Frequently Asked Questions
Does Imation's RDX Utility Software have to be installed on each PC I'm using?
Loading the RDX Utility Software is mandatory when the Imation RDX Storage System is to be used with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.
Loading the RDX Utility Software is required on Windows PCs to enable functionality of the eject button on the docking station.
The RDX Utility Software is found on the Utilities CD that is included with each Imation RDX Storage System. The software will also be available for download from Imation's website soon.
Why does an error message appear saying I must contact an Administrator for more information when I try to install the RDX Utility Software for my Imation RDX System?
In Windows 2000 and XP, you must be logged in as an administrator when you install the RDX Utility Software.
This is similar to the set up used on many home computers, where parents designate themselves as administrators and create user access for their children in order to prevent the introduction of unwanted software. In corporate and educational settings, most or many users are not administrators.
What should I do after I connect the Imation USB RDX docking station to the USB port?
As soon as the Imation RDX docking station is connected to the USB port, the operating system will recognize and initialize the device. Afterwards, the drive will appear as a Removable Disk on the system, and can be used exactly like a hard disk drive. From Windows, to find the Imation RDX docking station click on My Computer or Windows Explorer and the Imation RDX docking station will appear as an additional drive. Macintosh users will find the drive on their desktop after the media is inserted.
Where does the Imation RDX System show up in Windows Explorer?
Within My Computer and Windows Explorer the drive will appear as a removable disk drive for Windows 2000 and Windows XP, with the drive letter designation being the first available drive letter in your folder index after drive C.
Why doesn't a disk icon appear in Windows Explorer?
Possible causes and remedies:
- Windows Explorer has not refreshed after inserting the drive
Refresh the Windows Explorer by pressing the F5 key.
- Cable for the RDX docking station is not fully inserted into the USB port
Remove the Imation RDX cable from the USB port and then reinsert it.
Why don't I see a drive letter for my Imation RDX docking station?
In Windows XP, if you have mapped shared or network drives to beginning letters (i.e., F, G, H), the operating system may fail to assign a drive letter for the RDX docking station. It is best to map all network drives to later drive letters (i.e., M, N, or O).
To see if the operating system is seeing the drive but attempting to assign it to a drive letter already in use, perform the following steps.
- Click on your Control Panel
- Find the Administrative Tools icon and double click
- Double click on Computer Management
- Double click on Disk Management
- Disk 0 is always the local hard drive; so the RDX docking station should appear as Disk 1 or Disk 2 depending on how many hard drives you have, and the assigned drive letter will be visible here*
- If you have to change the drive letter, right click on the appropriate Disk and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths
- Click on the Change button
- Assign a free Drive Letter and click OK
You will get a warning that this may cause some programs to stop running. This could happen if you have scripts directing automated actions to a specific drive letter.
The new drive letter will be assigned and will be seen as the new letter until you reboot the computer or remove the RDX docking station from the USB port.
*Note: In the Drive Management program any external drives such as a RDX Storage System will been seen in the upper right window, but won't be seen as a logical drive in the lower right window.
Why do I get the message that my Imation RDX cartridge is write protected?
Imation's RDX cartridges have a write-protect tab that prevents the user from accidentally deleting files. To make your cartridge accessible for writing, locate the red write-protect tab located near the top right corner of the cartridge nearest to the connector. Slide the write-protect tab away from the lock symbol, towards the unlock symbol. You will now be able to write to the cartridge. To re-engage write protection, slide the write-protect tab towards the lock symbol.
Do I need to format my Imation RDX Cartridge before using it?
Your Imation RDX cartridge comes formatted and ready to use right out of the box.
If you will be using the drive exclusively with Macintosh computers, you should format the RDX cartridges in a Mac native format of your choice. NTFS format can be read on Mac OS 10.2 and above.
How do I format my Imation RDX cartridges in Mac OS X?
In order to write to a RDX cartridge, Mac users must reformat the RDX cartridge from the default NTFS format to a native Mac format for first time use.
- Disconnect the RDX docking station from the computer.
- Click on GO and open Applications.
- Select Utilities and then open Disk Utilities.
- Reconnect the RDX docking station with the cartridge to be formatted inserted and unlocked (write-protection off). The cartridge can only be reformatted if the write-protect switch is in the UNLOCK position.
- Click on the Erase tab and follow the instructions for choosing an appropriate format.
How do I format my Imation RDX cartridges in Windows?
RDX cartridges are pre-formatted with the NTFS file system. Formatting can be changed to FAT32*. Formatting a RDX cartridge will destroy all data files on the cartridge; so users should be certain that all important data are stored somewhere else before reformatting any cartridge.
- Insert a cartridge into the RDX docking station.
- In My Computer or Windows Explorer, highlight the RDX docking station's drive letter.
- Right click on the drive and select Format. A dialogue box opens up that allows user to reformat the drives or to choose a different format. The cartridge can only be reformatted if the write-protect switch is in the UNLOCK position.
*Note: FAT32 will limit the size of any single file to a maximum of 4GB. This limitation may cause problems with backup software if the entire backup file exceeds 4GB.
When I try to format my Imation RDX Cartridge in Windows, NTFS is not listed as an available option in the File system pull-down menu. How can I format my RDX Cartridge using the NTFS File system?
To enable NTFS as an available File system option in the pull-down menu, the policies for your Imation RDX cartridge must be set to "Optimize for performance".
- Insert a cartridge into the RDX docking station.
- In My Computer or Windows Explorer, highlight the RDX docking station's drive letter.
- Right click on the drive and select Properties. The Removable Disk
- Properties dialogue box will open up.
- Select the Hardware tab and then select the "Imation RDX RHDD USB Device".
- Click the Properties button near the bottom of the dialogue box. The Imation RDX RHDD Device Properties box with open up.
- Select the Policies tab in the dialogue box and then select the "Optimize for performance" radio button.
- Click the OK button in the Imation RDX RHDD Device Properties dialogue box to exit. Click the OK button again in the Removable Disk Properties dialogue box to exit.
- The NTFS option will now be an available option to select for the File system format. Follow the instructions for formatting Imation RDX cartridges in Windows.
Is the Imation RDX Storage System backwards compatible with USB 1.1 ports?
Yes. The RDX system will work with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports. Note that USB 1.1 ports will not transfer data as fast as USB 2.0 and may be inadequate for the recording and playback of video information.
The Power Indicator on the RDX docking station is Blinking Amber and the Cartridge does not eject. What does this indicate?
If the power indicator is blinking amber after you press the eject button, the Host computer is accessing the media. The RDX docking station will eject the cartridge after the Host access completes.
If the cartridge does not eject after the Host computer access completes, you may not be running the correct utility software. See the "Installing Utility Software for Windows" section of the RDX User Guide for instruction on installing the software.
If the cartridge still does not eject, use Windows Explorer to eject the cartridge. In Windows Explorer, right-click on the drive letter for the RDX docking station (i.e. F:), and select Eject.
Can Imation RDX cartridges be infected with a virus?
Imation RDX cartridges can be infected with a virus if you save a virus-infected file to the unit. A virus-infected cartridge can then infect any other computer you might use with the cartridge. Avoid this problem by using anti-virus software on your computer and update it regularly with the most recent virus definitions.
I have questions regarding the EMC Retrospect Backup software.
For questions regarding EMC Retrospect Backup software please visit EMC at www.emcinsignia.com.
Can I use my existing backup software with RDX?
Yes. RDX is compatible with all the leading backup applications
Mandatory Firmware Upgrade (USB Dock Only)
Situation You May Encounter: Regarding RDX USB Docking Stations: Customers may experience difficulty when attempting to read data previously written to an RDX cartridge with capacities of 160GB or greater. Only the USB version of the RDX dock is affected using, up to, but not including firmware version “2031” Version 2031 provides the necessary corrections.
Instructions for upgrading:
A- Install the "RDX Utility" application on the host computer. This program is shipped with all RDX units.
B- Run the "RDX Utility" program called rdxutility.exe.
- Connect the RDX-USB dock to the computer (USB cable) and to DC power. Wait a few seconds for the dock to be recognized by the computer.
- Click the "ReScan" button in the lower LH corner of the RDX Utility screen. The table should update and show the correct serial number for the dock connected.
- Click the "Diagnostic" button to go to the 'Status' screen.
- The 'Firmware' line in the column on the left should show "2021", "2026", or a similar number. If this line shows "2031", then the dock has already been upgraded.
- Click the "Change Firmware..." button.
- Select the firmware file: "2031_USB_REDBUD.bip" from the dialog box. A copy of this file is attached to this email.
- Click "Open" to begin the firmware update.
- The update should take 5 to 10 seconds, at which point the status bar will turn green and the message "COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY" will be displayed in the lower window.
- Click "Exit" to go back to the main screen.
- Verify that the "Device FW Rev" column in the status table shows the value "2031".
- Disconnect the dock from power and the USB cable.