SEAGATE STJD500400 500GB Expansion SSD USB 3.0 External Portable SSD User Manual

SEAGATE STJD500400 500GB Expansion SSD USB 3.0 External Portable SSD

Box content

• Seagate Expansion SSD
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• USB-C to USB-A cable
• Quick start guide

Minimum system requirements

Ports
You can connect your Seagate device to a computer with a USB-C or USB-A port.
This device supports connections to computer ports that are USB 3.0 and higher.

Operating system

Go to Operating System Requirements for Seagate Hardware & Software.

Minimum free disk space
600MB recommended.

Getting Started

Connect the USB cable
Use the USB-C to USB-C cable to connect Expansion SSD to your computer’s USB-C port. If your computer doesn’t have a USB-C port, use the USB-C to USB-A cable to connect Expansion SSD to a USB-A port.

The computer port you connect to must support

Register Expansion SSD: Get the most from your drive with easy access to information and support.
Your computer must be connected to the internet to register your device.

Start here: Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, open Expansion SSD and launch Start Here Win or Start Here Mac.
Register your device: Enter your information and click Register.

Optimizing Expansion SSD performance

Some external SSD drives may experience slower performance if large amounts of data are copied all at once. This occurs when the high-speed cache is filled with no pauses to allow the cache to clear. To maintain optimal performance, periodically allow the cache to optimize the drive by doing the following:

• Leave Expansion SSD connected to your computer for an hour or more, during which Expansion SSD is not performing any read/write activities (the drive is idle).
• Make sure the computer and drive are awake. If your computer is set to sleep, you may need to take extra steps to keep the computer awake and allow the cache to clear.
• If Expansion SSD is connected while you work or play games from the computer’s internal drive, the cache will have time to clear and performance will be optimized.

For more details, see the following knowledge base article from Seagate support: Optimizing External SSD drive write performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

For help setting up and using Seagate Expansion SSD, review the frequently asked questions below. For additional support resources, go to Seagate customer support.

All users
Problem: My file transfers are too slow

• Q: Are both ends of the USB cable firmly attached?
• A: Review troubleshooting tips for cable connections below:
  • Check both ends of the USB cable and make sure that they are fully seated in their respective ports.
  • Try disconnecting the cable, waiting 10 seconds, and then reconnecting it.
  • Try a different USB cable.
• Q: Is the device connected to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port on your computer or hub?
• A : If your device is connected to a Hi-Speed 2.0 port or hub, the inferior performance is normal. Seagate Expansion SSD performance will improve when it is connected to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. Otherwise, the device operates at slower USB transfer rates.
• Q: Are there other USB devices connected to the same port or hub?
• A: Disconnect other USB devices and see if the device’s performance improves.

Problem: I have an older computer with USB 2.0 ports

• Q: Will my device’s USB 3.0 cable work with my computer’s USB 2.0 port?
• A: Yes, the cable end that plugs into the computer (USB Type A) is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. However, the transfer rates are much slower with USB 2.0.

Problem: I must use a USB hub for my USB devices

• Q: Can I use my device with a USB hub?
• Q: Is the device connected to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port on your computer or hub?
• A: If your device is connected to a Hi-Speed 2.0 port or hub, the inferior performance is normal. Seagate Expansion SSD performance will improve when it is connected to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. Otherwise, the device operates at slower USB transfer rates.
• Q: Are there other USB devices connected to the same port or hub?
• A: Disconnect other USB devices and see if the device’s performance improves.

Problem: I have an older computer with USB 2.0 ports

• Q : Will my device’s USB 3.0 cable work with my computer’s USB 2.0 port?
• A: Yes, the cable end that plugs into the computer (USB Type A) is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. However, the transfer rates are much slower with USB 2.0.

