4BIG QUADRA USB 3.0 USER MANUAL CLICK HERE TO ACCESS UP-TO-DATE ONLINE VERSION of this document for the most recent content as well as for features such as expandable illustrations, easier navigation, and search capability. 4big Quadra USB 3.
INTRODUCTION Welcome to the User Manual for the LaCie 4big Quadra USB 3.0. These pages will guide you through the process of connecting your LaCie product and will explain its features. If this manual doesn't answer your questions or if you are having trouble, consult the Getting Help page. BOX CONTENT Your box contains the following: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ LaCie 4big Quadra (including 4 x hard disks) USB 3.0 cable (USB 2.0 compatible) FireWire 800 cable External power supply (12V/6.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Your system must meet certain requirements in order for your LaCie product to function properly. For a list of these requirements, please refer to the product packaging or consult the product support web page at www.lacie.com/support/. Note: USB 3.0 Connection: For optimal performance through the USB connection, the drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 host port. Many laptops or desktop computers do not feature USB 3.0 ports. You can purchase a USB 3.
VIEWS OF THE PRODUCT FRONT VIEW 1. Activity LED and shortcut button. See LaCie Desktop Manager for details. 4big Quadra USB 3.
REAR VIEW 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Drive status LEDs Swappable disks Drive locks USB 3.0 port Chain lock port On/off FireWire 800 ports Power RAID selection/confirmation buttons. See Manage RAID for details. Cable management connectors RAID mode indicator LEDs 4big Quadra USB 3.
CABLES AND CONNECTORS CABLE MANAGEMENT This product includes a cable lock, a small plastic clasp that prevents cords from accidentally disconnecting. To use the cable lock: 1. 2. 3. 4. Insert the clasp's locking head into the lock slot. Make sure that the interface cable is connected to the product. String the interface cable through the open cable lock gate. Close and snap in place the cable lock gate. USB 3.0 USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer.
FIREWIRE 800 FireWire, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-speed serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer or to each other, and FireWire 800 is the implementation of the new IEEE 1394b standard. FireWire 800 offers increased bandwidth and extended distance between devices. FireWire 800 is ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications, such as audio, video and graphics.
GETTING CONNECTED Please follow the setup steps in the order they are given to ensure that your LaCie product's volume(s) mount(s) correctly on your computer. STEP 1 - CONNECT THE POWER CABLE Connect the power supply to a wall outlet and to the drive. STEP 2 - CONNECT THE INTERFACE CABLE Connect the interface cable from the drive to the computer. 4big Quadra USB 3.
STEP 3 - TURN ON THE DRIVE Turn on the drive by moving the power switch to On. It may take up to 40 seconds for all the disks to spin on. Mac Users The drive will mount on your desktop. Windows Users Since the disks are pre-formatted in HFS+ for Mac-only use, you will need to reformat the disks in order to access the storage. Follow the instructions below to do so. Refer to Formatting and Partitioning for more detailed information, precautions, and instructions. 1.
4big Quadra USB 3.
LACIE DESKTOP MANAGER LaCie Desktop Manager unlocks the full potential of your LaCie product. It will allow you to check the status of your device, set up email alerts, create an action when you click the front blue button (shortcut button), and configure power-saving. Note: LaCie Desktop Manager is not compatible with all LaCie devices. Only compatible LaCie devices will appear in LaCie Desktop Manager.
INFO TAB On this page you will see advanced information on your drive, such as device name, the internal hard disk serial number (not the LaCie product serial number), available capacity, connection type, etc. Reformat From the Info tab, you can reformat the disks. Caution: If you click the Reformat… button and follow these steps, everything will be erased from the hard drive. If you have information that you want to protect or continue to use, back up this information before performing these steps.
SHORTCUT TAB The front blue LED is also a button that allows you to perform a variety of tasks. A long click (press and hold for several seconds) will put the product to sleep (Eco mode). When the product is in Eco mode, a short click (press and immediately release the button) will wake it. Using LaCie Desktop Manager, you can configure a short click to trigger a task (when the product is not in Eco mode).
ECO TAB From this page, you can manage your product's energy usage, and turn off the front LED. Note that if an alert is triggered, the front LED will blink red, even if you have turned off the LED from this page. Energy Management – Mac Users Based upon your LaCie product, Eco Mode may be managed by Mac OS X. If prompted, please click on Energy Saver Settings to enter the System Preferences. Select “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible” to conserve energy. 4big Quadra USB 3.
Energy Management – Windows Users By default, your drive will enter Eco Mode after 5 minutes of inactivity in order to conserve energy. To exit Eco Mode, simply access data and the disks will automatically restart, or click the product's front button. Unclick the Automatic Eco Mode due to Inactivity box to turn off Eco Mode, or select a period of inactivity after which the disks will enter Eco Mode. 4big Quadra USB 3.
ALERTS TAB Enable alerts to receive a message via the LaCie Desktop Manager about changes to the status of your LaCie device. Important info: Activating alerts may affect the transfer rates of your device. For optimal transfer rates, disable alerts. 4big Quadra USB 3.
EMAILS TAB If you wish to be warned by email of any change in the status of your LaCie device, enter email addresses here (up to five). You can also enter an email subject line. Next, select the type of event for which you would like to receive emails. 4big Quadra USB 3.
LED INFORMATION Your LaCie product features a multi-functional LED on the front of the drive, as well as four status LEDs on the rear. See Views of the Product for LED locations. LED STATES If the front Off LED is: Solid blue Blinking blue Drive(s) solid blue And the rear LEDs are: Off The product is turned off or Then: computer is in sleep mode.
MANAGE RAID MODIFY RAID MODE Important info: Changing the RAID mode destroys data stored on the 4big. If you have saved data on the drives, back up data before following these steps. 1. Make sure that the 4big is turned off but that its power supply is connected and that it's connected to a computer via an interface cable. 2. Use the sharp end of the RAID selection tool (A) to press and hold down the select button (B). 3. Without releasing the select button, turn on the product. 4.
ABOUT RAID MODES Refer to the table below for an overview of the different RAID modes, and see the descriptions for details. RAID Mode Capacity Protection Speed RAID 0 100% None Excellent Yes RAID 5 75% Good Good – RAID 5+spare 50% Excellent Good – RAID 10 Excellent Good – 50% Factory Default RAID 0: RAID 0, is the fastest RAID mode. In a RAID 0 array, the available capacities of each drive are added together so that one logical volume mounts on the computer.
RAID 5: In RAID 5, data is striped across all disks (minimum of three) and a parity block for each data block (P in the illustration below) is written on the same stripe. If one physical disk fails, the data from the failed disk can be rebuilt onto a replacement disk. No data is lost in the case of a single disk failure, but if a second disk fails before data can be rebuilt to a replacement drive, all data in the array will be lost.
RAID10: RAID 10 (also called RAID 1+0) is another RAID level that combines the attributes of other levels, specifically RAID 1 and RAID 0. It is a “stripe of mirrored sets”, meaning that data is striped across two mirrored arrays. The striping occurs between arrays and the mirroring occurs within the same array, which makes the rebuilding very fast. 4big Quadra USB 3.
REPLACE DRIVE Remove Drive If your array is protected, ie in a RAID 10, 5, or 5+spare mode, you can remove a drive without damaging the array and losing data even when the product is turned on, a process also referred to as “hot-swapping”. However, if you remove a drive from an unprotected (ie RAID 0) array, you may lose data. Caution: After continuous use of the product, drives may be hot. Use caution when removing. 1. The drive tray may be locked.
UNMOUNTING VOLUME(S) USB, FireWire, Thunderbolt, and eSATA external devices feature “plug & play” connectivity, which means that your LaCie storage can be connected and disconnected while the computer is running. To prevent failures, however, it is important to follow these steps when disconnecting your device. WINDOWS XP USERS From the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand side of your screen), click the Eject icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image).
MAC USERS Drag the storage device icon to the Trash. (The icon pictured below is a generic USB device icon. Your LaCie storage may be represented by an icon that looks like the device itself.) When the icon disappears from the desktop, the storage device can be disconnected. 4big Quadra USB 3.
FORMATTING AND PARTITIONING Standard LaCie storage devices will prompt you to run LaCie Setup Assistant when they are first connected to a computer (Windows or Mac). LaCie Setup Assistant helps you to quickly format the storage device according to your needs. Please read the information below carefully if you: ■ ■ ■ Abort LaCie Setup Assistant while it is formatting. Wish to reformat your storage device after LaCie Setup Assistant has successfully completed.
See the table below for a comparison of NTFS and FAT 32. Windows File System Formats Use NTFS if: …you will be using the storage device only with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 since performance will be enhances when compared to exFAT or FAT 32. This file system is compatible in read-only mode with Mac OS 10.3 and higher. Use exFAT if: …you will be using your storage device with both Windows and Mac computers.
FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS The steps listed below will help you to format and partition a storage device. For more information on choosing the optimal file format, refer to About File System Formats above. Caution: Formatting will erase everything on the storage device. LaCie highly recommends that you back up all data on your storage device before performing the steps below. LaCie is not responsible for any data lost due to formatting, partitioning, or using a LaCie storage device.
Mac Users 1. Make sure the storage device is connected to and mounted on the computer. 2. Select Utilities from the Go menu in the Finder menu bar. 3. In the Utilities folder, double-click Disk Utility. Disk Utility will display the message Select a disk, volume, or image. All connected storage devices, partitions, or disk images will be displayed in this column. Storage devices in this column may have multiple listings.
GETTING HELP If you are having problems with your LaCie product, consult the table below for a list of available resources. Order Source Description Location 1 Quick Install Guide Concise steps to follow for getting your Either a printed leaflet or accessory box and included in the product up and product box, or download PDF from the product page running 2 Support Pages Includes interactive troubleshooting topics for most common problems www.lacie.
TROUBLESHOOTING TOPICS Note: Interactive troubleshooting, a highly effective way to resolve problems with your product, is available from www.lacie.com/support/. Select your product, then click the “Troubleshooting” tab. All Users Problem: The front LED and one of the rear LEDs are solid red. A: RAID failure has resulted from disk failure. Depending on the RAID mode, it could be that one or more drives have failed. Data has most likely been lost.
A: Check to see that the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 drivers for both your host bus adapter and device have been installed correctly. If in doubt, uninstall the drivers and re-install them. Q: USB 3.0 connection: Does your computer or operating system support SuperSpeed USB 3.0? A: Please refer to the product packaging or consult the product support web page at www.lacie.com/support/ to check the minimum system requirements.
Mac Users Problem: The drive isn't appearing on my computer. Q: Is your Finder configured not to show hard drives on the desktop? A: Go to your Finder and check if Preferences > General tab > Show these items on the desktop: and then Hard Disks is selected. If not, go on to the next topic. Q: Is the drive listed in Device Manager but not in my Finder? A: Make sure you formatted your product correctly. Refer to Formatting and Partitioning for information.
Q: Is your drive listed next to an unusual icon? A: Windows Device Manager can usually provide information about failures in accessories. It does not display the exact cause, or a solution, but it can assist in troubleshooting most problems. A problematic device can be found by its unusual icon. Instead of the normal icon based on the type of device, it is instead an exclamation point, question mark, or an X. Right-click this icon, then choose Properties.
PRECAUTIONS Caution: It is essential that you use only the power supply that shipped with your product, since it is a shielded-type power cord that meets FCC emission limits as well as to prevent interference to the nearby radio and television reception. Caution: Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user's authority to operate this device.
GENERAL USE PRECAUTIONS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Power supply requirements 100-240Vac, 47-63 Hz, (supply voltage fluctuations not exceeding +/- 10% of the nominal and transient over-voltages according to over-voltage category II). Do not expose the LaCie device to temperatures outside the range of 5º C to 35º C (41º F to 95º F); or to operational humidity beyond 10-80%, non-condensing, or non-operating humidity beyond 10-90%, non-condensing. Doing so may damage the LaCie device or disfigure its casing.
WARRANTY INFORMATION LaCie offers first-rate service and support through our generous three-tiered warranty policy. Our 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year policies include comprehensive, complimentary web-based resources, expert in-house technical support, and worldwide repair and/or replacement coverage. To benefit from this warranty, please contact LaCie Support at www.lacie.com/us/support where you can find online support and contact information.
EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE, ALL PRODUCTS ARE SOLD “AS IS” AND LACIE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Read carefully all information related to warranty and precautions of use of your new LaCie product in the user manual. For products purchased in the United States, you may contact LaCie at 22985 NW Evergreen Parkway, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124. Email: sales@lacie.com. Website: www.lacie.com. Customer service: 503-844-4503. Service DOA On rare occasions, a newly purchased LaCie product may be delivered in non-working order.
LEGAL INFORMATION COPYRIGHTS Copyright © 2012 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. CHANGES The material in this document is for information only and subject to change without notice.
firmware programmed at the factory to match the intended destination. The firmware setting is not accessible by the end user. WEEE This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product must not be disposed of with your other household waste. Instead, it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designed collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
