ioSafe Solo G3 User manual

•Fanless Airflow Design
•Data Recovery Service (DRS)
•No-Hassle
TM
Warranty
Built to protect and backup data:
•Backup for Primary Hard Drive
Protect against primary drive failure or corruption
•Fire Damage
Up to 1550°F per ASTM E-119, 30 minutes
•Floods & Water Damage
10 foot depth, 72 hours, salt or fresh water
•Theft
Kensington® Lock Slot and Floor Bolt Down and
Padlock Capable Design
User Manual
ioSafe P/N: 910-11131-00 Rev 4
0
ioSafe

Solo G3

2
Contents
Welcome ............................................................................................. 3
Package Contents................................................................................ 7
Specifications ...................................................................................... 8
System Requirements .......................................................................... 9
Precautions ......................................................................................... 9
About USB ......................................................................................... 12
Securing the ioSafe Solo G3 (Suggestions) ......................................... 13
Backup and Encryption Software........................................................ 14
Connecting the ioSafe Solo G3........................................................... 15
Formatting for Mac OS....................................................................... 17
ioSafe Data Recovery Service ............................................................. 18
Data Recovery Procedure ................................................................... 20
ioSafe No-Hassle Warranty ................................................................ 22
ioSafe Contact Information ................................................................ 23

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Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the ioSafe®Solo G3 – our third generation of Solo series desktop drive.
Designed to backup your primary hard drive from failure and accidental deletion as well as protect
against data loss due to natural disasters such as fires and floods. For years, ioSafe has set the standard
for disaster proof hardware. The ioSafe Solo G3 delivers an unprecedented combination of security and
natural disaster protection at the price and near silent noise levels for our home and home office
customers.
Your ioSafe Solo G3 is covered for one (1) year standard under ioSafe’s No-HassleTM Warranty and Data
Recovery Service (DRS). Standard warranty term is one (1) year and covers the repair or replacement of
the Solo G3 if the unit breaks for any reason. The Data Recovery Service (DRS) must be activated on our
website by the original owner. Visit www.iosafe.com for more details on the warranty and DRS.
The ioSafe Solo G3 has been rigorously tested to protect the data contained in the device to meet the
following specifications:
Fire Protection:
Protects data against loss from fire up to 1550°F per ASTM E-119, 30 minutes.
Water Immersion:
Protects data against loss from full immersion in fresh or salt water for up to a 10’
depth up to 3 days in salt or fresh water.
Theft:
KensingtonLock Slot compatible – metal lock slot construction. Floor mount bolt down and
padlock capable design.
NOTE:
Please read this User Manual and retain it for future reference.

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Copyrights
Copyright ioSafe, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior written consent.
Trademarks
All Trademarks mentioned or appearing in this document are the property of their respective owners.
Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
This product complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
WARNING:
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance may void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to

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provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used
in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television equipment reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
•Increase the separation between equipment and receiver
•Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help
•Use a shielded and properly grounded I/O cable and power cable to ensure compliance of this
unit to the specified limits of the rules

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CE Compliance For Europe
Marking by the CE symbol indicates compliance of this system to the applicable
Council Directives of the European Union, including the EMC Directive (2004/108/EC)
and the Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC). A “Declaration of Conformity” in
accordance with the applicable directives has been made and is on file at ioSafe, Inc.
Changes
The material in this document is for information only and subject to change without
notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document
to assure its accuracy, no liability resulting from errors or omissions in the document,
or form the use of the information contained herein is assumed. The publisher
reserves the right to make changes or revisions without reservation and without
obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

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Included in the package:
A. ioSafe Solo G3 (USB 3.0 version shown)
B. USB 3.0 cable (compatible with USB 2.0)
C. AC Power Adapter and cord
D. Quick Start Guide (not shown)
E.
DRS Activation Card (not shown)
Package Contents
A.
B.
C.

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Specifications
Dimensions
(Inches) ........................................................ 5.0"W x 7.1"H x 11.0"L
Weight
(Lb.) ............................................................................................... 15 lbs
Interface Transfer Rate
USB 3.0 ...........................................................................up to 5 Gbps
Ambient Temperature
Operating...........................................................................32°F - 95°F
Shipping ..........................................................................32°F - 135°F
Non-operating..................................32°F to 1550°F with no data loss
Humidity
Operating (non-condensing) ................................................5% - 80%
Shipping (non-condensing) .......................................................... 90%
Non-operating Water Submersion .......... Up to 72 hours @ 10’ depth
Complete submersion, fresh or salt water with no data loss
Theft:
KensingtonLock Slot compatible – metal lock slot construction.
Floor mount bolt down and padlock capable.

