LaCie Mobile Drive User manual

LaCie Mobile Drive User’s Guide
LaCie Mobile Drive User’s Guide v.2, 04/17/2003

LaCie Mobile Drive User’s Guide 04/17/2003 v.2
2
Copyrights
Copyright © 2002 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 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other trademarks mentioned in ithis 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 omissions in this document, or from the use of the
information contained herein. LaCie reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product
design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such
revisions and changes.
Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement (FCC)
WARNING: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could 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 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 instructions, 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 harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to correct the interference by one of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antennas.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the reseller or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Shielded cables and I/O cards must be used for this equipment to comply with the relevant FCC
regulations. This device 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.
Canada Compliance Statement
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment
Regulations.
Manufacturer’s Declaration for CE Certification
Dynamic Systems Electronics Corp solemnly declare that this product conforms to the following
European standards:
Class B EN60950, EN55022, EN50082-1, EN60555-2
With reference to the following conditions:
73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive
89/336/EEC EMC Directive

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1. Introduction.................................................................................................4
1.1 Icons Used In This Manual..........................................................................4
1.2 What Is USB 2.0?......................................................................................5
2. Getting To Know Your LaCie Mobile Drive.....................................................6
2.1 Minimum System Requirements...................................................................6
2.2 LaCie Mobile Drive - Views ........................................................................6
2.3 USB Cables and Connectors.......................................................................7
3. Setting Up Your LaCie Mobile Drive ..............................................................8
3.1 Power Supply............................................................................................8
3.2 Installing Your Hard Drive..........................................................................8
3.2.1 PC Users..............................................................................................8
3.2.2 Mac Users ...........................................................................................9
3.3 Installing Multiple USB Peripherals ..............................................................9
3.4 Disconnecting Your LaCie Mobile Drive.......................................................9
4. Formatting and Partitioning Your LaCie Mobile Drive...................................11
4.1 PC Users.................................................................................................11
4.1.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Windows 2000 and Windows XP ......11
4.1.2 Formatting and Partitioning Using Windows 98 SE and Windows Me.....12
4.2 Mac Users ..............................................................................................13
4.2.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x ...................................13
5. Technical Information.................................................................................14
5.1 User Advice When Using USB 2.0............................................................14
5.1.1 Data Transfers....................................................................................15
5.2 FAT 32 vs. NTFS .....................................................................................16
5.3 Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended...................................................17
6. Troubleshooting.........................................................................................18
7. Contacting Customer Service ......................................................................20
7.1 Warranty ...............................................................................................22
8. Appendix 1 – USB Questions and Answers .................................................23
9. Glossary ...................................................................................................25
10. Health and Safety Precautions..................................................................28

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1. Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new LaCie Mobile Drive. This hard drive will
give you a unique combination of compatibility and convenience, as well as generous
storage capacity. LaCie Mobile Drives are ideal for professionals and home users,
and for various applications such as databases, desktop publishing, digital content
creation and digital audio/video. For even greater flexibility, your LaCie external
hard drive is also cross-platform, which enables you to use it on both Macs and PCs.
With all it can do for you, we’re confident that your LaCie Mobile Drive will quickly
become an important tool in your day-to-day business and personal computing.
This manual will help you to:
• Install your new device properly
• Get your drive up and running
• Quickly learn how to operate it
*The LaCie Mobile Drive does not require a power supply for computers equipped with a standard
bus-powered USB port. Some USB hubs or boards are not powered; please contact your reseller or
LaCie Technical Support for more information.
1.1 Icons Used in This Manual
Italicized paragraphs feature an icon describing the type of information being given.
Important Note Technical Information or News
Warning! (This icon indicates potential hazard).
Precautions
Always follow the basic precautions to use your LaCie Mobile Drive safely and correctly. Respecting
these guidelines will help to avoid the possibility of personal injury to yourself or others, as well as to
prevent damage to your device and other computer equipment. For a complete list of precautions,
please see 10. Health and Safety Precautions of this manual.
Warranty
LaCie accepts no liability for any loss of data during the use of this device, or for any of the problems
caused as a result. Under no circumstances does LaCie guarantee the reliability of the hard drive.
Manual Updates
LaCie is constantly striving to give you the most up-to-date, comprehensive User’s Manuals available
on the market. It is our goal to provide you with a friendly, easy-to-use format that will help you
quickly install and utilize the many functions of your new device.
If your manual does not reflect the configurations of the product that you purchased, please check our
Web site for the most current version available. You can access our manuals at:
www.lacie.com/support/manuals

