Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where are the USB drivers for my Desktop External Hard Drive?

A: Drivers for the Toshiba Desktop External Hard Drive are built into Microsoft Windows (Windows XP with SP 1.0, and newer versions of Windows), and Mac OS X (version 10.3 and newer). The drivers are not present in earlier versions of these operating systems.

Q: Can I connect my Desktop External Hard Drive to more than one computer?

A: Do not connect your Desktop External Hard Drive directly to more than one computer, and do not connect it to more than one computer through a USB hub. Doing so could damage the drive and the computer, and cause loss of your data.
    With Microsoft Windows, at least, the drive can be connected to a USB switch, which can in turn be connected to more than one computer. A USB switch makes it possible to switch the drive back and forth between two or more computers -- the drive is actually connected to only one of the computers at any  time.
    Be sure to ‘Stop’ the Desktop External Hard Drive by clicking the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the Windows taskbar before activating the USB switch. This will insure that the transfer of data to the hard drive is complete.

Q: How can I install the software for the Desktop External Hard Drive?

A: Connect the Desktop External Hard Drive to your computer with a USB cable before installing the included software. The software cannot be installed when the drive is connected to the computer with an eSATA cable.

Q: Can I connect my Desktop External Hard Drive to my computer with both a USB cable and an eSATA cable?

A: No. Do not connect your Desktop External Hard Drive to a computer (or to two computers) with both a USB cable and an eSATA cable. Doing so could damage the drive and the computer(s), and cause loss of your data.

Q: Why is the Desktop External Hard Drive formatted with the FAT32 file system, rather than NTFS?

A: The Desktop External Hard Drive is formatted for the FAT32 file system for compatibility with the Mac OS and Linux. The drive may be re-formatted for NTFS, which accommodates file sizes larger than the 4GB limit of FAT32.

Q: Can I connect a Desktop External Hard Drive to my computer's USB expansion card?

A: The Desktop External Hard Drive will work with most USB expansion cards, though you may need to update the driver or firmware for the card. Check the card manufacturer's website for the latest driver and firmware updates.

Q: Why does Windows show the Desktop External Hard Drive's capacity as smaller than the drive’s stated capacity?

A: Based on powers of 10, 1 gigabyte (GB) means 10⁹ bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes, and 1 terabyte (TB) means 10¹² = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Microsoft Windows and other computer operating systems, however, report storage capacity based on powers of 2, where 1 gigabyte (GB) means 2³⁰ = 1,073,741,824 bytes, and 1 terabyte (TB) means 2⁴⁰ = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes -- thereby indicating smaller storage capacities for hard disk drives in general.

Q: Can I use my Desktop External Hard Drive to copy Microsoft Windows or another operating system from one computer to another?

A: No. You cannot transfer an installed operating system to another computer or hard drive simply by copying the operating system’s files. Windows and other operating systems can be installed only by the specialized installation programs that are included with them.

Q: Does Toshiba provide data recovery services?

A: Toshiba does not provide data recovery services.

Q: With the Toshiba Backup Software, which file types will be backed up when I select a file type category?

A: By default, the file types for each file type category are:

• Picture Files: JPG, JPEG, BMP, TIF, GIF, PNG, and PSD
  
  
• Music Files: MP3, WMA, AAC, MP4
  
  
• Video Files: AVI, WMV, WM9, MPG, MPEG, MOV, FLV, AND 3GP
  
  
• Office Documents: DOC, XLS, XLA, PPT, PDF, MDB, XLSX, DOCX, PPS, PPSX, PPTX and RTF
  

You can add other file types to each file type category by adjusting the File Filtering preferences in the Backup Software Control Pad. For more information, see Using the Backup Software Control Pad in the User's Guide

The Desktop External Hard Drive Powers Off and is No Longer Recognized by the Computer
http://kb.toshiba.com/98082914

How to Remove the Virtual CD Partition and the Sleep Function From the Desktop External Hard Drive
http://kb.toshiba.com/98082923

External Hard Drive Password Hint is the Password
http://kb.toshiba.com/98082932

You Do Not See an Existing Backup Set listed in the Backup Software
http://kb.toshiba.com/98082934

The Desktop External Hard Drive does not turn on, or is not working properly.

• Make sure that the hard drive is connected properly to the computer, or to a USB hub. If the hard drive is connected to a USB hub, make sure that it is properly connected to the computer.
  
  
• If the USB hub comes with an AC adapter, it should be used to provide power to the USB hub. Make sure that this AC adapter is plugged into a working electrical outlet.
  
  
• Make sure that the hard drive's AC adaptor is connected to the hard drive and to a working electrical outlet.
  
  
• Make sure that all cables are securely connected.
  

The computer does not recognize the Desktop External Hard Drive.

• Make sure that all cables are securely connected.
  
  
• Disconnect and then re-connect the USB or eSATA cable and then try accessing the hard drive again.
  
  
• If you are using a USB expansion card, make sure that it is working properly, and check the manufacturer's website for newer drivers and firmware.
  
  
• Install the latest updates for your operating system.
  

The Desktop External Hard Drive feels warm when it's operating. Is this dangerous, or does it indicate a problem?

No. The Desktop External Hard Drive may feel quite warm during normal operation.

The following error message appears: “Device cannot start. Code (10).”

Disconnect and re-connect the Desktop External Hard Drive. Make sure that all cables are securely connected. If the problem persists, contact Toshiba Product Support.

The following message appears: “Hi-Speed USB device plugged into non-Hi-Speed USB Hub.” 

This message may appear if the Desktop External Hard Drive is connected to a USB 1.1 port. In this case, the hard drive will operate at USB 1.1 data rates (up to 12 Mbps). For better performance, connect the Desktop External Hard Drive to a USB 2.0 port, which supports data rates up to 480 Mbps.

The Virtual CD icon does not appear in Windows Explorer, or another file management application.

Make sure that the Desktop External Hard Drive is connected to the computer with a USB cable. The Virtual CD feature is not available when the hard drive is connected to the computer with an eSATA cable.

The Toshiba Drive Setup window does not appear when I connect the Desktop External Hard Drive to my computer.

The Toshiba Drive Setup window appears each time you connect the Desktop External Hard Drive to your computer with a USB cable, until you have activated all of the applications, or you check the "Do not show the Setup window next time" checkbox. If you have done that, you can still access the Toshiba Drive Setup window by following these steps:

1. Make sure that the hard drive is connected to the computer with a USB cable (not an eSATA cable).

2. In My Computer or Computer, right-click the Virtual CD icon, and click Open.

3. Double-click the Launch Setup icon.