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System Requirements
For Windows:
The ioSafe Solo G3 USB 3.0 version not specifically “for Mac” is formatted with the
“NTFS” drive format, the default for all Windows operating systems.
For Mac:
The ioSafe Solo G3 not specifically “for Mac” can easily be reformatted to work with a
Mac. “Solo G3 for Mac” are ready out of the box to work with Mac computers.
See page 17 - Formatting the USB 3.0 ioSafe Solo G3 for Mac OS if you require reformatting.
Precautions
Please read the precautions listed below. Failure to do so may result in damage to the device
and loss of data. All drives covered under ioSafe’s Data Recovery Service (DRS) would qualify for
data recovery for any reason under our general terms and conditions for the service. See our
website for more details.
•
THE TERM “BACKUP” MEANS TO MAKE A REDUNDANT “COPY” OF YOUR DATA – NOT
TO SIMPLY “MOVE” YOUR DATA FROM ONE DEVICE TO ANOTHER.
•
Read the latest discussions on backup and data protection at: www.iosafe.com/faq
or www.iosafe.com/blog

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•
3-2-1 Backup!
We strongly recommend that you keep at least
3 copies
of all your data
on multiple devices. In addition to a primary copy of your data (your working directory), at
least one copy of your data should sit on a fireproof waterproof hard drive, like the ioSafe
Solo series, or be offsite at a second location. The ioSafe Solo G3 is a great backup device
that can help protect data onsite. No matter what the data storage device, keeping
redundant copies of your irreplaceable data will improve your chances for data recovery.
•Avoid bumping, jarring or dropping the ioSafe Solo G3 while connected to a computer and
in use. Mechanical hard disk drives (HDD) are more susceptible to damage while they’re
operating. Inside a mechanical hard disk drive is a spinning disk and small read/write drive
head that “flies” on a cushion of air above the disk. If the drive head hits the spinning disk,
data loss can occur. Solid State Drives (SSD) have no moving parts so are less susceptible to
shock. If you require that the drive continue to operate while being dropped or during
vibration (as present while in an operating vehicle), we highly recommend the ioSafe
products that incorporate an SSD for the ultimate in drop and shock protection.
•Do not disconnect any cables while the ioSafe Solo G3 is powered on without first stopping
or ejecting the device through the operating system software interface. Disconnecting any
drive during a read/write event can cause logical corruption on the drive, both SSD and
HDD drives, which can sometimes result in data loss.
•Use proper surge and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to guard your computer system
against abrupt outage and voltage spikes during brownouts and lightning storms.

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Supported OS/interface connection:
Mac OS 10.3 or later ................................................................ USB 3.0, USB 2.0
Windows 7/ Vista (SP2) / XP (SP3) ............................................ USB 3.0, USB 2.0
Note: MS Windows Server OS and Linux can sometimes be or become incompatible with
the USB interface. The eSATA interface is the only direct connection fully supported by
ioSafe on SoloPRO series hard drives for MS Server or Linux.

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About USB
Actual connection performance depends on many factors including: CPU, file system
overhead, number of attached devices and more. Given these and other factors, in day-to-
day use you can expect maximum, sustained transfer rates to be less than the theoretical
rates maximum rates possible with the connection.
USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1. This means you can generally
connect newer devices to older devices. However, interface transfer rates are limited by
the interface with the lower speed.
NOTE
: The cable supplied with your system has been optimized for performance. Longer
cables may not work or only work intermittently.

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Securing the ioSafe Solo G3
Kensington®Security Slot
(USB 3.0 version shown)
For drive security, the ioSafe Solo G3 is equipped with a Kensington security slot, which
supports a standard Kensington security cable (sold separately). For more information on the
Kensington security slot and available products, visit www.kensington.com. Alternatively, the
ioSafe Solo G3 is designed to be floor mounted or padlock compatible as well.
Kensington®Security Slot
Floor Mount Suggestion
Cable Lock Suggestion

