1. How to partition and format new drives using Windows OS
2. How to partition and format new drives using Mac OS
3. My "safely remove hardware" icon is gone
4. Error deleting files or folders
5. HI-speed device is plugged into a LO-speed USB port
6. Dual bay JBOD enclosure sees two separate drives instead of one big volume
8. What are the benefits of a truly hot swappable, hot pluggable drive enclosure
10. What are the benefits of a 2-in-1 drive enclosure docking station
11. How to setup NAS (Network Attached Storage)
12. How to find IP address of my NAS on the network
13. How to update NAS firmware
14. NAS drive spin down (power management)
15. NAS file system supported (LAN vs USB mode)
18. Product installation video
19. NAS no longer works after upgrading Windows XP to Vista
20. NAS maximum file size and disk volume size
21. Are there limits to file size and disk volume size when using shares?
22. How do I enable eSATA hot swap function?
1. How to partition and format new drives using Windows OS
Note: For specific instructions on how to
partition and format new drives, please consult
your OS user's manual – or – contact the OS
manufacturer. The following instructions are
provided as general guidance only. All data will
be permanently deleted!
PC users (Windows OS)
1. Click Start, click Run, type
compmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
2. Find & click on your drive in the left
hand column, underneath Storage.
3. On the right hand column, you will see a
block of Unallocated Space. Right-click
on that and select New Partition.
4. In the New Partition Wizard, select
Primary Partition and leave the default
value for Size. Click Next, give
your partition a drive letter and click Next
again.
5. In the next screen, select NTFS as
file system, type a name Volume Label,
select Quick Format and click Next.
6. In the next screen, select Finish.
Wait for it to format and a new drive will
appear under My Computer.
2. How to partition and format new drives using Mac OS
Note: For specific instructions on how
to partition and format new drives, please
consult your OS user's manual – or – contact the
OS manufacturer. The following instructions are
provided as general guidance only. All data will
be permanently deleted!
Apple Users (Mac OS)
1. Launch Disk Utility.
2. Find & click on your drive in the left
hand column.
3. On the right hand column, you will see the
Erase tab. You may need to Erase a
new hard drive that was pre-formatted with
NTFS file system for PC (i.e. Eagle
Tech pre-assembled external hard drives)
4. Click on Partition tab.
5. Click on Volume Scheme and select 1
Partition. Type a Name and select
Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
6. Click on Apply. Wait for it to format
and a new drive will mount on your desktop.
3. My "safely remove hardware" icon is gone
Caution: To prevent file corruption, please always click on the "safely remove hardware" icon in the taskbar's notification area before unplugging external USB drives.
Re-register DLL Sometimes the "safely remove hardware" icon in the taskbar disappears. To re-register and re-activate the "safely remove hardware" window, please click on Start > click on Run > type in "RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll" and hit Enter. Now you can click on the device you want to stop.
4. Error deleting file or folder
Drive busy This is usually caused by programs that are still accessing the drive and its contents. Common causes are open files such as Word document or open Explorer showing the directory content of the drive. Close them all and try again.
File handles If you are still unable to delete files or folder, there are third party software that "unlocks" operating system file handles to let you delete "locked" files and folders. We recommend "Unlocker 1.8.7".
5. HI-speed device is plugged into a LO-speed USB port
Cabling system Make sure you are using certified HI-speed USB 2.0 cable, included with all Eagle Tech external hard drives and external drive enclosures, for improved data signal integrity. Low quality USB cables may not be properly shielded and may lose data during high speed transfers or at longer lengths.
Service Pack Certain USB 2.0 host controllers may need Service Packs to operate properly. Windows XP added support for USB 2.0 in Service Pack 2, Windows 2000 added support for USB 2.0 in Service Pack 3 and improved the support in Service Pack 4. Please download the latest service packs from Microsoft for your operating system.
6. Dual bay JBOD enclosure sees two separate drives instead of one big volume
Jumpers Please make sure to set the hardware JBOD or RAID 0 jumpers in appropriate position.
Caution: partitioning & formatting a drive will erase all data!
Drives with existing partitions In order for the JBOD and RAID 0 drive enclosures to combine two hard drives into one big volume, the two hard drives must not be "partitioned". You must prepare both drives by deleting their partitions and power cycle the drive enclosure. Only then can the drive enclosure combine both drives into one big volume and recognizable to the operating system as one big volume.
