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FAQs:
 pureDrive External Hard Drives

 

Q: Can I use my Drive on two computers at the same time?

A: No. The Drive can only 'talk' to one computer at a time. If you connect the Drive to two computers, you may damage the Drive and/or your computers.


Q: Do I have to format my Drive prior to using it?

A: No. All AcomData Drives are pre-formatted at the factory with the FAT32 file system, making them plug and play for most supported platforms.


Q: Can I format the Drive for use on multiple operating systems?

A: AcomData External Hard Drives come pre-formatted from the factory with the FAT 32 file system. This allows you to use the Drive on all supported Windows and Mac operating systems. For full instructions on how to re-format your Drive, including for use on multiple operating systems, refer to your User's Guide.


Q: What is the difference between FAT32 and NTFS?

A: FAT32 is an older and more compatible file system but it has certain limitations, such as file size (maximum 4 GB). NTFS is more secure and has fewer limitations. The NTFS file system can only be used on Windows 2000, XP and Vista. If you plan to use your Drive on Windows 2000, XP or Vista only, you may want to consider re-formatting the Drive using the NTFS files system. If you plan to use the Drive on a Mac OS only, and you do not need Windows compatibility, you may want to consider re-formatting the Drive using a Mac OS Extended file system. Refer to the User's Guide for instructions.


Q; Do I need drivers for my AcomData External Hard Drive?

A: For USB 2.0 on Windows 98SE, you will need to install the USB 2.0 driver found on the supplied USB 2.0 Installation CD. All other supported operating systems have the necessary USB 2.0 driver built in, with the exception of Mac OS 9, which supports USB 1 but not USB 2.0. You can connect the Drive to a USB 1.1 port, but it will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12 Mbps). Depending on your operating system, you may need to download an update from the OS manufacturer. Refer to the User's Guide for details.


Q: Can I connect an AcomData Drive to a USB card or hub?

A: Yes, but the card or hub might not be fully compatible with your Acomdata Drive .  If your Drive does not load up correctly in the card or hub, please try connecting it to a built-in USB port on your computer.  If the drive works correctly then the card or hub most likely isn't compatible with your Acomdata Drive .


Q: Why is the capacity of my drive as shown in Windows or Mac OS lower than the Drive's actual stated capacity?

A: The difference is mostly due to the different way in which Windows and Mac operating systems typically measure hard drive capacity, as compared to the method used by hard drive manufacturers. Hard drive manufacturers have always used the decimal (base 10) method, where 1GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000 KB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows and Mac operating systems use the binary (base 2) method, where 1GB = 1,024 MB = 1,048,576 KB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Example: A hard drive with a capacity of 120 GB will show up on Windows and Mac with a capacity of, say, 111.8 GB. The actual number of available bytes is 120,044,335,923, which is just over 120 GB (decimal).

Hard drive manufacturers use the decimal method because it is simpler and less confusing to consumers who may not be familiar with the base 2 number system. Manufacturers of operating systems do not need to concern themselves with this issue, so they typically use the more traditional binary method.

As long as the drive displays the correct number of bytes (approximately), you are getting the drive's full capacity. The reason we say that the number of bytes will be approximate is because operating systems reserve a small amount of disk space for their own purposes. The actual amount may vary depending on the operating system.

Q: My USB 2.0 Drive seems to be operating slower than 480 Mbps.

A: First, In order to reach USB 2.0 speed, you must have a computer or host adapter card that supports USB 2.0. If the connection only supports USB 1.x the Drive will operate at USB 1.x speeds (up to 12 Mbps). The Drive will auto-sense the speed of your USB port and adjusts between USB 1.x and USB 2.0 speed.

If you're sure your Acomdata Drive is connected to a USB 2.0 port, there's a chance that your Acomdata Drives USB board inside the enclosure might be defective.  Please contact Acomdata Technical Support through email or telephone for warranty info.

 

Troubleshooting for PC Users


Q: I put the CD Rom in my computer but it's telling me that it already has the best driver's for my computer.  Where is the correct driver?

 

A: The CD Rom included with your Acomdata drive is a driver CD only required on Windows 98.  If you're using Windows 2000, XP or Vista it is not required (because the drivers it needs are already built into the Operating System).  Please connect the drive to your computer and wait for the drive to load.

 

 

Q: I'm running Windows Vista and it's asking me for a driver.  Where is the correct driver?

 

A: Acomdata does not make any drivers for Windows Vista.  Occasionally Windows Vista will ask for a driver, but the driver is already built into the computer.  When the wizard for the driver comes up, simply direct it to the "Windows" folder located inside your internal (C) hard drive, it should find the driver it's looking for.



Q: The Drive gives me a "Device cannot start. Code (10)?"

A: This is a power issue. Check to make sure you are using the correct power adapter supplied with your Drive. The other possibility is that the interface board on the Drive has malfunctioned and would need to be sent in for warranty service.  Please contact Acomdata Technical Support through email or telephone for warranty info.



Q: I'm getting an error when trying to safely remove my Acomdata drive from my computer.  What is the solution?

 

A: Unfortunately this is a known problem with Windows and happens from time to time to users.  There are two options you can do in this situation.  You can either:

 

1.  Refresh the Explorer and try to safely remove the drive again.  To do this, hold down Control+Shift+Esc on your keyboard.  This will load up your Task Manager.  Go to the "Processes" tab at the top and look for "explorer.exe" on the list.  Left click on it to select it and click on "End Process". You should notice the Explorer bar disappear at the bottom.  Now go to the "Applications" tab.  Click on "New Task" and type: "explorer".  This will refresh the explorer so you can try to safely remove the drive again.  If this doesn't work, the only solution is to:

 

2. Turn off your computer first and then turn the power off on the drive.  Then turn your computer back on so you can use it again.  If your computer is powered down, it's ALWAYS safe to turn off external devices (including your Acomdata drive).


Q: When I try to format my Drive on Windows 2000/XP/ Vista I get the message: "Could not complete format."

A: Sometimes Windows thinks the drive is still in use even though it's not being used.  You'll need to force the drive to format to correct the problem it's giving you.

Right click on the "My computer" icon (or "Computer" icon in Vista) and select "Manage".  Once the "Computer Management" window opens, select "Disk Management" on the left hand side (inside the Storage tab).

It will open up on the right hand side and you will want to focus on the bottom half window.  You should see a Disk 0 (which is most likely your internal C drive), and also a Disk 1 (or 2, 3, 4, etc - depending on how many drives or media devices you have attached or built-in to your computer).

Your Acomdata drive will show the approximate size (for example: 298 GB - not 320 GB or 465 GB - not 500).  Right click anywhere below the "Healthy" field with the blue bar; there should be an option for "Delete Partition".  It will give you a warning stating that it will delete all data on the drive.  Assuming you are ok with this, click "OK".  The blue bar should turn black and say "Unallocated". 

At this point you'll want to right click in the same area and select "Create/New Partition" (or "New Simple Volume" on Vista).  Once the wizard opens up go ahead and click "Next" all the way across the board (click "Next" 5 times) and then click "Finish" at the end (keeping all the settings at the defaults will format it specifically for your computer).  It will start formatting your external drive after this.  Depending on the capacity of your drive, it could take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.  You will see a % sign at the bottom right corner of the window shortly.

Once it's finished you can access the drive inside "My Computer" (or "Computer" on Vista) and it should be formatted and ready to use.


Q: After I connect the Drive to my PC I get the following alert message: "HI-SPEED USB Device plugged into non-HI-SPEED USB Hub." What does this mean?

A: Windows 2000, XP and Vista users will get this alert message if you plugged the Drive into a USB port that supports USB 1.0 only.  This is fine, except your Drive will operate USB 1.0 speeds (up to 12 Mbps).

Troubleshooting for Mac users


Q: Do I need to install the USB 2.0 Installation CD?

