LACIE Mobile Drive USB-C External Hard Drive Instruction Manual
- June 3, 2024
- LaCie
Table of Contents
- LACIE Mobile Drive USB-C External Hard Drive
- Introduction
- Minimum System Requirements
- Getting Started
- Register your device
- Install Toolkit
- Use Toolkit to Set Up Security and More
- Safely Remove Device From Your Computer
- Optional Formatting
- Formattng instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Regulatory Compliance
- References
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
LACIE Mobile Drive USB-C External Hard Drive
Introduction
For common questions and answers about your hard drive, see Frequently Asked Questions or visit LaCie customer support. Click here to access an up-to-date online version of this document. You will also find the most recent content as well as expandable illustrations, easier navigation, and search capability.
Box content
- LaCie Mobile Drive
- Secure USB-C cable
- Quick start guide
Minimum System Requirements
Ports
Use the included cable to connect your LaCie device to a computer with a USB-C
port.
Operating system
Go to Operating System Requirements for Seagate Hardware & Software.
Minimum free disk space
600 MB recommended.
Getting Started
Connect the USB cable
Use the USB-C cable to connect LaCie Mobile Drive to a computer’s USB-C port.
Set up LaCie Mobile Drive Secure
The setup process lets you:
- Register your LaCie Mobile Drive Secure: Get the most from your drive with easy access to information and support.
- Install Toolkit: Manage security, mirror folders, backup plans (Windows only) and more.
Your computer must be connected to the internet to register your device and
Start here
Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, open LaCie Mobile Drive
Secure and launch Start Here Win or Start Here Mac.
If your drive no longer has a Start Here icon, you can register your device on lacie.com. Toolkit can be downloaded from the Toolkit support page.
Register your device
Enter your information and click Register.
Download Toolkit
Click the Download button.
Install Toolkit
Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, go to the folder where you receive downloads.
- Open the LaCieToolkit.zip file. Click on the LaCie Toolkit Installer to launch the application.
- Click on the LaCieToolkit.exe file to launch the application.
Use Toolkit to Set Up Security and More
Toolkit provides useful tools that let you easily manage security, set up backup plans and mirror folders and more.
Enable security
Toolkit is required to enable security for LaCie Mobile Drive Secure. Be sure
to install Toolkit in order to password-protect your device using Seagate
Secure 256-bit encryption.
- Click here for details on enabling security.
Start a backup plan (Windows only)
Create a plan customised for the content, storage device, and schedule of your
choosing.
- Click here for details on setting up a backup plan.
Set up a mirror folder
Create a mirror folder on your PC or Mac that is synced to your storage device. Whenever you add, edit, or delete files in one folder, Toolkit automatically updates the other folder with your changes.
- Click here for details on creating a mirror folder.
Safely Remove Device From Your Computer
Always eject a storage drive from your computer before physically disconnecting it. Your computer must perform filing and housekeeping operations on the drive before it is removed. Therefore, if you unplug the drive without using the operating system’s software, your files can become corrupt or damaged.
Windows
Use the Safely Remove tool to eject a device.
- Click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in your Windows System Tray to view the devices you can eject.
- If you don’t see the Safely Remove Hardware icon, click the Show hidden icons arrow in the system tray to display all icons in the notification area.
- In the list of devices, choose the device you want to eject. Windows displays a notification when it is safe to remove the device.
- Disconnect the device from the computer.
Mac
There are several ways you can eject your device from a Mac. See below for two options.
Eject via Finder window
- Open a Finder window.
- On the sidebar, go to Devices and locate the drive you want to eject. Click the eject symbol to the right of the drive name.
- Once the device disappears from the sidebar or, the Finder window closes, you can disconnect the interface cable from your Mac.
Eject via Desktop
- Select the desktop icon for your device and drag it to the Trash.
- When the device icon is no longer visible on your desktop, you can physically disconnect the device from your Mac.
Optional Formatting
Your device is preformatted exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) for compatibility with both Mac and Windows computers.
Choosing a file system format
When choosing a file system format, consider whether compatibility or
performance is more important in your everyday use of the drive.
- Compatibility—You need a cross-platform format because you connect your drive to both PCs and Macs.
- Performance—You connect your drive with only one type of computer, so you can optimize file copy performance by formatting the drive in the native file system for your computer operating system.
Compatibility with both Windows and Macs
exFAT is a lightweight file system compatible with all versions of Windows and
modern versions of macOS. If you use your drive with both PCs and Macs, format
your drive in exFAT. While exFAT offers cross-platform access to both
computers, keep in mind the following:
- exFAT is not compatible or recommended for built-in backup utilities such as File History (Windows) and Time Machine (macOS). If you want to use one of these backup utilities, you should format the drive in the native file system for the computer running the utility.
- exFAT is not a journaled file system, which means it can be more susceptible to data corruption when errors occur or the drive is not disconnected properly from the computer.
