AEGIS VAULT HARDWARE ENCRYTPED PORTABLE HARD DRIVE User Guide T he L eader in P ersonal S torage
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .............................................................. 4 B. Software Included ............................................... 4 2. Getting to know your Aegis Vault .................................. 5 System Requirements ................................................... 5 Package Contents ....................................................... 5 3. Specifications ............................................................. 6 4. Aegis Vault Software .....
1. Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Aegis Vault. Please take the time to read this manual first to familiarize yourself with the Aegis Vault and the included software. The Aegis Vault is the ultimate portable hard drive and secure storage system. Password protected and featuring AES-128 bit hardware encryption, the Aegis Vault provides seamless real-time encryption and keeps your data safe even if the hard drive is removed from its enclosure.
2. Getting to know your Aegis Vault Minimum System Requirements Hardware: Pentium CPU II 32MBs RAM USB Port CD ROM or CD-RW drive Operating systems: Microsoft: Windows XP and Vista Package Contents Aegis Vault USB Y-cable Padded travel pouch Quick Start Guide Aegis Vault Software CD USB Y-cable: In the rare case that the Aegis Vault does not power up on a single USB connection, the included USB Y-cable may be required (Pictured above).
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4. Aegis Vault Software The Aegis Vault software installs two programs into the All Programs| Apricorn|Aegis Vault Software menu, the VaultTray and VaultResize. The VaultTray program allows the drive administrator to complete the initial setup and format of the hard drive, as well as create and manage additional user passwords. The VaultResize program allows the drive administrator to resize the private partition, as well as reset the encryption on the drive.
When the Aegis Vault is in the unlocked state the button reads Lock. Pressing the button when it reads Lock will render the drive’s encrypted contents inaccessible. In this state the message at the bottom of the main window will read: Vault Drive is Locked. Format: The Aegis formatter utility is used to format the encrypted volume of an Aegis encrypted USB drive. Caution: The Aegis Formatter will format the first Aegis encrypted USB drive it finds.
Add User Password: This feature allows the drive administrator to create passwords for up to 3 additional users. To add a new user password: Click on the “Add New Password” button and a dialog box will appear. There are two fields; “New Password” and “Retype New Password.” Both fields must be completed to add a user password. This feature is only active when the drive is unlocked using the administrator password.
To change the password: Click on the “Change Password” button and a dialog box will appear. There are three fields “New Password”, “Retype New Password” and “Old Password”. All three fields must be completed to change the password. Reset Vault: This feature resets the Aegis Vault’s encrypted partition. All the data and passwords associated with the encrypted partition will be irrevocably lost. This feature is only active when the drive is unlocked using the administrator password.
changes depending on drive state When the Aegis Vault is in the locked state the button reads Unlock. The user or drive administrator needs to check the appropriate radio button (User or Administrator) and enter a password to unlock the drive. In this state the message field at the bottom of the window will read: Vault Drive is Unlocked. Once the Aegis Vault is unlocked the encrypted data on the drive may be accessed. When the Aegis Vault is in the unlocked state the button reads Lock.
First, use the VaultResize program to scan for the Aegis Vault by clicking on the “Scan Bus” button. During the scan, the Aegis Vault is ejected and reinitialized as the program tries to get exclusive access to the drive. Note: It may be necessary to remove other USB hard drives before running Scan Bus, to prevent them from interfering with the scan. When the Scan Bus is successfully completed, it shows Drive Detected in the upper left-hand portion of the screen.
3. Once in Administrative Tools, double-click on Computer Management. 4. In Computer Management, find Disk Management under the Storage section. Double-click on Disk Management. If the disk is not initialized, follow the instructions on Windows XP “Initialize and Convert disk wizard” to initialize the new non-encrypted partition. If the wizard does not appear, follow the remaining instructions. If the drive is already initialized skip to Partitioning and Formatting the Non-encrypted Partition. www.
Initializing the Non-encrypted partition using Disk Management 5. Identify the new drive in Disk Management, the drive will show up as Unknown and Unallocated with a Red No Entry Sign/Not Initialized on the disk number. 6. Right click on the section to the left where the drive number and red no entry sign are located. Select Initialize Disk. 7. Select Basic Storage as the type of disk storage. Partitioning and Formatting the Non-encrypted partition 1.
2. A Partition Wizard will initiate. Click Next. 3. Select Primary partition and click Next. www.apricorn.
4. You will then need to decide on a partition size. Enter a partition size in the box provided. Click Next. 5. Select Assign the following drive letter. Fill in the drive letter. Be sure to select a drive letter that is not in use. Click Next.
6. “Format this partition with the following settings” is selected by default. File System: Choose NTFS or FAT32. Allocation unit size: Accept the default size Volume Label: Choose a name that is meaningful to you. Perform a Quick Format: Recommended Enabling Perform a Quick Format reduces the format time significantly. Enable file and folder compression: Optional Selecting this feature gives you the option to use file and folder compression feature available to the NTFS files system. 7. Click Next. www.
8. Verify the settings you have chosen and click “Finish” to start the formatting. Formatting time may vary depending on the size of the partition and the file system. When completed, the new volume will show “Healthy” and have a solid blue bar at the top of the drive properties box.
6. Administrator Tools & Procedures Adding VaultConsole Program to a Public Partition The VaultConsole is a stand alone program that allows users and the drive administrator to unlock and lock the Aegis Vault on a system that does not have the Aegis Vault software installed. The VaulConsole is available from the menu on the Aegis Vault software CD. Alternately, you may want to add the VaultConsole program to a public partition on the Aegis Vault.
Using the VaultResetConsole.exe The AegisResetConsole.exe program does not show up on any menus and is only available as an executable program from the CD. The VaultResetConsole.exe program will completely destroy all of the data from the Aegis Vault with no possibility of recovery. Extreme caution should be used when running this program. To use the VaultResetConsole.exe, go to the Vault drive folder on the Aegis Vault software CD and double click it.
7. Contacting Technical Support Apricorn provides the following helpful resources for you: 1. Hardware Installation Section of the User’s Guide. 2. Apricorn’s Website (http://www.apricorn.com) This gives you the ability to check for up-to-date information. 3. Email us at support@apricorn.com. 4. Or call the Technical Support Department at 1-800-458-5448. Apricorn’s Technical Support Specialists are available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time from Monday through Friday. 8.
Warranty Condiditons Three-Year Warranty: Apricorn offers a 3-year warranty on the Aegis Vault against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. The warranty period is effective from the date of purchase either directly from Apricorn or an authorized reseller. Disclaimer and terms of the warranties: The warranty becomes effective on the date of purchase and must be verified with your sales receipt or invoice displaying the date of product purchase.
FAQ’s Why am I getting an Error Code with passwords? The password error codes can be confusing because the same code is used for two completely different reasons. You will receive the following error if you enter the wrong password (or enter a correct password but with the wrong radio button chosen.) “The Vault Drive returned an error “Bad Data” please ensure you enter your password correctly.” Once you choose the correct password or radio button and click on the Unlock button again, the drive will unlock.
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