devices. In such a case, consider trying a powered USB hub that includes a power cable.
Please note that USB 2.0 hubs limit your hard drive's transfer rates to USB 2.0 speeds.
Problem: The provided USB cables are too short.
Q: Can I use my hard drive with a longer cable?
A: Yes, provided it is certified according to USB standards. However, LaCie recommends using the cable
shipped with your hard drive for the best results. If you use a longer cable and experience problems with
detection, transfer rates or disconnection, use the original cable included with your hard drive.
Problem: I must password protect and/or encrypt my hard drive
Q: Can I protect my hard drive with a password?
A: Yes, it is possible to protect the hard drive or individual folders and files with a password. There are
many third-party solutions for password protection. However, LaCie cannot guarantee them since we do not
test third-party applications.
Some versions of Windows have a built-in utility called Bitlocker that can protect hard drives with a
password. For more information about Bitlocker, consult Microsoft's support documentation.
Q: Can I encrypt my hard drive?
A: Yes, the hard drive can be encrypted. There are many third-party solutions for encryption. However,
LaCie cannot guarantee them since we do not test third-party applications.
Some versions of Windows have a built-in utility called Bitlocker that can encrypt hard drives. For more
information about Bitlocker, consult Microsoft's support documentation
Problem: I'm receiving file transfer error messages.
Q: Did you get an "Error -50" message while copying to a FAT32 volume?
A: When copying files or folders from a computer to a FAT32 volume, certain characters in the names cannot
be copied. These characters include, but are not limited to: ? < > / \ :
Check your files and folders to ensure that these characters are not in the names.
If this is a recurring problem or you cannot find files with incompatible characters, consider reformatting the
drive to NTFS (Windows users) or HFS+ (Mac users). See Optional Formatting and Partitioning.
Q: Did you get an error message telling you that the drive has been disconnected when coming out of sleep
mode?
A: Ignore this message since the drive remounts on the desktop despite the pop-up. LaCie drives conserve