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1.2 What is USB 2.0?
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 1.1 icon
USB 2.0
The new USB 2.0 standard provides
higher bandwidth for high-speed
peripherals such as external hard
drives, high-speed scanners and CD-
RW drives. USB 2.0 delivers transfer
rates up to 480Mb/s, while
conveniently maintaining backward
compatibility with USB 1.1 devices.
USB 2.0 can still be used to connect
lower-speed USB 1.1 ports and
devices like digital cameras,
scanners, modems, keyboards, mice,
joysticks and printers. In the USB 2.0
system, existing USB peripherals do
not have to be upgraded, and lower-
speed devices will not require
additional performance, instead
operating as USB 1.1 devices. USB 2.0 icon

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2. Getting To Know Your LaCie Mobile Drive
What Can Your LaCie Mobile Drive Do?
•Store and exchange data between several computers.
•Back up your computer’s internal hard drive.
•Store files created by your various applications.
2.1 Minimum System Requirements
Hardware
Requirements: • Mac or PC with USB 2.0 or 1.1 interface
System
Requirements: • Mac OS 9.x (Apple USB support 1.3.5 and greater) and 10.x
• Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me and
Windows XP
• Intel Pentium 233MHz-compatible processor or greater;
minimum 32MB RAM
2.2 LaCie Mobile Drive – Views
- Back View
1 - Power indicator This light shows you that the drive is powered on and
when the disk is being accessed for read-write operations.
2 - USB connector This is where you plug in the Type B (square) end of the
USB 2.0 cable furnished with your drive.
3 – PS-2 power adapter
port This is where you can plug in the optional PS-2 power supply cable adapter, if your USB bus does not supply the
necessary power and your PC is equipped with a PS-2
port. See section 3.1 Power Supply for more information.

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- Bottom View 1 – 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.
2.3 USB Cables and Connectors
Your LaCie drive is shipped with a
USB 2.0-certified USB cable, to ensure
maximum data transfer performance
when connected to a USB 2.0 port.
The cable will also work when
connected to a USB 1.1 port, but drive
performance will be limited to USB
1.1 transfer rates.

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3. Setting Up Your LaCie Mobile Drive
3.1 Power Supply
The LaCie Mobile Drive was designed to derive its power from the USB 2.0 bus. To
power on your Mobile Drive, connect the USB 2.0 cable from the back of the Mobile
Drive to an available USB 2.0 port on your computer.
Technical Information:
Windows Users: In the event that the
USB bus on your computer does not
provide the necessary power to operate
your drive, there is a PS-2 power supply
adapter cable that is included with your
drive that will derive the necessary power
to operate the drive. The power supply
adapter cable connects to either of the
ports used to connect a keyboard or
mouse to your computer.
3.2 Installing Your Hard Drive
3.2.1 PC Users
Windows 2000 and XP
You will not need to install any drivers or additional software. Simply connect the
USB cable from your LaCie Mobile Drive to an available USB port on your computer,
and Windows XP or Windows 2000 will automatically assign it a drive letter and the
drive will be available in My Computer. You can use the formatting and partitioning
capabilities of the Disk Management Utility to configure your hard drive if you wish.
Please refer to section 4.1.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Windows 2000 and
Windows XP for more information.
Windows 98 SE and Windows Me
To use your new LaCie Mobile Drive, first install the necessary driver software. The
drivers are located on the same CD-ROM as the manual. Click on the driver installer
icon and follow the prompts to install the drivers.
Once the drivers are installed, follow these steps to use your drive:
1) Connect the USB cable from your LaCie Mobile Drive to an available USB port on
your computer.
2) On the Windows desktop, open My Computer. Windows will have assigned a
drive letter and icon for your drive.
3) Once your drive appears in My Computer or Windows Explorer, you can then
use it in the same way that you use your computer’s internal hard drive.

