Buffalo HD-QLU3R5 User manual

USB Hard Drive
HD-QLU3R5
User Manual
2
Recommended Usage .....................5
1
Layout ..............................................3
4
Maintenance ..................................10
5
Software .........................................37
6
Specications ................................39
3
Formatting .......................................9
35011896 ver.01
EN

3
4
2
1
Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
 
 
For Windows ..............................................................................................................7
For Mac ........................................................................................................................8
 
 
 
 
Importance of Backups ......................................................................................... 10
Backup Storage Media .......................................................................................... 10
Restoring Backup Data .......................................................................................... 10
 
 
 
 
Notes on Building a RAID Array ........................................................................... 12
What is RAID? .......................................................................................................... 12
Installing the RAID Utility ..................................................................................... 18
Building a RAID Array ............................................................................................ 19
Rebuilding or Resetting a RAID Array ................................................................ 22
Setting a RAID Building Password ...................................................................... 22

5
6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes When Replacing Hard Drive ..................................................................... 34
Replacing a Hard Drive.......................................................................................... 35
 
 
 
TurboPC .................................................................................................................... 38
TurboCopy ............................................................................................................... 38
Backup Utility .......................................................................................................... 38
RAMDISK Utility ...................................................................................................... 38
Buffalo Tools Launcher ......................................................................................... 38
eco Manager ............................................................................................................ 38
SecureLockMobile .................................................................................................. 38
NovaBackup ............................................................................................................ 38
 
 

3
HD-QLU3 User Manual
Layout
LEDs and Connections
1
‣․
…
‥
ÐÏ×ÅÒ
󰴤
󰴥
󰴦
󰴨
󰴩
󰴪
󰴫
󰴤Power LED
Power On: blue
RAID Maintenance: purple
󰴥Access LEDs
These indicate the status for each internal
hard drive of the DriveStation. The number
next to the LED corresponds to the hard drive
number.
Power On: green
Accessing: blinking green
Rebuilding: blinking red
Error: red (see Troubleshooting)
󰴦Power Mode
See next page.
󰴧RAID Mode Button
Use this button to change RAID modes. A
connected computer is not required.
󰴨USB
Connect to your computer with the included
USB cable.
󰴩DC in
Connect the AC adapter here.
󰴪Fan
Install in an environment where the fan is not
blocked.
󰴫Security slot
Don't block airow from the fan.
Front Panel
Back Panel
Important: Please remove the cardboard shipping insert from behind the front panel of the DriveStation
before use!
󰴧

4HD-QLU3 User Manual
Power On/O
Auto power mode will turn the DriveStation on and o automatically with your computer, or you may
turn the DriveStation o manually.


• In Auto mode, after the computer is turned off, there may be a short delay before the
DriveStation shuts down.
• If the DriveStation is connected to a USB hub with its own power supply, it may not shut
down automatically when the computer is turned o. In this case, use the switch to turn it o
manually.
Power Mode This switches the power on and o.
Auto: The DriveStation turns on and o with your computer.
O : This turns o the DriveStation’s power.
This turns the DriveStation o. Even if the attached computer is
turned on, the DriveStation will remain o until the switch is moved
to the Auto position.

5
HD-QLU3 User Manual
2
Recommended Usage
Warning
To avoid damage to your data, follow these precautions:
Never congure this unit as a destination for virtual memory.
Never perform any of the following operations while the access LED is ashing:
• Unplug the cables
• Turn o your computer
• Put your computer into standby, hibernate, or sleep mode
• The maximum size of a le on the default FAT32 partition is 4 GB. To use the drive with les larger
than 4 GB, reformat the drive with NTFS or Mac OS extended, which allow larger le sizes.
• Mac OS X may not recognize this device at boot. If this happens, unplug the cables, then plug it again
after a few seconds.
• This unit supports hot-plugging connections. You can plug or unplug the data cable while the
DriveStation and your PC are on. However, never unplug the cables while the power/access LED is
ashing, or your data may be lost or damaged.
• Do not lean any object against this unit. It may cause the unit to malfunction.
• If you use this unit with Windows 7, Vista, or XP on a computer with a USB 2.0 or 1.1 port
, you may
receive a message indicating that a high-speed USB hub is connected to a non high-speed USB device.
To continue, click [X].
• You may hear some noise while this unit is working, especially while it is booting or being accessed.
This is normal.
• Always refer to the manuals for your computer and peripheral devices.
• After a system crash, Mac OS may ask you to insert your OS X system disk to recover the OS.
Disconnect the DriveStation from your Mac before initiating the recovery process.
• For Macintosh users, reformat the DriveStation before using it. See the “Formatting Guide” manual for
more information.
• Connect the DriveStation to a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port.
• Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 don’t support drive capacities larger than 2 TB without service
packs or other additional software. To reformat DriveStations larger than 2 TB into multiple partitions
of 2 TB or less, so that they may be easily used with Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, use the
RAID Utility (RAID Management Utility) in “NTFS-Compatible Mode” or “FAT32-Compatible Mode”.

6HD-QLU3 User Manual
Caution!
This device has been designed to release heat through its case. The surface of the case may
become quite warm during normal use.
• Do not stack multiple DriveStations.
• Do not cover the DriveStation with anything that might block the transfer of heat.
• With Windows 7, Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 R2, or
Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later, you may use arrays larger than 2 TB.
• If your anti-virus or other security software includes a software firewall, register the RAID Utility
(C:\Program Files\BUFFALO\HD-xLU3\RaidUtility.exe) as an exception for the firewall. This is not
necessary with the software rewall built-in to Windows. For more information on how to add an
exception to your software rewall, contact the manufacturer of your security software.
• When the driver for this unit is installed, devices are added to [Device Manager].
To display Device Manager, follow the instructions below:
Windows 7/Vista .................................... Click [Start], right-click [Computer], and click [Manage]. When “A program
needs your permission to continue” is displayed, click [Continue] or [Yes] and
then [Device Manager].
Windows XP ............................................. Click [Start] and right-click [My Computer].
Click [Manage] and then [Device Manager].
OS Location New device name
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008
Universal Serial Bus controllers USB Mass Storage Device
Disk drives BUFFALO HD-QLU3/R5 1USB Device
Windows XP
Windows Sever 2003 R2
Windows Server 2003
Universal Serial Bus controllers USB Mass Storage Device
Disk drives BUFFALO HD-QLU3/R5 1USB Device

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HD-QLU3 User Manual
Dismounting the DriveStation
For Windows
Unplugging the DriveStation incorrectly can corrupt data. Please be careful! If your computer is turned
o, then it is always safe to unplug the DriveStation.
If your computer is turned on, please follow the procedure below to unplug your DriveStation. This
example shows Vista, but other versions of Windows are similar.
1Click the
icon (Windows 7 / Vista / Server 2008 R2 / Server 2008) or (Windows
XP / Server 2003 R2 / Server 2003) in the system tray.
2When the menu opens, click the device name.
OS Device name
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2 Eject USB-SATA Bridge
Windows Vist
Windows XP
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Server 2003
Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device

If TurboPC is enabled, "TurboPC" may be part of the device name.
3A message that indicates you can safely remove the unit will appear. Click [OK] and
unplug the DriveStation.

You do not have to click [OK] if your OS is Windows 7 or Windows XP. The message will
automatically disappear.
• It may take a short time for the message to be displayed.
• When the RAID Utility is running, an error may be displayed, and it may not be possible
to dismount the DriveStation. In this case, exit the RAID Utility before performing the
above procedure. To exit the RAID Utility from the Start menu, select [All Programs]-
[BUFFALO]-[HD-xLU3]-[RAID Utility[EXIT]].

8HD-QLU3 User Manual
For Mac
1Drag the DriveStation’s icon to the trash to dismount the drive.

If you’ve created multiple partitions on the DriveStation, dismount each partition separately
before unplugging the drive.
2It’s now safe to unplug the DriveStation from your Mac.

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HD-QLU3 User Manual
3
Formatting

NTFS is suitable for use with modern Windows computers.
To divide the DriveStation into multiple partitions, consult the “Format/Maintenance
Guide” on your Navigator CD.
A Linux-compatible format will be required if the DriveStation will be
connected to a TeraStation. Consult the TeraStation's user manual for
more information.
• Never turn o or reset the computer or TeraStation during the formatting process.
This can damage the drive or result in other problems. This can also cause later operations to fail to
be executed properly.
• When the hard drive is formatted, all data contained on the drive is lost. Before formatting, be
sure to carefully check the operating environment of the hard drive one more time.
The customer assumes all responsibility for the hard drive formatting process.
To ensure that you do not accidentally erase important data or programs, back up your data.

10 HD-QLU3 User Manual
4
Maintenance
Backup
Importance of Backups
The process of copying data to external storage media for protecting important data stored in a hard
drive is called a “backup”. Large-capacity hard drives store a large volume of data everyday. The loss of
data due to an accident, human error, or unexpected event can result in signicant losses for business
operations.
Making a backup saves the same data to multiple storage media (such as a hard drive). As a result, in the
event that the data saved in one media is corrupted or lost, the corrupted or lost data can be restored
from another storage media.
Create backups on a regular basis when using a hard drive.
Backup Storage Media
Many types of storage media below can be used for backup.
•BD-R/RE •DVD±R/RW • DVD-RAM • CD-R/RW
•Magneto-Optical (MO) disk • Expansion hard drive • Network (LAN) server
For best results, dedicate a hard drive exclusively for backup.
Restoring Backup Data
Recovering data from a backup is called restoring. For more information, see the backup manual on your
Navigator CD.

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HD-QLU3 User Manual

Windows includes a tool for nding and xing hard drive errors. To ensure reliable operation, regular
drive checks are recommended.
Notes: • For more information on ScanDisk, see Windows Help.
• Mac OS doesn’t include a hard drive error checking utility. To perform a drive check from a
Mac, use a third-party utility.
Optimization (Defrag)
When a hard drive is used over an extended period of time, repeated writing and deleting of files
causes gradual separation and fragmentation of the le pieces stored on the hard drive. This is called
fragmentation. It takes longer to read or write a fragmented le because numerous dierent locations
on the drive must be accessed.
The process of properly reorganizing a file that has become fragmented in this way is called
defragmentation. Optimization of a hard drive results in faster drive access speeds.
Windows includes a tool for optimizing fragmented hard drives. Periodic optimization is recommended
to ensure maximum performance of your hard drives.
Notes: • For the optimization procedure, see Windows Help or the manual.
• Mac OS does not include a tool for optimizing the hard drive. To perform hard drive
optimization, use a third-party utility.
When Specic Software Does Not Run
Software designed for standard internal hard drives may not work with the DriveStation. Check your
software specications to make sure that it is compatible with USB hard drives.

12 HD-QLU3 User Manual
Building RAID Arrays
The four internal hard drives of the DriveStation can be congured into a RAID array for use as a single
hard drive. The RAID array can also be reset and rebuilt using the procedures below.
Notes on Building a RAID Array
• When building a RAID array, connect the DriveStation with a USB cable and disconnect all other USB
devices. The RAID array may not be built correctly if other USB devices are connected.
• When building a RAID array, all data stored on the DriveStation is lost. Be sure to back up your data
before building the RAID array.
What is RAID?
RAID is a system of combining multiple hard drives for use as a single hard drive, increasing hard drive
speed, and enabling easy recovery in the event of hard drive failure. The DriveStation uses four hard
drives to build the RAID. The RAID level is determined based on how the hard drives are combined. The
RAID levels supported by the DriveStation are shown below.
RAID 5 Mode (Default setting: Enables high-speed access and
secure storage of data)
Parity (error-correcting code) is generated from the data, and this code is saved and distributed to
multiple hard drives together with the data. If any one of the hard drives fails, the data can be recovered
by replacing the hard drive and comparing with the parity of the surrounding data. The OS only
recognizes the capacities of three hard drives. Because the data is distributed when it is saved, this
enables faster hard drive access than using a single hard drive.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as a 3 TB (1 TB×3) hard drive
Data
①②③④
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Parity (P) is
generated and saved.
Even if one hard
drive fails, data can
be recovered by
comparing the parity.
Data
③Ｐ⑧
Data
Ｐ⑥
Total usable capacity is
the sum of the capacity
of three drives and data
protection is provided
Data
①④⑦
Data
②⑤Ｐ

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HD-QLU3 User Manual
RAID 10 Mode (Enables high-speed access and secure storage
of data)
Four hard drives are combined into a large virtual drive. Usable space is the total of two hard drives'
capacity. Because reads are distributed over two drives, access speeds are slightly faster than an
individual drive's. All data is written simultaneously to two hard drives. As a result, if one hard drive from
a pair (either 1-2 or 3-4) fails, all data can be recovered by replacing the drive. However, if two drives
from dierent pairs fail, such as 1 & 3, or 2 & 4, then data will not be recoverable.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as a 2 TB (1 TB×2) hard drive
Data
①②③④
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Data is distributed
and saved to two
hard drives.
Data
②④⑥⑧
Data
②④⑥⑧
Enables high-
speed data access
and advanced data
protection
Data
①③⑤⑦
Data
①③⑤⑦

14 HD-QLU3 User Manual
RAID 1 Mode (Enables secure storage of data)
Drives are combined into mirrored pairs. Total usable space is the capacity of two individual drives. All
data is written to two drives simultaneously. If either drive in a pair fails, all data can be recovered by
replacing the drive. However, if both drives in a pair fail, then data will not be recoverable.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as 2 TB (1 TB×2) hard drive
Data
①②③④
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Data is mirrored to
two dierent hard
drives.
Data
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Data
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Data is always copied
to two dierent drives
Data
①②③④
Data
①②③④

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HD-QLU3 User Manual
Data
①②③④
⑤⑥⑦⑧
Data is distributed
and saved to four
hard drives.
The total capacity
of all four drives is
usable.
Data
③⑦
Data
④⑧
Enables use as a high-
speed, large-capacity
hard drive
Data
①⑤
Data
②⑥
RAID 0 Mode (Enables use as a high-speed, large-capacity
hard drive)
This mode uses the four hard drives as a single large-capacity hard drive. Data is distributed and written
to the four hard drives simultaneously for faster access.
The OS recognizes this as a large single drive with a capacity equal to the sum of the four hard drives.
RAID 0 does not provide a mechanism for protecting data. As a result, failure of any hard drive will result
in the loss of all data on the array.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as 4 TB (1 TB×4) hard drive

16 HD-QLU3 User Manual
Spanning Mode (Enables use as a large-capacity hard drive)
In this mode, all four hard drives are combined into a large single drive with capacity equal to the sum of
the four individual drives. Because data is saved without distributing to the drives, the data access speed
is the same as that of an individual drive. Spanning mode has no mechanisms for protecting data. As a
result, failure of a single drive means that all data on the drives is lost.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as 4 TB (1 TB×4) hard drive
Data
①②③④
⑤⑥⑦⑧
・・・
Data is saved in
order starting from
the rst hard drive.
The total capacity
of all four drives is
usable.
Data
・・・
Data
・・・
Enables use as a large-
capacity hard drive
Data
①②③④
Data
⑤⑥⑦⑧

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HD-QLU3 User Manual
Normal Mode (Enables use as four hard drives)
In this mode, the hard drives are used without building a RAID array. The DriveStation is recognized as
four hard drives, and dierent data can be saved to each one.
•Example of Hard Drive Conguration
Conguration using HD-QL4TU3R5: Recognized as four 1 TB hard drives
Data
①②③④
Enables separate access to four
hard drives
Data
＊＊＊＊
Data
■■■■
Data
★★★★
Data
①②③④
Data
＊＊＊＊
Data
■■■■
Data
★★★★

18 HD-QLU3 User Manual
Installing the RAID Utility
The Utility is used to build a RAID array. If the RAID Utility is not installed, install it by following the
procedure below.
Note: The procedure below is not necessary if the RAID Utility is already installed.
Windows
1Load the Utility CD in the computer.
DriveNavigator will start. If it does not start automatically, double-click the CD-ROM drive icon in the
Utility CD from [Computer (My Computer)].
2
Click [Begin Installation].
3The license agreement screen is displayed. Click [I accept] to proceed.
4
Click [Additional Software installation].
5
Select [RAID Utility], then click [Install].
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
Mac OS 󰵁
1Double-click "RaidUtility.dmg" in the "Mac" folder in the Utility CD.
2Double-click the RaidUtility disk that was extracted to the Desktop.
3 Copy the
(RaidUtility) from the RaidUtility disk to the Desktop.
The installation process is now complete.
To start the RAID Setting Utility, double-click
(RaidUtility) on the Desktop.
Caution
Do not delete the
(RaidUtility) that was copied to the Desktop. If it is deleted, you
will no longer be able to run the RAID Setting Utility. If you accidentally delete it, recopy it
from the Utility CD.

19
HD-QLU3 User Manual
Building a RAID Array
Use the procedure below to build a RAID array.
Caution
Be sure to read "Notes on Building a RAID Array" on page 12.
Note: The example below shows Windows 7. Your screens may look slightly di erent.
1Start the RAID Utility.
In Windows, right-click the icon in the taskbar, and select [Open Utility].
In the Macintosh, double-click (RaidUtility) that was copied to the Desktop.
2Click [Con g], and click [Disk Con g].
What should I do when the screen below appears?
The screen below is displayed when there is a preset password. Enter the password, then click
[OK].
Caution
If you have forgotten the password, the RAID array cannot be built. Please contact
the Bu alo Support Center.
Click [Con g], and select [Disk Con g].
Go to Next Page
①Enter the password (20 alphanumeric
characters or less).
②Click [OK].