the reset process
and reformat the drive to be able to use the drive again. (see page 8)
How does the Aegis Padlock Pro Protect
against brute force attack?

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Completely resetting the Aegis Padlock Pro
Note: If no activity is detected for 30 seconds in this step, the Aegis Padlock
Pro will go into the Standby Mode.
If you forget all the User Passwords or Admin Passwords, you can perform a
complete reset to remove all the User Passwords, and restore the Admin Password
to the default 123456.
Attention: Completely resetting the Aegis Padlock Pro will erase all the data
on the drive. You will need to partition and format the Aegis Padlock Pro
with disk management applications.
To perform a complete reset of the drive, do the following:
Press and hold the1. “Cancel” button while you attach the Aegis Padlock Pro
to an available USB port on your computer. The indicator light will ash blue
and red alternately.
Press and hold2. “Cancel” + + 2 for 10 seconds until the indicator light
turns solid green for two seconds. You have successfully reset the Aegis
Padlock Pro.
Initializing and formatting the Aegis Padlock
Pro after a complete reset
A complete reset of the Aegis Padlock Pro will erase all information and partition
settings. You will need to initialize and format the Aegis Padlock Pro.
To initialize your Aegis Padlock Pro, do the following:
After a complete reset, attach the Aegis Padlock Pro to the computer.1. Wait 5 seconds for the computer to renumerate the device.2. Enter the default User Password3. 123456 and press to enter the User
Mode.
Right-click4. My Computer, and then click Manage from the Windows
desktop.

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In the Computer Manage window, click5. Disk Management. In the Disk
Management window, the Aegis Padlock Pro is recognized as an unknown
device that is uninitialized and unallocated.
Do the following to make the drive recognized as a basic drive.6. If the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard window opens, click• Cancel,
then initialize the disk manually using the following steps.
a. Right-click Unknown Disk, and then select Initialize Disk.
b. In the Initialize Disk window, click OK.
Right-click in the blank area under the Unallocated section, and then select7. New Partition. The Welcome to the New Partition Wizard window opens.
Click8. Next.
Select Primary partition and click9. Next.
If you need only one partition, accept the default partition size and click10. Next.
Click11. Next.
Create a volume label, select Perform a quick format, and then click12. Next.
Click13. Finish.
Wait until the format process is complete. The Aegis Padlock Pro will be14. recognized and it is available for use.

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Hibernating, Suspending, or Logging off from
the Operating System
Be sure to save and close all the les on your Aegis Padlock Pro before hibernating,
suspending, or logging off from the Windows operating system.
It is recommended that you log off the Aegis Padlock Pro manually before
hibernating, suspending, or logging off from your system.
To log off the Aegis Padlock Pro, double-click Safely Remove Hardware on the
Windows desktop and remove the Aegis Padlock Pro from your computer.
Attention: To ensure the data integrity of your Aegis Padlock Pro, be sure
to lock or log off your Aegis Padlock Pro if you are:
away from your computer• using the switching user function by sharing a computer with others•

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Troubleshooting
This section contains troubleshooting information for the Aegis Padlock Pro. If
you encounter any of the following problems when using the Aegis Padlock Pro,
refer to the corresponding answers.
Q: How do I use the Aegis Padlock Pro the rst time?
A: You can use it in one of the following ways:
Enter the Admin Mode with• 123456 (default administrator password), and
then you are able to change the Admin Password or create a User Password
Directly enter the Secure User Mode with• 123456 (default Admin
Password) to use the Aegis Padlock Pro
Q: What can I do if I forget the User Password?
A: Use your Admin Password to enter Admin Mode, and then create another
User Password in Admin Mode.
Q: What can I do if I forget the Admin Password?
A: There is no other way to retrieve the Admin Password except a complete reset
of the Aegis Padlock Pro. After a complete reset, all data will be lost and you will
need to initialize, allocate and format the Aegis Padlock Pro manually. Then you
will be able to use the default Admin Password 123456.
Q: Why did the operating system not recognize the Aegis Padlock Pro
after I enter the User Mode and completely reset the computer?
A: You need to initialize, allocate and format the Aegis Padlock Pro manually. For
more information, refer to Initializing and formatting the Hard Drive after
a complete reset in this manual.
Q: Can I initialize and format the Aegis Padlock Pro with Windows user
account?
A: No, this is a Windows limitation, you must use the Admin account to initialize
and format the Aegis Padlock Pro.

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Q: How do I use the Aegis Padlock Pro without a password?
A: As a full disk encryption product, the Aegis Padlock Pro can never be used
without a password.
Q: What encryption algorithm is used in this product?
A: Depending on your model the Aegis Padlock Pro uses either AES 128-bit or 256-
bit algorithm.
Q: Why could I not change my User Password which has the same digits
as the Admin password?
A: You can change it only in the Admin Mode. In the User Mode, the User
Password which has the same digits is created in the Admin Mode cannot be
changed or deleted.
Q: Why could I not initialize, partition or format the Aegis Padlock Pro?
A: Ensure that you have administrator privileges. You can use only the
administrator account to initialize, partition or format the Aegis Padlock Pro in
the Admin Mode.

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One Year Warranty:
Apricorn offers a 1-year warranty on the Aegis Padlock Pro against defects in materials and workmanship
under normal use. The warranty period is effective from the date of purchase either directly from
Apricorn or an authorized reseller.
Disclaimer and terms of the warranties:
THE WARRANTY BECOMES EFFECTIVE ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE AND MUST BE VERIFIED WITH
YOUR SALES RECEIPT OR INVOICE DISPLAYING THE DATE OF PRODUCT PURCHASE.
APRICORN WILL, AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE, REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WITH
NEW PARTS OR SERVICEABLE USED PARTS THAT ARE EQUIVALENT TO NEW IN PERFORMANCE.
ALL EXCHANGED PARTS AND PRODUCTS REPLACED UNDER THIS WARRANTY WILL BECOME THE
PROPERTY OF APRICORN.
THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT NOT PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM APRICORN
OR AN AUTHORIZED RESELLER OR TO ANY PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED OR RENDERED
DEFECTIVE: 1. AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT, MISUSE, NEGLECT, ABUSE OR FAILURE AND/OR INABILITY
TO FOLLOW THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THIS INSTRUCTION GUIDE: 2. BY THE USE
OF PARTS NOT MANUFACTURED OR SOLD BY APRICORN; 3. BY MODIFICATION OF THE PRODUCT;
OR 4. AS A RESULT OF SERVICE, ALTERNATION OR REPAIR BY ANYONE OTHER THAN APRICORN AND
SHALL BE VOID. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.
NO OTHER WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OR
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, HAS BEEN OR WILL BE MADE BY
OR ON BEHALF OF APRICORN OR BY OPERATION OF LAW WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT OR ITS
INSTALLATION, USE, OPERATION, REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR.
APRICORN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE BY VIRTUE OF THIS WARRANTY, OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY
INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE INCLUDING ANY LOSS OF DATA RESULTING
FROM THE USE OR OPERATION OF THE PRODUCT, WHETHER OR NOT APRICORN WAS APPRISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Apricorn provides the following helpful resources for you:
1. Apricorn’s Website (http://www.apricorn.com)
This gives you the ability to check for up-to-date information.
2. E-mail us at [email protected].
3. Or call the Technical Support Department at 1-800-458-5448.
Apricorn’s Technical Support Specialists are available from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., Pacic Standard Time Monday through Friday.
Technical Support
Warranty and RMA information