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3.2.2 Mac Users
The Mobile Drive is shipped formatted for the PC and will operate on the Mac in this
format. If you do not plan on moving the drive from Mac to PC, you may choose to
erase the drive for the Macintosh file system.
Mac OS 10.x
Install the appropriate driver for your version of OS X. The drivers are located on the
same CD-ROM as the manual. Once the drivers are installed connect the USB cable
from your hard drive to an available USB port on your computer, and the hard drive
will automatically mount to your desktop. You can then use the formatting and
partitioning capabilities in the Apple Disk Utility to configure your hard drive. Please
refer to section 4.2.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x for more
information.
Mac OS 9.x
To use your new LaCie Mobile Drive, first install the necessary driver software. The
drivers are located on the same CD-ROM as the manual. Click on the driver installer
icon and follow the prompts to install the drivers.
Once the drivers are installed, follow these steps to use your drive:
1) Connect the USB cable from your LaCie Mobile Drive to an available USB port on
your computer.
2) The drive should then automatically mount onto the desktop. An icon with the
name “LaCie Mobile Drive” (or similar) should be visible.
3) Once the drive is visible on the desktop, you can use it in the same way you use
your computer’s internal hard drive.
3.3 Installing Multiple USB Peripherals
Technically, you can connect up to 127 individual USB peripherals at one time.
However, you probably will not use more than 6 to 8 peripherals on your USB
system. Most computers only have two USB ports, so you would need a hub to
connect more than two peripheral drives. The hub regenerates the signals, generally
providing between 4 to 7 connections. To add even more drives, connect a new hub
to a connector of the original hub, creating a new series of peripherals, etc. But the
hub slows down the transfer rate by lengthening the path of the signal. To optimize
performance, connect your drive directly to one of the built-in ports in your computer.
3.4 Disconnecting Your LaCie Mobile Drive
USB external devices feature “plug & play” connection. This means that your drive
can be connected and disconnected while the computer is running. To prevent
failures, it is important you follow these steps when disconnecting your USB device.
3.4.1 Mac Users
You must unmount the drive before disconnecting it or powering it down. Drag the
Hard Drive icon to the trash. The drive can now be disconnected.

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3.4.2 PC Users
Important Note: Windows 98 SE Users: If you have installed the
Windows Storage Supplement Update, you will have to unmount the drive
before disconnecting it or powering it down. If you have not installed the
update, simply disconnect the drive when it is not active. Unmounting is not
required.
1) From the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand side of your screen), click
on the Eject icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image).
2) A message will appear, detailing the devices that the Eject icon controls, i.e.
“Safely remove…” Click on this prompt.
3) You will then be given the following message: “Safe to Remove Hardware” (or
similar). It is now safe to disconnect the device.

