G-Technology G-Drive Manual

About Your G-DRIVE mobile USB

Introduction

G-DRIVE mobile USB hard drives are the ideal storage solutions for people on the go.
G-DRIVE mobile USB is the perfect compliment to any laptop or other portable computer. Weighing in at less than 9 oz., the drive offers a stylish look with a heavy duty feel and is perfect to store or backup your important documents, music, digital videos and digital photo files.

The drive comes formatted for your Mac^®, making it an easy plug-and-play storage device. The drive is easy to back up since it ships ready for Time Machine^®. You can also use the drive on a Windows computer or work cross-platform.

G-DRIVE mobile USB features a silent 'fan-less' design and an integrated cooling system to ensure reliable operation and long life. It is bus powered, eliminating the need for a bulky external AC power supply. Portability has never been so easy!

What's in the Box

The following items are included in the box:

• G-DRIVE mobile USB
• USB 3.0 cable (2.0 compatible)
• Quick Install Guide

If any items are missing, please contact G-Technology at www.g-technology.com/support.

System Requirements

G-DRIVE mobile USB supports the following Operating Systems. The drive is set up at the factory for use with Mac OS^® systems, and formatted as 'HFS+ with Journaling'.

Mac: Mac OS 10.5 or newer and an available USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port.

Windows: Windows^® XP, Windows^® Vista and Windows^® 7 and an available USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port.

Overview of the Drive

This diagram shows the helpful features of your G-DRIVE mobile USB. A Power & Activity LED is on the front of the unit, along with a USB port.

The Activity light will glow when power is applied via the USB port. It will flash brighter as data is transferred to or from the hard drive.

Easy Installation for Mac

G-DRIVE mobile USB easily attaches to your computer via a USB cable. Simply plug the small end of the cable into the drive and the large end of the cable into a free USB connector on your computer. The drive will automatically mount on the desktop if you are running Mac OS. (For Mac OS 10.7 and above, you must have the 'external drive' box selected within the Finder Preferences window in order for external hard drives to appear on your desktop)

No AC power supply is necessary. The drive is bus powered to eliminate the need to carry around an external AC power supply to use the drive.

Disconnect the Drive

A great feature of G-DRIVE mobile USB is its ability to be connected and disconnected while your computer is running. To prevent failures and/or data loss, it is important to follow the steps below when disconnecting or 'unmounting' the the drive from your computer.

1. Before powering down and disconnecting the drive, unmount the system by simply dragging the G-DRIVE mobile USB icon to the trash located in the dock.
   Keyboard shortcut: Select the drive icon and hit Command+E.
2. It is safe to remove the drive from your system when the drive icon is no longer present on your desktop.

Helpful links

• To use G-DRIVE mobile USB on Windows, go to "Windows Use" chapter.
• To use G-DRIVE mobile USB on Mac and Windows, go to "Cross Platform Use" chapter.

Using Your Drive on Mac

Use with Time Machine^®

G-DRIVE mobile USB works perfectly and easily with Time Machine. Time Machine is an application that ships with your Mac and provides automatic backup for your files. The following steps will quickly set up G-DRIVE mobile USB with Time Machine.

1. When you attach G-DRIVE mobile USB for the first time, the Time Machine dialog box should automatically appear. Click the Use as Backup Disk button.
   *If you have already configured Apple Time Machine, go to step 2.
   
2. If the Time Machine dialog box did not launch, go to the Apple Menu> System Preferences. Click on the Time Machine icon. The Time Machine Preference panel will open. Click the Select Backup Disk button.
   
3. In the dialog box that appears, select the G-DRIVE mobile USB. Click the Use for Backup button.
   
4. Make sure the Time Machine switch is set to ON. You can set its options by clicking the Options button. Do this to choose volumes, folders or files you do NOT want to backup.
   

G-DRIVE mobile USB will now back up your important files automatically with Time Machine. It's that easy!

Initialize Drive for Mac

G-DRIVE mobile USB was factory-formatted for use or 'initialized' for Mac OS.

You can reinitialize if you would like to quickly erase the contents of the drive. Here are the steps.

1. First, open the Disk Utility program. This application is located on your hard drive under Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility. The window below will appear. Your G-DRIVE mobile USB will be displayed in the left-hand column.
2. Select the G-DRIVE mobile USB by clicking its drive icon in the left-side column. Information about the drive willl be displayed at the bottom of the window.
3. Select the Erase tab to view the formatting options. By default, the Format pop-up menu is set to the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) option.
   
