Vantec Nexstar 3 Super Speed User manual

www.vantecusa.com
USER MANUAL
EXTERNAL 2.5” IDE & SATA HARD DRIVE ENCLOSURE

Package Contents:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure:
• Driver CD
• User Manual
• NexStar 3 External 2.5“ HDD Enclosure
• USB/Power Cable
• eSATA Cable (NST-260SU only)
• SATA-eSATA Adapter Bracket (NST-260SU only)
• Screws
TRADEMARKS
MS-DOS, Microsoft, Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Apple, Macintosh and Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer
*All other third-party brands and names are the property of their respective owners.

Table of Contents
1
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... pg. 2
2. Specifications/Features
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure ............................................................................... pg. 3
3. System Requirements .................................................................................................................... pg. 4
4. Parts Layout
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure ................................................................................. pg. 5
5. Installation
NexStar 3 External 2.5”HDD Enclosure
5.1. Hardware Installation .................................................................................................... pg. 6
5.2. Driver Installation ............................................................................................................ pg. 8
6. Disconnecting the NexStar 3
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure ................................................................................ pg. 10
7. Creating A New Partition .............................................................................................................. pg. 11
8. Troubleshooting/FAQ
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure .............................................................................. pg. 14
9. Warranty ............................................................................................................................................. pg. 16
10. Contact ............................................................................................................................................. pg. 16

Introduction
2
1. Introduction:
Form and functionality collide with style in the NexStar 3 External Hard Drive Enclosure
from Vantec. With its mirror finish, sleek curves and bold colors, the Vantec NexStar 3
stands out from the crowd. The sturdy drive cage protects your hard drive while the
aluminum case effectively draws away the heat, protecting your drive from overheating.
The NexStar 3 utilizes USB 2.0, offering speeds up to 480Mbps or SATA with speed up to
3Gbps. The NexStar 3 lets you store your personal data in an enclosure that matches
your style!

Specifications/Features
3
2. Specifications/Features:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” IDE HDD Enclosure (NST-260U2):
Specifications:
• Interface: IDE to USB 2.0
• Dimensions: 134mm x 80mm x 25mm
Features:
• Aluminum housing cools down your hard drive
• Transfer rates of up to 12Mbps with USB 1.1
• Transfer rates of up to 480Mbps with USB 2.0
• Easily add storage to any system with USB
• Hot-swappable: Plug and play without rebooting!
• Attractive blue LED indicates power/HDD activity
NexStar 3 External 2.5” SATA HDD Enclosure (NST-260SU):
Specifications:
• Interface: SATA to eSATA/USB 2.0
• Dimensions: 134mm x 80mm x 25mm
Features:
• Aluminum housing cools down your hard drive
• Transfer rates up to 12Mbps with USB 1.1
• Transfer rates up to 480Mbps with USB 2.0
• Transfer rates up to 3Gbps with SATA
• Easily add storage to any system with eSATA or USB
• Hot-swappable: Plug and play without rebooting!
• Attractive blue LED indicates power/HDD activity

System Requirements
4
3. System Requirements:
• Intel Pentium II 350MHz-compatible or Apple G3 processor and greater
• Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP or Mac OS 8.6 and greater
• USB-equipped system
• USB port, internal SATA port, or eSATA port
• For USB 2.0 speeds, the system must support USB 2.0 specifications
• CD Rom drive (if drivers are needed)

Parts Layout
5
4. Parts Layout:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure:
Hard Drive Caddy
IDE Connector
SATA/Power Connector
Hard Drive Caddy
NST-260U2
NST-260SU
LED Light
LED Light
USB Port
USB Port
eSATA Port
Power Jack (DC +5V)
Power Jack
(DC +5V)

Installation
6
5. Installation:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure:
5.1. Hardware Installation:
Preparing the NexStar 3:
1) Remove the side of the NexStar 3 with the power and USB connection ports.
If it has previously been screwed in place, remove the screws first.
2) Carefully slide out hard drive caddy.
Installing the hard drive in the NexStar 3:
1) Connect the 2.5”hard drive to the IDE connector (NST-260U2) or SATA/Power
connector (NST-260SU).
NST-260SU
NST-260SUNST-260U2
NST-260U2

Installation
7
2) Secure the hard drive to the hard drive caddy by screwing it in place
throught he back of the caddy.
3) Insert the hard drive caddy back into the NexStar 3 housing as pictured
below. Besure to align the caddy with the guides within the housing.
4) Secure the caddy to the housing using the screws provided. See picture
below.