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4. Formatting and Partitioning Your LaCie Mobile Drive
Once you have set-up your LaCie Mobile Drive, you can reformat or partition it to suit your
needs.
Important Note:The LaCie Mobile Drive is pre-formatted for the PC in FAT 32.
If you plan on sharing the hard drive between a Mac and a PC, you will need to
leave the drive formatted for a PC. This will allow the drive to be mounted on either
platform and data shared between the two.
4.1 PC Users
•Windows 98 SE and Me – There are two options: Install and use LaCie Silverlining 98
(which is available at the LaCie Web site: www.lacie.com) or other disc utility software
program; or use the native disc utilities program provided by Windows.
•Windows 2000 and XP – Use the Disk Management Utility, which is native to the
operating system.
4.1.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Windows 2000 and Windows XP
The process of formatting and partitioning a drive on a computer running Windows 2000 or
Windows XP consists of two steps: (1) installing a signature on the drive, and (2)
partitioning/formatting the drive. These steps will erase anything that is on the disk.
1) Connect the drive to the computer via the USB or FireWire port.
2) Right-click My Computer and click Manage.
3) From the Computer Management window, select Disk Management (located below the
Storage group).
4) If this is the first time the drive is being formatted, Windows 2000 will launch the Write
Signature Wizard (Write Initialize Wizard in Windows XP). Click Next.
5) Windows will list the new drive(s) attached. If you are formatting a single drive, only one
drive should be visible. Select the checkbox next to the drive and click Next.
6) Click Finish to exit the Wizard.
7) Now, with the disk management window open, a new drive will be visible. Right-click on
the available space and select Create Partition...
8) This will bring up the Create Partition Wizard. Click Next.
9) Select Primary Partition. Click Next.
10). Here you must specify partition size. It is recommended that you leave the partition set to
the maximum available size, unless you want multiple partitions on the same drive. Click
Next.
11) Select Assign drive letter and select the desired letter for the drive. Click Next.
12) Select Format this partition… and then select a file system:

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FAT32
FAT32 is a file system that is compatible with Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows
2000 and Windows XP; however, it has limitations. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP,
you will not be able to create a partition greater than 32GB.
NTFS
NTFS is a newer file system that is compatible only with Windows NT, Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. It has fewer limitations than FAT 32 and will enable a partition to be created
that is larger than 32GB.
Important Note:Please refer to Chapter 5. Technical Information, section 5.2
FAT 32 vs. NTFS, for a more detailed discussion on the differences between the two
systems.
13) Click Next.
14) Click Finish.
15) Disk Management will create the partition and begin formatting the drive. Once
completed, close Disk Management and your new drive will be ready for use.
4.1.2 Formatting and Partitioning Using Windows 98 SE and Windows Me
If you wish to utilize the native disc utilities programs on Windows 98 SE or Windows Me,
the drive needs to be assigned a letter, and then formatted. Be sure to start this process with
the drive disconnected.
1) Right-click My Computer. Select Properties.
2) Click the Device Manager tab.
3) Ensure that View devices by type is selected. Expand the menu next to Disk Drives by
clicking the +sign, and current hard drives connected to the computer will be listed. Next,
connect the hard drive and click Refresh. A new drive should be listed. Double-click on the
new drive.
4) Click the Settings tab.
5) If selected, deselect the Int 13 unit option, and select Removable. With the removable box
checked, you will be able to assign the drive a new letter below (be sure you select a letter
that is not already in use by another drive).
6) Click OK.
7) In most cases, Windows 98 SE and Windows Me will warn you that you have made
changes to the hardware settings, and will ask if you want to shut down your computer. Click
Yes.
8) Power the computer back on.
9) After Windows reboots, open up My Computer.
10) Right-click on the new drive (with the letter it was assigned), and select Format. Proceed
to format the drive (time will vary depending on the drive size).

