LaCie 300718 User manual

How To Use This Manual
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
How To Use This Manual
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Table of Contents
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Table of Contents
Foreword 4
Precautions 6
1. Introduction 7
1.1. What Your LaCie Drive Can Do 7
2. Your LaCie Drive 8
2.1. Minimum System Requirements 8
2.2. Package Contents And Views Of The Drive 9
2.2.1. Package Contents 9
2.2.2. Views Of The Drive 10
2.3. Cables And Connectors 12
2.3.1. FireWire 12
2.3.2. USB 13
3. Installing Your LaCie Drive 14
3.1. Connecting The Power Supply 15
3.2. Connecting The Interface Cable 16
3.2.1. Mac Users 16
3.2.2. Windows Users 24
3.3 Connecting Digital Video Cameras To The Drive 33
3.4. Installing Multiple Devices 34
3.5. Disconnecting Your LaCie Drive 35
3.6. Switching Interfaces 36
4. Using Your LaCie Drive 37
4.1. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie Drive 38
4.1.1. Mac Users 38
4.1.2. Windows Users 40
5. Tech Tips 42
5.1. File System Formats 42
5.1.1. Mac Users 42
5.1.2. Windows Users 43

Table of Contents
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
5.2. Available Storage Capacity 44
5.3. Optimizing Data Transfers 44
5.3.1. FireWire 800 Ports And Performance 45
5.3.2. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Ports And Performance 45
5.4. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 vs. FireWire 800 46
6. FireWire Questions & Answers 47
7. USB Questions & Answers 49
8. Troubleshooting 51
8.1. Mac Users 52
8.2. Windows Users 55
9. Contacting Customer Support 59
10. Warranty 61
Glossary 62

Foreword
page 4
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Copyrights
Copyright © 2003 LaCie. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written consent of LaCie.
Trademarks
Apple, Mac, Macintosh and FireWire are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft, Windows 98, Windows
98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Sony and iLink are registered trademarks of Sony Electronics. Other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the property of
their respective owners.
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, LaCie assumes no liability resulting from errors or omis-
sions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. LaCie reserves the right to make changes or revi-
sions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such
revisions and changes.
FCC Statement:
Caution! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. 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 communica-
tions. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
NOTE: 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 provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential instal-
lation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interfer-
ence will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television recep-
tion, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct the interference
by one or more of the following measures:
Tested To Comply
With FCC standards
FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE
LaCie Big Disk

Foreword
page 5
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canada Compliance Statement
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Manufacturer’s Declaration for CE Certification
We, LaCie, solemnly declare that this product conforms to the following European standards:
Class B EN60950, EN55022, EN50082-1, EN61000-3-2
With reference to the following conditions:
73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive
89/336/EEC EMC Directive

Precautions
page 6
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Health And Safety Precautions
Only qualified persons are authorized to carry out maintenance on this device.
• Read this User's Guide carefully, and follow the correct procedure when setting up the device.
• Do not open your hard drive or attempt to disassemble or modify it. Never insert any metallic object into the drive to avoid
any risk of electrical shock, fire, short-circuiting or dangerous emissions. Your hard drive contains no user-serviceable parts. If
it appears to be malfunctioning, have it inspected by a qualified LaCie Technical Support representative.
• Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water, or in damp or wet conditions. Never place objects containing liq-
uids on the drive, as they may spill into its openings. Doing so increases the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire or
personal injury.
General Use Precautions:
• Do not expose the hard drive to temperatures outside the range of 5° C to 45° C (41° F to 104° F). Doing so may damage
the drive or disfigure its casing. Avoid placing your drive near a source of heat or exposing it to sunlight (even through a win-
dow). Inversely, placing your drive in an environment that is too cold or humid may damage the unit.
• Always unplug the hard drive from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended
period of time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting or fire.
• Use only the power supply shipped with the device.
• Do not use the hard drive near other electrical appliances such as televisions, radios or speakers. Doing so may cause inter-
ference which will adversely affect the operation of the other products.
• Do not place the drive near sources of magnetic interference, such as computer displays, televisions or speakers. Magnetic
interference can affect the operation and stability of your hard drive.
• Do not place heavy objects on top of the drive or use excessive force on it.
• Never use excessive force on your drive. If you detect a problem, consult the "Troubleshooting" section in this manual.
• Protect your hard drive from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increas-
ing the risk of damage or malfunction.
• Never use benzene, paint thinners, detergent or other chemical products to clean the outside of the drive. Such products will
disfigure and discolor the casing. Instead, use a soft, dry cloth to wipe the device.
Caution! The drive's warranty may be void as a result of the failure to respect the precautions listed above.