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Backup and Encryption Software
•
Backup Software
Upon proper activation of your Data Recovery Service, qualified users can download:
Genie TimelineProfessional ($50 Value) Award winning backup software for Windows OS.
Simple, block level, open file and OS Continuous Data Protection (CDP) software for
Windows users. DRS Activation required at https://iosafe.com/activate to validate purchase
prior to downloading software and install code.
Apple® Mac® TimeMachine®— Mac specific drives are already formatted with Mac
compatible GUID Partition Table (GPT) formatting. If not, reformatting may be required.
Simple instructions are online in the support and FAQ sections at iosafe.com or on page 14
for Mac users who have purchased a NTFS formatted drive and wish to format the drive for
a Mac.
•
Encryption
After DRS Activation, users can optionally download TrueCrypt® AES-256 Encryption
Compatible3 - Open source, encryption software. FIPS 140-2, ISO/IEC 10118-3:2004. PC,
Mac and Linux compatible.

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Connecting the ioSafe Solo G3
1.
Connect.
Use the supplied USB 3.0/2.0 cable to connect the Solo G3 to a computer port.
2.
Verify that the Drive Mounts.
Before storing data on the ioSafe Solo G3, the drive must
be “mounted” (physically connected and recognized by the OS) to the computers
operating system.
For Windows PC
, once the ioSafe Solo G3 is connected, you will see a blue light on the drive
and the drive should mount in a few moments. A new drive icon/letter will appear on
the desktop or in My Computer/Windows Explorer.
For Mac
, once the ioSafe Solo G3 for Mac is powered on the operating system should mount
the drive in a few moments. A new drive icon will appear on the Desktop and in the
Finder.
The ioSafe Solo G3 not specifically “for Mac” should be reformatted for the Mac
OS (See page 17 - Formatting the ioSafe Solo G3 for Mac OS).
3.
The ioSafe Solo G3 is ready to use.
Save or drag and drop files to the drive as you would
to any other drive attached to your computer.
4.
Or select the ioSafe Solo G3 as the backup target for any automated backup target
program (like Genie Timeline for PC or Time Machine for Mac)

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5. Although
Genie Timeline Professional
or an equivalent software may be bundled with the
ioSafe Solo G3 upon proper DRS Activation, you are free to use whatever backup software
you choose and any commercially available application should work. Genie Timeline
Professional is only compatible with Windows OS. We recommend Mac users utilize Time
Machine which comes standard on newer Mac OS.
For MS Server or Linux Operating Systems: The USB interface has sometimes proven to be
unreliable with MS Server and Linux operating systems. We highly recommend the ioSafe
SoloPRO with an eSATA port for compatibility reasons. Support may be limiated.

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Formatting for Mac OS
The ioSafe Solo G3 not specifically labeled as “for Mac” is likely formatted NTFS (for Windows)
and may not be immediately recognized by Mac. You may get an alert message which reads:
“You have inserted a disk containing no volumes ...” Click the ignore button and follow the
steps below.
**NOTE: The formatting process will Delete ALL information currently on the Hard Drive.**
1. Disconnect all external Hard Drives and Flash Drives connected to you computer.
2. Power up your ioSafe G3, plug it into your Mac, and wait for it to show up on the
desktop. (Any information currently on the disk will be deleted.)
3. Click Go on a Finder window, and select Utilities.
4. Open up the Disk Utility application located within the "Utilities" folder.
5. Select your external hard drive from the left hand side of the Disk Utility window and then
click the Partition tab.
6. Click on the drop down menu where it says "Volume Scheme" and select "1 Partition".
7. Click on the "Options" button, select the "GUID Partition Table" option and click "OK".
8. Click in the field that allows you to name the volume and type in the value you prefer.
9. Verify the volume format is set to "Mac OS Extended (journaled).
10. Click "Apply" and then click "Partition" to start the formatting process.
The partitioning process should take around a minute. Once complete, the device will mount
on your desktop with the name you provided.

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Data Recovery Service (DRS)
The ioSafe Solo G3 comes with one (1) year of Data Recovery Service standard upon proper
activation by the original end user. Various options to extend DRS coverage up to 5 years are
available at www.iosafe.com. Click on “Activation.”
Benefits of the Data Recovery Service:
Data Recovery Service
– Both ioSafe + 3rd Party Forensic Recovery Services, onsite technical
support if requested. Limitations Apply. See DRS terms and conditions for more details.
Simple Activation and Billing
– Monthly or yearly billing.
Backup installation and support
- phone and remote access support
Cancel at any time
– no obligation, no commitment
Data Recovery Service
for attached server, workstation or laptop (DRS Pro only)
Full Version Backup Software :
Genie9 Timeline Professional (License Key will be emailed after
product registration)
“No Hassle Warranty”
– if it breaks for any reason while covered under any DRS, ioSafe will repair
or replace the ioSafe product free of charge. All domestic shipping paid for by ioSafe.
Advanced Replacement Service
– Replacement unit, box and prepaid shipping label sent to
customer (DRS Pro only).