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4.2 Mac Users
•Mac OS 9.x – To erase the drive, highlight the drive icon on the desktop and go to
Erase Disk under the Special menu. You may erase in the Mac OS Extended or Mac OS
Standard File System.
Important Note:Please refer to Chapter 5. Technical Information, section 5.3
Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended, for a more detailed discussion on the
differences between the two systems.
•Mac OS 10.x – Use the Apple Disk Utility application, which is native to the operating
system.
4.2.1 Formatting and Partitioning Using Mac OS 10.x
Warning! Following these steps will erase anything that is on the hard drive.
Therefore, if you have information that you want to protect or continue to use,
backup this information before performing these steps.
1) Connect the drive to the computer via the USB port.
2) Once the drive mounts onto the desktop, go to the Menu Bar, and open Go.
3) From the Go menu, click on Applications.
4) In the Applications menu, open the Utilities folder, and then double-click Disc Utility from
the Utilities folder.
5) The Disc Utility window will open. In the left side of the window will be a list of the
available hard disk drives. You should see a volume that represents your internal hard drive,
and one that reads LaCie.
6) Select the LaCie drive, and then click on the Partition tab.
7) From the Volume Scheme: button, choose the number of partitions you want to divide the
drive into by clicking on the pull down menu starting with Current (Mac OS 10.x gives you
the option of dividing the drive into at most 8 partitions). You can customize the size of the
partitions by using the slide bar between the partitions in the Volume Scheme: area.
8) In the Volume Information section, create a name for each partition, choose the volume
format (Mac OS Extended, Mac OS Standard or UNIX File System) and the volume size.
Important Note:Please refer to Chapter 5. Technical Information, section 5.3
Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended, for a more detailed discussion on the
differences between the two systems.
Important Note:Apple recommends that unless you have a specific reason to
use the UNIX File System (UFS), you should use the Mac OS Extended format since
it provides a more familiar experience to Macintosh users.
9) In the Options section, click the Install Mac OS 9 Disk Drivers box if you plan on sharing
the drive between the Mac OS 9.x and Mac OS 10.x.
10) Once you have finalized the volume format, number of partitions, size and options, click
OK. The following message will appear: “Warning! Saving the new volume will erase all
existing volumes. This can NOT be undone. Are you sure you want to do that?” Click
Partition to continue.

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11) Mac OS 10.x will automatically setup the disk with the partitions and volume format you
selected, and your new drive will be available for use.

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5. Technical Information
The following technical information relates to your LaCie Mobile Drive and gives
some practical advice:
Power Save
The LaCie Mobile Drive 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.
5.1 User Advice When Using USB 2.0
Technical Information: USB 2.0 Host Bus Adapters and
Performance At the time of publication (December 2002), Mac OS does not
support USB 2.0 functionality, and the USB 2.0 interface is not a standard
feature implemented on the motherboards of all PC-compatible computers.
Future versions of Windows will include USB 2.0 drivers to automatically
manage USB 2.0 devices. For the most up-to-date information on USB 2.0
driver availability, we advise you to check the Microsoft and Apple Web
sites regularly.
To utilize the newly enhanced USB 2.0 performances, your computer must
be equipped with a USB 2.0 host bus adapter card (sold separately, or
integrated by your PC manufacturer) and the appropriate drivers. These host
bus adapter cards, which include one or more USB ports, are shipped with
special USB 2.0 drivers that enable the computer to control the card. These
drivers must be installed in order for USB 2.0 devices connected to the port
to work at their correct speeds. For installation instructions, please refer to
the documentation that comes with the host adapter card.
LaCie supplies only the appropriate USB 2.0 drivers for its peripherals and
does not provide drivers for third-party host adapter cards. To obtain the
right drivers for your host adapter card, visit your card manufacturer’s
Internet site.

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5.1.1 Data Transfers
During data transfers, it’s best to wait before launching other applications on the
same USB port. Anomalies may arise with computers that have USB controllers that
do not conform to OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface) standards. Your product
has been tested and checked on computers with Intel or Apple USB platforms. In any
other configurations, we cannot ensure 100% correct operation. Due to this, you may
encounter hanging problems. If this happens, proceed as follows:
1) Make sure that the USB cable is connected tightly and securely on both ends of the
cable, from the drive to the computer. If you are using a USB cable other than the one
supplied with your LaCie Mobile Drive, check that your USB cable is properly
certified. The cable that is provided with your LaCie Mobile Drive is USB certified.
2) Check that the power supply and ground are seated properly.
3) Disconnect your computer’s USB cable. Wait 30 seconds and reconnect it.
4) Check the Windows 98 SE version installed on your computer. Supported versions
of Windows 98 SE are 4.10.2222A and above. To check the version number, you
need to execute the program Systems.
5) To proceed, launch the following command from the Windows Task Bar: Start >
Settings > Control Panel > System.
If your USB drive is still not recognized or if you encounter any difficulties, check the
type of USB controller available in your computer. You can access it from the Task
Bar of Windows. Proceed as follows:
1) Double click on Start:
a- Double click on Settings
b- Double click on Control Panel
c- Double click on System
2) Go to Peripheral manager and double click on USB bus controller.
3) The USB controller type appears on the second line, e.g.: Intel 82371 SB PCI to
USB universal Host controller.
4) Double click on this line and note the information which follows in order to
communicate it to your dealer’s technical support:
• Peripheral type
• Manufacturer
• Equipment version
• Peripheral state

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5.2 FAT 32 vs. NTFS
There are basically two file system formats: FAT 32 and NTFS. Performance is very
similar between the two systems, and the following information will hopefully make
choosing one or the other a little easier.
FAT 32
FAT is an acronym for File Allocation Table, which dates back to the beginnings of
DOS programming. Originally, FAT was only 16 bits, but after the second release of
Windows 95 it was upgraded to 32 bits, hence the name FAT 32. In theory, FAT 32
volume sizes can range from less than 1MB all the way to 2TB. It is the native file
system of Windows 98 and Windows Me, and is supported by Windows 2000 and
XP. When FAT 32 is used with Windows 2000 and XP, though, volume size is limited
to 32GB (by the Windows partition utility, i.e. Disk Manager), and the individual file
size is limited to 4GB.
NTFS
This acronym stands for New Technology Filing System, and it is the native file system
for Windows NT, Windows 2000 and XP. NTFS offers several features that are not
available with FAT 32; i.e. file compression, encryption, permissions, and auditing,
as well as the ability to mirror drives and RAID 5 configurations. The minimum
supported volume size for NTFS is 10MB, with a maximum of 2TB, with no limit to file
size. Volumes created in NTFS can only be directly accessed (not through shares) by
Windows NT, Windows 2000 and XP, without resorting to help from third-party
products.
Guidelines for Choosing FAT 32 or NTFS
Use FAT 32 if:
•You will be dual booting with an Operating System other than Windows NT or
Windows 2000.
•You want to access the stored volumes on any Operating System other than
Windows NT, Windows 2000 or XP.
•You may need the ability to dual boot down the line. Once you have converted a
volume from NTFS to FAT 32, there is no going back. You can convert from FAT
32 to NTFS, but not the other way around.
Use NTFS if:
•You want to encrypt files, assign permissions to files, or want to audit files for
access.
•You will be formatting partitions larger than 32GB.
•You need to store individual files that are larger than 4GB.
•You need a filing system that can be mirrored or structured like a RAID 5
configuration.

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5.3 Mac OS Standard vs. Mac OS Extended
There are basically two file systems for the Mac OS: Mac OS Standard (HFS) and
Mac OS Extended (HFS+).
Mac OS Standard
Mac OS Standard refers to the file system used by Mac OS 8.0 and earlier. This was
the original Hierarchical File System employed by Apple, and was used before
computers really began to see dramatic increases in hard disk drive sizes. In HFS, the
disk is divided into a maximum of 65,536 equal-sized blocks, with these blocks being
the destination point of data stored by the Mac.
Initially, these spaces were small, due to the lack of size in hard drives (i.e. hard
drives smaller than 1GB), but as hard drive space increased, the file system became
inefficient. With HFS, even the smallest file on any disk has to occupy at least one
block. For example, if you had a 4GB hard drive and divided it by 65,536, that
would equal roughly 64K, and that would be the smallest block size under HFS. So, if
you had a file that was only 4K, it would still have to occupy 64K.
Mac OS Extended
Mac OS Extended refers to the file system used by Mac OS 8.1 and later. HFS+
represents an optimization of the older HFS file system by using hard disk space more
efficiently. As hard disk capacity increased over the years, Apple realized that they
needed to improve the space-saving capabilities of their file system. Building off of
HFS, they increased the number of blocks from 65,536 to 4.29 billion. With HFS+,
you are no longer limited by block size. Now, for example, if you have a 4K file, it
will only take up 4K of space.
Guidelines for Choosing Mac OS Standard or Mac OS Extended
This is actually a fairly easy decision. You should only use Mac OS Standard if you
are creating a volume smaller than 32MB, you are using a Mac with a 680X0
processor or you are creating a file structure that will need to be used by Macs using
Mac OS 8.0 or earlier. Otherwise, you should select Mac OS Extended.