A: No, the Drive uses the built-in Mac USB Mass Storage Support software, which includes the necessary system extensions. However, to use the Drive you must have USB Mass Storage Support version 1.3.5 or later. You can download the latest update at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60394. Please note: Mac OS 9 does not support USB 2.0, so if using Mac OS 9, the Drive will operate at USB 1.x speeds.

 

 

Q: I have Mac OS 10.2.x and am unable to find my Acomdata drive on the Desktop.  Where is it?

 

A: Your Acomdata drive is pre-formatted with the FAT-32 format in the factory.  We do this because it let's the drive work on most Operating Systems right out of the box (whether it's on a Mac or a PC).  Unfortunately 10.2 has a problem with finding drives that are formatted FAT-32 and exceed 128GB's.  The solution would be to reformat the drive Mac OS Extended through the "Disk Utility" on your Mac computer.  Once formatted, the drive will mount up on the desktop shortly.

 

 

Q: I'm getting an Error code -50 when transferring data to my Acomdata drive.  What is the problem?

 

A: Error code -50 happens if you're trying to copy a file with a long name or invalid characters (for example: !@#$).  Your Acomdata drive is pre-formatted with the FAT-32 format in the factory.  Unfortunately FAT-32 takes the characteristics of a PC computer when it comes to file names.  You will either need to reformat the drive Mac OS Extended through the "Disk Utility" on your Mac computer or rename the file(s) that it's having trouble on.

 

Q: I'm unable to format my drive Mac OS Extended Journaled correctly on OS 10.5.x.  How can I format it?

 

A: Open up the Disk Utility and highlight your Acomdata drive on the left hand side and click on the "Partition" tab to the right.  Click on the dropdown menu where it says "Volume Scheme" and select "1 Partition".  Click on the "Options" button below and then click on the "Apple Partition Map" option and click "OK".

 

Now you'll want to click "Apply" and then click "Partition" to start the formatting process.

 

If you're unsure which Drive is your Acomdata drive, please drag the Drives icon into the Trashcan to safely remove it - once removed from your computer look and see which Drive disappears from the Disk Utility window.

Q: Can I use my Drive on two computers at the same time?

A: No. The Drive can only 'talk' to one computer at a time. If you connect the Drive to two computers, you may damage the Drive and/or your computers.


Q: Do I have to format my Drive prior to using it?

A: No. All AcomData Drives are pre-formatted at the factory with the FAT32 file system, making them plug and play for most supported platforms.


Q: Can I format the Drive for use on multiple operating systems?

A: AcomData External Hard Drives come pre-formatted from the factory with the FAT 32 file system. This allows you to use the Drive on all supported Windows and Mac operating systems. For full instructions on how to re-format your Drive, including for use on multiple operating systems, refer to your User's Guide.


Q: What is the difference between FAT32 and NTFS?

A: FAT32 is an older and more compatible file system but it has certain limitations, such as file size (maximum 4 GB). NTFS is more secure and has fewer limitations. The NTFS file system can only be used on Windows 2000, XP and Vista. If you plan to use your Drive on Windows 2000, XP or Vista only, you may want to consider re-formatting the Drive using the NTFS files system. If you plan to use the Drive on a Mac OS only, and you do not need Windows compatibility, you may want to consider re-formatting the Drive using a Mac OS Extended file system. Refer to the User's Guide for instructions.


Q; Do I need drivers for my AcomData External Hard Drive?

A: For USB 2.0 on Windows 98SE, you will need to install the USB 2.0 driver found on the supplied USB 2.0 Installation CD. All other supported operating systems have the necessary USB 2.0 driver built in, with the exception of Mac OS 9, which supports USB 1 but not USB 2.0. You can connect the Drive to a USB 1.1 port, but it will operate at USB 1.1 speeds (up to 12 Mbps). Depending on your operating system, you may need to download an update from the OS manufacturer. Refer to the User's Guide for details.


Q: Can I connect an AcomData Drive to a USB card or hub?
A: Yes, but the card or hub might not be fully compatible with your Acomdata Drive .  If your Drive does not load up correctly in the card or hub, please try connecting it to a built-in USB port on your computer.  If the drive works correctly then the card or hub most likely isn't compatible with your Acomdata Drive .


Q: Why is the capacity of my drive as shown in Windows or Mac OS lower than the Drive's actual stated capacity?

A: The difference is mostly due to the different way in which Windows and Mac operating systems typically measure hard drive capacity, as compared to the method used by hard drive manufacturers. Hard drive manufacturers have always used the decimal (base 10) method, where 1GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000 KB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows and Mac operating systems use the binary (base 2) method, where 1GB = 1,024 MB = 1,048,576 KB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Example: A hard drive with a capacity of 120 GB will show up on Windows and Mac with a capacity of, say, 111.8 GB. The actual number of available bytes is 120,044,335,923, which is just over 120 GB (decimal).

Hard drive manufacturers use the decimal method because it is simpler and less confusing to consumers who may not be familiar with the base 2 number system. Manufacturers of operating systems do not need to concern themselves with this issue, so they typically use the more traditional binary method.

As long as the drive displays the correct number of bytes (approximately), you are getting the drive's full capacity. The reason we say that the number of bytes will be approximate is because operating systems reserve a small amount of disk space for their own purposes. The actual amount may vary depending on the operating system.

Q: My USB 2.0 Drive seems to be operating slower than 480 Mbps.

A: First, In order to reach USB 2.0 speed, you must have a computer or host adapter card that supports USB 2.0. If the connection only supports USB 1.x the Drive will operate at USB 1.x speeds (up to 12 Mbps). The Drive will auto-sense the speed of your USB port and adjusts between USB 1.x and USB 2.0 speed.

If you're sure your Acomdata Drive is connected to a USB 2.0 port, there's a chance that your Acomdata Drives USB board inside the enclosure might be defective.  Please contact Acomdata Technical Support through email or telephone for warranty info.

 

Troubleshooting for PC Users

Q: I put the CD Rom in my computer but it's telling me that it already has the best driver's for my computer.  Where is the correct driver?

A: The CD Rom included with your Acomdata drive is a driver CD only required on Windows 98.  If you're using Windows 2000, XP or Vista it is not required (because the drivers it needs are already built into the Operating System).  Please connect the drive to your computer and wait for the drive to load.

Q: I'm running Windows Vista and it's asking me for a driver.  Where is the correct driver?

A: Acomdata does not make any drivers for Windows Vista.  Occasionally Windows Vista will ask for a driver, but the driver is already built into the computer.  When the wizard for the driver comes up, simply direct it to the "Windows" folder located inside your internal (C) hard drive, it should find the driver it's looking for.

Q: The Drive gives me a "Device cannot start. Code (10)?"
A: This is a power issue. Check to make sure you are using the correct power adapter supplied with your Drive. The other possibility is that the interface board on the Drive has malfunctioned and would need to be sent in for warranty service.  Please contact Acomdata Technical Support through email or telephone for warranty info.

Q: I'm getting an error when trying to safely remove my Acomdata drive from my computer.  What is the solution?

A: Unfortunately this is a known problem with Windows and happens from time to time to users.  There are two options you can do in this situation.  You can either:

1.  Refresh the Explorer and try to safely remove the drive again.  To do this, hold down Control+Shift+Esc on your keyboard.  This will load up your Task Manager.  Go to the "Processes" tab at the top and look for "explorer.exe" on the list.  Left click on it to select it and click on "End Process". You should notice the Explorer bar disappear at the bottom.  Now go to the "Applications" tab.  Click on "New Task" and type: "explorer".  This will refresh the explorer so you can try to safely remove the drive again.  If this doesn't work, the only solution is to:

2. Turn off your computer first and then turn the power off on the drive.  Then turn your computer back on so you can use it again.  If your computer is powered down, it's ALWAYS safe to turn off external devices (including your Acomdata drive).


Q: When I try to format my Drive on Windows 2000/XP/ Vista I get the message: "Could not complete format."
A: Sometimes Windows thinks the drive is still in use even though it's not being used.  You'll need to force the drive to format to correct the problem it's giving you.

Right click on the "My computer" icon (or "Computer" icon in Vista) and select "Manage".  Once the "Computer Management" window opens, select "Disk Management" on the left hand side (inside the Storage tab).

It will open up on the right hand side and you will want to focus on the bottom half window.  You should see a Disk 0 (which is most likely your internal C drive), and also a Disk 1 (or 2, 3, 4, etc - depending on how many drives or media devices you have attached or built-in to your computer).

Your Acomdata drive will show the approximate size (for example: 298 GB - not 320 GB or 465 GB - not 500).  Right click anywhere below the "Healthy" field with the blue bar; there should be an option for "Delete Partition".  It will give you a warning stating that it will delete all data on the drive.  Assuming you are ok with this, click "OK".  The blue bar should turn black and say "Unallocated". 

At this point you'll want to right click in the same area and select "Create/New Partition" (or "New Simple Volume" on Vista).  Once the wizard opens up go ahead and click "Next" all the way across the board (click "Next" 5 times) and then click "Finish" at the end (keeping all the settings at the defaults will format it specifically for your computer).  It will start formatting your external drive after this.  Depending on the capacity of your drive, it could take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.  You will see a % sign at the bottom right corner of the window shortly.

Once it's finished you can access the drive inside "My Computer" (or "Computer" on Vista) and it should be formatted and ready to use.

Q: After I connect the Drive to my PC I get the following alert message: "HI-SPEED USB Device plugged into non-HI-SPEED USB Hub." What does this mean?
A: Windows 2000, XP and Vista users will get this alert message if you plugged the Drive into a USB port that supports USB 1.0 only.  This is fine, except your Drive will operate USB 1.0 speeds (up to 12 Mbps).

Troubleshooting for Mac users


Q: Do I need to install the USB 2.0 Installation CD?
A: No, the Drive uses the built-in Mac USB Mass Storage Support software, which includes the necessary system extensions. However, to use the Drive you must have USB Mass Storage Support version 1.3.5 or later. You can download the latest update at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60394. Please note: Mac OS 9 does not support USB 2.0, so if using Mac OS 9, the Drive will operate at USB 1.x speeds.

Q: I have Mac OS 10.2.x and am unable to find my Acomdata drive on the Desktop.  Where is it?

A: Your Acomdata drive is pre-formatted with the FAT-32 format in the factory.  We do this because it let's the drive work on most Operating Systems right out of the box (whether it's on a Mac or a PC).  Unfortunately 10.2 has a problem with finding drives that are formatted FAT-32 and exceed 128GB's.  The solution would be to reformat the drive Mac OS Extended through the "Disk Utility" on your Mac computer.  Once formatted, the drive will mount up on the desktop shortly.

Q: I'm getting an Error code -50 when transferring data to my Acomdata drive.  What is the problem?

A: Error code -50 happens if you're trying to copy a file with a long name or invalid characters (for example: !@#$).  Your Acomdata drive is pre-formatted with the FAT-32 format in the factory.  Unfortunately FAT-32 takes the characteristics of a PC computer when it comes to file names.  You will either need to reformat the drive Mac OS Extended through the "Disk Utility" on your Mac computer or rename the file(s) that it's having trouble on.

Q: I'm unable to format my drive Mac OS Extended Journaled correctly on OS 10.5.x.  How can I format it?

A: Open up the Disk Utility and highlight your Acomdata drive on the left hand side and click on the "Partition" tab to the right.  Click on the dropdown menu where it says "Volume Scheme" and select "1 Partition".  Click on the "Options" button below and then click on the "Apple Partition Map" option and click "OK".

Now you'll want to click "Apply" and then click "Partition" to start the formatting process.

If you're unsure which Drive is your Acomdata drive, please drag the Drives icon into the Trashcan to safely remove it - once removed from your computer look and see which Drive disappears from the Disk Utility window.