MiniStation Safe (HD-PGF) - External hard drive BUFFALO - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	External hard drive
Brand	BUFFALO
Model	MiniStation Safe (HD-PGF)
Available Capacities	1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB and larger (check website)
Interface	USB 3.2 (Gen 1) / 3.1 (Gen 1) / 3.0 / 2.0
Connector Type	Micro-B
Dimensions (1 TB)	79.5 x 13.5 x 119 mm (3.13 x 0.53 x 4.69 in)
Dimensions (2 TB)	79.5 x 16 x 119 mm (3.13 x 0.63 x 4.69 in)
Dimensions (4 TB and up)	79.5 x 21.5 x 119 mm (3.13 x 0.85 x 4.69 in)
Power Supply	5 V ± 5% via USB bus power
Compatible Operating Systems	Windows 10, 8.1, 7; macOS 10.12 or later
LED Indicators	Power/Info LED (white: on, slow blink: access, amber: failure prediction)
Security Feature	Lock and Go (password protection)
S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring	Yes (drive failure prediction)
Hot-Plug Support	Yes
Max Transfer Rate	Up to 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
Package Contents	Drive, USB cable, quick setup guide, warranty statement
Cable Usage	Use only included cables; do not use cables longer than 3 m
Boot from Drive	Not supported
Virtual Memory	Do not configure as destination for virtual memory

Frequently Asked Questions - MiniStation Safe (HD-PGF) BUFFALO

How do I safely dismount the MiniStation Safe from a Windows computer?

Click the USB icon in the system tray, then select the device name to eject. Wait for the message that it is safe to remove the drive before unplugging the USB cable.

How do I safely dismount the MiniStation Safe from a Mac?

Drag the drive icon to the Trash or click the dismount icon in the Finder sidebar. Then unplug the USB cable.

What does the amber LED mean?

If the Power/Info LED glows or blinks amber, it indicates that the drive may be about to fail (S.M.A.R.T. prediction). Back up your data immediately.

The drive is not recognized by my computer. What should I do?

Try these steps: (1) Unplug and reconnect the USB cable. (2) Try a different USB port. (3) Check that the LED is on. (4) Connect directly to the computer instead of a hub. (5) Refresh File Explorer (Windows) or check Disk Utility (Mac).

Can I use this drive with a Mac?

Yes, but you may need to reformat the drive using Disk Utility to Mac OS Extended format before first use.

What is Lock and Go?

Lock and Go is a built-in security feature that lets you set a password to protect your data. When enabled, the LED blinks white once every two seconds.

Can I boot my operating system from this drive?

No, do not boot your operating system from this drive. It is designed for data storage only.

What should I do if I get a 'Delayed Write Failed' error?

If this occurs after the computer returns from standby or sleep, unplug the drive before putting the computer into energy-saving mode next time.

The drive becomes hot during use. Is this normal?

Yes, the drive is designed to release heat through its case. The surface may become quite warm; this is not a malfunction.

How do I format the drive?

For formatting instructions, refer to the Formatting Guide available from the Buffalo download page at http://d.buffalo.jp/HD-PGF/. You can also use Windows Disk Management or macOS Disk Utility.

USER MANUAL MiniStation Safe (HD-PGF) BUFFALO

Line drawing of a rectangular electronic device with a central port and two side ports (no text or symbols)

Please make sure to read this manual before using and follow the procedures. If you have any inquiries about the product, contact the number on the warranty statement or the packing box. Do not discard the included documents, the warranty statement, or the packing box.

www.buffalo-technology.com

35022030-01

May 2020

Table Of Contents

Diagrams 2

Specifications....3

Notes......4

Dismounting the Drive....5

Troubleshooting....6

Diagrams

Line drawing of a rectangular electronic device with labeled parts 1 and 2 (no text or symbols beyond labels)

1 Power/Info LED

The LED glows white when the drive is on, and blinks white slowly when the drive is accessed. If Lock and Go is enabled, the LED blinks white once every two seconds when the drive is locked. When Lock and Go Setup is initializing the drive, the LED blinks white twice per second.

Note: This drive has a function to predict an impending drive failure using its S.M.A.R.T information, and informs you of that using the power/info LED. If the drive detects that drive failure may soon occur, the LED will glow or blink amber instead of white. To avoid losing data due to drive failure, we recommend always backing up data on the drive to another device.

2 USB Connector

Specifications

Check the Buffalo website for the latest product information and specifications.