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6. Troubleshooting
In the event that your LaCie Mobile Drive is not working correctly, please refer to the
following checklist to find out where the problem is coming from. If you have gone
through all of the points on the checklist and your drive is still not working correctly,
please have a look at the FAQs that are regularly published on our Web site –
www.lacie.com. One of these FAQs may provide an answer to your specific
question. You can also visit the drivers pages, where the most recent software updates
will be available.
If you need further assistance, please contact LaCie Technical Support (see section 7.
Contacting Customer Service for details).
The Problem Questions to Ask Possible Solutions
Is the drive formatted? Make sure the drive has been formatted.
Is the file system supported by
your Operating System? Check the documentation for your Operating System.
Does an icon for the drive
appear on the computer? Check for an icon on the Desktop (on a Mac) or in My Computer (on a PC).
Are both ends of the USB cable
connected and properly seated? Check both ends of the USB cable. Disconnect them, wait 10 seconds, and
reconnect them. If the drive is still not
recognized, restart your computer and try
again.
Has the correct drive installation
procedure been followed? Review the installation procedure described in Chapter 3. Setting Up Your LaCie Mobile
Drive.
The drive is not
recognized.
Are the USB drivers installed
correctly and enabled? Windows 98 SE & Me Users: Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Device
Manager > USB Controller > click on the
plus sign next to the controller icon, and you
should see your device listed.
Windows 2000 Users: Go to Start > Settings
> Control Panel > System > Hardware tab >
Device Manager button > USB Controller >
click on the plus sign next to the controller
icon, and you should see your device listed.
Windows XP Users: Go to Start > Control
Panel > Performance and Maintenance >
System > Hardware tab > Device Manager
button > USB Controller > click on the plus
sign next to the controller icon, and you
should see your device listed.
Mac Users: Open Apple System Profiler and
click on the Devices and Volumes tab. If your
device is not listed, recheck the cables and
try the other troubleshooting solutions listed
here.
If you cannot see the device, recheck the
cables and try the other troubleshooting
solutions listed here.

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Is there a conflict with other
device drivers or extensions? Contact LaCie Technical Support.The drive is not recognized.
Does your computer’s
configuration meet the minimum
system requirements for use with
this drive?
Check section 2.1 Minimum System
Requirements.
The drive is working
slowly. Are other USB devices connected to the same port or
hub?
Disconnect any other USB devices and see if
performance improves.
The drive turns on
and off when you
turn your computer
on and off.
This is normal. Your drive has an autoswitching power feature, which means
that if your drive is connected to your computer, turning the computer on will
automatically turn the drive on. Likewise, turning the computer off will
automatically turn the drive off.
Is the drive connected to a USB
1.1 port on your computer or to
a USB 1.1 hub?
If so, it is normal for the drive to run at USB
1.1 speeds. A USB 2.0 device can only run
at USB 2.0 speeds when connected to a USB
2.0 port or hub and controlled by
appropriate USB 2.0 drivers.
Is the drive connected to a USB
2.0 port on your computer? Check to see that the USB 2.0 drivers (drivers for your Host USB 2.0 port and for your USB
2.0 device) have been correctly installed. If
in doubt, uninstall the drivers and reinstall
them.
The USB 2.0 drive is
not running
noticeably faster
than a USB 1.1
drive.
Does your Computer or
Operating System support USB
2.0?
See the “Technical Information on USB 2.0
host bus adapters and performance” in the
Technical Information section.