Installation
8
Connecting the NexStar 3 to your computer:
1) Connect both USB-A connectors of the included USB/Power cable to two
different USB ports on your computer. USB is used to power the drive. The
second USB connection is to provide additional power if the drive needs it.
2) NST-260SU only: If you are using eSATA, connect the eSATA cable from your
computer to the enclosure (if your computer does not have an eSATA port,
connect the eSATA/SATA adapter bracket to an available SATA port). Connect
the eSATA cable before connecting the USB/Power cable to the enclosure or
the enclosure will default to USB. If you are not using eSATA, skip this step.
* You need to connect the USB cable to draw power from either your PC or Laptop.
3) Connect the mini USB-B connector of the USB/Power cable to the enclosure.
4) Your operating system should detect the NexStar 3 and automatically install
the necessary drivers (if you have Windows 98SE/MacOS 8.6, you will need to
install drivers). Once your operating system finishes setting up the NexStar 3,
it will mount your hard drive. On Mac OS systems, the new volume should
appear on the desktop. On a Windows PC, the new volume will appear under
My Computer.
NOTE: For new hard drives, you will need to initialize and partition your hard
drive before it will appear in Windows Explorer or on your Mac desktop. Please
refer to your hard drive manufacturer’s documentation or read the“Creating a
New Partition” section of this manual.
5) Your NexStar 3 External Hard Drive is now ready for use.
5.2. Driver Installation:
Windows ME/XP/2000
1) No drivers are necessary when using Windows ME/XP/2000. If the hard drive
does not appear under My Computer, be sure to partition your hard drive.
Windows 98SE
1) The first time you plug in the NexStar 3 into a USB port of your computer, the
[Add New Hardware Wizard] dialog box will appears.
2) Click on [Next]. Check the [Search for the best driver for your device] and click
on [Next] again.
3) Insert the device driver CD into your CD-ROM drive if you have not already
done so and click on [Next], a screen should be appears to show which
Storage Device you installed. Click on [Next].
4) After the needed files are copied into your system, click on [Finish].
5) You should now be able to see the new hard drive under My Computer. A
green Unplug or Eject hardware icon will appear in the system tray as well. If
the drive does not appear, you may need to partition your hard drive first.

Installation
9
Mac OS 9.0 or later:
1) No drivers are necessary when using Mac OS 9.0 or later. If the hard drive does
not appear on the desktop, be sure to partition your hard drive.
Mac OS 8.6:
1) Unplug the NexStar 3 if you currently have it connected.
2) USB Mass Storage Support 1.3.5 must be installed on your system. If it is not,
you can download the USB Mass Storage Support 1.3.5 from the Apple
Software Updates website: http://www.apple.com/support
3) Follow the direction associated with the USB Mass Storage Support driver to
install
4) Repeat the steps listed under“Connecting the NexStar 3 to your computer.”
NST-260SU only:If this is the first time you use NexStar 3,you have to run
[98se.exe] from install CD before you connect NexStar 3 to your computer

