LACIE Rugged Mini Portable Hard Drive Instructions

: September 6, 2024
: LaCie

LACIE Rugged Mini Portable Hard Drive

LACIE Rugged Mini Portable Hard Drive

Welcome

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 Rugged Mini
Micro-B to 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

Rugged Mini performance
You can connect your device to any USB-C port on your computer, but transfer rates vary:

Port	Transfer rates
USB 3.1 Gen 1	up to 5 Gb/s
USB 3.1 Gen 2	up to 10 Gb/s
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2	up to 20 Gb/s

Connect LaCie Rugged Mini

Plug the Micro-B connector into the Micro-B port on Rugged Mini.
Plug the USB-C connector into a USB-C port on your computer.

Set up LaCie Rugged Mini

The setup process lets you:

Register your LaCie Rugged Mini| Get the most from your drive with easy access to information and support.
---|---
Install Toolkit| Manage mirror folders, backup plans (Windows only) and more.

Your computer must be connected to the internet to register your device and install Toolkit.

Start here

Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, open LaCie Rugged Mini and launch’s tart Here Mac or Start Here Win.

here

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.

Register your device

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.

Mac — Open the LaCieToolkit.zip file and click on the LaCie Toolkit Installer to launch the application.
Windows — Click on the LaCieToolkit.exe file to launch the application.

Activity LED

Activity LED behaviour
The activity LED indicates the status of Rugged Mini.

LED	County
Solid white	Device is idle.
Blinking white	Device is being accessed.
Fast blinking white	Error condition related to the drive, electronics or

operating temperature.
Off| Device inactive because it’s turned off or in power-saving mode.

Use Toolkit to Set Up Backups and More

Toolkit provides useful tools that let you easily create and manage mirror folders, backup plans and more.

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.

Create mirror folders

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 mirror folder with your changes.

Click here for details on creating a mirror folder.

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

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 Recycle Bin.
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 optimise 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.

Optimised 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.

Optimised performance for macOS

Apple offers two proprietary file systems.

APFS (Apple File System) is an Apple file system optimised 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 Comparisons.

Formatting instructions

For instructions on formatting your drive, see How to format your drive.

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 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.

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. 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 message to appear.

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.

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 Rugged Mini with Time Machine.

Q: Can I use Rugged Mini 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.

Regulatory Compliance

Equipment Name	External Storage Device
Regulatory Model Number	LRD0TU5

FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMANCE

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

CLASS B

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will notoccur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

CAUTION: Any changes or modifications made to this equipment may void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

R&TTE Directive “Informal DoC” statement

Hereby, Seagate declares that this product is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC. For details, please access the following: www.seagate.com/support/compliance.

For Australian Customers Only

Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Revision – July 1, 2020

Country of Production: Thailand

The date of manufacture is specified on the product packaging or the nameplate near the P/D indication in the following format: P/D: MM.YYYY

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.