Seagate 2

How to manually move your data to the drive in
Windows:
Drag and drop
Here we will discuss dragging a piece of data from the (My) Documents folder to the external drive.
This exercise can be repeated with one file, many files, one folder, or many folders.
1. First, open one window by double-clicking on (My) Computer/This PC.

2. If the upper right-hand corner of the window that opens includes this symbol ( ), click it.
It will change to this symbol: .
3. Now you can resize it. Move your mouse to a corner of the window.
4. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the corner of the window.
5. Move the mouse, still holding down the button, and the window corner will move with your
mouse. Resize it so that it only takes up a portion of your screen.
6. Look for the Seagate Expansion drive in (My) Computer/This PC. It will be a drive letter, like E:
or F: (unless you have changed it). Open (My) Documents by double-clicking on it.
7. Resize the window in the same way, so that each window takes up only a portion of the screen.
8. Now you will have two windows. One is the source, one is the destination.
(Click to expand the image.)
9. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the document you want to move. It will illuminate and
a "ghost" image will move with your mouse button.
10. Drag the mouse so that the "ghost" image hovers over the icon representing the external drive (in
this example, the V: drive).
11. Let go of the mouse button and the file will copy automatically to the external drive.
12. Double-click on the external drive’s letter.
13. The contents of the external drive will display in the window.
14. The task is complete! This is known as a "drag-and-drop" action.
Copy and Paste
1. Double-click to open the place where the file you want to copy is located. (My) Documents, for
example.
2. Find the file or folder you would like to copy and right-click on it.
3. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose Copy.
4. The file or folder is now copied and held in the computer's short-term memory.
5. Double-click to open (My) Computer/This PC.
6. Look for the Seagate Expansion drive in (My) Computer/This PC. It will be a drive letter, like E:
or F: (unless you have changed it). Double-click on the external drive.
7. The window will change to a display of the contents of the external drive.
8. On the top bar of the window, choose Edit.
Alternatively, you may right-click on blank space within the window and a drop-down menu will
appear.
9. Choose Paste.
10. The file or folder will appear inside the window. It is copied.
11. The task is complete! This is known as a "copy-and-paste" action.
How to defragment a hard drive in
Windows
Instructions for using the disk defragmentation tool in Windows.
Here are instructions to perform a Disk Defragmenter from Windows. The Disk Defragmenter is a
tool that reorganizes and regroups data to help improve the performance of the computer and is
beneficial to optimize the performance of the external hard drives.
1. On the keyboard, press the Windows Key ( )+E
2. Once the (MY) Computer / This PC is open, hover over the drive you want to perform the
Defragmentation and right-click on the Seagate drive.
3. Click on Properties
4. Click on Tools
5. Click on Defragment now (Optimize in Windows 8/8.1/10)
6. To determine if the disk needs defragmentation, select Analyze disk.

Note: If the percentage is above 10 %, the defragmentation is needed.

7. To start the defragmentation, click on Defragment disk
8. Click Close when it is concluded.
Volume Status shows disk as 'EISA

Configuration'
Troubleshooting in case a drive is not listed under My Computer but is detected in Disk
Management as a healthy volume, with EISA configuration.
If a drive is not being listed under Windows Explorer but is showing up in the Disk
Management as a healthy volume, but with EISA configuration, Disk Management will not
allow you to format/partition/initialize the volume in question.
This indicates that Windows XP is recognizing the drive as an OEM volume. The drive needs
to be erased, but there are varying methods, depending on the drive type, to be used to
accomplish that. The drive must be erased before it can be re-initialized and
partitioned/formatted.
Here are the ways to erase a drive in this situation:

 For internal ATA/IDE, SATA, and SCSI drives, please use SeaTools for DOS. It includes
a zero-fill feature, and once the zero-fill has been accomplished (the quick version should
be fine), you can reformat the drive using Windows Disk Management.
 For OneTouch 4 drives, you may use the Maxtor Manager to erase the drive.
See Document ID: 200231 for guidance.
 For OneTouch, OneTouch 2, OneTouch 3, and OneTouch 3 mini drives, you may use the
OneTouch Manager to erase the drive.
 For Seagate Pocket Drives, please use the Toolkit software to Reset to Factory Default. If
you need the software, you may download it here.
 For all other external drives, such as:
 Seagate FreeAgent
Seagate pushbutton external
 Seagate external
 Seagate Portable, and
 Maxtor Personal Storage drives,
first please try to reformat the drive using Windows Disk Management in a second PC or
Disk Utility in a Mac.
 If that fails, you can use DiscWizard to erase your external drive.

 If that fails, you can use the Windows diskpart command-line utility. The following
procedure provides the steps for cleaning an EISA partition from a hard disk drive
connected to an existing Windows XP (or newer), 32-bit operating system.
Note: This is a data destructive process. This procedure not only removes the drive's
partition, but also removes the Drive Signature. It is highly recommended that you
backup any/all critical data on the drive before proceeding.
Warning: You must open Disk Management and document the Disk Number of the
drive containing the EISA partition, as you will need this information later in the
procedure.
1. Determine the disknumber assigned to the EISA-protected drive.

1. Right-click on (My) Computer.
2. Choose Manage.
3. Select Disk Management (listed under Storage).
4. Look for the drive that is identified as EISA (or GPT, which is similar) and note
the Disk number (such as Disk 1).
2. Open a Command Window. From the command prompt, type diskpart and
press enter. The diskpart prompt will open.
3. From the diskpart prompt, type list disk and press enter. A list of disks will appear in
a text format. You will return to the diskpart prompt.
4. From the diskpart prompt, type select disk disknumber (for instance, if the disk

containing the EISA partition is Disk 2, you would type select disk 2)and press enter.
A message appears saying that the disk is selected. You will return to the diskpart
prompt.
5. From the diskpart prompt, type clean and press enter. At this point the drive's
partition and signature a removed. You will return to the diskpart prompt.
6. From the diskpart prompt, type exit and press enter. Type exit once more to close the
Command Window.
At this point, the internal and/or external drive can be re-initialized, partitioned and
formatted. Launch Disk Management, and to initialize the disk:
 Use the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard...
-OR-
 Close the Wizard, right-click on the disk in question and select Initialize Disk from
the drop-down menu.
Once the drive is initialized, continue using Disk Management to partition and format the
drive.
OneTouch 4 / SentrySafe DrivePass -
Erasing Your Drive for Windows
Flash and text tutorial for erasing your OneTouch 4 in the event that the DrivePass
Password is lost/forgotten.
The following provides you with the steps necessary for erasing your OneTouch 4 in
the event that the DrivePass Password is lost/forgotten. This process assume that:
 You have your locked, OneTouch 4 drive connected to your computer.

 You failed to unlock the drive with the DrivePass password
 You failed to unlock the drive using the answer to the Security Question
Procedure:
1. From the Unlock Drive window, click on the Forgot Password button. The Forgot
Password window opens.This window notifies you that in order to access the drive
again, it must be erased.
2. Click on the OK button. Close the Unlock Drive window.
3. Double-click the Maxtor Manager icon on your Windows Desktop. The Maxtor Manager
will open.
Note: The drive is listed as LOCKED.
4. Click Security. The Security window opens.
5. Click DrivePass. The Manage DrivePass window opens.
6. Click on the Erase Maxtor OneTouch button. A warning window opens notifying you
that all data will be permanently erased.
7. Click on the Confirm button. The DrivePass: Erase Maxtor Drive window opens.
8. Click on the YES button to start the erase process.
9. At this point, the Erase starts. This process may take up to several hours depending on
the capacity of your OneTouch 4 drive. When finished, the DrivePass: Erase Maxtor
OneTouch window opens informing you that the drive has been erased.
Formatting the OneTouch 4 Drive:
1. Disconnect the OneTouch 4 Drive from your computer.

2. After about a minute, Re-connect the OneTouch 4 Drive to your computer. The Format
Maxtor OneTouch window opens.
3. Click on the Format button. A second, Format Maxtor OneTouch window opens asking
you to confirm your selection.
4. Click on the Format button. At this point, you OneTouch 4 drive is partitioned and
formatted. The Formatting Complete window opens.
5. Click on the OK button.
Optional - Copying OneTouch 4 Installation Files back to the OneTouch 4:
This is a best practice in the event that you wish to install the OneTouch 4 software
on a second system. Use normal Windows Copy & Paste (Drag and Drop) methods
for copying the data. Refer to your Operating System documentation for copying
procedure or view the Video Tutorials below for options.
OneTouch 4 Video Tutorial: Erasing Your Drive for Windows
Disabling the Write Cache feature in

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and
Windows 7
Explains the advantages of enabling the write cache for Windows on an external drive.
Windows 2000 Professional / Server, Windows XP Home / Professional, Windows Vista and
Windows 7 have a nifty little feature called write caching buried within the depths of
property tabs. Normally, this type of feature is used with SCSI drives in server applications to
provide greater data integrity.
When drives employ write-back cache, any interruption of power to the drive or system may
cause lost or corrupted data because the drive does not have time to write the cached data to
the disk before the power is lost. However, when write cache is turned off, drive performance
slows down.
Procedure:
1. In Windows Vista / 7, click on the Start button, then right-click on Computer and

select Manage. In Windows XP or 2000, right-click on My Computer and
select Manage.
2. On the left-hand side of the Computer Management window, click on Device Manager.
3. On the right-hand side, expand Disk Drives.
4. Right-click on the hard drive model and select Properties.
5. In Windows 7, Vista, or XP, click on the Policies tab. In Windows 2000, click on
the Disk Properties tab.
6. In Windows 7, Vista, or XP, click on the check box next to Enable write caching on the
disk to clear it. In Windows 2000, click on the check box next to Write Cache
Enable to clear it.
7. Click on the OK button to accept your settings.
Additionally for external hard drives, choose "Optimize for Quick Removal" in the Policies
tab in Windows Vista and XP, or un-check the "Write Cache Enable" box in the Disk
Properties tab in Windows 2000, which amounts to the same thing and can help prevent
corrupt partitions or data loss due to an unexpected external hard drive disconnection.
The default for this feature is checked or enabled. If you need to slow your hard
drive down to resolve issues such as timing problems, have ongoing unexpected system
shutdowns or disconnections due to power outages or other, it is recommended that you
disable the write-caching feature.
How to use an external drive without

any special software
Learn how to store and access data on your internal or external drive without the aid of any
backup software, using Windows' simple interface.
Many, even most, Seagate, Maxtor and Samsung external drives are sold with bundled
backup and management software.
However, in some cases it is not possible to use such software. A few examples are:
1. A user has lost or uninstalled their software and needs a temporary (or permanent) means
of using the external drive to backup data.
2. A user's bundled backup software is malfunctioning for a period of time.
3. A user prefers to backup data manually.
4. The drive did not include any bundled backup software.
5. The user is using the drive for additional storage and has an alternate method of backing
up.
6. Older external drive’s bundled software may not be supported in Windows 8, Windows 7
or Vista or a newer version of the MacOS.

Every model of Seagate, Maxtor-brand, and Samsung external drive has a ready-to-use
formatting already in place. In Windows, there is no need to do anything special or
additional to make the drive work. Simply plug in the power, plug in
the USB/Firewire/eSATA cable, and the drive should appear in (My) Computer and
Windows Explorer almost immediately.
Once it is detected, all you have to do is move data into it. There are 2 general ways to do
this:
1. Drag and drop

2. Copy and paste
(Windows 8 has an additional option called File History. See this Microsoft article for

details.)
Here is how to perform those actions on a Windows computer :

Drag and drop
Here we will discuss dragging a piece of data from the (My) Documents folder to the external
drive. This exercise can be repeated with one file, many files, one folder, or many folders.
1. First, open one window by double-clicking on (My) Computer.
2. If the upper right-hand corner of the window that opens includes this symbol ( ), click
it.
It will change to this symbol: .
3. Now you can resize it. Move your mouse to a corner of the window.
4. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the corner of the window.
5. Move the mouse, still holding down the button, and the window corner will move with
your mouse. Resize it so that it only takes up a portion of your screen.
6. Look for the Seagate, Maxtor, or Samsung external drive in (My) Computer. It will be a
drive letter, like E: or F: (unless you have changed it). Open (My) Documents by double-
clicking on it.
7. Resize the window in the same way, so that each window takes up only a portion of the
screen.
8. Now you will have two windows. One is the source, one is the destination.
9. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the document you want to move. It will
illuminate and a "ghost" image will move with your mouse button.
10. Drag the mouse so that the "ghost" image hovers over the icon representing the external
drive (in this example, the V: drive).
11. Let go of the mouse button and the file will copy automatically to the external drive.
12. Double-click on the external drive’s letter.

Double-clicking sometimes causes Autoplay on our newer drives.
Right-click on the external drive letter and choose Explore.
13. The contents of the external drive will display on the window.

Copy and Paste
1. Double-click to open the place where the file you want to copy is located. (My)
Documents, for example.
4. The file or folder is now copied and held in the computer's short-term memory.
5. Double-click to open (My) Computer.
6. Look for the Seagate, Maxtor, or Samsung external drive in (My) Computer. It will be a
drive letter, like E: or F: (unless you have changed it). Double-click on the external
drive.
8. On the top bar of the window, choose Edit.