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ioSafe Data Recovery Service Terms and Conditions
As applicable during the DRS period, the Company or its contracted partner will assist the original purchaser for one "data recovery event"
without the requirement t
o pay a deductible. Additional attempts beyond the first “data recovery event” will require a deductible of $500 for the
second “data recovery event”, $1000 for the third “data recovery event” and $2000 for the any additional “data recovery event
s.” For the DRS
Basic or original ioSafe DRS plan (products sold prior to 2012), the DRS plan applies to the original owner for the ioSafe pr
oduct. For the DRS
Pro plan, data recovery services will be performed on the registered ioSafe product for the original owner
and to one registered computer of the
original ioSafe owner attached to the ioSafe product. The Company will attempt to restore the lost data by employing one or m
ore of the
following ways in ioSafe’s sole discretion:
The Company or its contracted partner will provide phone or email based support to assist in recovering the data, or
1. The Company will pay for the disaster exposed product to be shipped back to the Company's headquarters for data recovery. If data
recovery is successful, a replacement product will be loaded with the original data and shipped back to the original user, or
2. At the discretion of the Company, if the data recovery by the Company is not successful, the Company will pay up to the total amount
shown in the table below for the spec
ific product to a third-party disk recovery service and/or an onsite technical support of the Company's
choice to extract the data. Any data extracted will be loaded on a replacement product and shipped back to the original user.
The Company has
the right
to use a factory refurbished product as the replacement ioSafe branded product. Data recovery services for any attached server or
computer will cover the costs of data recovery only up to the total limits below if applicable and will not cover replacement
costs for the non-
ioSafe branded server or computer.
Limits of Coverage in US Dollars per terabyte of data capacity of ioSafe product

The Company's good faith attempts to restore and recover the data in accordance with these terms and conditions shall be the purchaser's sole
and exclusive remedy and the sole and exclusive obligation of ioSafe with respect to the DRS and the Company sha
ll not be liable for any
damages whatsoever due to loss of data or otherwise. The Company cannot and does not guarantee that any data will be recover
able and it
cannot and does not guarantee which data files are on the product or the attached computer if applicable. Data restoration or recovery shall be
strictly limited to whatever files are restorable or recoverable and not what the purchaser believes to exist on the product
or attached computer
if applicable. The DRS is valid only upon verified, activati
on on the ioSafe.com website in addition to valid registration for ioSafe branded
products with proper serial numbers and activation codes for products owned by the original purchaser only. The DRS is not tr
ansferable to a
third party without prior written
signed consent of an ioSafe, Inc. executive based in the United States of America.
Product Line DRS Basic DRS Pro
Any Solo or SoloPRO HDD $2,500 / TB $5,000 / TB
SoloPRO SSD or Rugged Portable SSD $5,000 / TB $5,000 / TB
ioSafe Rugged Portable HDD $2,500 / TB $5,000 / TB

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Data Recovery Procedure
If the ioSafe Solo G3 faces possible data loss for any reason, you should immediately call the
ioSafe Disaster Response Team at 1-888-984-6723 (US & Canada) or 1-530-820-3090
(International) extension 430. You can also send an email to [e-mail]. The
professionals at ioSafe can determine the best actions to take to protect your valuable
information. In some cases a self recovery can be performed and provide you with immediate
access to your information. In other cases, ioSafe may request that the ioSafe Solo G3 be
returned to the ioSafe factory for data recovery. In any case, contacting ioSafe is the first step.
The general steps for disaster recovery are:
1. Email [e-mail] with your serial number, product type and date of
purchase.
2. If you can not email, call ioSafe Disaster Support Team at 1-888-984-6723 (US & Canada)
or 1-530-820-3090 (International) extension 430
3. Report disaster event, and obtain return shipping address/instructions
4. Follow ioSafe team instructions on proper packaging.
5. ioSafe will recover all data which is recoverable according to the terms of the Data
Recovery Service Terms and Conditions.
6. ioSafe will then place any recovered data on a replacement ioSafe device
7. ioSafe will ship the replacement ioSafe device back to the original user