1. Introduction
page 7
LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
1. Introduction
Thank you for the purchase of your new LaCie Big Disk! This triple interface hard drive
system combines compatibility, convenience and a generous storage capacity to help you
manage your data. Your LaCie external hard drive system is cross-platform, which enables
you to use it on both Macs and PCs; it can be connected via FireWire 800, FireWire,
iLink/DV or Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces; and you can customize the format and partitions
of your LaCie drive to match your exact needs.
LaCie’s Hard Drive is ideally suited for a wide range of high-end, high-traffic environments,
including:
• Servers
• Workstations
• Audio/Video Editing
• Database Management
Engineered to fit seamlessly in to any work environment, the LaCie Big Disk can be stood vertically on the LaCie Drive Stand
(included), placed in the LaCie Desk Rack (sold separately) or incorporated into standard 19” computer equipment racks with
the LaCie Rackmount Kit (sold separately).
1.1. What Your LaCie Drive Can Do
• Daisy-chain digital video cameras directly to the drive.
• Connects to all of the FireWire and USB standard interfaces.
• Back up your computers’ internal hard drive.
• Store and exchange data between several computers.

2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
2. Your LaCie Drive
2.1. Minimum System Requirements
FireWire 800
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 800:
• Pentium III or higher compatible processor, with a FireWire
800/IEEE 1394b interface card
• 128MB RAM or higher
System Requirements for FireWire 800:
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP
FireWire/IEEE 1394/iLink
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 400:
• Pentium II or higher -compatible processor, with a
FireWire/IEEE 1394/iLink interface card (SBP-2 compatible)
that supports mass storage devices.
• 64MB RAM or greater
System Requirements for FireWire 400:
• Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and
Windows XP
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Hardware Requirements for USB:
• Pentium II or higher -compatible processor, with a USB 2.0
or 1.1 interface card
• 32MB RAM or greater
System Requirements for USB:
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP
FireWire 800
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 800:
• G4 with a FireWire 800/IEEE 1394b interface card
System Requirements for FireWire 800:
• OS 10.2.4 or higher
FireWire
Hardware Requirements for FireWire 400:
• G3 or greater, with FireWire 400/IEEE 1394a interface
card
System Requirements for FireWire 400:
• OS 9.x (Apple FireWire support 2.3.3 and greater) and
10.x
Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Hardware Requirements for USB:
• G3 or greater, with USB 2.0 or 1.1 interface card
System Requirements for USB:
• OS 9.x and 10.x (Apple USB support 1.3.5 and greater)
Windows Users
Mac Users

2.2. Package Contents and Views of the Drive
2.2.1. Package Contents
LaCie Big Disk and Drive Stand kit
External power supply
FireWire 800 9-to-9-pin cable
FireWire 400 6-to-6-pin cable
iLink/DV 6-to-4-pin cable
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable
LaCie Storage Utilities CD-ROM
Important Info: Please keep your box. In the event that the drive should need to be repaired or serviced, it must
be returned in its original packaging.
2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
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2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
2.2.2. Views of the Drive
2.2.2.1. Front View
1
1On/Off Button / Power LED /Activity LED
Push the button to power the drive on. The LED remains lit to show that the drive is on, and blinks to indicate
drive activity.