Alternatively, you may right-click on blank space within the window and a drop-down
menu will appear.
9. Choose Paste.
How to perform these actions on a Mac computer :
Drag and Drop :
1. Make sure your drive is formatted for the Mac or that the needed driver has been installed
on your computer. As a rule of thumb, drives with the "for Mac" suffix in the drive's
name will be already formatted for use with a Mac computer. Examples : Free Agent
Go for Mac, Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac. Other family of drives will be
versatile and allow you usage on both a Mac and a PC. The "GoFlex" and "Plus" families
are such drives. Examples : Backup Plus Desktop, FreeAgent GoFlex Portable. These
drives come preloaded with a little driver you need to install to ensure proper usage with
the Mac computer. On such drives, locate the MacInstaller.dmg file on the drive and
install it to your computer. This will allow you to transfer data to the drive properly.
2. Once the drive is ready for use, make sure you can locate it on your computer's desktop.
3. Once you can see the drive, open up a Finder window and navigate to where you have
the data you wish to drag and drop. If the Finder window opens on top of the drive's
icon, move the Finder window around so you can see both your data inside the Finder
window, as well as the drive's icon on the desktop.
4. Navigate to where the file/folder you wish to move over to your drive is located at. For
example, if you are trying to copy some documents, then you would go
under Favorites in Finder, and then Documents.
5. Left-click and hold the file/folder you wish to move to your drive. While still holding the
button, slide your mouse so the cursor points over the Seagate drive. Let go of the mouse
button to have the file/folder to move inside the drive. Note : If you hold the button
while having the cursor over the Seagate drive, the drive's window will open after a few
seconds. This is useful in case you want to put the file/folder into a specific folder
already located on the drive.
Copy and Paste :
1. Make sure your drive is formatted for the Mac or that the needed driver has been installed
on your computer. As a rule of thumb, drives with the "for Mac" suffix in the drive's
name will be already formatted for use with a Mac computer. Examples : Free Agent
Go for Mac, Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac. Other family of drives will be
versatile and allow you usage on both a Mac and a PC. The "GoFlex" and "Plus" families
are such drives. Examples : Backup Plus Desktop, FreeAgent GoFlex Portable. These
drives come preloaded with a little driver you need to install to ensure proper usage with
the Mac computer. On such drives, locate the MacInstaller.dmg file on the drive and
install it to your computer. This will allow you to transfer data to the drive properly.
2. Once the drive is ready for use, make sure you can locate it on your computer's desktop.
3. Once you can see the drive, open up a Finder window and navigate to where you have
the data you wish to drag and drop. If the Finder window opens on top of the drive's
icon, move the Finder window around so you can see both your data inside the Finder
window, as well as the drive's icon on the desktop.
4. Right-click or Command-click the file or folder you want to copy inside the Seagate drive
and choose Copy "name of the file or folder you clicked on".
5. Open the Seagate drive from its icon on the desktop. Right-click or command-click into
an empty area of the drive, and choose Paste Item. Your file or folder will now be
copied over inside the Seagate drive.
With either of these two methods, there is no need to use any special software to make use of
the drive's storage. You just move your data to it manually, and nothing more needs to be
done.
Though any external drive can be used apart from its bundled software, certain Seagate,
Maxtor, and Samsung drives are not sold with bundled software. Here is a list of them.
Drive image Drive name
FreeAgent Go for Mac (this drive is designed to be used with Mac

Time Machine)
FreeAgent Desk for Mac (this drive is designed to be used with Mac
Time Machine)
Seagate Desktop External drive
Seagate Portable External drive
Maxtor Basics
FreeAgent Desktop
Maxtor Personal Storage Family
Seagate External Drive
Seagate Portable Drive (most models)
Seagate Compact Flash Photo drive
What happens when I connect my

external drive for the first time?
What to expect when you first connect a Seagate, Samsung-brand, or Maxtor-brand external drive to
your Windows or Mac computer.Here is what to expect when you connect and turn on your external
USB or Thunderbolt drive in Windows or MacOS.
Windows:
1. The drive will appear as a drive letter in (My) Computer / This PC (ie: E:, F:, or some
other letter) within approximately 30 seconds of connecting and turning on the drive.
2. Often the AutoPlay window will appear within 30 seconds.
Note: When the drive is connected on Windows 8 / 10 the drive’s folder opens automatically.
3. You can click on "Open Folder to View Files Using Windows Explorer" to open the
drive, or click on the drive letter in Computer.
4. Then you can simply copy-and-paste data , or drag-and-drop data, into the drive

for starters.
5. The drive is now functioning normally. Use it manually and/or launch/install the

software bundled with your drive.

To copy and paste a file/folder on Windows:

1. Navigate to the file you want to copy. (My) Documents, for example.

Note: The file or folder is now copied and held in the computer's short-term memory.

4. Open the location where you want to store the copy. Your Seagate external drive, for
example.
6. Right-click on blank space within the window and a drop-down menu will appear.
7. Choose Paste.
Note: To copy and paste files you may also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C
(Copy) and Ctrl+V (Paste). This function is available for files and/or folders.

To Drag and drop files/folders on Windows:

1. First, open the source of where you want to drag the file from and leave the window
open.
2. Now open the destination where you want to drop the file and leave the window open.
Note: opening the two windows side by side will help you to drag and drop from one to the
other.
3. Now that you have two windows. One is the source, one is the destination.
4. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the document you want to move. It will
illuminate and a "ghost" image will move with your mouse button.
5. Drag the mouse so that the "ghost" image hovers over to the destination.
6. Let go of the mouse button and the file will copy automatically.
How to update USB drivers in

Windows
Tips and tricks for forcing Windows to update or reinstall its USB drivers.
For the purposes of Seagate external hard drives, drivers are defined as:

The software that governs the interactions between the external drive, the computer hardware,
and Windows.
Sometimes Windows' and your motherboard's drivers get corrupted, lost track of, or outdated,
so you have to update them. Corrupted or outdated drivers can result in error messages,
strange behavior, and decreased performance.
Please follow these steps to update your drivers:
1. We recommend you update Windows to the latest Service Pack.

You must have Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or above installed to be able to
update your USB drivers.
2. Search for updated USB drivers at your computer manufacturer or motherboard
manufacturer website.
If you have a Dell PC, go to Dell's site and search for USB drivers and/or something
similar. If you have an HP, do the same at HP's website.
If your computer is not an "out of the box" ready-made computer like one of these name
brands, check your motherboard's (or USB controller's) user manual for its specifications
and brand. Then, go to that manufacturer's website to look for updated USB drivers.
3. If these steps fail or are unavailable, try forcing Windows to search for updated drivers.
Please follow the instructions in Document ID: 201235.
How to Cut and Paste/Copy and
Paste Data on Your Mac
This Article provides instructions on how to store and access data on your internal or external
drive without the aid of any backup software, using MacOS' simple interface
Cut and Paste: the act of moving files/folders from one place to another within a volume.
Copy and Paste: the facility to duplicate (copy) files/folders in a computer program and add
it to another place (folder, directory, volume, etc.)
There are many ways to copy files to your Mac; they range from File Menu/Copy and Paste,
right-click menu/copy and paste, and drag-and-drop, to keyboard commands. Please note that
whatever option used, it is all controlled by Mac OS. Please refer to your Macintosh
computer's documentation for various copy and paste methods or view the instructions below.
Cut and Paste instructions:
1. Open the location where the file/folder is stored and the location where you want the
file/folder to be copied to.
2. Select the item you want to Cut
3. Right click (control-click) on it
4. Select Cut from the menu
5. Right click inside the location where you want to save the file
6. Select Paste from the menu
Faster method of Cut and Paste:
1. Select the item you want to Cut
2. Hold down the Command key (⌘) and press ( X )
3. Inside the location where you want to save the file, hold down the Command
key (⌘) and press (V).
Copy and Paste instructions:
1. Open the location where the file/folder is stored and the location where you want the
file/folder to be copied to.
2. Select the item you want to Copy
3. Right click (control-click) on it
4. Select Copy from the menu
5. Right click inside the location where you want to save the file
6. Select Paste from the menu
Faster method of Copy and Paste:
1. Select the item you want to Copy
2. Hold down the Command key (⌘) and press ( C )
3. Inside the location where you want to save the file, hold down the Command
key (⌘) and press (V).
The Device Manager displays a

yellow ! icon next to my external
drive
Troubleshooting when Windows Device Manager displays a yellow ! icon next to an external
drive or marks it as an Unknown Device.
It is always a good idea first to check Windows Disk Management before the Device
Manager.
2. Click on Manage.
3. Choose Disk Management from the left column.
4. Try to find the external drive in the lower window. It should be "Disk 1" or some other
number (but not Disk 0).
5. If it is displayed there, you can troubleshoot it inside the Disk Management (for Windows
Vista/7). If not, continue on.
6. Then choose Device Manager from the left column.
7. Choose Disk drives.

8. If the drive is not seen there, check under Universal Serial Bus Controllers (if the drive is
connected via USB). The drive should appear as a USB Mass Storage Device.
9. If a yellow ! icon is displayed next to it, double-click on the drive.
10. A Properties window will appear and will probably say "This device is not working
properly" and will give either (Code 28) or (Code 10).
11. If Code 10 appears, the drive has most probably failed. Verify by trying the drive with
another USB cable or port, or on another computer.
If the drive does not work on the 2nd computer, the drive is probably defective. You can
begin a replacement request at our Warranty Services Page.
12. If Code 28 appears, you will need to test the drive on another computer.
13. If the drive functions correctly on another computer, the Windows USB drivers are
corrupted or missing. You will need to try to reload the USB drivers for the operating
system by inserting your Windows install CD, rebooting, and attempting a
Repair/Restore.
This can be dangerous to your data and you should disconnect your external
drive before attempting this.
If the drive does not function correctly on the 2nd computer, it is probably defective. You
can begin a warranty replacement at our Warranty Services Page.
For Vista and Windows 7 Only: If the drive works fine on another computer, there are a
few steps to follow while the drive is connected to the original computer:
14.
1. Right-click on Computer and choose Manage.
2. Double-click on the Device Manager.
3. The device will usually appear under "Other Devices" or "Unknown Devices"; right-
click on it and choose Uninstall.
4. Once it has disappeared from the Device Manager, disconnect the device.
5. Open a Windows Explorer window (right-click on Start > Explore).
6. In the address bar, type c:\windows\inf and press Enter. For Windows 7 type c:\
windows\system32\driverstore and press Enter.
7. Delete the file INFCACHE.1.
8. If you get an error when trying to delete this file, try the following steps:
1. Right-click on INFCACHE.1.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Click Edit to edit permissions.
5. Click Add to add Group or User name.
6. Click on the user name under which you are currently logged in.
7. Click on the Full Control box in the lower permissions section, then click OK.
8. Delete the file.
9. Reboot and reconnect the drive. The file should be rebuilt, correcting the
problem.
10. If that fails, you will need to try to reload the USB drivers for the operating
system by inserting your Vista install CD, rebooting, and attempting a
Repair/Restore.
This can be dangerous to your data and you should disconnect your
external drive before attempting this.
USB External Troubleshooter

There are several reasons why an external hard drive may not be accessible or
detected when you connect it to your computer.
While it is possible that your external hard drive may have come with bundled
software that may be incompatible with newer operating systems, this is typically
just ‘back up’ software, and the drive is not dependent on that software to function.
The external hard drive itself, under normal circumstances, should be
detected by your operating system, without the need of drivers, software, or
firmware updates.
If your external hard drive is not accessible please try these basic troubleshooting
steps first.
Basic hardware troubleshooting steps:
 Try connecting the drive to a different port on the computer.

 If possible, try using a different cable.
 Try using the drive on a different computer.
 Verify the drive light is on. Desktop Drives typically require a power adapter.
No light could indicate the power adapter is not connected to power.
 Try a different power outlet. (Desktop Drives)
 If using a surge protector or power strip, plug the power adapter directly into
the wall outlet instead.(Desktop Drives)
For advanced troubleshooting steps select your operating system:

Windows
Check both Device Manager and Disk Management in the Computer
Management console:
Steps:
 On your keyboard, hold the Windows Key ( ) down and press R.

 Type compmgmt.msc into to the run box.
 Click on Device Manager on the left.
 First check the Disk Drives section in the middle window by double-clicking it.
 Look for your drive name. If you see the drive is detected here continue
reading. If not, click here.
 Right click on your external drive listed under Disk Drives.
 Click on Properties.
 Click on the “Volumes” tab.
 Click on Populate.
 Document the disk number provided in this window (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc…).
 Now click on Disk Management on the left hand side. This will allow us to
view the drive’s health.
 In the middle towards the bottom locate the disk number from earlier.
Once you have located the drive you will want to look for the following:
Does it show RAW or Unallocated? Either of these indicates a possible issue with
the drive’s formatting.
If the drive shows as RAW or Unallocated and you have already tried a different
port, cable, and computer but you need the data, then you will want to
consider data recovery.
If you do not need any data from the drive, you should be able to reformat the
drive to restore accessibility. Read our How To Format Your Drive article for
instructions on the process. WARNING: Formatting erases all data on the
drive.

If the drive is formatted correctly for Windows you should see the following
information:
 NTFS - If NTFS is missing then the file system has become corrupted. You can
format the drive if you don’t need the data.
 Capacity - Check to see if the drive is correct, for example if you have a 1TB
drive it should say 931GB.
 Drive letter - Verify that the drive has a drive letter. If it is missing, verify that
other drives have a letter. If other drives have a letter but the external is missing
then you can right-click and select change drive letter or path.
 Click Add then assign a letter and OK.
Drive not detected troubleshooting:

If the drive was not detected under Disk Drives then check the following:
 Within Device Manager look for any entries called unknown device, other

device, or mass storage device with a yellow ! icon. Important - Make sure to
expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section so you can see entries
there as well.
 If you see an unknown device or other device then right-click on it and
select properties.
 Under the general tab locate ‘Device Status’ and there may be an error code.
 You may see a code 10 or 28.
If you see Code 10 and have already tried another cable and computer then the
drive has probably failed.
If you need the data on the drive, then you will want to consider data recovery.
If you do not need the data and the drive is still within warranty, you will want to
have the drive replaced. Visit the Warranty and Replacements section on
Seagate.com for further details.
If you see Code 28 (this may work for others codes too, ie Code 43) then try the
following:
 Close the window with the code.

 Right-click on the device with the issue and select uninstall.
 Shut the computer down and disconnect the drive.
 Reboot with the drive disconnected.
 Once the computer is booted, plug the drive into a different port.
 You should see that Windows is installing device drivers.
 Once the driver loads, check to see if it is giving the same Code.
Note: If that fails, you will need to try to reload the USB drivers for the operating
system by inserting your Windows Media, rebooting, and attempting a
Repair/Restore.
Warning: This can be dangerous to your data and you should disconnect your
external drive before attempting this.
The light on my external drive is

blinking. What does it mean?
Troubleshooting and links for when the light or LED on your external drive is blinking.The
behavior of the light (or LED) on your external drive can vary in meaning depending on the
drive model. This article will provide numerous useful links for checking and troubleshooting
this behavior.
If your external drive's LED behavior has recently changed (and particularly if the drive is no
longer detected or has changed the way it interacts with your computer), begin
troubleshooting by following these steps:
1. Make sure the computer and external hard drive are powered on.
2. Safely remove the drive from the computer (if possible).
3. Disconnect the external drive's USB or FireWire cable.
4. Disconnect the power supply plug from the external drive.
5. Power off the computer.
6. Disconnect the computer's power supply cord for 60 seconds.
7. Reconnect the computer.
8. Power on the computer.
9. Connect the power supply to the external drive.
10. Connect the drive's USB or FireWire cable and check for detection.
If that does not correct the behavior, and if the drive is also not detected by your computer,
the blinking light is probably a symptom of a larger problem. If those steps do not return the
drive to correct function, it is very possible, even probable, that the drive has failed and needs
to be replaced - see our Warranty page to check the warranty.
My second external drive isn't

detected in Windows
Sometimes only one of two external (ie, GoFlex, Backup Plus) drives mounts with a drive
letter when connected to Windows. This article explains.
Sometimes only one of two external (ie, GoFlex, Backup Plus) drives mounts with a drive
letter when connected to Windows.
This is caused if two drives have the same drive signature, which can occur when drives are
setup in a mass production environment or when they are cloned.
The issue can be quickly fixed by forcing the drive on-line. To force a drive online in
Windows:
1. Press Windows key ( ) + R.