Delete partitions To delete partition under Windows XP, right click on My Computer > click on Manage > click on Disk Management on the left panel. On the right hand side you should see a list of all drives connected to your computer. Find the two partitioned drive in black color, it should say for example "250 GB Healthy" and "500 GB Healthy". Right click on it > click on Delete Partition > click on Yes to continue. Repeat for the second hard drive. When finished deleting partitions, power cycle the drive enclosure and follow the steps in Question # 2 to partition and format the new drive.
Cabling system Make sure you are using certified HI-speed USB 2.0 cable, included with all Eagle Tech external hard drives and external drive enclosures, for improved data signal integrity. Low quality USB cables may not be properly shielded and may lose data during high speed transfers or at longer lengths.
Powered USB hub Make sure you are using USB hub with adequate power supply. Low quality USB hubs usually draw power from the computer's USB port and do not provide adequate power. Certain notebooks (mostly older notebooks) have underpowered USB ports and may require that you plug in additional USB cable to provide adequate power supply (the USB Y splitter cable is included with all portable 2.5" drive enclosures).
Service Pack Certain USB 2.0 host controllers may need Service Packs to operate properly. Windows XP added support for USB 2.0 in Service Pack 2, Windows 2000 added support for USB 2.0 in Service Pack 3 and improved the support in Service Pack 4. Please download the latest service packs from Microsoft for your operating system.
Media errors Essentially drive hardware failure. We recommend that you run Disk Doctors' data recovery programs included in all external hard drives and drive enclosures (limited time offer) or visit our Service section for more details and -$200 discount coupon applicable towards Disk Doctors' data recovery service when you submit a ticket via our website.
Write cache Windows file system may cache write operations and perform those writes when the system is idle in order to improve system performance. This is usually turned off by default for external drives. You can see if your drive has cache/delayed writing enabled by right clicking on the icon for the drive in the Disk Drive subtree of the Device Manager and selecting the Policies tab. Make sure you have selected "Optimize for quick removal" so that every bit of data is written to the external drive immediately.
8. What are the benefits of a truly hot swappable, hot pluggable drive enclosure
Quickly access different drives Traditional PC storage components such as ATA drives (internal or external) do not allow surprise removals from the machine while the operating system is running. Doing so causes operating system hang ups, instability and data loses. Certain models of our drive enclosure were designed to tackle this problem, giving professional users the flexibility to exchange hard drives on the fly (without rebooting the system). For more information please click here.
Fast Installation Technology This patented mechanical design allows you to snap-in hard drives without using tools. Works like a hard drive reader without the bare disk risks. Great for IT users looking to quickly hot swap, backup or image multiple hard drives.
The following items feature F.I.T.:
Single bay drive enclosures > ET-CSMESU2-BK, ET-CSMSU2-BK, I-NA203U, I-NA204UE, I-NA304UE and I-NA306UE.
Dual bay drive enclosures > I-NA305J.
HDD docking station > I-NA307.
10. What are the benefits of a 2-in-1 drive enclosure docking station
Highly mobile and synchronized Take the hassle out of keeping multiple copies of the same data across multiple PCs and notebooks. All you need is this portable drive enclosure while on the road, and simply insert it to the docking station at home or office. This way your data stay synchronized. If you are a mobile user and work between home and office, you will appreciate the convenience our 2-in-1 drive enclosure docking station brings.
The following items features 2-in-1 solution:
2.5"/3.5" form factor > I-NA205UE
3.5"/5.25" form factor > I-NA303US
11. How to setup NAS (NetworkAttached Storage)
PDF file Click here to download NAS quick setup guide. It contains information on how to find your NAS on network, configure IP address, SMB and FTP servers, Power management, update firmware, format new drives under LAN mode, and more. Applicable on T-series and W-series NAS only.
12. How to find IP address of my NAS on the network
LanDisk Tool Click here to download LanDisk Tool. Make sure your NAS is connected to the local area network, switch or router. Wait for about 5 seconds, you should see an "Orange" and "Green" LED on the RJ-45 port at rear of the NAS is blinking. Run the "LanDisk Tool" software. Click on "Search" to scan the NAS system on the network. After it finishes, you will see the IP address, Host Name, Group Name, Firmware Version that belongs to the NAS. Highlight the IP address. Use "Login RCD Target" and enter "User Name" and "Password" to log in.