2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
2.2.2.2. Back View
FireWire 400 Port - This is where you plug in the FireWire 400 or iLink/DV cables furnished with the drive. See
section 3.2. Connecting the Interface Cable for more information.
FireWire 800 Ports - This is where you plug in the FireWire 800 cable furnished with the drive. See section
3.2. Connecting the Interface Cable for more information.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Port - This is where you plug in the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable furnished with the drive. See section
3.2. Connecting the Interface Cable for more information.
Power Supply Connector - This is where you plug in the AC adapter supplied with the drive. See section
3.1. Connecting The Power Supply for more information.
Serial Number Sticker - This is where you will find your LaCie drive's serial number. Write down the serial number
and keep it in a safe place, because you will need to provide the number in the event you have to call LaCie Technical
Support for any reason in regards to the drive’s performance. The serial number would also come in handy if your
drive is lost or stolen.
Ventilation Outlet - These holes help to keep your drive cool during operation. Be sure not to block these openings
when using your drive.
Lock Slot - This slot is used to connect an anti-theft system, such as the LaCie Security Lock, for maximum protection.
Refer to your anti-theft system documentation for details on how to connect the lock.
Rackmount Grooves - These grooves are used for attaching your drive to the Drive Stand, mounting in the Desk Rack
kit (sold separately) or placing your drive in standard 19” computer equipment racks using the LaCie Rackmount Kit
(sold separately).
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2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
2.3. Cables and Connectors
2.3.1. FireWire
FireWire 400, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-speed serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to
a computer or to each other, and FireWire 800 is the implementation of the new IEEE 1394b standard.
Pushing the speed barrier to new limits, FireWire 800 offers increased bandwidth and extended cabling distance between
devices. FireWire 800 is ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications, such as audio, video and graphics. Benefits of FireWire
800 include:
• Resourceful architecture: FireWire 800 reduces delays in arbitration and signal distortion, and increases throughput.
• Backwards compatibility: adapter cables allow FireWire 400 devices to operate under the FireWire 800 port.
FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 also share the following features:
• Hot-pluggable: devices can be added and removed while the bus is active.
• Isochronous data delivery: no dropped frames – FireWire supports real-time data delivery.
• Flexible: up to 63 devices can be connected on a single bus.
Please see FireWire Questions And Answers for a more detailed discussion of FireWire’s uses and capabilities.
FireWire Icons
Theses icons will help you easily identify the FireWire interface. They appear on FireWire cables, and next to the FireWire
port connectors on certain computers.
FireWire Cables
There are two categories of FireWire cables on the market: FireWire 800 cables, which feature the 9-to-9-pin, 9-to-6-pin,
and 9-to-4-pin cables; and the original FireWire cables which feature the 6-to-6-pin and 6-to-4-pin cables.
DV icon
FireWire icon iLink icon
9-to-9-pin cable: Connects FireWire 800 devices to FireWire 800 ports.
6-to-6-pin cable: Connects FireWire 400 devices to FireWire 400 ports.
6-to-4-pin cable: Connects FireWire 400 devices to iLink/DV ports.

2. Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
2.3.2. USB
USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer or to each other. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 is
the latest implementation of this standard, and it provides the necessary bandwidth and data transfer rates to support high-
speed devices such as hard drives, CD/DVD drives and digital cameras.
Benefits of the USB standard include:
• Backwards compatibility: Hi-Speed USB 2.0 works with the original USB specifications.
• Hot-swappable: no need to shut down or restart your computer when adding or removing devices.
Please see USB Questions And Answers for a more detailed discussion of USB’s uses and capabilities.
USB Icons
These icons will help you easily identify the USB interfaces. They appear on USB cables and next to the USB port connectors
on certain computers.
USB Cables
Your LaCie drive is shipped with a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 cable, to ensure maximum data transfer performance when connected
to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The cable will also work when connected to a USB port, but drive performance will be limited to
USB 1.1 transfer rates.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 2.0 cable: Connects USB devices to USB ports.
USB 1.1 icon USB 2.0 icon

