PRODUCT MANUAL G SPEED Q ™ High-Speed, RAID Protected Storage System g-technology.
G SPEED™Q Table Table of Contents Welcome to G-SPEED Q Table of Contents Safety & General Use Safety Precautions......................................4 Backup Your Data.......................................5 About Your G-SPEED Q Introduction.................................................7 What’s in the Box .......................................8 System Requirements...............................8 Overview of the Drive ..............................9 Using Your Drive Easy Installation for Mac..........
G SPEED™Q Safety & General Use Safety Precautions ...................................... p.4 • Backup Your Data ........................................ p.
health G SPEED™Q Safety & General Use Safety Precautions G-SPEED Q’s 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.
backup G SPEED™Q Safety & General Use Backup Your Data The disk drive contained in your G-SPEED Q 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.
G SPEED™Q About Your G-SPEED Q • • • • Introduction ............................................................. p.7 What’s in the Box .................................................. p.8 System Requirements .......................................... p.8 Overview of the Drive ....................................... p.
intro G SPEED™Q About Your G-SPEED Q Introduction Thank you for purchasing the G-SPEED™ Q from G-Technology. G-SPEED Q is a high-speed, low cost storage solution that was designed to safeguard digital photos, audio and video libraries and documents. This quiet, compact four-bay unit delivers solid, affordable RAID storage for both Mac users and creative professionals doing high capacity tasks like HD video and photo editing.
inbox G SPEED™Q About Your G-SPEED Q What’s in the Box The following items are included in the box: • G-SPEED Q Storage Unit with 4 Removable Disk Modules • eSATA cable • FireWire 800 cable 9 Pin to 9 Pin) • FireWire 400 to 800 cable • USB 2.0 cable • Product CD • Drive module keys If any items are missing, please contact G-Technology at support@g-technology.com or call (888) 426-5214. System Requirements G-SPEED Q supports the folllowing Operating Systems.
front G SPEED™Q About Your G-SPEED Q Overview of the Drive This diagram shows the helpful features of your G-SPEED Q. The compact and quiet G-SPEED Q features four hot-swappable HGST 7200 RPM Enterprise class SATA hard drives. It has a uniquely designed all aluminum enclosure with a heavy duty power supply and a quiet cooling fan to ensure long life and reliable operation. G-SPEED Q’s quad interface features a high speed 3Gbit eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 (via supplied cable) and USB 2.0.
G SPEED™Q Using Your Drive Easy Installation for Mac ................................. p.11 • Optimize Performance ...................................... p.11 • Disconnect the Drive .......................................... p.12 • Warning LED Alarms .......................................... p.12 • Windows Use ........................................................ p.
install G SPEED™Q Using Your Drive Easy Installation for Mac G-SPEED Q attaches to your computer via a USB 2.0, high speed eSATA, or one of two FireWire 800 ports. Choose the connection appropriate for your system and connect the drive with the matching supplied cable. FireWire 400 connectivity is handled by the included 9 Pin to 6 Pin cable. Connect the power cord to the unit and plug the other end into a surge protector or wall outlet. Turn on the power switch.
led G SPEED™Q Using Your Drive Disconnect the Drive A great feature of G-SPEED Q is its ability to connect and disconnect 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 drive from your computer. 1. Before powering down and disconnecting the drive, unmount the system by simply dragging the G-SPEED Q icon to the trash located in the dock. Keyboard shortcut: Select the drive icon and hit Command+E. 2.
windows G SPEED™Q Using Your Drive Windows Use G-SPEED Q is set up at the factory for use with Mac OS X systems. A simple initialization will prepare your drive for use with Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems. G-SPEED Q is not supported by Windows XP or other 32-bit operating systems. These OS’s are limited to a maximum volume size to 2.2TB. For helpful information on configuring and using your drive with Windows, please visit www.g-technology.com/windows p.
G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes Supported RAID Modes ......................... p.15 • The Configurator Utility .......................... p.16 • Configure the RAID Mode .................... p.
raid G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes Supported RAID Modes G-SPEED Q is configured in RAID 5 (Protected) mode at the factory. The drive also supports RAID 0 (Performance) configuration. The following table explains the advantages and disadvantages for each RAID level. If you need to change the RAID level of G-SPEED Q, then follow the steps in Configure the RAID Mode. RAID 5 (Protected) G-SPEED Q ships in RAID 5 mode.
configure G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes The Configurator Utility To change the RAID level for your G-SPEED Q, you will need a software utility from G-Technology called Configurator. NOTE: YOU MUST CONNECT THE DRIVE VIA THE USB PORT TO USE CONFIGURATOR. The utility is available on the enclosed CD or you can download it from the G-Technology website at www.gtechnology/support If you downloaded Configurator, you should launch it directly from the mounted Disk Image.
