Using FireLite with Windows
Your SmartDisk hard drive comes pre-formatted as HFS+, the preferred format when used exclusively with Apple Macintosh computers running Mac OS. To use the hard drive on a Windows system you will need to reformat your hard drive once so it can be recognized by Windows computers. (It will still be recognized by Apple Macintosh computers, too.)
Follow the steps in the separate section Formatting FireLite for Windows if you ever intend to use your SmartDisk hard drive with a Windows computer. If you primarily use a Mac OS computer and wish to share it with a Windows computer, you may find the steps outlined in Formatting for Windows Under Mac OS X a more convenient procedure for preparing your SmartDisk hard drive for Windows use.
Before proceeding, be sure that your Windows computer has either a 6-pin FireWire 400 port or a 9-pin FireWire 800 port available. For convenience, your SmartDisk hard drive draws its power from this port. Some computers provide 4-pin FireWire ports only. Since 4-pin ports do not supply power, you will need to obtain a 9-pin to 4-pin bilingual FireWire cable and separate A/C adapter (SmartDisk model ACFWS) to use your SmartDisk hard drive with this computer.
Connecting FireLite to a Windows Computer
Your FireLite is compatible with both the 1394a (FireWire 400) and the
1394b (FireWire 800) standards. To connect FireLite to a FireWire 400 port on your PC, first locate the bilingual (9-pin to 6-pin) cable that was included in your package. Now connect the 6-pin connector of the bilingual cable to an open FireWire 400 port on your PC, and connect the other end of the bilingual cable to either one of the ports on your SmartDisk hard drive.
To connect FireLite to a FireWire 800 port on your PC, first locate the beta (9-pin to 9-pin) cable that was included in your package. Now connect one end of the beta cable to an open FireWire 800 port on your PC, and connect the other end of the beta cable to either one of the ports on your SmartDisk hard drive.
If you are using an A/C adapter (SmartDisk model ACFWS), plug it in as well.
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