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
Getting your LaCie drive installed and connected is very simple; essentially there are two steps: 1)
connect the power supply to the drive and to an outlet, and 2) connecting an interface cable to the drive
and to your computer.
Thanks to its support of three different interfaces and its support of both the Mac and Windows
operating system, the LaCie Big Disk gives you several different connectivity options. These steps are
divided into sections by operating system (Mac or Windows) and the type of interface cable (FireWire
800, FireWire 400, iLink and Hi-Speed USB 2.0).
This chapter also has helpful information about connecting digital video cameras to the LaCie drive,
connecting multiple devices and special steps that need to be followed when disconnecting the drive or
switching between the different interfaces.
To get started, go to section 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply.

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
3.1. Connecting the Power Supply
There are two cables that are
supplied with the power supply: one
cable (A) connects to the LaCie
drive; and the other cable (B)
connects to a power outlet, such as a
wall outlet or a surge protector.
Connect Cable A to your LaCie Drive.
Connect Cable B to the Power Supply brick.
Connect Cable B to a surge protector or wall outlet.
You are now ready to connect the interface cable to your drive and to your computer.
Caution!
•Only use the AC adapter supplied with your specific LaCie drive. Do not use a power supply from another
LaCie drive or another manufacturer. Using any other power cable or power supply may cause damage to the
device and void your warranty.
•Always remove the AC adapter before transporting your LaCie drive. Failure to remove the adapter may result
in damage to your drive and will void your warranty.
Tech Note:
• Your LaCie Big Disk comes with an autoswitching power supply. This means that if the drive is connected to a
FireWire connector on your computer, when you turn on the computer, the LaCie drive will turn on automatically.
Likewise, when you turn off your computer, your LaCie drive will turn off automatically. To turn the drive off,
simply push the blue On/Off button on the front of the drive. Do not turn the drive off, though, when it is reading
or writing information!
• The LaCie Big Disk also manages power consumption. If the system’s power save feature supports it, the drive
will spin down during the power save mode. After the system comes of out of power save, the drive will take a
few seconds to spin up to full power before it can be accessed.
• You may use your LaCie drive when in a foreign country, thanks to its autoswitching 100-240 Volt power
supply. To be able to use this feature, you may need to purchase an appropriate adapter or cord. Consult LaCie
Technical Support for assistance in choosing the right adapter. LaCie accepts no responsibility for any damage to
the drive resulting from the use of an inappropriate adapter. Using an adapter other than one authorized by
LaCie will void your warranty.
A
B
Power Supply brick
Step 2)
1
2
3

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
3.2. Connecting the Interface Cable
There are three interface connectivity options when connecting your LaCie Big Disk to your computer: FireWire 800, FireWire
400 and Hi-Speed USB 2.0. The installation steps below follow the connectivity options for each of the specific interfaces,
depending on your operating system.
Important Info: Windows Users! Move to section 3.2.2. Windows Users to view installation steps for the
Windows OS.
3.2.1. Mac Users
These installation steps are separated by interface and Mac OS. To view the installation steps of the interface you plan on
using, click on the appropriate operating system and interface:
Mac OS 10.x – FireWire 800
Mac OS 10.x – FireWire 400
Mac OS 9.x – FireWire 400
Mac OS 10.x – Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Mac OS 9.x – USB
Important Info: You can not have the FireWire and USB interfaces connected at the same time! If you will be
switching between interfaces, you must also follow the steps in section 3.6. Switching Interfaces.
Tech Note: To daisy-chain devices, you must be using the same interface, either FireWire or USB, and a hub if
you are using USB. Your computer will not recognize the daisy-chained device if the interfaces are mixed, i.e. a
FireWire device attached to a drive that is connected to the computer via the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface.
Daisy-chain configurations:
• FireWire 400 device connected directly to the LaCie Big Disk, which is connected to the computer via the
FireWire 800 port.
• iLink/DV device connected directly to the LaCie Big Disk, which is connected to the computer via the FireWire
800 port.
• FireWire 800 device connected directly to the LaCie Big Disk, which is connected to the computer via the
FireWire 800 port.
Tech Note: If you will be using your LaCie drive in a cross-platform (Mac/Windows) environment, it is
recommended that you re-format the drive to the MS-DOS (also known as FAT 32) File System format. Please see
section 5.1. File System Formats for more information.

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Mac OS 10.x – FireWire 800
Connect the 9-pin end of the FireWire 800 cable into the
FireWire 800 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.
Connect the other end of the
9-pin FireWire 800 cable into
an available FireWire 800
port on your computer.
1
2
3
4
Computer models vary. Please consult your computer’s User’s Manual for the exact location of your interface.
Tech Note: For more information about
FireWire, please see sections:
• 2.3.1. FireWire
• 5.3. Optimizing Data Transfers
• 6. FireWire Questions & Answers.
Your drive should appear on your desktop. It
may take a few seconds for your computer to
recognize the drive and for it to appear on the
dektop.
After following the steps in 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply, power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button
on the front of the drive.
Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in the
Apple Disk Utility to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to 4.1. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie
Drive – 4.1.1. Mac Users for more information.
Mac OS Drive Icons

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Mac OS 10.x – FireWire 400
Connect the 6-pin end of the FireWire 400 cable into the
FireWire 400 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.
Connect the other end of the
6-pin FireWire 400 cable
into an available FireWire
400 port on your computer.
1
2
3
4
Computer models vary. Please consult your computer’s User’s Manual for the exact location of your interface.
Tech Note: For more information about
FireWire, please see sections:
• 2.3.1. FireWire
• 5.3. Optimizing Data Transfers
• 6. FireWire Questions & Answers.
After following the steps in 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply, power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button
on the front of the drive.
Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in the
Apple Disk Utility to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to 4.1. Formatting And Partitioning Your LaCie
Drive – 4.1.1. Mac Users for more information.
Your drive should appear on your desktop. It
may take a few seconds for your computer to
recognize the drive and for it to appear on the
dektop.
Mac OS Drive Icons

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Mac OS 9.x – FireWire 400
To use your new LaCie Big Disk, first install the necessary driver software.
Silverlining Pro Installation
1) Insert the LaCie Storage Utilities CD in your computer’s internal CD/DVD drive.
2) Open the CD icon and double-click on the Silverlining Installer.
3) The Silverlining Utilities screen appears. Click on Continue.
4) The About to Install screen appears. Read the following information and click
on Continue.
5) The License Agreement screen appears. Click on Agree.
6) The Installation screen appears.
7) Check the Silverlining Pro and FireWire Support boxes.
8) Click on Install.
9) A message appears to confirm that the installation was successful.
10) Click on Restart to use your FireWire peripheral immediately.
Now you are ready to move to the next step, Connecting the Drive to the
Computer.

3. Installing Your LaCie Drive
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LaCie Big Disk
User’s Manual
Mac OS 9.x – FireWire 400
Connecting the Drive to the Computer
Connect the 6-pin end of the FireWire 400 cable into the
FireWire 400 port on the back of the LaCie Big Disk.
Connect the other end of the 6-
pin FireWire 400 cable into an
available FireWire 400 port
on your computer.
1
2
3
4
Computer models vary. Please consult your computer’s User’s Manual for the exact location of your interface.
Tech Note: For more information about
FireWire, please see sections:
• 2.3.1. FireWire
• 5.3. Optimizing Data Transfers
• 6. FireWire Questions & Answers.
Your drive should appear on your desktop. It
may take a few seconds for your computer to
recognize the drive and for it to appear on the
dektop.
After following the steps in 3.1. Connecting The Power Supply, power on the drive by pressing the On/Off button on
the front of the drive.
Your LaCie Big Disk will now be ready for use. You can then use the formatting and partitioning capabilities in
Silverlining Pro to configure your hard drive system. Please refer to the Silverlining Pro documentation on the LaCie
Storage Utilities CD-ROM for more information.
Mac OS Drive Icons