G-Technology GD4 1000 User manual

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G-DRIVE Product Guide
G-DRIVE™
Installation Guide
G-Technology Inc.
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
P/N GD1207 RevA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
4. WHAT’S IN THE BOX
5. G-DRIVE OVERVIEW
6. INSTALLING G-DRIVE
7. INITIALIZING G-DRIVE
7.1 Mac OSX (10.4)
7.2 Windows 2000/XP
7.3 Cross Platform use
8. UNMOUNTING/DISCONNECTING G-DRIVE
9. OPTIMIZING DATA TRANSFER RATES
10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
11. LIMITED WARRANTY

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G-DRIVE Product Guide
1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing G-DRIVE™ from G-Technology, Inc.
(G-Tech)! G-DRIVE external storage solutions from G-Tech
offer industry leading performance and are ideal for digital
audio & video editing, graphic design and for backing up all of
your digital photos, MP3s and other important files. G-DRIVE
is the only system to feature a silent, “fan-less” design and an
integrated cooling system to ensure reliable operation and
long life.
2. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The disk drive contained in your G-DRIVE 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
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 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 FW:
• G-DRIVE disk array (FW400/800)
• Installation CD-ROM
• FireWire 800 (9-pin to 9-pin) cable
• External universal power supply
G-DRIVE Combo:
• G-DRIVE disk array (FW400/USB 2.0)
• Installation CD-ROM
• FireWire 400 (6-pin to 6-pin) cable
• USB 2.0 cable
• External universal power supply

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5. G-DRIVE OVERVIEW
Attention Mac OS X Users
G-DRIVE is set up at the factory for use with Mac
OS X systems. If you are running Mac OS X,
G-DRIVE will mount on the OS X desktop right out
of the box. If it becomes necessary to re-format G-DRIVE
for Mac OS X, see section 7.1.
Attention Windows Users
G-DRIVE 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 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
FireWire 800 Ports
FireWire
400 Port
On/Off
Switch
Security Slot
Power
Co
nnector
G-DRIVE FW
(
FW400
/
800
)
G-DRIVE Combo
(
FW400
/
USB 2.0
)
FireWire 400 Ports USB 2.0 Port

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6. INSTALLING G-DRIVE Q
G-DRIVE attaches to your computer via USB 2.0 and,
FireWire 400 or FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 depending
on your model. Choose the connection appropriate for your
system and connect G-DRIVE with a 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 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 desktop right
out of the box. If it becomes necessary to re-
format G-DRIVE Q, 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)
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 will be displayed in the left-hand column
as shown.
2. Select G-DRIVE by clicking on the entry in the left-hand column
as shown below. Information about G-DRIVE 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 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 will be displayed
in the left-hand panel as shown below.
7. Exit the Apple Disk Utility.

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8. G-DRIVE will now mount on the desktop as shown below.
G-DRIVE is now set up for use!!
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 is identified as Disk 1 in this example.
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.

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5. The following window will appear. G-DRIVE (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.
8. The following window will appear. Click on the <Next>
button to continue.

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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. 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.
12. The following window will appear. Click on the <Finish>
button to continue.

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13. Windows will format the volume and then display the
following window. Disk 1 is now identified as G-DRIVE (E:).
Exit the Computer Management console
14. G-DRIVE will now be displayed as an available hard
disk drive under My Computer as shown below.
G-DRIVE is now set up for use!!
7.3. Cross Platform Use
To setup your G-DRIVE for use on both Windows and
Macintosh systems, use the Apple Disk utility and format
G-DRIVE 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 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” in the Name field.
3. Click on the erase button and the screen on the next
page will appear.

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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
A great feature of G-DRIVE 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 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
icon to the trash located in the dock.
2. It is now safe to power off and remove G-DRIVE from
your system.
8.2 Windows Computers
1) Before powering down and disconnecting G-DRIVE,
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 from
your system.

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9. OPTIMIZING DATA TRANSFER RATES
G-DRIVE FW
G-DRIVE FW can be connected to any Mac or PC equipped
with a FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 port. For best
performance, G-DRIVE FW should be connected via FireWire
800. Alternatively, G-DRIVE FW may be connected to a
FireWire 400 port.
G-DRIVE Combo
G-DRIVE Combo can be connected to any Mac or PC equipped
with a FireWire 400 or USB port. For best performance,
G-DRIVE Combo should be connected via FireWire 400.
Alternatively, G-DRIVE Combo may be connected to a USB
1.1 or USB 2.0 port.
G-DRIVE USB
G-DRIVE USB can be connected to any Mac or PC equipped
with a USB1.1 or USB 2.0 port. For best performance,
G-DRIVE USB should be connected via USB 2.0.
10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you encounter any difficulties while installing G-DRIVE,
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 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. 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 1629 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.