4. Choose the Format option that you prefer.
   • Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Use this format if you intend to use the drive for Time Machine or to create a separate bootable installation of the OS.
   • Mac OS Extended: Use this format for best performance and media storage. To select, click the Format pop-up and its option to Mac OS Extended.
     
5. Click the Erase button in the lower right corner of the window. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to erase the G-DRIVE mobile USB partition.
   
   
   THIS NEXT STEP WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON YOUR DRIVE.
6. Click on the Erase button to continue. A progress bar in the lower right corner of the window will show the progress of the disk's reformatting.
   
7. After the drive is reinitialized, you should automatically see the Time Machine dialog box.
   • Click the Use as Backup Disk button if you want to use the drive with Time Machine. For more info using the drive with Time Machine, go here.
   • Click the Don't Use or Decide Later button if you do not want to use Time Machine at this point.
     
   • Quit the Disk Utility program. After reinitializing the drive, the custom icon for G-DRIVE mobile USB has been erased. You can optionally restore this icon with the steps below.

Restore the Drive Icon

If the G-DRIVE mobile USB drive icon was erased during the reinitializing process (see previous section), you can restore the icon with the following easy steps.

NOTE: This process is not required for the operation of G-DRIVE mobile USB. However, it will make your drive's appearance on the computer desktop look nicer and more accurate.

1. To get the G-Technology Icon package, go to www.g-technology.com/support and navigate to your product. There will be a link to download the icons.
2. Once downloaded, it should automatically open the G-Technology Icons folder as shown below. If not, double-click the Zip file to open. Next, double-click the DMG file to open the G-Technology Icons package.
3. Click to select the drive icon for G-DRIVE mobile USB in the package window. Press Command+C to copy the icon.(below)
   
4. Select the G-DRIVE mobile USB icon on your desktop and press Command+I. This opens its Get Info window.(below left)
5. Select the default icon in the Get Info window.(below left)
6. Press Command+V to paste the custom G-DRIVE mobile USB icon into the Get Info window.(below right)
   

The icon for your G-DRIVE mobile USB has been restored and you can close the Get Info window. Your drive is now fully ready for use!

Reformat with Partitions

'Partitioning' a hard drive is the process of dividing a hard drive into separate, discrete sections called 'volumes'. Each volume works like a separate disk. You can create up to 16 different partitions on a hard drive in the OS and each partition can be a different size and format.

With hard drives getting bigger, it is useful to partition your hard drive so sections of its space can be used for different purposes. For instance, segment user data from backup data, set up a multi-boot environment with different Operating Systems or create a dedicated capture scratch disk for programs like Final Cut Pro^® and Adobe Premiere^®.

The following steps will guide you through this simple process of partitioning your drive. In this example, we will partition a 500 GB G-DRIVE mini connected via FireWire. The steps will be identical for your drive, only the name may be different.

1. First, open the Disk Utility program. This application is located on your hard drive under Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.
   The window below will appear. Your G-Technology drive will be displayed in the left-hand column.
   
2. Select the FireWire or USB icon – not the G-Technology drive icon – by clicking it in the left-side column.
   
3. Click on the Partition button in the main window.
   
4. Select the number of partitions you would like from the Volume Scheme menu.
   Below, we have selected '2 Partitions' to create two partitions.
   
5. Click on the first partition in the Volume Scheme area. Your partition will be highlighted by a blue bounding box.
   • In the Name field, type a name for the partition.
   • From the Format menu, choose your desired disk format. If you will use your drive primarily on Mac OS, it is recommended to use Mac OS Extended or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). For info about formats, go here.
   • In the Size field, type in a size for the partition. Alternately, you can drag the bar in between each partition to quickly change the size.
6. Repeat this process for each partition you have created.
7. Click the Apply button in the lower right corner of the windows. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to partition the G-Technology drive.
   
   THIS NEXT STEP WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON YOUR DRIVE.
   
8. Click on the Partition button to continue. A progress bar in the lower right corner of the window will show you the progress of the disk's reformatting.
   
9. When partitioning is complete, the multiple partitions will be displayed in the left-hand panel of Disk Utility.
   
10. Quit the Disk Utility program. After reinitializing the drive, the custom icon for the G-Technology drive has been erased. You can optionally restore this icon to each partition with the steps on "Restore the Drive Icon" chapter.
11. The multiple partitions of the G-Technology drive will be displayed on the desktop. Your drive is now setup with two or more partitions and ready for use.
    

Using Your Drive on Windows

Windows Use

G-DRIVE mobile USB is set up at the factory for use with Mac OS systems. A simple initialization will prepare your drive for use with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 systems.