2. In the run box type diskmgmt.msc
3. On the right, scroll down so you can see your external drives.
4. You will notice that the 1st external drive is Online.
5. You will notice that the other external drive is Offline.
6. Right-click on Offline (in the grey area of the box) and choose Online from the menu.
The drive should show in Computer (Window Explorer) in a few seconds.
Hard Disks Do Not Turn Off After

Your Computer Has Been Idle
When your Windows 2000/XP/Vista-based computer has been idle for an amount of time that
is sufficient to make your hard disk turn off, your hard disk may not turn off. This article
explains.
When your Windows 2000/XP/Vista-based computer has been idle for an amount of time that
is sufficient to make your hard disk turn off, your hard disk may not turn off. For example,
even though your Turn off hard disk setting is set to 3 minutes, your hard disk might not turn
off until your computer has been on and idle for 15 to 20 minutes.
For information about disk activity and the MacOS see Apple support article 303698 "Mac
OS X: Why your Mac might not sleep or stay in sleep mode".
This behavior can be caused if any disk activity occurs, whether it is caused by user input or
system tasks. Disk activity of any type resets the hard disk idle timer, and this can increase
the amount of time it takes for your hard disk to turn off.
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 is designed to automatically perform maintenance tasks to
improve performance and reliability. When your computer is on AC power and is idle,
system maintenance tasks may be able to run for a few minutes. These system maintenance
tasks include disk-layout optimization to improve performance and preparing automatic
system restoration points to increase reliability. Typically, these tasks occur the first time you
leave your computer idle after you start it. These tasks ensure that the system maintains its
performance and reliability even after long use. Because these tasks involve reading and
writing to the hard disk, the hard disk idle time is reset regularly during this maintenance
period.
There are other items that can reset the hard disk idle timer. These items can include:
 Paging operations.
 Windows Update checking the system state.
 Event logging.
 Network detection such as DHCP or Autonet.
 Third-party services such as quota software or an antivirus program.
 Scheduled tasks.
 The loading of services or drivers.
When these items either read from or write to the hard disk, the hard disk idle timer is reset.
This behavior is by design.
You can use the Power Options tool in Control Panel to configure your computer to turn off
hard disks after your computer has been idle for a specified amount of time.
Windows will not allow me to safely

remove my drive. It keeps reporting
the drive is busy or in use
When you cannot safely remove a drive successfully, the cause is usually a program that is
trying to read from the drive. This article explains.

It is always considered a safe removal to shut down/reboot the computer and turn
off/disconnect the drive while the computer's power is down, but that is not always a
convenient solution. This document will explore several possible resolutions for the problem.
Step 1: Try the drive on another computer so as to attempt to isolate the problem. If the
problem does not repeat itself on the second computer, then it might well be system-related.
If the problem follows the drive, then continue troubleshooting.
Step 2: A process that can hold up the drive is explorer.exe. This is because of the Windows
Recycle Bin.
The Recycle Bin may need to be disabled.
1. Right-click on the Recycle Bin on the desktop.

2. Select Properties.
3. Select the Global tab.
4. Select Configure drives independently (instead of Use one setting for all drives).
5. Select the USB drive letter tab on the top.
6. Put a check in the Do not move files to the Recycle Bin checkbox.
7. Click OK.
Disabling the Recycle Bin will cause deleted files to be permanently deleted

immediately.
This option may not be available in Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Step 3: If you have Norton System Works installed, the Safely Remove Hardware icon in
the System Tray will not work with the external drive because of the Norton Protected
Recycle Bin. If your Windows Recycle bin on the desktop has an "N" with a shield, then
Norton is running a special software on your system.
This is a known issue.
Step 4: Other software like antivirus programs, or any programs or image files that remain
open on the drive (even Windows Explorer if its window is open and displaying the contents
of the external drive) can prevent safe removal. Close all programs and any open files or
windows displaying the drive contents and attempt to remove the drive again.
Step 5: In Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, please follow these directions:

2. Select Manage.
3. Select Device Manager.
4. Open Disk Drives.
5. Double-click on the hard drive's model number.
6. Go to the Policies tab.
7. Check whether the drive is set to Optimize for Quick Removal.
If so, the hard drive does not need to be Safely Removed manually from the system. Just turn
off the hard drive or disconnect it at your convenience whenever the hard drive is not busy
transferring data.
This way there is only a slim chance that the partition will be corrupted by a removal. This
carries no risk for the drive hardware, but it does put your data at a small risk.
Please remember that you would be very unwise to put yourself in a situation where
that is a concern for you. If this drive were to experience a sudden mechanical
or electronic failure or if it should fall, or if the drive's partition should become corrupted,
your data could be lost and data recovery is very expensive. Remember that this is
a backup drive, and a backup is defined as "a second copy of data in a second storage
media".
Whether on a second external hard drive, a CD or DVD, an internal hard drive, a network
hard drive, or tape, make a 2nd copy of your data today and keep it.
If not, please continue.
Step 6: If the Windows Media Player Library is configured to monitor a folder on the
external drive for new content it will not allow a Safe Remove.
Instructions may vary depending on the version of Media Player.
1. Open Media Player.

2. From the top menu, choose Tools, then Options.
3. Choose the Library tab.
4. Click the Monitor Folders button.
5. View the Advanced Options.
6. Remove items that point to the drive letter used by the external drive (ie, E: or F:).
Other multimedia applications may have similar issues if they automatically add new
music to their library by monitoring file locations, specifically on the external drive.
Step 7: If Windows Media Center is set to record shows, podcasts, etc. to the external drive,
Windows may not allow the removal of the external drive.
Step 8: If Windows Indexing Service is turned on, Windows may not allow the removal of
the external drive, since it causes Windows to constantly watch the drive.
For Windows 7/Vista:
1. Click the Windows start button in the bottom left of your screen. Select Control Panel,
and then Programs and Features.
2. Select Turn Windows features on or off.
3. Confirm that the Indexing Service is unchecked. If it is checked, uncheck it and

click OK.
4. Double-click on Computer to open it, then right-click on the external drive's drive letter
(for example, E:) and select Properties.
5. Uncheck the Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file
properties box.
6. Then retry the Safe Removal.
Windows has stopped this device

because it has reported problems
(Code 43)
Explains why code 43 occurs, which means Windows has lost communication with the drive
or the driver has crashed.Sometimes you may see this error message: Windows has stopped
this device because it has reported problems (Code 43).
This usually means that the driver (which does NOT come from Seagate; this driver comes
from Windows) has lost communication with the drive or the driver has crashed.
To resolve this problem, please follow this procedure:

Desktop:
 If you are using a desktop computer, connect the drive directly to the back of your
computer.
Note: Is best not connect the drive to the front ports of your computer, on a USB hub or a
switch.
 Try again
Notebook:
 For notebook computers, simply try all the different USB ports available.
 Replace the USB cable and try again.
Other available steps:
1. Run diagnostics on the drive. If the drive fails the diagnostics, replace it.
 Test the drive with SeaTools for Windows.
 Run checkdisk on the drive.
2. Update your computer's USB drivers. See Document ID: 218931 for instructions.
If the drive functions properly when directly connected to the computer but not when
connected via a USB hub, and if you need to use a hub, try a powered USB hub, which may
allow the drive to operate better.
You may also try connecting only the drive to the USB hub, then reconnecting your other
devices one at a time to narrow down where the problem lies.
How to use the Windows Disk Error

Checking feature on an external
drive
Details the proper procedures for running the Microsoft Windows 8/7/Vista/XP/2000 error-
checking utility called "CheckDisk".
Hard disk drive data integrity is always on the minds of end users. This document
details the preferred procedure for performing the Microsoft Windows error-checking
utility known as checkdisk.
1. Windows 8: Press Windows key ( ) + X.

Windows 7/Vista/XP: Right-click on (My) Computer and select Manage.
2. Select Disk Management.
3. In the bottom window, right-click on the partition box, which is found to the right of the
box containing the Disk number (ie, Disk 1).
4. In the dropdown menu, select Properties.

5. In the Properties menu, select the Tools tab.
6. Select Check now...
Command-Line Procedure:
To execute CHKDSK:
1. Windows 8: Press Windows key ( ) + X, then select Command Prompt (Admin).

Windows 7/Vista:
1. Click on the Start menu.
2. In the Search programs and files field, type:
cmd
and press Enter.
Windows XP:
3. Click on the Start menu.

4. Select Run...
5. In the Run window, type:
cmd
and press Enter.
2. From the window, type:
chkdsk x: /f
where x is the drive letter of the drive you want to test.
Drive reports 'write protected' or

'read only' when trying to save to or
delete from it
Discusses what to do if an external reports "Write Protected" when trying to save files onto it
or delete files from it.
A drive can sometimes report "Write Protected" when trying to save files onto it or delete
files from it.
This typically means that you have connected an external drive that is formatted with an
NTFS partition to a Mac computer. MacOS cannot write to NTFS partitions and so will often
indicate the drive is write-protected.
Seagate GoFlex and GoFlex for Mac drives include an NTFS driver that can make the drives
intercompatible between Mac and Windows, so that may be a good solution.
See Document ID: 214531 for more information.
For all other drives, please see Document ID: 207851 for instructions on reformatting the
drive in MacOS.
Reformatting the drive will ERASE ALL DATA on the drive. Please note that
Windows partitions (ie, NTFS partitions) and MacOS partitions are not easily compatible at
this time without special software, so using an external drive to transfer data between a
Windows computer and a MacOS computer can be difficult and sometimes dangerous to your
data.
Computer won't boot with USB drive

connected
Issues booting while a USB drive is connected is usually the result of a USB Device option
being enabled in the System BIOS' Boot Order or Boot Sequence.
Some of these steps require accessing the system’s BIOS. Please refer to the system or
motherboard manufacturer’s documentation for access and configuring options.
Here are some steps to try and resolve the issue:
 Check to see if the active flag is set to active on the partition. If it is then remove the
active flag using these instructions.
 Check the format of the drive. Some Seagate drives ship as exFAT for Window and Mac
compatibility. For some systems this may present issues. If using on Windows only, then
format the drive to NTFS. See how to format your drive here. If using exFAT is required,
try one of the other options listed.
 Disable Boot from USB devices in the BIOS
Note: Verbiage will vary from system to system
 Disable USB Legacy Support in the BIOS
Note: If you are using a USB mouse or Keyboard disabling legacy support may result
in those devices not functioning in Real mode (MS-DOS) or Safe Mode.
 Here are two Microsoft links that cover Disabling USB Legacy support
 Computer Hangs During Shutdown with USB Legacy Support Enabled in the BIOS
 USB Keyboard or Mouse May Not Work After You Restart Your Computer in MS-
DOS Mode
Some System BIOS' may not include the ability to disable USB devices from the Boot
Order/Boot Sequence. If this is the case, it is recommended that you disconnect the USB
External Drive from your system until the system’s operating system has fully booted; at
which time you can connect the USB Drive to your system.
My drive occasionally gives a $Mft
error.
$Mft errors usually indicate a corrupted partition. This article gives troubleshooting tips.
Unfortunately, $Mft errors usually indicate a corrupted partition.
Please follow these steps:
1. Troubleshoot the partition.

1. Backup the data on the drive (if it is not already backed up).
2. If this is not possible, use File Recovery for Windows to recover the data (if
necessary).
3. Once complete, or if the data was already backed up, use "chkdsk /f" to try to repair
the partition.
Also see Document ID: 184611 for more information.
2. These errors are also sometimes seen in conjunction with delayed write failures.
3. Confirm that the external drive you have is supported in the operating system you have.
For example, no external drives are supported in Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003
Server, or Windows 2008 Server. A drive connected to a Server computer like this might
indeed work for a while, even a great while. But often problems like the $Mft error occur.
So, use the external drive on a different, supported operating system.
See Document ID: 202393 - Seagate and Maxtor Compatibility Chart for Windows
Vista and Document ID: 211931 - Will my drive work with Windows 7?
4. This error sometimes means that the drive itself is failing.
Use Seatools for Windows or the drive's bundled diagnostic software to test it.
Optional diagnostic software tutorials:
 Seagate FreeAgent Pro

 Seagate FreeAgent Go
How fast should an external drive

be?
Some advice for correctly setting expectations for USB device performance.
Please see the below table to compare the maximum performance of each interface.
External drive Internal drive
USB 1.1 Up to 12 Mbits/sec UltraATA 100 Up to 100

Mbytes/sec
USB 2.0 Up to 480 Mbits/sec Serial ATA 1.5 Up to 1.5 Gbits/sec
USB 3.0 Up to 4.8 Gbits/sec SATA 3.0 Up to 3.0 Gbits/sec
SATA 6.0 Up to 6.0 Gbits/sec
1394a (Firewire Up to 400 Mbits/sec

400)
1394b (Firewire Up to 800 Mbits/sec Serial-Attached SCSI Up to 1.5, 3.0, 6.0,

800) (SAS) or
12.0 Gbits/sec

eSATA Up to 1.5 or 3.0

Gbits/sec
Thunderbolt Up to 10 Gbits/sec
Please note carefully not only the numbers, but also the units of measurement.
This table shows how much maximum total bandwidth is available per bus for each
technology. Advertised transfer rates are based on the fastest speed at which the drive can
send data back and forth across the cable (or bus) from the drive buffer.
Data transfer will go as fast as the slowest device or bus

As technology progresses and newer, faster interfaces are developed, a user can have a
collection of devices of varying interfaces, whose top speeds can vary widely. The computer
will move data during a given transfer as quickly as it can, taking into account the abilities of
all the devices involved in the transfer:
 the source disk

 the interface over which the data is moving
 the destination disk
It may be that the source disk is newer and can push data faster than the destination disk can
write it.
Example: Backing up the data contained on a Serial ATA 6.0 drive to an external drive
equipped with a USB 2.0 interface. The Serial ATA drive and interface are faster than USB
2.0, so the USB 2.0 drive and interface are the "bottleneck".
It may be that the destination disk and the interface can move and write data faster than the
source disk can send it.
Example: Backing up the data contained on a Serial ATA 3.0 drive to an external drive
equipped with a Thunderbolt interface. The Thunderbolt interface is faster than SATA 3.0, so
the SATA 3.0 drive and interface are the "bottleneck".
Burst transfer rate vs. Sustained transfer rate