Disconnecting the NexStar 3
10
6. Disconnecting the NexStar 3:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure:
Windows 98SE/ME/XP/2000:
1) Make sure all operations using the hard drive within the NexStar 3 have
ceased.
2) Close any windows and programs pertaining to the NexStar 3.
3) If connected by USB, double click the green “Unplug or Eject Hardware”icon
in the system tray and select [Safely Remove Hardware]. Select the device
you wish to remove and click on [Stop]. The system should prompt,“It is now
safe to remove the USB device.” If not, wait for any programs still using the
device to finish and try again.
If connected by eSATA, your drive may not appear within Safely Remove
Hardware. To allow for safer disconnections, disable write caching on the
policy tab of the drive’s properties. You should then be able to disconnect
the drive without the risk of losing any data. (NST-260SU)
4) Unplug the mini USB-B connector from the NexStar 3
5) If using eSATA, unplug the eSATA cable (NST-260SU).
6) Unplug the USB/Power cable from the system.
Mac OS:
1) Make sure all operations using the hard drive within the NexStar 3 have
ceased.
2) Close any windows and programs pertaining to the NexStar 3.
3) From the Desktop, drag the NexStar 3 hard drive to the trash.
4) Unplug the mini USB-B connector from the NexStar 3
5) If using eSATA, unplug the eSATA cable (NST-260SU).
6) Unplug the USB/Power cable from the system.
Warning: NEVER remove the NexStar 3 while the hard drive is in use. Doing so
may corrupt the data on the hard drive or damage the hard drive, NexStar 3, or
computer.

Creating a New Partition
11
7. Creating A New Partition:
Note: Most hard drives should come with a CD that includes its installation program. If not, a
download should be available on the manufacturers website. The best way to partition a new
hard drive is by using the manufacturers program. However,if that is not possible,please try the
following instead (if using Mac OS 9 or below, please refer to your hard drive documentation for
information on formatting/partitioning the hard drive):
Windows 98SE/ME:
1) You will need to use the FDISK utility that is included under MS-DOS. Please
refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article – 255867 for complete instructions
on how to use FDISK.
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q255/8/67.ASP)
2) Once complete, you should now be able to see the drive in Windows Explorer.
Windows XP/2000:
1) Right click on "My Computer" and choose Manage.
2) Under“Storage”on the LEFT pane, select Disk Management
3) Windows should now give you the option to initialize the disk.If not,locate the
new drive, right click on the new disk (where it reads "Disk #") and choose
Initialize. (This step may not be required for some hard drives.)
4) Go through the wizard.
5) Once complete, locate your hard drive in the bottom right pane.Right click on
the area with a status bar (to the right of the “Disk #” area) and choose New
Partition.
6) Follow the directions of the wizard. The recommended partition type is
“primary” and the recommended file system is “NTFS.” Please note that
Windows XP/2000 limits FAT32 partitions to only 32GB. Also, Windows 98 is
not capable of reading the NTFS file system.
7) Once complete, you should now be able to see the drive in Windows Explorer.
Warning: Doing the following will erase any existing data on the drive. If the
drive is damaged and you wish to recover the data, continuing may overwrite
the existing information!

Creating a New Partition
12
Mac OS X 10.x.x:
Initializing a Hard Drive:
If you are using a new hard drive, you may need to initialize it first. You can initial-
ize your internal hard drive using a program called Drive Setup, which is on the
Mac OS CD that came with your computer.
1. Start up your computer from the Mac OS CD.
2. Locate the Utilities folder on the Mac OS CD and double-click it to open the
folder.
3. Double-click the Drive Setup icon to open the program.
4. In the list of drives, select the drive you want to initialize.
5. Click Initialize.
To format your hard drive with Mac OS Extended format, a method of formatting
hard drives that allows for more efficient use of hard drive storage space, follow
the steps below:
1. Click Custom Setup.
2. Select the desired partitioning scheme.
3. Open the Type pop-up menu in the Volume Info area and choose Mac OS
Extended Format.
4. Resize the volumes if desired.
5. When ready, click OK.
6. Click Initialize.
If initialization fails, do the following:
1. Choose Initialization Options from the Functions menu.
2. Click the checkbox next to "Low level format", then click OK. Choosing this
option adds significant time to the initialization process.