For helpful information on configuring and using your drive with Windows, please visit www.g-technology.com/support.

Cross Platform Use

You can set up G-DRIVE mobile USB for use on both Windows and Mac system by formatting the drive as 'FAT32'. To do this, use the Disk Utility application and format the drive to MS-DOS (FAT), also known as FAT32.

1. First, open the Disk Utility program. This application is located on your hard drive under Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility. The window below will appear. Your G-DRIVE mobile USB will be displayed in the left-hand column.
2. Select the G-DRIVE mobile USB by clicking its drive icon in the left-side column. Information about the drive will be displayed at the bottom of the window.
3. Select the Erase tab to view the formatting options. By default, the Format pop-up menu is set to the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) option.
   
4. Select MS-DOS File System from the Format pop-up menu. This will format to FAT32.
   NOTE: You may need to rename the drive because FAT32 does not support more than 11 letters in the drive name.
   
5. Click the Erase button in the lower right corner of the window. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to erase the G-DRIVE mobile USB partition.
   
   
   THIS NEXT STEP WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON YOUR DRIVE.
6. Click the Erase button. A progress bar in the lower right corner of the window will show the progress of the disk's reformatting. Your drive will be formatted to its full capacity as FAT32.
   
7. Quit the Disk Utility program. You are finished!
8. After reinitializing, the custom icon for the G-DRIVE mobile USB will be erased. No icons are available for FAT32.

With the FAT32 format you will be able to read/write on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X machines.

Limitations with FAT32

There are some limitations when using FAT32.

The 'MS-DOS File System' cannot write files over 4 GB. If you are working with files over 4 GB, you may want to choose a software option like MacDrive, www.macdrive.com. MacDrive is Windows software that enables you to mount Mac formatted drives on your Windows computer.

Support & Warranty

Technical Support

If you encounter any difficulties while installing or using G-DRIVE mobile USB, please contact G-Technology Technical Support at www.g-technology.com/support.

Helpful information for support
When contacting Technical Support, it's best to be in front of your computer and have the following information available:

• Your G-DRIVE mobile USB serial number (on bottom of unit)
• Operating System and version
• Computer brand and model
• List of other devices attached to your computer

Limited Warranty

This limited warranty lasts for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years or 5 years, or a fixed period from date of purchase, depending on when and where it was originally purchased. To determine the warranty specifically for your product, visit www.g-technology.com

To obtain limited warranty service, you must first obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) and ship-to address by contacting G-Technology at http://www.g-technology.com/support. Please follow the instructions found on the website.

Safety & General Use

Safety Precautions

The G-DRIVE mobile USB warranty may be void as a result of the failure to respect the precautions listed here. If you detect a problem with your drive, please contact our Technical Support department.

If the product is returned with damage caused by improper handling, the warranty will be void and liability will rest with the user. Please read our Limited Warranty.

• Servicing: Your drive contains no user-serviceable parts. If it appears to be malfunctioning, have it inspected by a qualified Technical Support representative.
• Moisture: Place the device away from moisture or liquids. To reduce the risk of damage, do not expose this drive to rain or moisture. Do not use it in damp or wet conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the drive as they may spill into its openings.
• Ventilation: Place the device in a vented area. The drive should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat source.
• Temperature: Do not expose this drive to temperatures outside the range of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F); or to operational humidity beyond 5-80%, non-condensing, or non-operating humidity beyond 10-90%, non-condensing. Avoid placing your drive near a source of heat, or exposing it to sunlight (even through a window), or in an environment that is too cold or humid.
• Physical Damage: Do not place heavy objects on the drive. Never use excessive force on your drive.

Backup Your Data

The disk drive contained in your G-DRIVE mobile USB device is a delicate electronic instrument and is susceptible to damage due to excessive physical shock. Under no circumstances will G-Technology be held liable for the recovery or restoration of lost data. Any loss, corruption or destruction of data while using a G-Technology drive is the sole responsibility of the user.

Make two backups

To help prevent the loss of your data, we highly recommend that you keep TWO copies of your data in separate storage locations. Keep one copy on your G-Technology drive. Keep a second copy on your internal hard drive, another G-Technology drive, or a form of removable storage media.

Documents / Resources

References

• Support for Western Digital Hard Drives | Western Digital
• MacDrive - MacDrive
• SanDisk Professional Flash Storage: High-Speed SSDs, Docks & Accessories | Western Digital

Download manual

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

Download G-Technology G-Drive Manual