Many hard drive users mistake the "burst transfer rate" in the table above for what they can
expect to see in real-world performance. This leads almost invariably to disappointment when
their USB external hard drive does not transfer data at 50 MB/sec or their SATA internal
drive at 300 MB/sec.
This is because no storage device will have all of this "potential" bandwidth available for data
transfers. Some of the bandwidth will be shared with other devices on the bus and some will
be consumed by commands and interface protocol overhead. Other limitations can include
the transfer rate that is possible given the bus (ie, USB, SATA, Thunderbolt).
It is also worth noting that poor or slow drive performance is usually caused by a system
configuration factor. It is very rare that poor performance is directly related to the
drive. In many cases, perceived poor drive performance is usually attributed to the results of
a benchmark test. Benchmark results are very system-dependent and the results can vary from
system to system. For this reason, Seagate cannot provide a single sustained transfer rate
specification for any drive.
Other Tips for Increasing Performance
 Try connecting USB external drives into the various USB ports on your computer and
experiment with data transfers via each port. It may be that some of the ports on the
computer use older USB hardware.
 For best performance, do not connect external drives to USB hubs, switches, or extension
cables.
 Defragment the disk drive (not for use with solid state drives).
The drive's partition can become fragmented in the course of normal usage. Running the
defrag utility in Windows can often improve the performance of a slow drive by
consolidating scattered files and data, making it easier to access more quickly.
 Run Seatools for Windows on the drive.
 Run checkdisk on the drive (not for use with solid state drives).
 Replace your USB cable with a known-good cable.
 Empty the recycle bin/trash can, especially if the drive has been used for a while. Old
data removed from the drive leaves behind a footprint on the drive, which can negatively
affect performance.
 Many computers have numerous programs running in the background that are occupying
system resources. Shut down some or many of the background programs.
Please consult Microsoft Support (for 8/7/Vista) (for XP) for directions on disabling
background programs at computer startup.
Please see this Microsoft Support article for directions on using the Windows Task
Manager to end processes.
 Boot to Safe Mode and try a data transfer to see if that increases the performance.
Can I backup multiple PCs to one

external drive?
Summary of the capability of software programs bundled with various Seagate external
drives to backup to multiple PCs.
Since many users have multiple PCs, it is important to protect key files on all of their
computers. Seagate recognizes this need and offers flexible solutions to users by allowing
them to protect multiple PCs with their backup drives.
Any external drive can backup as many computers as there is space on the external drive,
through any number of ways. See Document ID: 206419 for information on how to store
data on hard drives without the use of special software.
Many Seagate external and network drives include bundled backup software. However, to
keep the initial cost of the drive down, it may be necessary to purchase additional licenses in
some cases. See the chart below for details.
The ability to backup multiple PCs using a bundled software depends mostly on the software
licensing for the backup software and the operating systems of the PCs. Also, keep in mind
that significant capacity may be needed to store all the files from the various computers, so be
sure to purchase a drive large enough to handle your needs. A network solution such as the
Seagate GoFlex Home or BlackArmor NAS 400 Series would be a better solution if you need
to back up a large number of computers.
Drive and Can it backup

software multiple PCs? Notes
FreeAgent Yes, after Each drive includes one license for the Memeo
GoFlex, GoFlex purchasing backup software. To purchase additional licenses,
Desk, and GoFlex additional see:
Pro licenses
 Memeo Instant Backup
 Memeo Backup Premium
FreeAgent Goflex Yes, up to 3  Includes Memeo Backup software.

Home PC and Mac  Also compatible with MacOS Time Machine.
computers
Seagate Replica Yes The Replica is compatible with Windows 7, Vista,

and XP, 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The different
computers backed up are distinguished by different
system names in the Replica.
FreeAgent with Yes As long as the PCs are all Windows XP / Vista / 7
Seagate Manager based and have unique computer names, the
Software software allows backing up multiple PCs. The files
are stored in separate directories. Each directory's
name is named after each computer's name.
FreeAgent Pro Yes, after The FreeAgent Pro drive came bundled with
with Autobackup purchasing Memeo Autobackup which requires a separate
additional license for each PC being backed up. Each separate
licenses backup set is stored in a separate folder based on
the backup set name.
Note: Additional licenses can be acquired here.
FreeAgent Yes As long as the PCs are all Windows XP / Vista / 7

Desktop with based and have unique computer names, the
Seagate manager software allows backing up multiple PCs. The files
Software are stored in separate directories. Each directory's
OneTouch 4 with Yes As long as the PCs are all Windows XP Vista / 7
Maxtor Manager based and have unique computer names, the
software software allows backing up multiple PCs. The files
are stored in separate directories. Each directory's
Seagate Yes This device is designed to backup multiple systems

BlackArmor 400 via the network. It comes with 10 client licenses for
Series the backup software and can be expanded to
support up to 50 client PCs.
Note: Client licenses are only needed for backup
software; file sharing does not require a separate
license per PC. Additional licenses can be
purchased at the BlackArmor product page.
Storage capacity measurement

standards
Explains why a hard drive's capacity often appears to be less than advertised when showing
in (My) Computer or Mac Disk Utility.
This article will cover the following subjects:
 Discrepancy between reported capacity and actual capacity

 Motivation for proposed prefixes for binary multiples
 Two different measurements systems
 How operating systems report drive capacity
Discrepancy between reported capacity and actual capacity

Many people are confused when their operating system reports, for example, that their new 1
Terabyte (1 TB, or 1000 GB) hard drive is reporting only about 931 gigabytes (GB) in usable
capacity. Several factors may come into play when you see the reported capacity of a disk
drive. Unfortunately, there are two different number systems which are used to express units
of storage capacity; binary, which says that a kilobyte is equal to 1024 bytes, and decimal,
which says that a KB is equal to 1000 bytes. The storage industry standard is to display
capacity in decimal. Even though in binary you have more bytes, the decimal representation
of a GB shows greater capacity. In order to accurately understand the true capacity of your
disk drive, you need to know which base unit of measure (binary or decimal) is being used to
represent capacity. Another factor that can cause misrepresentation of the size of a disk drive
is BIOS limitations. Many older BIOS are limited in the number of cylinders they can
support.
Motivation for proposed prefixes for binary multiples

In the past, computer professionals noticed that 1024 or 2^10 (binary) was very nearly equal
to 1000 or 10^3 (decimal) and started using the prefix "kilo" to mean 1024. That worked well
enough for a decade or two because everybody who talked KB knew that the term implied
1024 bytes. However, almost overnight a much more numerous "everybody" bought
computers, and the trade computer professionals needed to talk to physicists and engineers
and even to ordinary people, most of whom know that a kilometer is 1000 meters and a
kilogram is 1000 grams.
Two different measurement systems
Abbreviatio Binary Binary Value (in Decima Decimal

Name n Power Decimal) l Power (Equivalent)
kilobyte KB 2^10 1,024 10^3 1,000
megabyte MB 2^20 1,048,576 10^6 1,000,000
gigabyte GB 2^30 1,073,741,824 10^9 1,000,000,000

terabyte TB 2^40 1,099,511,627,776 10^12 1,000,000,000,000
Often when two or more people begin discussing storage capacity, some will refer to binary
values and others will refer to decimal values without making distinction between the two.
This has caused much confusion in the past. In an effort to dispatch this confusion, all major
disk drive manufacturers use decimal values when discussing storage capacity.
How operating systems report drive capacity
In the example above, right above the pie chart are the two different capacity measures. The
first one is the decimal value in total bytes. The second value is the binary equivalent. Those
values are also represented next to the Used Space and Free Space fields just above.
Windows 8/7/Vista/XP/2000/NT
From Windows Explorer, right-click on a drive letter, then click on Properties. This shows
capacities in bytes and either MB or GB.
Windows 98/Me
From Windows Explorer, right-click on a drive letter, then click on Properties. This shows
bytes, MB, and GB.
DOS Prompt ? CHKDSK shows bytes
DOS Prompt ? FDISK shows MB
MacOS X
From the top menu bar on the Desktop, click on Go, then Utilities, then open Disk Utility.
Click on the hard drive to highlight it.
The "Total Capacity" is shown in GB or TB, then Bytes.
Note: Much of this information is available from the foundation of modern science and
technology at http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
Expansion drives switching to GPT

GUID Partition Table (GPT) is a partitioning scheme that is part of the Unified Extensible
Firmware Interface specification; it uses a globally unique identifier for qualifying devices. It
is the next generation partitioning scheme designed to succeed the Master Boot Record
partitioning scheme method.
Disk Management describes disks with the GUID partition table (GPT) partitioning style as
GPT disks and disks with the master boot record (MBR) partitioning style as MBR disks.
You can perform the same tasks on GPT disks as you can on MBR disks with the following
exceptions:
 You can convert an MBR disk to a GPT disk and vice versa only if the disk is empty or
you are not concerned with losing the data on the drive, since doing so will completely
wipe out anything that is on the drive. However there is a 2.2TB size limitation to MBR
disks. So if you have a 4TB Expansion drive and you convert it to MBR you will lose
access to a portion of the drive. This is due to the limitation of the MBR partition scheme,
it does not mean there is anything wrong with the drive.
 You have to use a command line utility called “Diskpart” to wipe the partition on the
drive and convert it to an MBR disk.
Here is a link on how to use “Diskpart”: www.seagate.com/support/kb/how-to-
diskpart-eraseclean-a-drive-through-the-command-prompt-005929en
Our new Expansion drives come out of the box partitioned GPT, but our older line of
Expansion drives came partitioned out of the box MBR; there was no size limitation with any
operating system, even Windows XP. We were able to do this because these drives came with
4K sector sizes and a special bridge card installed on them to get past the 2.2TB limitation.
We stopped manufacturing these drives this way, because Windows XP is no longer a
supported operating system, additionally the current Expansion drives enable Windows 7
users to use them with the Windows 7 Image Backup program.
Here are pictures of the new models of Expansion drives that are not supported on the
Windows XP operating system.
Here are pictures of the older models of Expansion drives that are supported on the
Windows XP operating system.
Seagate USB External drive

compatibility
The following article will cover compatibility for Seagate USB drives.
Seagate USB external drives are designed, tested and supported to work with desktop and
laptop computers. Seagate USB external drives may be used with many other devices and this
article will provide information on other environment the drive could be used on.
When using a Seagate USB external drive with something other than a desktop or laptop
computer, Seagate recommends consulting the manufacturer of your device to understand
what limitations may exist. Here are some common limitations:
Format restrictions - NTFS, HFS+, Fat32, etc

Capacity limitations - max capacity may vary by device
Power Requirements - may require a drive that gets power from a wall outlet
Partition type requirements - MBR vs GPT
Feature limitations - some USB ports may not be compatible with external hard drives.
Sector size - 512 vs Advanced format drive (4K)
Index
Using a USB drive with Network router

Using a USB drive to a Gaming Console
Using a USB drive in a car
Using a USB drive with a Smart TV
Using a USB drive with Server
Using a USB drive with DVR
Using a USB drive with Blu-Ray / DVD player
Operating System Compatibility
Connecting a Seagate USB Hard Drive to a network router
Connecting a Seagate USB Hard Drive to a USB port on your existing network router could
be a cost effective way to share files and data on the network and may be accessible to many
devices such as PCs, Macs, Smart TVs, and even Tablets and Phones.
Please consult the router manufacturer's documentation and website for USB Drive
compatibility and file system requirements. Pay attention to any format restrictions on the
router. Most Seagate drives are formatted NTFS and "for Mac" drives are formatted HFS+.
These formats may not be supported by some routers.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB drive to a Gaming Console
A Seagate USB external drive may be used with a Gaming Console in two ways.
To use the USB hard drive as additional storage for the game files. Games would be installed
to the USB drive and games may can be moved from the Gaming Console’s internal storage.
A second way a Seagate USB hard drive could be used would be for playing Videos, Music,
and viewing pictures.
Please consult the Gaming Console manufacturer’s website and documentation for a (DSL)
Drive Support List and setup procedures.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB portable drive to a USB port in your car
Connecting a Seagate USB portable drive to a USB port in your car could be a wonderful
way to have your entire music library available when on a long road trip. The car stereo may
require the USB drive to be formatted with the FAT32 file system or may have capacity
limitations.
Please consult with the automobile manufacturer's documentation for compatibility and USB
Drive requirements.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB hard drive to a USB port on your Smart TV.
Connecting a Seagate USB hard drive to a SMART TV may be a way to quickly enjoy
photos, music, or video files on the television in the living room or bed room. Please consult
the TV manufacturer's User’s Manual for USB compatibility, capacity limitations (over
2TB), and supported video & audio formats.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB drive to a Server
If a Seagate USB drive is detected when connected to a Server, copy and paste can be used to
transfer data to the the Seagate USB drive. There may be third party backup applications
available that will be compatible with the drive. If the Seagate USB drive comes with
software do not attempt to install the software in the server operating system as it was not
designed for that environment.
Some Seagate USB desktop drives are 4K sector size and will not be supported with
Windows server backup on Microsoft Server 2003 and 2008.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB drive to a DVR.
Connecting a Seagate external drive to a DVR may be good for increasing the DVR storage
capacity. Please consult the DVR manufacturer’s documentation for a (DSL) Drive Support
List and setup procedures.
Top of page
Connecting a Seagate USB Hard Drive with a BluRay / DVD player
Connecting a Seagate USB Hard Drive to a USB port to a BluRay / DVD player is another
way to view your digital content on your Television. If your TV doesn’t have USB ports,
you can connect a Seagate USB Hard Drive to the BluRay player and access the files from
the BluRay player menus.
Please consult the BluRay / DVD player User’s Manual for USB compatibility, capacity
limitations (over 2TB), and supported video & audio formats.
Top of page
Operating System Compatibility

Seagate, Maxtor, and Samsung-brand external hard drives do not require additional drivers to
function with modern Windows (Vista+) or Mac OS X (10.4+) operating systems. These
external drives are supported by the standard device drivers that are already included in these
operating systems out of the box. You should be able to plug the drive into your computer
and locate it in Windows Explorer or Finder. If the drive is not being detected you will want
to proceed with basic troubleshooting steps.
Buku Panduan
Hard Disk
Seagate
Buku Panduan
SeaTools
Using SeaTools' Set Capacity feature
to overcome BIOS capacity
limitation
Some motherboard BIOSes limit your internal drive's capacity. SeaTools for DOS can reset
the capacity. This article explains how.
The ability to "Set Capacity" is a feature in SeaTools for DOS that will instruct the
selected hard drive to report a size smaller than its true capacity during boot. The
feature allows older systems with a BIOS limitation to boot with the drive in the
system instead of locking up or freezing during the boot process. Please be aware
that the "Set Hard Drive Size" feature is no longer available in the current versions of
MaxBlast and DiscWizard, so you will have to use SeaTools for DOS instead to set
the hard drive's capacity.
Following this procedure will allow you to access your hard drive; however you won't
be able to use the full capacity. Instead, it is highly recommended you either update
your system's BIOS or purchase an ATA PCI controller card to bypass your system's
BIOS.
This procedure applies only to ATA drives connected directly to the motherboard. If
you are using an add-on ATA PCI adapter card, do not use this utility. The BIOS on
the ATA PCI card should recognize the full capacity of the drive. If you are using a
SATA drive, you do not need to change what capacity is reported to the BIOS, as the
specifications for SATA controllers were designed with larger-capacity drives in
mind. Because of this, the Set Capacity feature will not work on any SATA hard
drive.
If your hard drive is seen in the BIOS as 137GB and you are installing Windows
2000 with Service Pack 3 or greater, Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or greater, or
Windows Vista, you shouldn't need to set the hard drive size, as the current versions
of those operating systems should bypass any BIOS limitations on the drive
Do not try to resize a drive that has data on it. Changing a drive size to
a smaller capacity is a data-destructive process. If there is data on the drive, please
format the drive or use SeaTools for DOS' Zero-Fill utility.
Follow the steps below to ensure that the Set Capacity operation is properly run:
1. Disconnect the drive from the computer.