Interface USB 3.2 (Gen 1)/3.1 (Gen 1)/3.0/2.0
Connector Micro-B
Dimensions (W × H × D, excluding protruding parts)	4 TB and more: 79.5 × 21.5 × 119 mm; 3.13 × 0.85 × 4.69 in.2 TB: 79.5 × 16 × 119 mm; 3.13 × 0.63 × 4.69 in.1 TB: 79.5 × 13.5 × 119 mm; 3.13 × 0.53 × 4.69 in.
Power 5 V ± 5%
Compatible OS	Windows 10 (32-bit, 64-bit)*Windows 8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit)Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)macOS 10.12 or later**

*Lock and Go Setup and DiskFormatter2 may not work with Windows 10 S mode. To format the drive, use the Disk Management utility on the Windows device.
**Lock and Go Setup can work with this operating system, but DiskFormatter2 may not.

Notes

• Before using this drive with a Mac, reformat it with Mac OS Extended using Disk Utility of the macOS device.

• To avoid damage to data, never do any of the following operations while data is being accessed:

• Unplug the cable connected to the drive.

• Turn off your computer.

• Put your computer into standby, hibernate, or sleep mode.

• Never put anything on top of the drive. It may cause the drive to malfunction.

• If Windows displays a message that a high-speed USB device is connected to a non high-speed USB hub, move the drive to a USB 3.2 (Gen 1)/3.1 (Gen 1)/3.0 port for best performance, or click the close button of the message window to continue.
• Never configure this drive as a destination for virtual memory.
• Some computers may not recognize this drive. If this happens, unplug the USB cable, then plug it in again after a few seconds.
• This drive supports hot-plugging. You can plug or unplug the USB cable when the drive and your computer are on. However, never unplug the cable while data is being accessed. If you unplug the drive while data is being accessed, your data may be damaged or lost.
• Do not boot your operating system from this drive.
• The first time you connect this drive, it may take up to 20 seconds before the power/info LED turns on.
• If you use this drive with multiple partitions, format each partition before use.
• If your Windows computer will not boot when this drive is connected, connect the drive to your computer after Windows boots instead. The computer's BIOS may have been changed so that it tries to boot from an external drive. In such a case, change the computer's BIOS setting so that it only boots from an internal drive. For more details about how to change your computer's BIOS setting, refer to its manual.
• Some computers may display a delayed write failed error message when they return from an energy-saving state. If this happens, unplug the drive before putting your computer into the energy-saving mode.
• This drive may become hot during use. This is not a malfunction. This drive is designed to release heat through its case. The surface of the case may become quite hot in normal use. Even when the drive is off, the case may still be warm from standby current.
• If the power/info LED does not turn off when you turn off your computer, unplug the USB cable from the drive.
• Some computers do not support power saving mode.
• Use only the cables and accessories that are included in the package. Don't use other accessories or cables unless specifically instructed to in the documentation. Also, do not use USB cables that are 3 meters or longer to connect USB devices.

Dismounting the Drive

If your computer is turned on, please follow the procedure below to dismount the drive before unplugging it. If your computer is turned off, then it is always safe to unplug the drive. Unplugging the drive incorrectly can corrupt data. Please be careful.

Windows

1 From the system tray, click the 📋 or icon.
2 When the menu opens, click the device name.

3 A message that indicates you can safely remove the drive will appear.

macOS

1 Drag this drive's icon to the trash to dismount the drive. Or, click the dismount icon from the sidebar of the Finder to dismount the drive.
2 It's now safe to unplug the drive from your Mac.

Troubleshooting

MiniStation Cannot Be Found on Your Computer

(1) Unplug the USB cable, then plug it in again after a few seconds.
(2) Connect the USB cable to another connector of the computer.
(3) Verify that the power/info LED is on. If it is not, check the USB cable that is connecting the drive to your computer. Check that both ends are properly plugged in.
(4) The drive may not be getting enough power from the power supply. Try the following operations:
- If using a USB hub, connect the USB cable directory to the computer.
- If using a bus-powered USB hub, replace it with a self-powered USB hub.

(5) If using Windows, refresh File Explorer.

(6) If the drive is formatted with Mac OS Extended, it will not appear on File Explorer in Windows. In that case, the drive requires formatting. For more details about formatting, please refer to the "Formatting Guide" document that is available from the download page on the Buffalo website, accessible from http://d.buffalo.jp/HD-PGF/.

Cannot Read or Write to the MiniStation

The drive may require formatting. For more details about formatting, please refer to the "Formatting Guide" document that is available from the download page on the Buffalo website, accessible from http://d.buffalo.jp/HD-PGF/.

The Power/Info LED Glows White and Amber Alternately

The drive may not be getting enough power from the power supply. Refer to the "MiniStation Cannot Be Found on Your Computer" item above and try option (4). If it does't work, contact Buffalo technical support.

The Power/Info LED Glows or Blinks Amber

Drive failure may soon occur. To avoid losing data due to drive failure, we recommend always backing up data on the drive to another device.