Optimized performance for Windows
NTFS (New Technology File System) is a proprietary journaling file system for
Windows. macOS can read NTFS volumes, but it can’t natively write to them.
This means your Mac can copy files from an NTFS-formatted drive, but it can’t
add files to or remove files from the drive. If you need more versatility than
this one-way transfer with Macs, consider exFAT.
Optimized performance for macOS
Apple offers two proprietary file systems. Mac OS Extended (also known as
Heirarchical File System Plus or HFS+) is an Apple file system used since 1998
for mechanical and hybrid internal drives. macOS Sierra (version 10.12) and
earlier use HFS+ by default.
APFS (Apple File System) is an Apple file system optimized for solid state
drives (SSDs) and flash-based storage systems, though it also works with hard
disk drives (HDDs). It was first introduced with the release of macOS High
Sierra (version 10.13). APFS can only be read by Macs running High Sierra or
later.
When choosing between Apple file systems, consider the following:
- Windows cannot natively read or write to APFS or HFS+ volumes. If you need cross-platform compatibility, you should format the drive in exFAT.
- If you intend to use your drive with Time Machine:
- The default format for macOS Big Sur (version 11) and later is APFS.
- The default format for macOS Catalina (version 10.15) and earlier is HFS+.
- If you intend to use your drive to move files between Macs running older OS versions, consider formatting your drive in HFS+ rather than APFS.
- macOS file systems and Android: Formatting your drive for macOS may not be supported with connections to Android mobile devices.
Learn more
For additional considerations when choosing a file system format, see File
System Format Comparisions.
Formattng instructions
For instructions on formatting your drive, see How to format your drive.
Works with iPad USB-C
Your LaCie storage devices can be used with higher-end iPads. This is a great
option for moving files between computers, cloud services and external
storage. The iPad is also a perfect mobile editing station for importing media
to more advanced imaging and video apps.
See External Storage and iPadOS for details on the following:
- Connecting Storage to Compatible iPads
- Available Actions
- Selecting Multiple Items
- Accessing Storage Devices in an App
- Supported External Storage Devices and USB Hubs
- External Storage Performance on iPad Versus a Computer
- Thunderbolt Storage Devices
- Battery Use
- Ejecting
- Storage Formats
- Password Protection
- Toolkit and First Use Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
For help setting up and using your LaCie hard drive, review the frequently asked questions below. For additional support resources, go to LaCie 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: Are there other USB devices connected to the same port or hub?
A: Disconnect other USB devices and see if the hard drive’s performance
improves.
Problem: I have an older computer with USB 3.0 (Type A) ports
Q: Will my hard drive’s USB 3.2 Gen 1 port work with my computer’s USB 3.0
port?
A: Yes, the device is compatible with USB 3.0 ports, however, the product does
not include a cable with a USB Type A connector.
Problem: I must use a USB hub for my USB devices
Q: Can I use my hard drive with a USB hub?
A: Yes, the hard drive 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
hard drive 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.
Problem: The provided USB cables are too short
Q: Can I use my hard drive with a longer cable?
A: Yes, provided it is certified according to USB standards. However, LaCie
recommends using the cable shipped with your hard drive 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 hard drive.
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. LaCie 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.
Mac
Problem: The hard drive 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 hard drive mounting in the operating system?
A: Open Disk Utility at Go | Utilities | Disk Utility. If the hard drive 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 hard drive?
A: Go to the following link for a list of supported operating systems:
www.lacie.com/os.
Q: Did you follow the correct installation steps for your operating
system?
A: Review the installation steps in Getting Started.
Problem: I want to use Mobile Drive Secure with Time Machine.
Q: Can I use Mobile Drive Secure with Time Machine?
A: Yes. The drive is preformatted exFAT for use with both PC and Mac. For Time
Machine, it must be reformatted to Mac. Reformatting will delete all data
previously stored on the drive. Go to
www.lacie.com/time-machine for more details.
Windows
Problem: The hard drive icon doesn’t appear in Computer
Q: Is the hard drive 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 LaCie hard drive.
Q: Is your hard drive 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 hard drive 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.
Regulatory Compliance
- Product Name: LaCie Mobile Drive Secure
- Regulatory Model Number: LRD0TUB
China RoHS 2
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
- Operating System Requirements for LaCie Hardware & Software | LaCie Support US
- Apple Time Machine 101 | LaCie Support ASEAN
- Create Your LaCie Account
- File System Format Comparisons | LaCie Support US
- How to format your drive | LaCie Support US
- LaCie Mobile Drive User Manual - Getting Started
- LaCie Mobile Drive Secure User Manual
- LaCie Mobile Drive Secure User Manual - Frequently Asked Questions
- LaCie Rugged RAID Pro User Manual - Optional Formatting
- External Storage with iPad USB-C and iPhone USB-C | LaCie Support US
- Toolkit User Manual - Seagate Secure
- Operating System Requirements for LaCie Hardware & Software | LaCie Support UK
- Operating System Requirements for LaCie Hardware & Software | LaCie Support US