2. Restart the system and enter the BIOS.
3. Set the BIOS parameters (example: Primary Master, Primary Slave, Secondary
Master, or Secondary Slave) to where the drive is connected from Auto-Detect to
None or Not-Installed.
4. Save the settings and exit.
5. Power off the computer. This will tell the BIOS that there is no device or drive
attached to the port.
6. Reconnect the drive to the port that is configured as None or Not-Installed.
7. Power on and boot directly to the SeaTools for DOS CD or floppy diskette. When
the system boots to the SeaTools program, select the drive you want to change
the size of, and press C to set the drive capacity.
8. If you don't know the maximum capacity drive your system's BIOS can handle,
press S to set the maximum to 32GB, which is a common limit on older systems.
If you do know the maximum, you can press M to set the limit manually.
9. Once you have changed the capacity for the drive and SeaTools for DOS
accepts it, power off the system. This is critical in order for the changes to
take effect to the drive.
10. Restart the system and enter the BIOS.
11. Change the BIOS parameters from "None" to "Auto-Detect".
12. Save settings and exit.
13. Boot to your operating system installation CD / DVD and begin the installation of
your operating system.
You may need a BIOS upgrade or ATA PCI controller card if the system continues to
freeze, hang, or lockup during startup. Check with your motherboard or system
manufacturer.
To reset the drive to its full capacity, run SeaTools' Set Capacity feature and
select R to reset the drive to its maximum capacity.
Always backup information on a drive that you are changing the size of,
as it is a potentially data-destructive process, even if you are changing the setting
from a smaller to a larger size.
I still suspect my drive is bad even

though it passes all of the SeaTools
tests
More tips and information for when the SeaTools diagnostic passes but your drive is still not
acting right.
SeaTools thoroughly tests your Seagate, Maxtor-brand, and Quantum-brand ATA
drives. If it passes all tests, then the problem is usually located somewhere else in
your system. It is important that you not risk losing all your data by returning a
perfectly good disk drive. Additionally, removing your drive will reduce your
productivity until it is replaced. Prior to the availability of SeaTools, many of the hard
drives returned to Seagate were found to have no problems. That means a
significant number of customers who were returning their good disk drives were
forfeiting valuable data and productivity.
There are two versions of SeaTools, one runs in Windows and the other runs from its
own bootable operating system on a CD or floppy. While both versions can initiate
the drive's built in self test (called DST), the bootable version, SeaTools for DOS,
has additional capabilities if bad sectors are found.
An interesting aspect of disk drive technology is that since early 2000 disk drives are
constantly using idle time to scan for difficult sectors. If found, these sectors are
considered questionable and they are the first ones tested by the DST short test.
This way, the benefits of the long scan are enjoyed without the long duration of the
whole drive scan.
Nonetheless, if the drive passes all of the SeaTools hardware tests and you still have
concerns that the disk drive is the cause of problems, then you may need to perform
other tests and maintenance. For example, Windows Disk Error Checking can help
to fix corrupted file system structures. To run Error Checking:
Use the Error Checking utility built in to Microsoft Windows.;
1. Double-click My Computer, and right-click the hard disk.

2. On the shortcut menu, click Properties, and on the Tools tab in the Properties dialog
box, click Check Now in the Error-Checking Status area.
3. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Automatically Fix File System Errors check
box, select the Scan For And Attempt Recovery Of Bad Sectors check box, and then
click Start.
Many third-party companies have software diagnostics that analyze file system,
registry and device driver problems - many of which are often attributed to the disk
drive. In areas where power outages are common, file system and data corruption
issues can warrant the investment in an uninterruptible power supply.
If you did receive a replacement drive, the first task after installing it would be to
install the operating system. If that task would eventually happen, then, after
backing up your important data, you might try reinstalling the operating system on
to your current drive. Many times, this is the advice from the companies that sell
operating systems. It is a labor intensive step, but the same one that would occur
with a replacement drive.
If you still have concerns about the drive, please feel free to phone Seagate
Customer Support for a review of other possible tests and options.
How to use SeaTools for Windows

Tutorial for the use of SeaTools for Windows, explaining the most common features:
First: Download and install SeaTools.
Launch SeaTools by following these steps once it is installed:
If you have a SeaTools for Windows icon on your desktop, simply launch the program from here.
If not, follow these steps.
1. Click on Start.
2. Select Programs.
3. Select Seagate.
4. Select SeaTools for Windows.
A. Prepare the System
 Isolate SeaTools - close all other applications before running a hard disk diagnostic. The
main reason for this is to keep the drive focused on SeaTools as much as possible.
Otherwise, Windows will continue to give the disk drive commands to access data for the
needs of the other applications. When that happens, SeaTools will temporarily suspend its
current progress while the drive is busy. This is harmless to the drive and a routine condition
of use; however, it causes the SeaTools tests to take much longer time to complete. This is
harmless to the drive and a routine condition of use; however, it causes the SeaTools tests
to take much longer time to complete.
 SeaTools' Drive Identification - External drives that connect to the system through USB,
1394 Firewire, or eSATA do not have the same background activity as the internal drive.
Internal drives are identified as PATA (Parallel ATA or IDE), SATA (Serial ATA), SCSI, or
SAS (Serial-Attached SCSI). Most desktop and notebook systems have one SATA or PATA
internal drive.
 Keep the computer fully powered on - Power management controls may need to be
suspended while doing very long tests. A complete drive scan may take a few hours to
complete. The drive is working on its own at these times and the system may decide it
should go into Standby or Hibernate modes.
1. Click on the Start or Windows icon button in the bottom left corner of your Windows
desktop.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. Select Power Options.
4. The setting "Turn off hard disks" should be set to "Never" while running any SeaTools for
Windows test.
 Plug in your laptop computer - Laptop systems should not run the long tests using just
battery power. These tests are disk-intensive and will draw more current than a typical usage
profile. Be sure to connect the AC adapter to ensure adequate power during the tests.
B. Select the Drives to Test
After SeaTools loads, the screen will list the different storage devices in your system. Select the
drive you would like to test by making a check mark in the box next to the drive information. This
screen also displays information about the drives such as the Model Number and Serial Number.
Seagate model numbers begin with the letters "ST". Seagate serial numbers are alphanumeric
and eight characters long.
However, Seatools for Windows often displays the serial number and even the model number of
the internal drive inside the external case, and these numbers do not correspond to the numbers
that Seagate assigns to the external unit as a whole.
(Please see the Knowledge Base article for information on finding the model number of a
drive: Document ID: 204211.)
Seagate, Samsung, LaCie and Maxtor drives models are given a gold drive icon. Non-Seagate
drives have a silver drive icon
You may select more than one drive at a time to test them simultaneously.
C. Select the Tests to Run
A menu of the possible diagnostic tests is shown. All Basic Tests are data safe, read-only tests.
Select the tests that you would like to perform. The test will begin immediately.
These tests include:
 Fix All
 Short Drive Self Test (20 to 90 seconds long)
 Drive Information
 Short Generic
 Long Generic (progress in 1% increments and may take several hours to complete)
When you launch the "Short Drive Self Test" (DST) most drives will run a thorough diagnostic
routine that is built into the hard drive's firmware. DST is completely data safe.
The "Short Drive Self Test" is adequate for most situations. The “Short Generic” test is similar
and tests various areas of the drive. If you need a more comprehensive test then consider
running the “Long Generic”, which reads each sector on the drive.
The long tests will take time to complete. Because the long tests read every sector on the drive,
the amount of time required will depend on the speed and capacity of the disk drive. The
apparent lack of activity often gives the impression that the drive or software has stopped
responding.
The “Fix All” tests provide the ability to fix problem LBA’s (bad sectors). There are two options
with the “Fix All” tests, “Fast” and “Long”. Be sure that you have all of your data backed up
before running any of the “Fix All” tests. When SeaTools reallocates these problem sectors the
actual data in a particular sector is unreadable and already lost. Unless the drive is full of data, it
is quite possible for the problem sector to be empty of data, anyway.
“Fix All Fast” uses the drive's activity logs to identify suspicious sectors which may or may not be
bad. SeaTools goes to each one in the list and if it really is bad the program will try to reallocate
that one sector. If successful SeaTools moves on to the next if not successful then the test fails.
On average the time is less than 5 minutes.
“Fix All Long” does a sequential scan of the media and discovers any problem sectors and
attempts to reallocate them along the way. The time is very long and may take several hours
(about 3 hrs per TB).
D. Aborting the Diagnostics
The SeaTools performs a data-safe test of the selected hard disk drive or device for possible
malfunctions. Long tests may be aborted at any time. Select the Abort Tests icon from the menu
bar. You can abort the test at any time without harming the drive, although the drive will not be
fully tested if the test is aborted.
E. Summary of Results
Upon completion of running the diagnostics, a log for each drive is saved to the program
installation folder. You can read the log by clicking on Help> View Log File. You can also view a
log about the test results by clicking on either “Pass Info” or “Fail Info”, depending on the results
of the test, when the test is done next to the “Help” option. Then you will see three tabs: “Pass
Info”, “Warranty Checker” and “View Log File”.
The following conditions may apply to the test results:
 Passed
 Failed
 Aborted

More often than not, SeaTools for Windows will test with a PASS status. SeaTools for Windows
is a useful testing tool to eliminate the hard disk drive as the source or physical cause of some
system problem.

A drive can be perfectly healthy but also have corrupted data. If this is the case, perform a
chkdsk operation. If it fails, then the data needs to be re-installed, re-saved or recovered.
Bad sectors (LBAs) may be detected during the test. The test will halt with a Fail status.
SeaTools for Windows has the ability to repair bad sectors using the “Fix All” option under the
“Basic Tests” button. Chkdsk can also repair bad sectors.
If this software indicates a FAIL test status and you are testing an external hard drive, which uses
a USB or 1394 type of bus connection then you should consider using the “Fix All Long” option.
Make sure that, if you can access your data, you have everything backed up before running the
“Fix All” option. Seagate Recovery Services will not be able to recover data from an unreadable
sector. If you do not have all of your data backed up and you cannot afford to lose any of the
data then you should contact our data recovery department, Seagate Recovery Services. To run
a “Fix All” option put a check mark inside the box next to the serial number you wish to run it on.
Then click on “Basic Tests”, then hover your mouse over “Fix All” and click on “Long”. Next you’ll
see a window pop up telling you to backup your data and explaining the test. From here you will
need to press F8 to begin the “Fix All” selection.
SeaTools will FAIL the drive if a repair is unsuccessful. If SeaTools fails to repair the bad sectors
we recommend checking the warranty status of your device.
If you are testing an internal PATA (IDE) or SATA disk drive we recommend that you run the
“Long Test” in the bootable version, SeaTools for DOS, which has the ability to repair bad
sectors also. Running the “Fix All” tests on an internal drive that is also running your operating
system will make the test take a longer amount of time. Using the bootable DOS version of
SeaTools will allow the tests to run much faster. To do this you will need to burn the ISO file to a
CD, then boot to the disk and run the “Long Test” from there. The SeaTools for DOS ISO file can
be found in the SeaTools for Windows program files installation folder. When you run the “Long
Test” SeaTools will give you a list of the problem LBA’s (bad sectors) at the end of the test and
ask you if you want to repair them all or one at a time. If the test fails to repair the bad sectors,
we recommend checking the warranty status of your drive.

You can check the warranty status for Seagate products at the Seagate Warranty Validation
page. You will need to write down the serial number for the drive you intend to check.
Please click here to continue to the Warranty Validation Page.
Please remember that SeaTools for Windows sometimes displays the serial number and even
the model number of the internal drive inside the external case. This only occurs with external
drives. See the drive label to verify that the serial number is correct.
How do I find out which firmware

version I have on my Seagate SCSI
hard drive?
Instructions for using SeaTools Enterprise Edition to find the firmware version on a SCSI
drive.
SCSI Hard Drives
1. Download and install SeaTools Enterprise.

2. Click START | PROGRAMS | SEATOOLS ENTERPRISE to run the program. It will
SCAN any SCSI device(s) installed in the system.
3. Select the drive you would like to update.
4. If you double-click on the scanned model number it will provide you with your current
Firmware Revision and Model Number. The Device Inquiry Box should also appear after
double-clicking the scanned device.
The Drive's firmware version is very important. Applying the wrong firmware to a
drive could possibly damage the drive.
You can also find the firmware revision on your drive label. You should write down
the following information from the label:
Drive Model Number (example: ST3146807LC)
Drive Part Number (example: 9.xxxxxx-xxx)
Drive Firmware Rev. (example: xxxx)
How to burn an .iso image onto a

CD/DVD-ROM
This document will cover How to use a bootable ISO image downloaded and methods for
rendering an .iso file ready to use.Just like the old boot floppy diskettes, CD or DVD-ROM
discs can boot to a DOS or other operating systems. Just copying files to a CD will not work
because the CD will need a master boot record and other hidden Startup operating system
files. Instead, the preferred method is to create a single file, an image of a bootable CD,
called an ISO image. Most CD-ROM burning applications recognize this type of image file.
Once the ISO file is burned as an image, then the new CD is a clone of the original and
bootable. Besides the bootable OS, the CD will also hold the various software applications
like many Seagate utilities that are downloadable in .iso image format.
This document will cover How to use a downloaded ISO image and methods for rendering
an .iso file ready to use.
Hardware Prerequisite: An internal or external CD-ROM burner is required for burning the
ISO image to a blank CD.