13. How to update NAS firmware
Via web browser Download the latest NAS firmware version 48. Enter URL "http://storage-xxxx" (xxxx is large 4-digit of the MAC address, check the label next to the RJ-45 Jack at the rear of the NAS system) or IP address of the NAS system. (If you don't know the IP address, run the "LanDisk Tools" software.) Enter "User Name" and "Password" to log in. Click on "Maintenance" > "Firmware Upload" > Browse. Locate the NAS Firmware that you downloaded, click "Upload" to start updating the firmware and wait about 3~5 minutes. Once finished, click on the "Reboot" to power cycle the NAS.
Via update patch Download firmware update software. Download the latest NAS firmware version 48. Run the "FW_quick_upgrade.exe" software, click on "Scan" and the software should locate the NAS information. Click on the IP address and click on "Browse…" to locate the firmware that you downloaded. Click "Update" to start uploading firmware to the NAS. Once finished, please manually reboot the NAS by turn it off and on after 5 seconds.
14. NAS drive spin down (power management)
Drive spin down Yes, when there isn't any hard drive activity within fifteen minutes, the Eagle Tech NAS will power down to reduce power consumption. The sleep time can be configured via the web control panel after you log in.
15. NAS file system supported (LAN vs USB mode)
Recommendation: Format T-series and W-series simple NAS using LAN connection and FAT32 for broadest compatibility and accessibility by all types of OS and users. NTFS file system limits your connection type to USB mode only and is not recommended.
LAN vs USB mode Before you start using the NAS, please decide if you want to format the drive using LAN connection or USB connection. A NAS drive formatted to FAT32 file system using LAN connection is accessible under LAN mode and USB mode. A NAS drive formatted to NTFS file system using USB connection is accessible only under USB mode and is not vissible when connected to LAN. This FAT32 limitation is common to all simple NAS on the market right now (regardless of brand) and includes our ET-CSTSINASU2-BK, ET-CSWSINASU2-BK, I-NIA304N1.
Mac OS 10.4 With earlier versions of Mac OS 10.4, the NAS drive can not be accessed through SMB. Please upgrade to Mac OS 10.4.3 or later to resolve this problem.
Read only The FTP utility on the Mac will be able to read the data on the NAS drive but you can not write new data to it. To do that, you will need to install a dedicated FTP application, which can either be a free utility or professional shareware program.
18. Product installation video
Consus-series You can now access detailed 360 degrees product rotation and installation video on all Consus series drive enclosures. Stay tuned for more on upcoming iNeo-series of professional drive enclosures.
19. NAS no longer works after upgrading Windows XP to Vista
NTLMv2 By default, Windows Vista uses an improved and more secure 128-bit encrypted authentication protocol. Your ET-CSTSINASU2-BK, ET-CSWSINASU2-BK or I-NIA304N1 may no longer work after upgrading Windows XP to Vista. The latestest NAS firmware V48 contains crucial SAMBA updates to support Vista NTLMv2. Please upgrade your NAS using the latest firmware to ensure proper operation under Windows Vista. This does not apply to I-NA312N1, I-NA312N2, I-NA305N1 or I-NA305N2.
20. NAS maximum file size and disk volume size
Ext2, Ext3 Our I-NA312N1, I-NA312N2, I-NA305N1 and I-NA305N2 support greater than 2TB file size and greater than 16TB disk volume size. However, most 32-bit OS are still limited to 2TB single file size and most userspace programs can not handle file sizes greater than 2GB. Please make sure that your NAS has the latest firmware which contains important Linux kernel updates to allow greater than 2TB file size and greater than 16TB disk volume size.
21. Are there limits to file size and disk volume size when using shares?
Shares The details of underlying disk hardware, OS, etc are abstracted when using "shares". As long as the host supports large file size and disk volume sizes, the clients can access without any limits. For example, you could setup I-NA312N1 with 2x2TB disk (combined under RAID 0 LBA64 into a single 4TB volume) and read/write any file sizes using network file sharing (SAMBA/CIFS).
22. How do I enable eSATA hot swap function?
Advanced Host Controller Interface eSATA hot swap function is enabled only when BIOS is set to AHCI or RAID modes, and the proper AHCI or RAID drivers are installed. If you set BIOS to IDE Emulation with ATAPI driver, eSATA hot swap function is disabled. We do not recommend changing SATA/IDE modes after you have installed Windows as it requires extensive registry, driver and BIOS modifications that are beyond the scope of this user manual. Please consult Microsoft and/or controller manufacturer for specific eSATA configurations and drivers.
You may find the tips, answers & tutorials here for your EAGLE products.