Creating a New Partition
13
Mac OS X 10.x.x:
Formatting a Hard Drive:
1. Start the Disk Utility tool (under Applications)
2. Select the new hard drive you are trying to install
3. Click on the“Erase”tab
4. Choose a volume format and assign a name to the new drive.
5. Click on Erase.
6. Once complete, your new hard drive should be mounted on your desktop.
Note: If the hard drive will not mount on your system, format the drive with a FAT32 or NTFS
partition first through a PC system. Once formatted, connect the NexStar Enclosure to your Mac and
run the Disk Utility tool again. You should now be able to format the drive into a Mac partition and
mount the drive

Troubleshooting/FAQ
14
8.Troubleshooting/FAQ:
NexStar 3 External 2.5” HDD Enclosure:
Q.What are the specifications for the power adapter if I need one?
A. The power adapter should be 5V and a minimum of 1A. The connector is center
positive.
Q. My computer recognizes the NexStar 3,but it does not assign a drive letter to it.
A.You are probably using a brand new hard drive. If not, then your computer may not
be able to recognize the partition on the hard drive because it is damaged or not a
valid format. Please refer to the section “Creating A New Partition”for information on
how to create a useable partition on your drive. If your drive is formatted, look in
device manager and see if your drive is listed. If it is, try changing the drive letter.
Q. My computer sometimes recognizes the NexStar 3,but sometimes gives me errors.
A. If your computer is giving you problems with the NexStar 3, be sure to connect the
USB cable to a rear port, directly off the motherboard or USB PCI card. The cables
connecting front USB ports are not always properly shielded and cannot properly
handle USB 2.0 speeds,thereby corrupting the signal between the NexStar 3 and the
computer.
Q.Why is the data on my hard drive corrupted?
A.Connecting your hard drive to the NexStar 3 is just like connecting a hard drive to the
inside of your computer. The NexStar 3 itself will not corrupt your data. If your data
has become corrupt,it is likely caused by the removal of the NexStar 3 while data was
still being written to the hard drive. CAUTION:Never remove the NexStar 3 while data
is being written to the hard drive! Doing so may cause the hard drive to become
corrupt. Make sure all applications being run off the disk and all files in use are no
longer in use before removing the unit.
Q.Why is my computer not showing the full size of my hard drive?
A. If you are using Windows 98SE, please refer to Microsoft’s Windows 98 Support
Center and download the large capacity drive patch. Else, verify that your mother-
board supports large capacity drives. Some older motherboards cannot use drives
larger than 137 GB. If Windows XP/2000 will not let you create a partition larger than
32GB, make sure you are using the NTFS file system, as Windows XP/2000 limits
FAT32 partitions to only 32GB.

Troubleshooting/FAQ
15
Q.Why can’t Windows 98SE read my hard drive? It works with Windows XP/2000.
A. Windows 98SE cannot recognize the NTFS file system. If you wish to use the device
with Windows XP/2000 and Windows 98SE, you need to format the drive as FAT32.
Q.Why can’t I copy files larger than 4GB onto my NexStar 3?
A.You have probably formatted the hard drive in the FAT32 file system. FAT32 limits the
file sizes to 4GB maximum. The NTFS file system does not have this limitation.
Q. Why does my NexStar 3 work with just one USB connector on some systems, but requires
2 on others?
A. USB specifications state that a USB port should provide 500mA of current. However,
not all computers, notably laptops, actually provide that full amount. As such, if your
hard drive requires nearly 500mA (0.5A) of current, then some systems maybe
require the use of the second USB connector for additionaly power.

Warranty/Contact
16
9.Warranty:
The NexStar 3 comes with a 1 year limited warranty (90 day parts). If your unit should
become defective within that time frame, please go to http://www.vantecusa.com for
information on how to receive warranty exchange or repair. Cosmetic defects and
missing parts are not covered under this warranty. Please check the contents of the unit
to make sure you received all parts. Also, check for any cosmetic flaws. If any parts are
missing or if there are cosmetic defects, please contact the retailer from which you
purchased the unit immediately and ask for a replacement.
10. Contact:
Vantec Thermal Technologies
43951 Boscell Rd.
Fremont, CA 94538
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
website: www.vantecusa.com