Problem: I must use a USB hub for my USB devices

• Q: Can I use my device with a USB hub?
• A: Yes, the device can be connected to a USB hub. If you use a hub and encounter detection problems, slower than normal transfer rates, random disconnection from your computer or other unusual issues, try connecting the device directly to the computer’s USB port.
  Some USB hubs are less than efficient with power management, which can be problematic for connected devices. In such a case, consider trying a powered USB hub that includes a power cable.
  Please note that USB 2.0 hubs limit your device’s transfer rates to USB 2.0 speeds.

Problem: The provided USB cables are too short

• Q: Can I use my device with a longer cable?
• A: Yes, provided it is certified according to USB standards. However, Seagate recommends using the cable shipped with your device for the best results. If you use a longer cable and experience problems with detection, transfer rates or disconnection, use the original cable included with your device.

Problem: I’m receiving file transfer error messages

• Q: Did you get an “Error -50” message while copying to a FAT32 volume?

• A: When copying files or folders from a computer to a FAT32 volume, certain characters in the names cannot be copied. These characters include, but are not limited to: ? < > / \ :
  Check your files and folders to ensure that these characters are not in the names.
  If this is a recurring problem or you cannot find files with incompatible characters, consider reformatting the drive to NTFS (Windows users) or HFS+ (Mac users). See Optional Formatting and Partitioning.

• Q: Did you get an error message telling you that the drive has been disconnected when coming out of sleep mode?

• A: Ignore this message since the drive remounts on the desktop despite the pop-up. Seagate drives conserve power by spinning down when you set your computer to sleep mode. When the computer awakes from sleep mode, the drive may not have enough time to spin up, causing the pop-up to appear.

Windows

Problem: The device icon doesn’t appear in Compute r

• Q: Is the device listed in Device Manager?

• A: All drives appear in at least one place in Device Manager.
  Type Device Manager in Search to launch it. Look in the Disk Drives section and, if necessary, click the Plus (+) icon to view the full list of devices. If you’re uncertain that your drive is listed, safely unplug it and then reconnect it. The entry that changes is your Seagate device.

• Q: Is your device listed next to an unusual icon?

• A: Windows Device Manager usually provides information about failures with peripherals. While the Device Manager can assist with troubleshooting most problems, it may not display the exact cause or provide a precise solution.
  An unusual icon next to the device can reveal a problem. For example, instead of the normal icon based on the type of device, it has an exclamation point, question mark or an X. Right click this icon and then choose Properties. The General tab provides a potential reason why the device is not working as expected.
  Mac

Problem: The device icon does not appear on my desktop

• Q: Is your Finder configured to hide hard drives on the desktop?
• A: Go to Finder and then check Preferences | General tab >| Show these items on the desktop. Confirm that Hard Disks is selected.
• Q: Is your device mounting in the operating system?
• A: Open Disk Utility at Go | Utilities | Disk Utility. If the device is listed in the left-hand column, check your Finder preferences to see why it is not displayed on the desktop (review the question above).
• Q: Does your computer’s configuration meet the minimum system requirements for use with this device?
• A: Refer to the product packaging for the list of supported operating systems.

Regulatory Compliance

Product Name: Seagate Expansion SSD
Regulatory Model Number: SRD0FV6

China RoHS
China RoHS 2 refers to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Order No. 32, effective July 1, 2016, titled Management Methods for the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products. To comply with China RoHS 2, we determined this product’s Environmental Protection Use Period (EPUP) to be 20 years in accordance with the Marking for the Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electronic and Electrical Products, SJT 11364-2014.

Taiwan RoHS
Taiwan RoHS refers to the Taiwan Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection’s (BSMI’s) requirements in standard CNS 15663, Guidance to reduction of the restricted chemical substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Beginning on January 1, 2018, Seagate products must comply with the “Marking of presence” requirements in Section 5 of CNS 15663. This product is Taiwan RoHS compliant. The following table meets the Section 5 “Marking of presence” requirements.

References

• Seagate Expansion SSD | Seagate US
• Expansion SSD | Support Seagate US
• Optimizing External SSD drive write performance | Support Seagate US
• Operating System Requirements for Seagate Hardware & Software | Support Seagate US

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