OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C Guide

Assembly Manual & User Guide
Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C
Dual Bay
RAID Array
USB 3.2 10Gb/s Mac & WindowsUSB-C

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Contents
Introduction
1.1 Minimum System Requirements.............................................. 1
-Mac Requirements
-PC Requirements
1.2 Package Contents..................................................................... 1
1.3 About This Manual.................................................................... 1
1.4 Dock Ejector .............................................................................. 3
1.5 Front View.................................................................................. 3
1.6 Rear View................................................................................... 3
1.7 Usage Notes.............................................................................. 4
Device Setup
2.1 Quick Start Guide ...................................................................... 5
2.2 Assembly Steps ........................................................................ 5
2.3 RAID Settings ............................................................................ 7
Support Resources
3.1 Formatting ................................................................................. 9
3.2 Troubleshooting ........................................................................ 9
3.3 About Data Backup ................................................................... 9
3.4 Contacting Technical Support.................................................. 9
CONTENTS

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Introduction
1
1.1 System Requirements
Operating System
-Mac: macOS 10.13 or later
-PC: Windows 10 or later
Hardware
-Mac or PC with a USB 3.2 10Gb/s port
-Type-C and Type-A host connections supported
-Thunderbolt 3 or later hosts supported
-USB 2.0 hosts supported (slower speeds)
Supported Drives
-Any 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA drive
1.2 Package Contents
1.3 About This Manual
The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions
and features may change depending on the rmware version. The latest product details and warranty
information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and
subject to limitations.
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C Quick Start Guide
USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s
(Type-C to Type-C) cable
Power supply
and cable
INTRODUCTION
USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s
(Type-C to Type-A) cable

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Introduction
2
-To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the following ranges:
Environmental (Operating)
-Temperature (ºF): 41º — 95º
-Temperature (ºC): 5º — 35º
Environmental (Non-Operating)
-Temperature (ºF): -4º — 140º
-Temperature (ºC): -20º — 60º
-Always unplug the device 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 re.
-Do not use the device near other electrical appliances such as televisions, radios or speakers. Doing
so may cause interference which will adversely affect the operation of the other products.
-Do not place the device near sources of magnetic interference, such as computer displays, televisions
or speakers. Magnetic interference can affect the operation and stability of hard drives.
-Do not place objects on top of the device.
-Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside
the device, increasing the risk of damage or malfunction.
-Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation.
Blocking the ventilation openings may cause damage to the device and cause an increased risk of short-
circuiting or re.
-Read this user guide carefully and follow the recommended steps for assembly.
-Use proper anti-static precautions while installing your hard drives into this drive enclosure. Failure
to do so can cause damage to your drive mechanisms and/or the enclosure.
-Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the device. To avoid any risk of electrical shock, re, short-
circuiting or dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device. If it appears
to be malfunctioning, please contact technical support.
-Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water or in damp or wet conditions. Never place objects
containing liquids on the drive, as they may spill into its openings. Doing so increases the risk of electrical
shock, short-circuiting, re or personal injury.
General Use Precautions
Safety Precautions

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Introduction
3
1.5 Front View
1. Drive A LED – will blink red for disk errors or missing disks, will blink green during
normal activity.
2. Power LED – solid white when connected to power and solid blue when
connected to both power and an active host.
3. Drive B LED – will blink red for disk errors or missing disks, will blink green during
normal activity.
1.6 Rear View
1. RAID selector dial – See Section 2.3 for details.
2. Set RAID button - See Section 2.3 for details.
3. USB 3.2 10Gbps USB-C host port – connect a compatible host computer here.
4. USB 3.2 10Gbps USB-C hub port – connect a compatible USB device here.
Up to 3A bus power provided.
5. (2) USB 3.2 10Gbps USB Type-A hub ports – connect a compatible USB device
here. Up to 900mA bus power per port.
6. DC IN – connect the included power supply here.
7. Security slot – connect a security tether here.
1.4 OWC Dock Ejector
This application safely ejects all drives connected to the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C with a single click,
adding peace of mind to fast-paced mobile workows. To install this app, please follow the steps below.
1. Download the installer le: For Mac download.owcdigital.com/dockejector/mac or for Windows
download.owcdigital.com/dockejector/win
2. Launch the installer and follow the prompts. No restart is required.
3. Once the app is running an icon like the one shown below will appear in the macOS menubar, or, System
Tray on Windows.
To learn more about OWC Dock Ejector please visit: go.owcdigital.com/dockejector.
1
1
2
7
5
3
4
6
2
3

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Introduction
4
1.7 Usage Notes
-Identical drives (model, capacity, rmware) are required for RAID congurations.
-Only USB-C host port listed in Section 1.6 can be used for the connection to the computer.
-The Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C needs an active data signal to remain powered on.
If it is disconnected from the computer, or if the computer goes to sleep or turns off,
the device will power off.
-For information on changing the RAID mode, please see Section 2.3.
-To ensure no data is lost during normal use, always eject or unmount the corresponding disk(s)
from your operating system before powering off the device. Several options are provided below
for Mac and PC.
macOS
-Drag the icon for the disk you wish to unmount to the trash can; OR
-Right-click the disk icon on the desktop, then click “Eject”; OR
-Highlight the disk on your Desktop and press Command-E.
Windows
1. Go to the System Tray (located in the lower right corner 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 see a message that says, “Safe to Remove Hardware.” It is now safe
to disconnect the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C from the computer.
-The steps above are applicable to Windows 10 build 1803 and earlier. If you are using
Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) or later, you can eject the drive by clicking the ‘Show
hidden items’ menu in the Taskbar, then clicking ‘Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media’,
and last select the ‘Eject’ option for this volume.

