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Rugged Thunderbolt™ | USB 3.0

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Getting Connected

Setting up the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt is easy thanks to LaCie Setup Assistant. Follow the steps in the order they are given to ensure that your LaCie Rugged’s volume mounts correctly on your computer.

Thunderbolt and Windows

Important info: Thunderbolt technology is compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows requires drivers to use the Thunderbolt port. It is recommended that you connect the product to a host computer via USB and run LaCie Setup Assistant (see Step 2 - Launch LaCie Setup Assistant). Once LaCie Setup Assistant is finished, disconnect the LaCie Rugged (see Unmounting Your Drive) from the USB port and install the Thunderbolt drivers for Windows (see Install Drivers (Windows Only)). You can connect via the Thunderbolt interface once the drivers are installed.

 

STEP 1 - Connect the interface cable

The LaCie Rugged can be connected to your PC or Mac using the integrated Thunderbolt cable or the included USB 3.0 cable. However, it is not possible to use both interfaces at the same time. Follow the steps below:

  1. Remove the cover by placing your index finger on its right edge and gently prying it open.


  2. Connect the LaCie Rugged to your computer.
    • Thunderbolt: Gently unwind the integrated Thunderbolt cable before connecting it to your computer.


    • USB 3.0: Use the included USB 3.0 cable. The interface and cable are also compatible with USB 2.0.


  3. The drive will mount in Computer/This PC (Windows XP), Computer (Vista, Windows 7 or later) or on your desktop (Mac).
  4. Thunderbolt connection only: Replace the cover on the rear of the LaCie Rugged. Doing so will maintain the LaCie Rugged’s IP 54 rating.

Note: If the drive does not mount on your computer, see troubleshooting topics at Getting Help.

 

STEP 2 - Launch LaCie Setup Assistant

LaCie Setup Assistant (LSA) must be launched before using your drive. It will allow you to:

  • Easily format the hard drive according to your needs
  • Copy the User Manual to your computer
  • Install software for added features
  • Register your LaCie device

Important info for Thunderbolt on Windows: LaCie Setup Assistant only works through the USB connection. Therefore, it is recommended that you connect via USB and run LaCie Setup Assistant. Once LaCie Setup Assistant is finished, disconnect the d2 Thunderbolt 2 USB 3.0 (see Unmounting Your Hard Drive) from the USB port and install the Thunderbolt drivers for Windows (see Install Drivers (Windows Only)). You can connect via the Thunderbolt interface once the drivers are installed.

Important info: If you do not launch LSA or if you quit it after the formatting has begun, your drive will not be ready to use and will require manual formatting. The User Manual and utilities will not be available and will have to be downloaded from the LaCie website: www.lacie.com/support/.

Launch LaCie Setup Assistant

Windows users

AutoPlay: Windows AutoPlay may detect your LaCie hard drive as soon as it is connected to your computer. If the AutoPlay window appears, choose Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer and double-click LaCie Setup.

Manual access: Open the LACIE SETUP volume in Computer/This PC and double-click LaCie Setup.

Mac users

Open the LACIE SETUP volume on your desktop and then double-click LaCie Setup.

Setup

The LaCie Setup Assistant guides you through formatting and registering your hard drive as well as installing LaCie software utilities. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the setup.

Alternatively, you can use your disk management utility program to format or partition your LaCie drive. See Optional Formatting and Partitioning for details.

Important info for Windows users: While running LaCie Setup Assistant, generic pop-up windows may ask if you wish to change your computer's settings. This is a normal request when formatting a disk or installing certain software, such as Genie Timeline. To successfully complete LaCie Setup Assistant, LaCie recommends that you agree to change the settings.
win_popup.jpg

Important info for Mac users: You may be prompted to enter your computer password to continue with LaCie Setup Assistant.

Important info regarding Mac OS X: Certain versions of LaCie Setup Assistant are not compatible with USB connections on Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.11, also known as El Capitan. If LaCie Setup Assistant experiences problems, you can try connecting your LaCie storage using another interface port on your computer (for example, Thunderbolt). If you are unable to use another interface port, format your LaCie hard drive using Disk Utility. For instructions on how to format your LaCie hard drive for Mac, see the chapter Formatting and Partitioning > Mac Users.

Software will be installed on the product's storage, not on your computer. It will be located on the volume entitled “Compatible” or “LaCie Share” if it exists, otherwise on “LaCie”.

LaCie software utilities may be installed at any time. Once the format is complete, the LaCie Setup Assistant application will be available on:

  • LaCie: if you created one partition
  • Compatible/LaCie Share: if you created two partitions

If you formatted your drive using a disk utility and you need access to software utilities or the user manual, see Getting Help.

Unmounting the Drive

In order to avoid file system corruption, it is important to unmount your drive before turning it off or disconnecting the interface cable. See Unmounting Your Drive for details.

© LaCie 2024 Last modified : Aug 14, 2017