G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes 2. Click on the Continue button. A window will appear telling you that Configurator is searching for G-SPEED Q. The search may take a few minutes. 3. Once the utility finds your G-SPEED Q, the following window will appear. Select the RAID 5 (Protected) or RAID 0 (Performance) radio button. Then click the Configure button to continue. 4. Two Warning windows will appear, letting you know that the following step will erase all of your data.
G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes 5. A window will appear telling you the configuration is in progress. NOTE: After the configuration is complete, a system dialog box will warn that a device was not removed properly. Don’t worry about this message; just click OK. 6. Configurator will indicate that the RAID configuration is complete. Click the Exit button to close the utility. p.
G SPEED™Q Using RAID Modes 7. Changing the RAID mode of the G-SPEED Q will require you to re-initialize the disk with the Disk Utility application. A Disk Insertion dialog box should appear. Click the Initialize button to launch Disk Utility. If the Disk Insertion dialog does not appear, go to Application> Utilities and open the Disk Utility program. Once Disk Utility is open, you are ready to initialize and partition G-SPEED Q for use with Mac. Read those steps in Initialize Drive for Mac. p.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for your Drive Initialize Drive for Mac .................................. • Restore the Drive Icon .................................. • Reformat with Partitions ............................... • Replace a Failed Drive Module ................... • p.21 p.24 p.26 p.
initialize G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive Initialize Drive for Mac G-SPEED Q was factory-formatted for use or ‘initialized’ for Mac OS X. You can reinitialize if you¹d like to quickly erase the contents of the drive, or if you reconfigure the RAID mode. 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-SPEED Q will be displayed in the left-hand column. 2.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 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 OS X. • 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.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive WARNING: 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.
restore G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive Restore the Drive Icon If the G-SPEED Q drive icon was erased during the reinitializing process (see previous section), you can restore the icon with the following easy steps. This process is not required for the operation of G-SPEED Q. 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.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 4. Select the G-SPEED Q 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 G-SPEED Q custom icon into the Get Info window. (below right) The icon for your G-SPEED Q has been restored and you can close the Get Info window. Your drive is now fully ready for use! p.
multiple G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 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 OS X 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.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 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. p.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 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 OSX, 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.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for 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.
replace G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive Replace a Failed Drive Module The internal components of G-SPEED Q continually monitor the health of each of its disk drives. In the event of a drive failure, a visual alarm will appear. Read more in Warning LED Alarms. RAID 5: If G-SPEED Q was configured in a protected RAID 5 mode, a drive failure will not result in data loss. However, the array is now in an unprotected state and the failed drive should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid data loss.
G SPEED™Q Maintenance for Your Drive 5. If G-SPEED Q was setup in RAID 5 mode, the unit will begin rebuilding data on the drive. During this process, all drive LEDs will indicate data access. The rebuild time is approximately 2 hours per TB. 6. Once the rebuild is complete, G-SPEED Q is back to normal and protecting your valuable data once again. Helpful tips You can continue using G-SPEED Q even while the drive volume is being rebuilt. However, it willl run at a slower data rate.
G SPEED™Q Support & Warranty Technical Support .............................................. p.33 • Limited Warranty ............................................... p.34 • Copyright .............................................................. p.
techsupp G SPEED™Q Support & Warranty Technical Support Thank you for purchasing G-SPEED Q. If you have any comments or questions about this manual or the product, please let us know! G-Technology appreciates and values its customers, striving to give you the finest service and support.
warranty G SPEED™Q Support & Warranty Limited Warranty HGST, a Western Digital Company (“HGST”) Including G-Technology for External Hard Disk Drives What does this limited warranty cover? This Limited Warranty applies to new HGST products purchased from an authorized HGST dealer by the original purchaser for normal use and not for resale. HGST warrants that a covered product is free from defects in materials and workmanship, with the exceptions stated below.
G SPEED™Q Support & Warranty What must you do? If you are having trouble with a product, before seeking limited warranty service, first follow the troubleshooting procedures that HGST or your reseller provides. 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.
copyright G SPEED™Q Support & Warranty CAPACITY DEFINITION AND DISCLAIMER For G-Technology products 1TB or greater: “One gigabyte (GB) is equal to one billion bytes and one terabyte (TB) equals 1,000 GB (one trillion bytes).