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Device Setup
5
2.1 Quick Start
If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C as an empty enclosure, proceed to Section 2.2 below.
If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C with drives installed, the OWC Drive Guide formatting utility
has been installed. Follow these steps go.owc.com/storage/formatting to use the Drive Guide to format your
drives for macOS or Windows.
2.2 Assembly Steps
This section describes the process of installing your own drives; additional formatting information is available
in Section 3.1. If your Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C shipped with drives installed, they are pre-congured
as a RAID 0; see the steps above for using Drive Guide to format your RAID 0 volume.
1. Remove the device from the box and set on a static-
free work surface.
2. Remove the two screws highlighted in red from
the back of the enclosure and set them aside.
3. Pull on the front edge of the enclosure so the
inner-chassis slides out, then remove it fully.
4. Set the inner chassis at on the work surface.
3
4
INSTALLATION
2

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Device Setup
6
5. Set a 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch SATA drive into the drive
housing, then seat the drive on the SATA connector
as shown. Minimal force is required.
6. Afx the drive to the inner-chassis at the location(s)
shown — holes for the slightly larger 3.5 inch drive
screws are circled in red, the hole for a 2.5 inch drive
is circled in yellow. Note: a total of one screw
is required for 2.5 inch drives, and four screws
(two on each side) for 3.5 inch drives.
7. Once the rst drive is secured, ip the inner chassis
and repeat Steps 5 and 6 as needed. IMPORTANT:
by default, this device is set to congure any installed
drives as a RAID 0, once it is powered on and
connected to the host. If you intend to change the
RAID mode RAID 1, Independent, or SPAN, you can
do so now or after re-assembly. See Section 2.3
for information on how to set the RAID mode.
8. Make sure the ports on the back of the inner chassis
and the port cut-outs on the back of the outer
enclosure are oriented the same way, then slide the
inner chassis into the outer enclosure so that the
chassis’ front plate is ush with the cover’s front edge.
9. Re-afx the screws you removed in Step 2.
This completes the assembly process.
This completes the assembly process.
5
6
8
9

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Device Setup
7
2.3 RAID Settings
Changing the RAID Mode
-The RAID mode is controlled by a dial near the top-left corner on the rear plate, in combination
with the RAID set button which is just below the dial.
-The dial has four positions, each labeled with a different RAID mode. To change the RAID mode,
make sure the device is disconnected from the host and powered off, then rotate the RAID dial
using a paper clip or at-head screwdriver (size SL2.5 or SL2 should work) so the arrow points
to the desired RAID mode. Each time the arrow is aligned with a new mode, you should feel
a slight click.
-Once you’ve changed the RAID mode, reconnect the power supply cable then use a paperclip
or small screwdriver to press the RAID Set button. Then connect the USB 3.2 data cable to the host
computer. The button should remain pressed until the new volume(s) appear on your Desktop and/
or a notice is displayed to format the new volume(s).
RAID 0 “Drive Striping” Mode
-The two drives show up as a single large disk with a size equal to the combined capacities
of both drives. RAID 0 is used when speed is the primary objective; it does not provide data
redundancy for protection. The reading and writing of data les is spread across both drives
to gain speed by distributing the workload. This allows for the fastest data transfer rates,
but if one drive fails the whole array becomes corrupted. The data will be lost.
RAID 1 “Drive Mirroring” Mode
-The two drives show up as a single disk with a size equal to the capacity of a single drive from
the array. RAID 1 copies (or “mirrors”) the data from the rst drive to the second drive. This is useful
when reliability and redundancy are more important than capacity or maximum speed. When one
drive fails, it can be replaced and the data can be rebuilt automatically from the other functioning
drive. See the Replacing Drives section for more details on the drive replacement and
rebuild process.
Span Mode
-Both drives show up as a single large disk, but one which functions differently than RAID 0 or RAID
1. The total size depends on the drives installed; unlike RAID 0 or RAID 1 you can use drives of
different capacities. A SPAN is an array (but not a RAID) in which the data is written sequentially
across the drives. When one drive becomes full, subsequent data is written to the second drive.
This combines the capacities of the drives, but it does not provide any performance or data
redundancy benets.
Independent Drive Mode
-Each drive will appear individually without being combined. If you are using drives of differing
capacity and model, or if you are using only one drive, this is the mode to use.
(Continue to next page)
If there is any data on the drives being installed, choosing any mode other than Independent Mode, will result
in the loss of all data on the drives!
Warning

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual – USB-C Device Setup
8
2.3 RAID Settings (Continued)
Drive Failure
-If one of the drives fails (or is missing or not connected properly), the corresponding drive LED on
the front of the device will blink red. If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C was congured as a RAID
0, the data on the array is lost and the disk is no longer usable. In a SPAN, only the data stored on
the failed drive is lost, although data recovery software will be required to retrieve the data from the
other drive. If the drives were congured independently, then the data on the drive that did not fail
will remain intact.
Replacing Drives
-If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C is set up as a RAID 1, a drive that has failed can be replaced
to rebuild the array. The data will remain accessible via the functioning drive until the array is rebuilt
with a new drive. If the enclosure was purchased with drives and it is still under warranty, contact
OWC technical support for assistance (see Section 3.4). If the unit is outside its warranty or was
purchased without drives, follow the assembly instructions to access and replace the failed drive.
Afterwards you can re-assemble the enclosure, then connect it to power and the host computer.
Note A failed drive must be replaced with an identical drive (model, capacity, rmware).
Note
The Mercury Elite Pro Dual USB-C needs an active data signal to remain powered on. If it is
disconnected from the computer, or if the computer goes to sleep or turns off, the device will
power off. To minimize the rebuild time, it is recommended to keep the device connected to the
computer (with the computer powered on), and disable any drive sleep settings on the computer
for the duration of the rebuild process.