Seagate Backup Plus Slim STHN2000401 - Drive Portable HDD Manual

Introduction

Seagate Backup Plus portable drives are the perfect marriage of easy portability and spacious storage. Easily plug into Windows and Mac computers via USB 3.0 and enjoy helpful tools like customized backup and folder mirroring.

For common questions and answers about your hard drive, see Frequently Asked Questions or visit Seagate customer support.

Box content

• Seagate Backup Plus Portable or Backup Plus Slim
• Micro-B (USB 3.0) to USB-A (USB 3.0/2.0) cable

Save your packaging. If you experience problems with your hard drive and want to exchange it, the hard drive must be returned in its original packaging.

Minimum system requirements

Ports
You can connect your Seagate device to a computer with a USB-A (USB 3.0 or USB 2.0) port.

Operating system

• Windows 7 or higher
• macOS 10.11 or higher

Minimum free disk space

• 600MB recommended

Getting Started

Connect the USB cable

Use the Micro B to USB-A cable to connect Backup Plus to a computer's USB-A port (USB 3.0 or USB 2.0).

Set up the device

The setup process lets you:

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

1. Start here
   Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, open Backup Plus and launch Start Here Win or Start Here Mac.
   
2. Register your device
   Enter your information and click Register.
   
3. Download Toolkit
   Click the Download button.
   
4. Install Toolkit
   Using a file manager such as Finder or File Explorer, go to the folder where you receive downloads.

	Click on the SeagateToolkit.exe file to launch the application.
	Open the SeagateToolkit.zip file. Click on the Seagate Toolkit Installer to launch the application.

Your computer must be connected to the internet to install and run Toolkit.

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.

Create 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.

Start a backup plan

(Windows only)
Create a plan customized for the content, storage device, and schedule of your choosing.

Optimize disk performance

Seagate Backup Plus is preformatted exFAT for compatibility with both Windows and Mac computers. If you use the drive with only one type of computer, you can optimize file copy performance by formatting the drive in the native file format for your operating system. Toolkit provides a quick and simple means of initially optimizing the drive for best performance.

You can also manually format your drive. See Optional Formatting and Partitioning for details.

Formatting erases everything on the storage device. Seagate highly recommends that you back up all data on your storage device before performing the steps below. Seagate is not responsible for any data lost due to formatting, partitioning, or using a Seagate storage device.

Optional Formatting and Partitioning

Seagate Backup Plus is preformatted exFAT for compatibility with both Mac and Windows computers. If you use the drive with only one type of computer, you can optimize file copy performance by formatting the drive in the native file system for your operating system—NTFS for Windows or HFS+ for Macs. There are two ways you can optimize performance:

About file system formats

NTFS—The native file system for Windows. macOS can read NTFS volumes but cannot natively write to them.

Mac OS Extended (HFS+)—The native hard drive file system for macOS. Windows cannot natively read or write to HFS+ (journaled) volumes. This is the best format if you intend to use Seagate Backup Plus with Time Machine.

APFS (Apple File System)—An Apple file system optimized for solid state drives (SSDs) and flash-based storage systems. While you can format your hard disk drive (HDD) in APFS, performance may be degraded when files on the drive are routinely subjected to extensive editing (for example, large-scale image, video, audio, and music editing). Note the following restrictions:

• You cannot use an APFS-formatted disk as your Time Machine backup drive. Format Backup Plus Ultra Touch to HFS+ if you intend to use it with Time Machine.
• APFS is only supported on macOS 10.13 or later.

exFAT—Compatible with Mac and Windows. 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.

FAT32—Compatible with Mac and Windows. However, FAT32 is a legacy file system designed for low capacity hard drives and it is not recommended for modern hard drives or operating systems. A FAT32 partition can reach up to 32GB when formatted on a Windows PC.

Toolkit Op mize

Toolkit provides a quick and simple means of initially optimizing the drive for best performance.

Manual formatting

Use the steps below to manually format and partition a storage device.

Formatting erases everything on the storage device. Seagate highly recommends that you back up all data on your storage device before performing the steps below. Seagate is not responsible for any data lost due to formatting, partitioning, or using a Seagate storage device.

Mac

macOS version 10.11 and later

1. Open the Finder and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
2. In the sidebar to the left, select your Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch.

macOS starting version 10.13—Make sure to select the disk and not just the volume. If you don't see two entries listed in the sidebar, change the view in disk utility to show both the drive and the volume. The view button is in the upper left side of the Disk Utility window. Change the view to Show All Devices. This feature was introduced in macOS 10.13 and is not available in 10.11 or 10.12.

3. Select Erase.
4. A dialog box opens. Enter a name for the drive. This will be the name displayed when the drive mounts.
5. For Format, select OS X Extended (Journaled).
6. For Scheme, select GUID Partition Map.
7. Click Erase.
8. Disk Utility formats the drive. When it's finished, click Done.

Windows

1. Make sure the storage device is connected to and mounted on the computer.
2. Go to Search and then type diskmgmt.msc. In the search results, double-click Disk Management.
3. From the list of storage devices in the middle of the Disk Management window, locate your LaCie device.
4. The partition must be available to format. If it is currently formatted, right click on the partition and then choose Delete.
5. To create a new partition, right click on the volume and select New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen instructions when the New Simple Volume Wizard appears.

Safely Remove The Unit 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.

1. Click the Safely Remove icon in your Windows System Tray to view the devices you can eject.
   
2. 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.
3. In the list of devices, choose the device you want to eject. Windows displays a notification when it is safe to remove the device.
4. 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

1. Open a Finder window.
2. 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.
3. Once the device disappears from the sidebar or, the Finder window closes, you can disconnect the interface cable from your Mac.

Eject via Desktop

1. Select the desktop icon for your device and drag it to the Trash.
2. When the device icon is no longer visible on your desktop, you can physically disconnect the device from your Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

All users

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 hard drive connected to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port on your computer or hub?
A: If your hard drive is connected to a Hi-Speed 2.0 port or hub, the inferior performance is normal. Seagate Backup Plus performance will improve when it is connected to a USB 3.1 port or 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 hard drive's performance improves.

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.
Please note that USB 2.0 hubs limit your hard drive's transfer rates to USB 2.0 speeds.

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, Seagate 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.

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

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 Seagate 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
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). If it is grayed out, it is not mounted. Click on the Mount button in Disk Utility.

Q: Does your computer's configuration meet the minimum system requirements for use with this hard drive?
A: Refer to the product packaging for the list of supported operating systems.

Q: Did you follow the correct installation steps for your operating system?
A: Review the installation steps in Getting Started.

Documents / Resources

Download manual

Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.

Download Seagate Backup Plus Slim STHN2000401 - Drive Portable HDD Manual