 Windows 8/8.1 /10

 Windows 7 / Vista
 MacOS

Windows 8/8.1/10

1. Download the ISO CD image to a folder on your computer.

2. Open the folder where you have saved the ISO file.
3. Right click on the .iso file.
4. From the menu select Burn disc image.
1. The Windows Disc Image Burn will open.
2. Select the Disc burner.
3. Click on Burn.

Windows 7/Vista

2. Insert a blank CD in your CD-RW drive.
3. Navigate to the folder where you saved the file.
4. Click to highlight the file (Windows 7/Vista) and/or right-click on the file (Windows 7 only)
to see the options for creating a disc.

SeaTools for Windows - Testing
Large Capacity Drives
This article addresses testing large capacity drives with SeaTools for Windows.
When testing large capacity drives (6TB and larger) please make sure you are running the
latest version of SeaTools for Windows 1.4.0.2. This version has been updated to
accommodate large capacity drives and prevent things such as timeouts due to the length of
time required for the long generic test to complete.
How to use SeaTools Enterprise

Edition
Tutorial for the use of SeaTools for Enterprise, explaining all of its functions and options
including how to low-level format SCSI drives.
Safe Mode
Safe Mode is designed to provide access to diagnostic functions that are not
destructive to data on the device. When in Safe Mode the following functions are
enabled:
Select Device(s)
The Select Device(s) toolbar button provides access to the device selection screen.
The screen consists of three sections, Drive Selection, the device list tree control,
and Selected Drive.
The Drive Selection provides some basic instructions and the Rescan Bus push
button. Pressing the Rescan Bus button will cause the program to rescan all the
SCSI adapters on the system and rebuild the device tree.
The Device List Tree displays all the devices connected to the systems host bus
adapter(s). You may select one or more devices by highlighting them on the tree.
NOTICE that selecting devices enables the Disc Test toolbar button, and deselecting
device(s) disables the Disc Test toolbar button. After making device selection, select
an active diagnostic toolbar button. In safe mode Disc Test is the only option, in
Advanced Mode, Firmware Download, Drive Preferences, and Formatting are also
available.
If you double click on a device the system will display detailed information about that
device including, standard inquiry data, drive serial number, as well as firmware and
servo revision information.
Disc Test
This page allows the user to perform non-destructive diagnostics on the selected
devices. The test choices are determined by the drives that are selected.
Generic Test - The program supports a basic test for non-Seagate drives. The
Generic test is non-destructive. It performs reads and seeks to verify basic device
functionality. The Generic test also operates in a foreground mode. Foreground
mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing,
follow your system's authorized service procedures.
DST (Drive Self Test) - A diagnostic technology within the drive designed to
recognize drive fault conditions. DST validates the functionality of the drive in
background mode and will suspend self-testing to service any other commands.
When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive
which supports DST functionality. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's
authorized service procedures.
Legacy Drive Tests - Legacy tests are designed to emulate the DST (Drive Self
Test) test sequence with the distinction of running in foreground mode. When
"Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which
does not support DST functionality. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing
to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized
service procedures.
If any non-Seagate drives are selected the test is limited to Generic Drive Tests. If
only Seagate drives are selected you may choose Generic or Seagate Drive Tests.
Selecting Seagate Drive Tests will cause the program to run DST tests on any drives
which support it and Legacy Drive Tests on any drives which do not.
You may select either a short or a long duration test.

If you have selected a short Seagate test you may select the percent of that test to
be performed by use of the slide control.
If you have selected more than one drive you may select whether to test all drives
simultaneously or one at a time. If you are testing drives on an active system you
may want to select the Sequential option so as to minimize load on the storage
system.
Advanced Mode
Advanced mode provides access to Advanced diagnostic functions. Some of these

functions, such as Format, cause loss of data. These functions should be used with
caution. Be sure to read and follow all program instructions and cautions. Backup all
critical data files, if possible, prior to running any Advanced functions. !Note! Some of
the functions may be disabled depending on program status or other selections.
Select Device(s)
The Select Device(s) toolbar button provides access to the device selection screen.
The screen consists of three sections, Drive Selection, the device list tree control,
and Selected Drive.
The Drive Selection provides some basic instructions and the Rescan Bus push
button. Pressing the Rescan Bus button will cause the program to rescan all the
SCSI adapters on the system and rebuild the device tree.
The Device List Tree displays all the devices connected to the systems host bus
adapter(s). You may select one or more devices by highlighting them on the tree.
NOTICE that selecting devices enables the Disc Test toolbar button, and deselecting
device(s) disables the Disc Test toolbar button. After making device selection select
an active diagnostic toolbar button. In safe mode Disc Test is the only option, in
Advanced Mode, Firmware Download, Drive Preferences, and Formatting are also
available.
If you double click on a device the system will display detailed information about that
device including, standard inquiry data, drive serial number, as well as firmware and
servo revision information.
Disc Test
This page allows the user to perform non-destructive diagnostics on the selected
devices. The test choices are determined by the drives that are selected.
Generic Test - The program supports a basic test for non-Seagate drives. The
Generic test is non-destructive. It performs reads and seeks to verify basic device
functionality. The Generic test also operates in a foreground mode. Foreground
mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing,
follow your system's authorized service procedures.
DST (Drive Self Test) - A diagnostic technology within the drive designed to
recognize drive fault conditions. DST validates the functionality of the drive in
background mode and will suspend self-testing to service any other commands.
When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive
which supports DST functionality. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's
authorized service procedures.
Legacy Drive Tests - Legacy tests are designed to emulate the DST (Drive Self
Test) test sequence with the distinction of running in foreground mode. When
"Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which
does not support DST functionality. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing
to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized
service procedures.
If any non-Seagate drives are selected the test is limited to Generic Drive Tests. If
only Seagate drives are selected you may choose Generic or Seagate Drive Tests.
Selecting Seagate Drive Tests will cause the program to run DST tests on any drives
which support it and Legacy Drive Tests on any drives which do not.
You may select either a short or a long duration test.
If you have selected a short Seagate test you may select the percent of that test to
be performed by use of the slide control.
If you have selected more than one drive you may select whether to test all drives
simultaneously or one at a time. If you are testing drives on an active system you
may want to select the Sequential option so as to minimize load on the storage
system.
Firmware FAQ Page

This page has descriptive information about Firmware downloading. It is intended to
help you understand what downloading new firmware to your drive(s) will accomplish
and how to do it.
Format Page
Formatting ensures that the medium is formatted so all of the user-addressable data
blocks can be accessed. There is no guarantee that the medium has or has not been
altered. In addition, the medium may be certified and control structures may be
created for the management of the medium and defects.
Data on the device will be irretrievably lost during formatting.

Log Pages
This page provides the ability to view the supported log pages, self-test results,
power-on time, and save the grown defect list for your Seagate disk drive.
Use the Save Grown Defect List … button to save the grown defect list to a file
named per each device(s) serial number followed by a *.log extension and saved
automatically into the SeaTools Enterprise working directory.
Dump Blocks to File Page

This page provides the ability to save a binary data file, consisting of the data
between the specified starting and ending block addresses of a disk drive.
Use the browse button to specify the filename and path of the *.bin file to generate.
Then either accept the default starting and ending block addresses or specify a
custom range. Use the Generate File… button to create the binary data file.
Logfile Functions
Seatools Enterprise Edition creates a detailed log file as it runs. This file contains the
results of the system scan as a list of devices and logs each and every operation that
is performed on a device as well as the results of that operation. Seagate technical
support personnel may request this file as they work with you to resolve issues with
your devices. The file may also be used by system administrators to document their
system configuration and any diagnostics that are preformed on devices. The file is a
simple ASCII file for easy email attachment, printing or other uses.
Menu Choice What it does
New Creates a new, empty log file with the specified name.
Open Opens an existing file into which the log entries are written.
Save As Saves the existing file with a new file name.
View Opens a snapshot of the current log file in a simple file viewer. Note
this is a static display of the contents at that point in time and does not
display ongoing activity.
Print Prints the currently open log file to the selected printer.
Clear Clears the current log file. Note this will delete all information from the
file and it cannot be recovered.
How to use SeaTools Bootable
SeaTools Bootable is a comprehensive, easy-to-use diagnostic tool that helps you quickly
determine the health of your drive. It includes several tests that will examine the physical
media on your Seagate, LaCie, Maxtor, or Samsung disk drive and any non-Seagate disk
drive.
Creating Bootable media
 The flash drive must be at least 256 MBs but no larger than 32 GBs.
 Drive must be formatted FAT32.
 The bootable media requires a USB flash drive and Seaboot USB maker download here.
Using the bootable media
Once the bootable media has been created then boot the computer with the media
connected to your computer. If it doesn't boot from the media then boot order may need to
be adjusted in the computer BIOS. Consult the manufacturer for information on changing
boot sequence.
Select SeaTools Bootable Diagnostics

Note: The bootable media will have both SeaTools Bootable and SeaChest on the flash
drive.
Select the appropriate language, then click OK

The next scren has the End User License Agreement, click I accept
Listed is all detected drives, their model ID, Serial Numbers, and Revision (Firmware
version). Along the top there are seven options, File, Basic Tests, Rescan, Advanced
Features, Language, Help, and Exit.
Under File:
 About - Displays the version currently running

 View Log - Displays a log of the test ran, if the test was successful, failed, or aborted
with the drive serial used in the test
Basic Tests:

Note: If testing on a laptop, please connect the AC adapter to ensure adequate power
during testing.

 S.M.A.R.T Check - Checks to see if S.M.A.R.T has been tripped.

 Short Drive Self Test - Runs through diagnostics built into the drives firmware.
 Short Generic Test - Test various areas of the drive.
 Long Generic - Read each sector of the drive.
 Fix All - The two options are Fix All Fast and Fix All Long. This feature repairs all bad
sectors. Be sure to have a backup of the data prior to running either Fix All option.
 Fast will use the drive's activity log to determine which sector may be bad. If it
successfully reallocates then it moves to the next sector, if not successful then the
test fails.
 Long does a complete scan of the media to identify any problem sector and
reallocate them. Long will take several hours to complete.
Advanced Features:
When Advanced Features is selected a warning will pop-up stating that there are data
destructive options which could cause data loss. Press F8 to enable Advanced Tests.
 Spin Down - Spins the drive down so you can determine if noise in a system is caused
by the drive or by something else.
 Set Max LBA - Allows the drive capacity to be reduced or set to its native maximum
capacity.
 Erase - Writes zeros to the entire drive.
 Erase Write Same - This is a faster (especially for USB drives) version of Erase.
 Erase Sanitize - Once started takes ~3 hours per terabyte and once start must complete
before normal use of the drive is returned.
 Erase PSID - Erases the drive encryption key which only takes a few seconds to
complete
 Note: Erase options vary by drive.
Under Erase there are four options:
 Overwrite Full - Fills the entire drive with zeros. It can be used to recover bad sectors
and erases all data.
 Erase Track ZERO - Quick Zero fill to erase the data and partitions from a drive. This
option requires one second to complete.
 Range - Use this option to start an erase at the specified starting and ending LBA.
 Time - (10 second, 20 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes) - Handy for when quick zerofill just
doesn't get it all (ie, in case of boot loaders, etc).

Language:
 Provides the ability to change the language within SeaTools Bootable
Help:
 Provides a help manual within the application.
Logs
 Log files can only be permanently saved if operating SeaTools from a USB device.
 Test results are automatically saved in a log file with a file name based on the drive
serial number. While using the applications, the contents of these logs will also be
displayed in real time in the tabs in the lower right panel.
 Logs may also view these by exiting the SeaTools Bootable application clicking on the
small x icon in the upper left hand side of the screen. The terminal screen will show the
names of the various serial number logs which are available on the USB drive. View
these logs by using the Linux "more" command by typing "more yourserialnumber.log"
(do type in the actual serial number). After reading the log, press the q key to quit back
to the command line. To restart SeaTools Bootable type the command "sudo ST4L --
exitPowerOff". (Be sure to use the exact upper and lower case letters when you type a
command in Linux.)
Seagate Instant Secure Erase (ISE)
with SeaTools Instructions
Provides instructions for using the Seagate Instant Secure Erase function with Seagate Self-
Encrypting drives.
Seagate Secure Self Encrypting Drives (SED) now offer the ability to very quickly
erase all data on the drive. This feature is called Seagate Instant Secure Erase
(ISE).
SED drives are identifiable by a PSID number on the drive label. It is a 32-character
string Physical Security IDentification number.
If your drive has a PSID, the information in this article is supported by your drive.
This method of data erasure performs a Media Sanitization purging of data.
Until now, drive retirement methods have many challenges. Namely, they take a long
time to complete, are manually intensive, increase IT retirement costs, and have
gaps in data protection:
 Overwriting drive data software is expensive and ties up valuable system resources for
days.
 Degaussing a drive is costly and risky.
 Physically shredding a drive is expensive, environmentally hazardous, and costly.
 Long-term storage of drives in warehouses is expensive and risky.
Seagate Instant Secure Erase (ISE) addresses the cost, time, and security concerns
inherent in other approaches, making the drive retirement process safe, fast, and
easy for any size IT department.
This technology paper "How to ISE Your Drive" gives step-by-step instructions on how to

utilize ISE with the SeaTools for Windows utility software.
The Seagate Diagnostic software has

produced an 8 digit error code. What
should I do?
Seagate and Maxtor Manager and SeaTools have diagnostic software built into the program
that can test the functionally of the drive. This article explains.
Seagate Manager, Maxtor Manager, OneTouch Manager, and SeaTools have
diagnostic software built into the program that can test the functionally of the drive. If
that software has produced a diagnostic code, see the steps below.
Internal drives:
SeaTools will often provide suggestions based on the type of failure diagnostic
during testing, follow those suggestions. If the suggestion is to exchange the drive,
please see the warranty services page to determine if the drive is within the warranty
period and start the return process.
External drives:
If you are testing a drive in a Windows based computer, be sure the drive is
connected to the system via USB. Some eSATA and Firewire ports can block the
diagnostic test and report a false failure. If the drive continues to report a failure on
the USB port then see the warranty services page to determine if the drive is within
the warranty period and start the return process.
If you are testing a drive on MacOS then Firewire and USB tests should be reliable,
but eSATA errors should be retested on FireWire or USB. If the drive continues to
report a failure on the USB or Firewire port then refer the warranty services page to
determine if the drive is within the warranty period and start the return process.
FreeAgent Pro drives can give false diagnostic failures when tested using
the FreeAgent Tools and connected via the eSATA interface.
There is no interpretation of the failure codes as they do not indicate a type of failure,
just that the drive has failed to complete the diagnostic successfully.
My desktop or laptop hard drive may

be defective, how can I test it?
Tips for testing and finding out whether a drive is faulty.
All Seagate and Maxtor-brand SATA, ATA, and SCSI drives for desktop computers and
laptop (notebook) computers have built-in error-checking capabilities. Over 30% of all drives
returned under warranty to Seagate are in good working order, with no problems found. To
save the time and hassle of shipping a drive that may not be defective, please test your drive
to see if it really is defective.
The first step to test a drive:
Warning: You should backup all of your data before running tests.
Please download and run SeaTools for Windows from the Seatools download page.
The tests in Seatools will indicate Pass or Fail. If the drive fails the test, please begin the
replacement process at our Warranty Services Page. If the drive fails the test but is out of
warranty, you may continue to use it as long as you can, but remember to keep a full backup
of your data at all times.
Seatools will test your S.M.A.R.T-compliant SATA, ATA, or SCSI disk drive for media
defects, perform a read test and physical head test, and ensure the hard drive is
functioning correctly.
If all the tests pass (no trouble found), the problem will be due to a different
component in your system.
You can test your drive with CheckDisk. Document ID: 184611 - How to use
CheckDisk.
Confirm all settings for hard drive jumpers, cables, and ATA, SATA, or SCSI
controllers, as well as the operating system. Consult your host controller
(motherboard) documentation or system manufacturer for assistance with SCSI
termination or ATA / SATA controller capabilities.
Further notes:

-If the BIOS does not recognize the drive, or the drive does not spin up,
Seatools will also be unable to detect the drive.
Here are some very useful tools to begin the troubleshooting process. If the drive
becomes detected later, you can then test it using the steps in the article above.

 The Serial ATA troubleshooter

 Document ID: 168595 - The BIOS does not detect my SATA or ATA hard drive.
 SCSI Drive Troubleshooter
-The operating system will not assign a drive letter to a drive that is not
formatted and partitioned. If you need help with formatting, please see Document
ID: 220151
SMART errors reported by the BIOS
and third-party utilities after Seatools
passes all tests.
Information in case third-party SMART software indicates an error but SeaTools shows no
failure.
Problem:
The BIOS and third-party utilities report S.M.A.R.T. errors even when the tests from
the SeaTools diagnostic all pass.
Solution
1. It is recommended that you backup your data.

2. Use SeaTools to Low-Level format the drive and re-run tests.
Performing a Low-Level format on the drive will completely erase all data on
the drive. Please backup data before performing a Low-Level format.

3. If the BIOS or third-party utility still reports an error with S.M.A.R.T. after SeaTools tests
have passed and you low-level formatted the drive then it is recommended that you
replace the drive. For more information regarding warranty please visit the Warranty
Services Page.
For more information, see this Knowledge Base article.
Seagate USB External drive

diagnostics
There are several methods for testing your Seagate hard drive. Some of these diagnostics
test the drive hardware, as others test the logical hard drive features (partitions, sectors, file
system, etc.)
Dashboard Diagnostics
Seatools Diagnostics
Windows OS diagnostics tools
Mac OS Diagnostics tools
Dashboard Diagnostics
Be sure the drive is connected directly to the computer using a USB port, not using a
docking station or hub.
1.) Open Seagate Dashboard by double-clicking the Seagate Dashboard icon on the

desktop.
In MacOS, this icon will be in the Applications folder.
2.) On the left side of the Seagate Dashboard, click the drive on which you want to test.
3.) Click the Manage tab.
4.) Click the Test button
Note: For a more thorough test of your external hard drive, we suggest using SeaTools for
Windows. A pass or fail message from Seagate Dashboard could simply indicate other
issues which do not warrant a hard drive replacement. If the Dashboard diagnostic test
produces a ‘fail’ result, we recommend you test the hard drive with the SeaTools diagnostic
program before pursuing a replacement of the hard drive.
Top of page
SeaTools Diagnostics
1.) It is suggested to close all other applications before running hard disk diagnostic, in order
to keep the drive focused on SeaTools as much as possible.
2.) Please keep the computer fully powered on. Power management controls may need to
be suspended while doing very long tests. Make sure you have the computer plugged in by
power supply to a main wall socket.
 Click on the Start or Windows icon button in the bottom left corner of your Windows
desktop.
 Select Control Panel.
 Select Power Options.
 Select “Change plan settings”
 Select “Change advanced power settings”
 Expand the Hard Disks in this window
 The setting “Turn off hard disk after” should be set to “Never” while running any
SeaTools for Windows test.
3.) Select the Drives to Test. Seagate, Samsung, LaCie, and Maxtor drive models are all
supported drives. Please safely remove all other hard drives except the drive(s) that you
want to test.
4.) Select the Tests to Run. A menu of the possible diagnostic tests is shown. Select the
test that you would like to perform. You should backup all of your data before running tests
that have options to “Fix”. The test will begin immediately. These tests include:
 Fix all
 S.M.A.R.T. check
 Short Drive Self Test
 Short Generic
 Long Generic (progress in 1% increments and may take several hours to complete)
5.) Upon completion of running the diagnostics, a log for each drive is saved to the program
installation folder. You can read the log by clicking on Help>View Log File. You can also
view a log about the test results by clicking on either “Pass Info”or “Fail Info”, depending on
the results of the test, when the test is done next to the “Help” option. Then you will see
three tabs: “Pass Info”, “Warranty Checker”, and “View Log File."
Top of page
Windows OS Diagnostics
The Windows Operating System has a some great tools for testing hard drives. This
program is called Check Disk (ChkDsk).
Always backup your data before running any check disk (chkdsk) scans of your hard drive. If
there is a bad sector, any data that may have been accessible before chkdsk, will likely
become inaccessible once the bad sector is re-allocated.
1.) Access command prompt

Hold the Windows key and press R
2.) Type CMD in the box
3.) Type chkdsk X: /f
Note: X is the letter of the drive
This command will attempt to fix any file system error. The length of time for this to complete
will vary depending on the capacity of the drive.
Top of page
Mac OS Diagnostics
The MacOS has great tools for testing hard drives. This program is called First Aid.
Always backup your data before running First Aid scans of your hard drive. If there is a bad
sector, any data that may have been accessible before running “Repair Disk” will likely
become inaccessible once the bad sector is re-allocated.
1.) Confirm the drive is seen in Disk Utility.
 Click Go on the top menu bar from the Desktop.

 Choose Utilities.
 Choose Disk Utility.
2.) Once Disk Utility is launched a drive list will be displayed in the left hand column.

3.) The external Seagate drive should appear in this list as a selectable drive. Click on the
drive icon to highlight the drive and the window will display the information about the current
drive and the file system.
4.) If the drive partition(s) is still visible in the left column as the second indented row under
the hard drive itself, but is not mounted on the Desktop, you can try to run a repair on the
partition using Disk Utility’s First Aid function.
To get to First Aid:
 Click on the partition to select it. When done correctly, the partition will be highlighted in
blue (may vary at some point).
 Click on the First Aid tab.
 Click on “Verify Disk” and if Disk Utility says it’s needed, then run “Repair Disk”.
What do I do if my drive reports bad

sectors?
Explains several methods for finding and correcting bad sectors.
Bad sectors can often be corrected by using a spare sector built into the drive.
However, any information written to a bad sector is usually lost.
There are several methods for finding and correcting bad sectors.
1. Use the Error Checking utility built in to Microsoft Windows .

1. Double Click (My) Computer, and right-click the hard disk.
2. On the shortcut menu, click Properties, and on the Tools tab in the Properties
dialog box.
3. Click Check Now in the Error-Checking Status area.
4. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Automatically Fix File System
Errors check box, select the Scan For And Attempt Recovery Of Bad
Sectors check box, and then click Start.
View Windows help on detecting and repairing disk errors for more information.
2. Use SeaTools diagnostics for Seagate and Maxtor drives and run a long test. For
Seagate SCSI drives, use Seatools Enterprise.
3. Erase the drive:
 For internal ATA/IDE and SATA drives: Use SeaTools for DOS to perform a full
zero fill.
This option will erase ALL data on the partitions on the drive.
For more information on performing a zero-fill, please see Document ID: 203931.
 For SCSI drives: Use Seatools Enterprise (for Seagate drives) to perform a low-
level format on the drive.
 For external drives: Use DiscWizard or your external drive management software to
zero-fill your external drive.
 For OneTouch 4 drives, you may use the Maxtor Manager to erase the drive.
See Document ID: 200231 for guidance.
 For OneTouch, OneTouch 2, OneTouch 3, and OneTouch 3 mini drives, you may
use the OneTouch Manager to erase the drive.
 For Seagate Pocket Drives, please use the Toolkit software to Reset to Factory
Default. If you need the software, you may download it here.
My Solid State Drive may be

defective, how can I test it?
Tips for testing and finding out whether a SSD is faulty.
All Seagate Solid State Drives have built-in error-checking capabilities. To save time and the hassle of shipping
a SSD that may not be defective at all, please test your drive to see if it really is defective.
The first step to test the drive: Please download and run SeaTools for Windows. See a full tutorial
in Document ID: 202435.
The tests in Seatools will indicate Pass or Fail. If the drive fails the test, please begin the replacement process at
our Warranty Services Page. If the drive fails the test but is out of warranty, you may continue to use it as long
as you can, but remember to keep a full backup of your data at all times.
Seatools will test your S.M.A.R.T-compliant SSD for proper function.
If all the tests pass (no trouble found), the problem remains elsewhere in your system.
You can test your drive with CheckDisk. Please see Document ID: 184611 for instructions.
Reconfirm all cable connections and controllers, as well as the operating system. Consult your host controller
(motherboard) documentation or system manufacturer for assistance with SATA / SAS controller capabilities.
Further notes:
-If the BIOS does not recognize the drive, or the drive does not spin up, Seatools will not detect the drive either.
Please see Document ID: 005707 : The BIOS does not detect my SSD.
-The operating system will not recognize a drive that is not formatted and partitioned. If you need help with
formatting, please see Document ID: 220151
Buku Panduan
Disc Wizard
Unable to load Discwizard boot CD
Depending on the configuration of the PC being used, there could be boot problems when
using the DiscWizard boot CD. This article explains how to apply additional parameters
during the creation of the boot CD.
Depending on the configuration of the PC being used there could be conflicts when
using the Discwizard boot CD such as the system freezing during boot, the system
rebooting unexpectedly, or fails to load when running the detection process within
the Linux Kernel, or the Discwizard Bootable CD.
Additional parameters can be applied during the creation of the Boot CD, which
could resolve issues in regards to the above mentioned issues. These parameters
are added during the screen “Boot Media Options”, selecting the Bootable media
startup parameters and adding in one or more parameter entries listed below.
The following parameters can be used to load Linux kernel in a special mode:
acpi=off
Disables ACPI and may help with a particular hardware configuration.
noapic
Disables APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) and may help with a
particular hardware configuration.
nousb
Disables USB modules loading.
nousb2
Disables USB 2.0 support. USB 1.1 devices still work with this option. This option
allows using some USB drives in USB 1.1 mode, if they do not work in USB 2.0
mode.
quiet
This parameter is enabled by default and the startup messages are not displayed.
Deleting it will result in the startup messages being displayed as the Linux kernel is
loaded and the command shell being offered prior to running the very Acronis
program.
nodma
Disables DMA for all IDE disc drives. Prevents kernel from freezing on some
hardware.
nofw
Disables FireWire (IEEE1394) support.
nopcmcia
Disables PCMCIA hardware detection.
nomouse
Disables mouse support.
[module name]=off
Disables the module (e.g. sata_sis=off).
pci=bios
Forces to use PCI BIOS, not access the hardware device directly. For instance, this
parameter may be used if the machine has a non-standard PCI host bridge.
pci=nobios
Disallows use of PCI BIOS; only direct hardware access methods are allowed For
instance, this parameter may be used if you experience crashes upon boot-up,
probably caused by the BIOS.
pci=biosirq
Uses PCI BIOS calls to get the interrupt routing table. These calls are known to be
buggy on several machines and they hang the machine when used, but on other
computers it is the only way to get the interrupt routing table. Try this option, if the
kernel is unable to allocate IRQs or discover secondary PCI buses on your
motherboard.
DiscWizard Extended Capacity

Manager partition is missing after
updating to Windows 10
This article explains how to access the data on your virtual partition after updating to
Windows 10
If using a drive greater than 2TB on older hardware, then the Extended Capacity Manager
driver may have been loaded to see the capacity of the drive beyond 2TB. If you used the
Extended Capacity Manager feature built into the DiscWizard software to create a virtual
partition on a previous version of Windows and then update to Windows 10, you may not see
the virtual partition after updating. The following steps can be followed to regain access to
the virtual partition and the data inside of it in the event it has disappeared.

1. Click Here to go to Acronis' website and download the Acronis Virtual Disk Driver by
clicking on VirtualDiskSetup.
2. Once you download the VirtalDiskSetup.msi file, double click on it to install the software.
3. Once the software is done installing, you should be able to open Windows Explorer and
see the virtual partition that was available on your previous version of Windows.
4. If the issue persists, restart your computer and then verify that the Virtual Disk Driver is
listed in your Programs and Features list like the image below.
Cloning a Desktop HD: How to

Perform a Clone from the Bootable
Media CD with DiscWizard
This operation migrates/copies the entire contents of one disk drive to another (e.g., when
installing a larger disk) to get two identical drives with the same file structure. The "Clone
Disc" tool effectively copies all of the contents of one hard disk drive onto another hard disk
drive. The operation allows you to transfer all the information (including the operating system
and installed programs) from one hard disk drive to another without having to reinstall and
reconfigure all of your software.
Items to Note:
 When performing a Clone on a desktop computer, it is recommended to have both

drives attached directly to the SATA/PATA motherboard.
 DiscWizard will not clone a single partition. It will only clone an entire disk.
 Source disks can be cloned to your destination "as is" or resized.
 It is strongly suggested not to format your source disk or discard it after the clone until
you are confident that the new disk boots properly.
 Only Basic Disks can be cloned. Dynamic Disks cannot be cloned using Seagate
DiscWizard.
*When booting to the DiscWizard CD, you will be prompted to boot normally into
your Windows operating system or into the DiscWizard. Select DiscWizard.
1. From the home screen of the DiscWizard software, click Tools & Utilities,

then click Clone Disc.

2. Select the Automatic Mode to have the source drive's partitions automatically and
proportionally resized to fit the new drive.

3. Select your old hard drive as the Source Disc, then click Next:
4. Select the new hard drive as the Destination Disc and click Next.
5. If the destination drive has been partitioned, click OK to allow DiscWizard to erase all
the partitions on the drive before performing the clone.

6. Review the operation and summary screen, then click Proceed.

7. The clone will start and display a progress window.

8. Once the clone has completed, you can shut down the computer and remove the original
source drive along with the DiscWizard boot CD.
How to Create an Image Backup in

Windows with DiscWizard
Imaging is a way of backing up the computer that allows you to store the entire computer,
including the operating system and programs, in a single file (an “image”) that can be used
to restore the computer to exactly the way it was when the image was made. This is a good
way to recover from major hardware failure without having to spend lots of time reinstalling
programs, restoring data, etc.
FAQ: What is an Image Backup? Why is it needed?

 Imaging is a way of backing up the computer that allows you to store the entire
computer, including the operating system and programs, in a single file (an “image”) that
can be used to restore the computer to exactly the way it was when the image was
made. This is a good way to recover from major hardware failure without having to
spend lots of time reinstalling programs, restoring data, etc.
 An image backup created with DiscWizard can only be restored to the exact same
computer it was created on.
1. To start the Image Backup you will need to open the DiscWizard software and click on
the Backup selection.
2. Click Add Backup at the bottom left of the window and name your backup so you can
identify it later.
3. Click Select source and then click on Entire PC. Next, click on Select

destination and choose the external drive where you want to save the image
backup.
4. Click on Backup Now at the bottom right of the window to prompt the backup to
start. The backup will begin and display a status bar.

*Disc Wizard backups are created as a .tib file and the default location is the root of the
destination you chose if you did not specify a folder.
*For more information regarding Backup options you can access the built in help guide
through the Help selection on the left side of the software.
How to Create a Bootable Media CD
with DiscWizard
You can run Seagate DiscWizard from an emergency boot disc (Bootable Media) on a
computer that cannot boot in order to perform an image restore. You can also use the boot
CD to perform Clone operations, Partition/Format Disks, and create Image Backups of hard
disks etc.
Items of Note:
 To create a bootable media disc, you will need a blank CD-R/RW, or a blank
DVD+R/RW.
 Booting from a flash drive is another option if your computer does not have an optical
drive. You can either select the flash drive in the Bootable Media Type Selection step, or
you could save the DiscWizard .ISO file and burn it to the flash drive using an image
burning utility. The flash drive must be formatted in FAT32.
1. Open the DiscWizard software and click on the Tools selection on the left side of the
window.
2. Click on Rescue Media Builder.
3. Click on Simple.
4. If there is a blank CD-R/RW, a blank DVD+R/RW, or a USB flash drive in the computer,
you can select that for the destination. If you want to save the file to burn on a different
computer, you can select ISO image which will allow you to save the bootable media file
to another location, i.e. the desktop or an external drive.
5. Click Proceed
6. A status bar will display the progress and notify you once it is complete.
In order to boot from a CD, you will need to adjust your boot order in your BIOS
accordingly. Every motherboard/computer manufacturer will have a unique key that
must be pressed in order to access the BIOS (such as F2, F12, Esc, etc). You will
want to set your boot order to boot to the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or USB (flash drive).
Once you have completed your task with the DiscWizard CD, be sure to remove the
CD from the tray and reset your boot order back to its original configuration.
*For more information regarding DiscWizard you can access the built-in help guide
through the Help selection on the left side of the software.
How to mount an image with

Discwizard v18
Instructions for mounting a DiscWizard backup image so as to access the data saved in it.
1. Launch DiscWizard.
2. Click on Tools and then select More Tools.
3. Click on Mount Image.

4. The Mount backup screen displays.
5. Select Browse.
6. Navigate to the location where the image you want to mount is located.
7. Once you have selected the image, select Next >.

8. Look over the Summary and if the settings are according to your preferences,
select Proceed to connect the selected partition image as a virtual disk.
Now, you can open and view files or folders as if they were located on a real disk.
You can connect multiple partition images. If you want to connect another partition
image, repeat the procedure.
How to Create an Image Backup

from the Bootable Media CD with
DiscWizard
Imaging is a way of backing up the computer that allows you to store the entire computer,
including the operating system and programs, in a single file (an “image”) that can be used
to restore the computer to exactly the way it was when the image was made. This is a good
way to recover from major hardware failure without having to spend lots of time reinstalling
programs, restoring data, etc.
FAQ: What is an Image Backup? Why is it needed?
 Imaging is a way of backing up the computer that allows you to store the entire
computer, including the operating system and programs, in a single file (an “image”) that
can be used to restore the computer to exactly the way it was when the image was
made. This is a good way to recover from major hardware failure without having to
spend lots of time reinstalling programs, restoring data, etc.
computer on which it was created.
* When booting to the DiscWizard CD, you will be prompted to boot normally into your
Windows operating system or into DiscWizard. Select DiscWizard.
1. From the home screen of the DiscWizard software, click Backup/Disc and Partition

Backup.

2. Be sure to select all partition boxes under the drive of which you want want to create an
image. This can be done easily by clicking the Source Disc Box as shown below.

3. The default location to save the image will be on the C: drive. To change
this, click Browse.
4. Then browse for the destination drive under Computer/File Explorer. If you want the
image stored in a specific folder on the drive, you can select it here. Otherwise, the
image will be stored on the root of the drive. Once the drive or folder has been
selected, click Generate Name, then click OK.
5. Notice that the Backup Location has been changed to the destination that was
selected. Click Next.

6. At the summary screen, click Proceed.
7. At this point, the Operation Progress screen appears. Once it has completed, you
should be able to see the image file (.TIB) in the location you selected as the destination.
8. Once the Image backup is complete, remove the DiscWizard Bootable Media CD.
How to burn an .iso image onto a

CD/DVD-ROM
This document will cover How to use a bootable ISO image downloaded and methods for
rendering an .iso file ready to use.Just like the old boot floppy diskettes, CD or DVD-ROM
discs can boot to a DOS or other operating systems. Just copying files to a CD will not work
because the CD will need a master boot record and other hidden Startup operating system
files. Instead, the preferred method is to create a single file, an image of a bootable CD,
called an ISO image. Most CD-ROM burning applications recognize this type of image file.
Once the ISO file is burned as an image, then the new CD is a clone of the original and
bootable. Besides the bootable OS, the CD will also hold the various software applications
like many Seagate utilities that are downloadable in .iso image format.
This document will cover How to use a downloaded ISO image and methods for rendering
an .iso file ready to use.
Hardware Prerequisite: An internal or external CD-ROM burner is required for burning the
ISO image to a blank CD.
 Windows 8/8.1 /10

 Windows 7 / Vista
 MacOS

Windows 8/8.1/10

2. Open the folder where you have saved the ISO file.
3. Right click on the .iso file.
4. From the menu select Burn disc image.
1. The Windows Disc Image Burn will open.

2. Select the Disc burner.
3. Click on Burn.

Windows 7/Vista

2. Insert a blank CD in your CD-RW drive.
3. Navigate to the folder where you saved the file.
4. Click to highlight the file (Windows 7/Vista) and/or right-click on the file (Windows 7 only)
to see the options for creating a disc.

Cloning a Desktop HD: How to

Perform a Clone in Windows with
DiscWizard
This operation migrates/copies the entire contents of one disk drive to another (e.g., when
installing a larger disk) to get two identical drives with the same file structure. The "Clone
Disk" tool effectively copies all of the contents of one hard disk drive onto another hard disk
drive. The operation allows you to transfer all the information (including the operating system
and installed programs) from one hard disk drive to another without having to reinstall and
reconfigure all of your software.
Items to Note:
 It is recommended to always perform a Clone from the DiscWizard Boot CD. This
article is for those who want to attempt a clone from inside Windows on a desktop
computer with both drives attached directly to the SATA/PATA motherboard.
 DiscWizard will not clone a single partition. It will only clone an entire disk.
 Source disks can be cloned to your destination "as is" or resized.
 It is strongly suggested not to format your source disk or discard it after the clone until
you are confident that the new disk boots properly.
 Only Basic Disks can be cloned. Dynamic Disks cannot be cloned using Seagate
DiscWizard.
1. Launch the DiscWizard software.

2. Under the Tools tab, click Clone Disk.
3. Select the Automatic Mode to have the source drive's partitions automatically and
proportionally resized to fit the new drive.

4. Select your old hard drive as the Source Disk, then click Next.
5. Select the new hard drive as the Destination Disk, click Next.
6. If the destination drive has been partitioned, click OK to allow DiscWizard to erase all the
partition on the drive before performing the clone.

7. Review the operation and summary screen, then click Proceed.
8. The clone will start and display a progress Window.

9. If you are cloning a disk with a currently active operating system, the program will ask for
a reboot. Click Reboot to continue cloning:
**If you click Cancel, the job will be aborted.

10. The computer will reboot into a pre-Windows environment where the clone will be
performed. Once the clone has completed, you can shut down the computer and remove
the original source drive.
*For more information regarding DiscWizard, you can access the built-in help guide
through the Help tab located on the left side of the software.

How to Recover an Image Backup

Using the Bootable Media CD with
DiscWizard
If your system fails completely, you will need to do what is called a system recovery (also
known as System Restore). This process calls for reloading the operating system, programs
and restoring the data. With the aid of disaster recovery software like DiscWizard you can
restore an image backup (.TIB file) that is stored on a backup drive.
 An image backup created with DiscWizard can only be restored to the same computer
on which it was created.
*When booting to the DiscWizard CD, you will be prompted to boot normally into your
Windows operating system or into DiscWizard. Select DiscWizard.
1. From the home screen of DiscWizard, click Recovery on the left and then click Browse
for backup.
2. Under Computer/File Explorer, browse for the drive on which the image (.TIB file) is

stored. Once you have selected the image, click OK.

3. Right-click on the backup and click Recover.
4. Select to Recover Whole Discs and Partitions.
5. Select the disc you wish to recover (a checkmark on the source disk will populate all the
partitions), then click Next.
*This step is very important. Be sure to click the box next to the Disc number. Do
NOT select each partition box individually.
6. Choose Destination Disc, then click Next.

7. This message will appear if the destination drive has been partitioned, click OK to allow
DiscWizard to erase the drive of all its partitions before performing the Image
Restore.
8. At the Summary screen, click Proceed to begin the restore.
9. A window will display the status of the restore.

10. Once the operation has been completed disconnect the external drive on which the
image (.TIB) was stored, then remove the DiscWizard CD and boot from the newly
restored internal drive.
How to Recover an Image Backup in
Windows with DiscWizard
If your system fails completely, you will need to do what is called a system recovery (also
known as System Restore). This process calls for reloading the operating system, programs
and restoring the data. With the aid of disaster recovery software like DiscWizard you can
restore an image backup (.TIB file) that is stored on a backup drive.
computer on which it was created.
1. Open the DiscWizard software and click on the Backup selection.

2. Select the backup you want to restore and click on Recovery at the top right of the
window.
Note: If you do not see your backup listed here, click the arrow next to Add Backup at
the bottom of the window and select Add existing backup.
3. The software will display the files that were backed up previously. To do an image
restore, select the Recover disks button at the bottom of the window.

4. Click on Disks near the top of the window and you will see the drive or drives that you
backed up previously. Put a check mark next to the drive or drives you would like to
recover, and then choose the destination you would like from the drop-down menu that
appears.

5. Click on Recover Now at the bottom right of the window to start the restore process.
If the destination drive is not empty, a message displays, asking if you are sure it is
OK to erase the drive. Click Yes to begin the restore process.

6. A status bar will display the progress of the restore.

7. A reboot may be required to complete the Image Restore.

8. Once the image has been restored, verify that it was successful by booting from the
Destination Disk to which it was restored.
*For more information regarding DiscWizard, you can access the built-in help guide
through the Help selection on the left side of the software..

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How to manually move your data to the drive in

1. First, open one window by double-clicking on (My) Computer/This PC.

14. The task is complete! This is known as a "drag-and-drop" action.

Copy and Paste

1. On the keyboard, press the Windows Key ( )+E

5. Click on Defragment now (Optimize in Windows 8/8.1/10)

6. To determine if the disk needs defragmentation, select Analyze disk.

Volume Status shows disk as 'EISA

Here are the ways to erase a drive in this situation:

Seagate pushbutton external

 Seagate Portable, and

 Maxtor Personal Storage drives,

 If that fails, you can use DiscWizard to erase your external drive.

1. Determine the disknumber assigned to the EISA-protected drive.

4. From the diskpart prompt, type select disk disknumber (for instance, if the disk

 Use the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard...

 You have your locked, OneTouch 4 drive connected to your computer.

Formatting the OneTouch 4 Drive:

1. Disconnect the OneTouch 4 Drive from your computer.

Optional - Copying OneTouch 4 Installation Files back to the OneTouch 4:

OneTouch 4 Video Tutorial: Erasing Your Drive for Windows

Disabling the Write Cache feature in

1. In Windows Vista / 7, click on the Start button, then right-click on Computer and

How to use an external drive without

2. A user's bundled backup software is malfunctioning for a period of time.

3. A user prefers to backup data manually.

4. The drive did not include any bundled backup software.

1. Drag and drop

(Windows 8 has an additional option called File History. See this Microsoft article for

Here is how to perform those actions on a Windows computer :

Drag and drop

1. First, open one window by double-clicking on (My) Computer.

12. Double-click on the external drive’s letter.

Copy and Paste

5. Double-click to open (My) Computer.

8. On the top bar of the window, choose Edit.

11. The task is complete! This is known as a "copy-and-paste" action.

How to perform these actions on a Mac computer :

Drag and Drop :

Copy and Paste :

Drive image Drive name

FreeAgent Go for Mac (this drive is designed to be used with Mac

Seagate Desktop External drive

Seagate Portable External drive

Maxtor Personal Storage Family

Seagate External Drive

Seagate Portable Drive (most models)

Seagate Compact Flash Photo drive

What happens when I connect my

4. Then you can simply copy-and-paste data , or drag-and-drop data, into the drive

5. The drive is now functioning normally. Use it manually and/or launch/install the

To copy and paste a file/folder on Windows:

9. The task is complete! This is known as a "copy-and-paste" action.

To Drag and drop files/folders on Windows:

7. The task is complete! This is known as a "drag-and-drop" action.

How to update USB drivers in

For the purposes of Seagate external hard drives, drivers are defined as:

Please follow these steps to update your drivers: