G-Technology G-DRIVE Q User manual

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G-DRIVE Q Product Guide
G-DRIVE Q
Installation Guide
G-Technology Inc.
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
P/N GDQ120307 RevA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
4. WHAT’S IN THE BOX
5. G-DRIVE Q OVERVIEW
6. INSTALLING G-DRIVE Q
6.1 Attaching the FireWire Cable and Power to G-DRIVE Q
6.2 Connecting G-DRIVE Q to your Computer
7. INITIALIZING G-DRIVE Q
7.1 Mac OSX (10.4)
7.2 Windows 2000/XP
7.3 Cross Platform use
8. UNMOUNTING/DISCONNECTING G-DRIVE Q
9. OPTIMIZING DATA TRANSFER RATES
10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
11. LIMITED WARRANTY

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1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing G-DRIVE Q from G-Technology, Inc.
(G-Tech)! G-DRIVE Q quad-interface external hard drives
offer the ultimate in flexibility by providing FireWire 400,
FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA ports all in a single unit.
G-DRIVE Q is the perfect high-performance solution for
storage intensive applications including audio/video editing,
digital photography, MP3 libraries and high-speed data back
up. The system features a fan-less cooling system and the
latest technology 7200 RPM SATA II hard drive with up to 32
MB of cache.
2. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The disk drive contained in your G-DRIVE Q is a delicate
electronic instrument and is susceptible to damage due to
excessive physical shock. Place the unit in a vented area away
from moisture or liquids. Please handle the unit with care. Do
not open the case. Doing so will void the warranty. If the
product is returned with damage caused by improper
handling, the warranty will be void and liability will rest with
the user.
3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
FireWire 800 equipped computer (9-pin connection)
•Mac OS X 10.2.4 or higher
•Windows 2000 or Windows XP
FireWire 400 equipped computer (4-pin or 6-pin connection)
•Mac OS 9.x or OS X
•Windows 2000 or Windows XP
USB equipped computer
•Mac OS 9.x or OS X
•Windows 2000 or Windows XP
eSATA equipped computer (add-inn adapter)
•Mac OS X 10.2.4 or higher
•Windows 2000 or Windows XP
4. WHAT’S IN THE BOX
Take a moment to ensure that the following items are
included in the box. If anything is missing, please call G-Tech
at [phone]. Please keep the shipping container and
packing materials. In the unlikely event that you need to
return G-DRIVE Q to us for any reason, you must use the
G-Tech shipping container. If the product is returned
damaged caused by improper packaging, the warranty will be
void and liability will rest with the user.
• G-DRIVE Q storage system
• Installation CD-ROM
• FireWire 400 (6-pin to 6-pin) cable
• FireWire 800 (9-pin to 9-pin) cable
• USB 2.0 cable
• eSATA cable
• External universal power supply

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5. G-DRIVE Q OVERVIEW
Attention Mac OS X Users
G-DRIVE Q is set up at the factory for use with Mac
OS X systems. If you are running Mac OS X,
G-DRIVE Q will mount on the OS X desktop right
out of the box. If it becomes necessary to re-format
G-DRIVE Q for Mac OS X, see section 7.1.
Attention Windows Users
G-DRIVE Q must be formatted for the Windows
Operating System before use on a PC. Please see
section 7.2 for more information.
Attention Cross Platform Users
G-DRIVE Q can be used on both MAC and PC
systems by formatting the drive “FAT32.”
There are some limitations when using FAT
32, see section 7.3 for details. Alternatively you can install
software on the Windows machine such as “MacDrive” which
will allow you to mount MAC formatted drives on your PC.
Power and Activity LED
On/Off
Switch
Power
Connector

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6. INSTALLING G-DRIVE Q
G-DRIVE Q attaches to your computer via USB 2.0, FireWire
400, FireWire 800 or eSATA. Choose the connection
appropriate for your system and connect G-DRIVE Q with
the supplied cable.
Connect the supplied power cord to the Power Supply “brick”
and plug the other end in to a surge protector or wall outlet.
7. INITIALIZING G-DRIVE Q
G-DRIVE mini is set up at the factory for use with Mac OS X
systems. If you are running Mac OS X, G-DRIVE mini will
mount on the OS X desktop right out of the box. If it becomes
necessary to re-format G-DRIVE mini, follow the instructions
below.
•For Mac OS X installations, proceed to Section 7.1
•For Windows 2000/XP installations, proceed to Section 7.2
•For Cross-Platform use see section 7.3
7.1 Mac OS X (10.4)
G-DRIVE Q is initialized at the factory as a single Mac OS X
volume. Power on G-DRIVE, wait 10 seconds, then power
on your Mac. G-DRIVE Q will mount on the desktop as
shown below.
If it becomes necessary to re-initialize G-DRIVE Q for Mac
OS X, follow the instructions below.
1. Open the Apple Disk Utility. The Apple Disk Utility is in
the Utilities Folder located in the Applications Folder on
the Macintosh HD. A dialog box like the following will
appear. G-DRIVE Q will be displayed in the left-hand
column as shown.
2. Select G-DRIVE Q by clicking on the entry in the left-
hand column as shown below. Information about G-DRIVE
Q will be displayed at the bottom.

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3. Select the Partition tab to view the partition options as
shown below.
4. Set the Volume Scheme: to 1 Partition.
Enter a Volume Name: under Volume Information
(in this example G-DRIVE) and set Format: to
Mac OS Extended as shown below.
Note: Alternatively, G-DRIVE Q can be set up in multiple volumes by
selecting the desired number of partitions from the Volume Scheme pull-
down menu.
5. Click on the <Partition> button. The dialog box shown
below will appear. Click on the <Partition> button to
continue.
6. When partitioning is complete, G-DRIVE Q will be
displayed in the left-hand panel as shown below.

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7. Exit the Apple Disk Utility.
8. G-DRIVE Q is now mounted on the desktop as shown
below.
G-DRIVE Q is now set up for use!!
NOTE: You can find the custom G-DRIVE Q
icon on the Product CD or online at
www.g-technology.com/support/
7.2 Windows 2000/XP
1. Power on G-DRIVE, wait 10 seconds, then power on your
computer.
2. Open the Disk Management utility by right-clicking on
the My Computer icon on the desktop and selecting
“Manage” from the drop down menu as shown below.
3. The Computer Management console will appear as shown
below. Click on “Disk Management” in the left-hand panel.
G-DRIVE Q is identified as Disk 1 in this example.

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Right click on Disk 1 and select Initialize Disk from the
pull-down menu as shown. The window shown on the next
page will appear.
4. Click on the <OK> button to continue.
5. The following window will appear. G-DRIVE Q (Disk 1) is
now identified as Basic and Online.
6. Right-click on the Disk 1 “Unallocated” bar entry and
select New Partition… from the pull-down menu as shown
below.
7. The window shown below will appear. Click on the
<Next> button to continue.

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8. The following window will appear. Click on the <Next>
button to continue.
9. The window shown below will appear. Click on the
<Next> button to continue. This will create one large
volume using all of the available space on G-DRIVE.
Note: Multiple partitions can be created on G-DRIVE Q. Consult your
Windows documentation for instructions on setting up multiple partitions.
10. Windows will automatically assign a drive letter (in this
example E:). Accept this assignment and click on the
<Next> button to continue.
11. Enter a Volume Label: (in this example, G-DRIVE),
check the Perform a quick format box and click on the
<Next> button to continue.

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12. The following window will appear. Click on the <Finish>
button to continue.
13. Windows will format the volume and then display the
following window. Disk 1 is now identified as G-DRIVE Q
(E:). Exit the Computer Management console
14. G-DRIVE Q will now be displayed as an available hard
disk drive under My Computer as shown below.
G-DRIVE Q is now set up for use!!
7.3. Cross Platform Use
To setup your G-DRIVE Q for use on both Windows and
Macintosh systems, use the Apple Disk utility and format G-
DRIVE Q FAT32.
1. Open the Apple Disk Utility. (The Apple Disk Utility is in
the Utilities Folder located in the Applications Folder
on your system drive). A window like the one below will
appear.
2. Select the G-DRIVE Q from the left-hand column, then
select the “Erase” button at the top as shown. Select
MS-DOS File System from the drop down menu and
Enter “G-DRIVE Q” in the Name field.

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3. Click on the erase button and the following screen will
appear.
4. Click “Erase” and your drive will be formatted to its full
capacity as FAT32. With this format, you will be able to
READ/WRITE on both windows (2000/XP) and MAC OS
machines. (NOTE: You could format your drive on a
Windows machine FAT32, however Windows currently
limits FAT32 partitions to 32GB in size)
WARNING:
THIS WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON YOUR DRIVE.
NOTE: The 'MS-DOS File System' cannot write
files over 4 GB. If you are working with files over
4 GB, you may want to choose a software option
like MacDrive. MacDrive is Windows software that
enables the Windows OS to mount MAC formatted
drives. (www.macdrive.com)
8. UNMOUNTING/DISCONNECTING G-DRIVE Q
A great feature of G-DRIVE Q is its ability to be connected
and disconnected while your computer is running. To prevent
failures and/or data loss it is important to follow the steps
below when unmounting/disconnecting G-DRIVE Q from your
computer.
8.1 Mac OS X Computers
1. Before powering down and disconnecting G-DRIVE, you
must unmount the system by simply dragging the G-DRIVE
Q icon to the trash located in the dock.
2. It is now safe to power off and remove G-DRIVE Q from
your system.
8.2 Windows Computers
1) Before powering down and disconnecting G-DRIVE Q,
left-click on the Eject icon shown below.
2) The following box will appear. Click on the entry.
3) A balloon like the following will appear.
4) It is now safe to power off and remove G-DRIVE Q from
your system.

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9. OPTIMIZING DATA TRANSFER RATES
G-DRIVE Q can be connected to any Mac or PC equipped with
a FireWire 400, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 or eSATA port. For
best performance, G-DRIVE Q should be connected via
FireWire 800 or an eSATA port. Alternatively, G-DRIVE Q may
be connected to a FireWire 400 or USB 2.0 port.
10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you encounter any difficulties while installing G-DRIVE Q,
please contact G-Tech Technical Support via one of the
following ways:
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Internet: http://www.g-technology.com
When contacting Technical Support, make sure to be in front
of your computer and have the following information readily
available:
•Your G-DRIVE Q serial number (on bottom of unit)
•Operating system and version
•Computer brand and model
•Amount of memory installed
•Other devices attached to your computer
Thank you for purchasing G-DRIVE Q. If you have any
comments or questions about this manual or the product,
please call [phone], or send an email to
[e-mail]..
11. LIMITED WARRANTY
G-Technology Inc. (G-Tech) warrants your product against any
defect in material and workmanship, under normal use, for
the designated warranty period. If the product should
become defective within the warranty period, G-Tech, will at
its discretion, repair or replace the product. Repair or
replacement parts or products will be furnished on an
exchange basis and will be either new or reconditioned. All
replaced parts or products shall become the property of G-
Tech. This warranty shall not apply if the product has been
damaged by accident, misuse, abuse or as a result of
unauthorized service or parts. Warranty service is available to
the purchaser by obtaining a Return Material Authorization
number (RMA) and by delivering the product during the
warranty period to an authorized G-Tech service facility or to
G-Tech. The purchaser shall bear all shipping, packing and
insurance costs and all other costs, excluding parts and labor,
necessary to effectuate repair, replacement or refund under
this warranty. All returned product must be shipped to
G-Tech in the original shipping container.
For more information on how to obtain warranty service, an
RMA number or to acquire shipping materials, contact G-Tech
at 1653 Stanford Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404,
[phone] or [e-mail].
IN THE EVENT A PRODUCT BECOMES DEFECTIVE DURING
THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE PURCHASER’S EXCLUSIVE
REMEDY SHALL BE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS PROVIDED
ABOVE. INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTAL DAMAGES,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF DATA, ARISING
FROM BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY ARE
NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF G-TECH AND, TO THE EXTENT
PERMITTED BY LAW, ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED BOTH FOR
PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND TO THE EXTENT NOT
UNCONSCIONABLE, FOR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGE.