Connecting to a computer

Connect the unit to a computer with the USB 2.0 cable to back up data from P2 cards and the internal HDD on the computer.

Before connecting the unit to a computer, install the P2 Driver on the included CD-ROM. Refer to the Install Manual for details.

System requirementsWindows XP Professional SP2 or laterWindows 2000 SP4 or later Connection1.Start the computer2.Use the USB 2.0 cable to connect the unit to the computer3.Turn the unit ON by pressing the [POWER] button

On the unit, the POWER LED lights in green. The connection is automatically detected.

Removal1.Disconnect the USB connection as follows•For Windows XP Professional:

Double-click on the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon in the task tray. Follow the instructions on screen to stop the “Panasonic P2 series USB Devices.”

•For Windows 2000:

Double-click on the “Unplug or Eject Hardware” icon in the task tray. Follow the instructions on screen to stop the “Panasonic P2 series USB Devices.”

2.Turn the unit OFF by holding the [POWER] button for at least 2 seconds The POWER LED goes out.

3.Unplug the USB 2.0 cable

Note:

•Use a commercially available USB 2.0 cable. Use a cable shorter than 3 m (9.8 feet). The connection will not work correctly if the cable is longer than 3 m (9.8 feet).

•When you connect the unit to a computer with the USB 2.0 cable, up to 16 drives are added to the computer (15 drives for the internal HDD and 1 drive for the P2 card). In some cases, these drives may be the same as for existing drives on the network. Before connecting the unit, rename network drives on the computer using letters apart from the computer’s hard disk drives and CD-ROM drive. Start with the letters “Z:”, “Y:”, “W:”, and “V:” going in reverse alphabetical order.

•Drives not used in the operation described in “Copying from P2 cards to the HDD” on page E-15 cannot be accessed from the computer. Refer to the HDD page (described on page E-21) to confirm which drives have been assigned.

•Before ejecting P2 cards while the unit is connected to a computer, refer to the notes in “Ejecting P2 cards” on page E-13.

•Do not connect more than one unit to the computer at once.

•Data cannot be written to the unit from a computer.

Backing up data

To protect valuable data stored on the internal HDD, we recommend making a backup copy on your computer or another storage device.

Always check the free space on your computer’s hard disk before backing up data.

•Using Windows Explorer:

Select top-level folders and files of a displayed drive on the unit. Copy the folder to your preferred target folder on the computer. Execute the same procedure on all drives of the unit.

•Using the “P2 Viewer”:

Select needed clips and copy them to your preferred target folder on the computer, where you have set up the virtual drive. See the software manual for further instructions.

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