User Manual

Quick-start guide

Prepare a drive for use

Windows OS

If you install a drive that already has data on it, after you connect the drive to your

computer, it appears under My Computer or Computer with a drive letter assigned

to it.

If you install a brand-new drive that doesn’t contain any data, you must prepare the

drive for use.

Warning! When you complete the following steps, all of the data on your drive will be

deleted. If your drive has data on it that you require, you should create a backup le or

use a dierent drive.

1. Depending on the OS version that you’re running, do one of the following:

• On your desktop, right-click My Computer and click Manage.

• On your desktop, right-click Computer and click Manage.

• Click the Start button or Windows icon. Enter compmgmt.msc and press

Enter.

2. On the Computer Management screen, click Disk Management.

3. A dialog window appears and asks you to initialize the drive. Depending on the

version of Windows that you’re running, you have the option to create either an

MBR or a GPT disk.

Note: GPT (GUID partition) is required for drives larger than 2 TB, but GPT isn’t

compatible with some earlier versions of operating systems. MBR is supported by both

earlier and later versions of operating systems.

4. Locate the disk that is labeled Unallocated. To conrm that the drive is the correct

one, check the drive capacity.

5. Right-click the section of the window that says Unallocated and click New Partition.

6. To initialize the drive in the format of your choice, complete the on-screen

instructions.

When the drive is successfully installed, it appears under My Computer or Computer

with a drive letter assigned to it.