Q. Why doesn't Intech offer a free Hard Drive demo?
A. This question has been asked so many times that we've created
a separate webpage to explain the issues as fully as we know how.
Click here to go there now.
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Q. Does Hard Disk SpeedTools support MacOS X?
A. Click here to go Intech's MacOS X compatibility page.
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Q. Does Hard Disk SpeedTools support MacOS 9.1?
A. Yes, it does. However, If you are running HDST ATA or SCSI drivers,
you MUST update to version 3.1.1 or later drivers. If you install
OS 9.1 over v3.1 or earlier drivers on an ATA or SCSI drive, you
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BOOT FROM THAT DRIVE! The boot code in OS
9.1 relies on new status and control calls that were previously
not well defined. Full support for these calls has been added
to all 3.1.1 and higher drivers.
Note: None of HDST's previous version FireWire drivers are affected
by this issue. ..................
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Q. I received a bundled copy of SpeedTools with a drive that I purchased,
can I receive tech support from Intech or obtain free updates
to the software?
A. Only in rare instances will Intech provide tech support to a customer
who has received a complementary copy of our software with a drive
purchase. The reason for this is purely economics. In most cases,
Intech provides its software to drive manufactures for little
or no cost and asks in return for the drive manufacturers to provide
complete end-user support for both their hardware and our software.
In rare instance, Intech will get involved with a support issue
directly if there is the possibility that the end-user has found
a potential bug in the software. Obviously, Intech is always interested
in making our software as bug-free as humanly possible, but please
seek the advice and instruction from your drive maker before contacting
Intech.
As for free updates (again for economic reasons), usually not.
Intech will rarely supply free updates to a customer who has received
a complementary copy of our software bundled with a drive. In
rare instances, if a bug in the software has been uncovered that
hinders the stability of the purchased drive product, Intech will
make a free update available, provided a remedy has been found
and created. However, the update will most likely only be available
through the drive manufacturer directly.
If you wish to receive ongoing free updates to a SpeedTools product,
we encourage you to purchase our product either from our web site
or from an authorized Intech Software distributor. Click here for Intech's complete "Free Update for Life" program
details. ................
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Q. Why does the Hard Disk SpeedTools program say my device is not
supported? ............
A. Typically this status is displayed for non-magnetic media devices
like CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, Scanners and Printers which obviously do
not function like or are not capable of being setup in the same
manner as a hard disk.
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Q. The Hard Disk SpeedTools program formatted my MO perfectly. So,
why won't my MO cartridge mount at startup automatically?
A. There are two possible answers to this question. The first is
that the HDST Cartridge Mounter extension file is not installed
in your Extensions folder. If it is, then the HDST Cartridge Mounter
extension file didn't recognize your MO drive manufacturers name
from an inquiry on its firmware. This is usually a problem that
can be resolved rather quickly. However, you will need to report
it to Intech for resolution. Please use the Tech Support Form on this site and please include the MO manufacturers name as
it is displayed in the vendor field of the Hard Disk SpeedTools
Program.
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Q. Do I need to install the HDST Cartridge Mounter extension file?
A. The HDST Cartridge Mounter extension is used exclusively for SCSI
and ATAPI removable media devices. When installed, this extension
gives your Macintosh the ability to recognize removable media
when it has been inserted and mount it automatically. Install
the HDST Cartridge Mounter extension file into your System Folder/Extensions
Folder only if you plan to use Hard Disk SpeedTools to setup and
manage a SCSI/ATAPI removable media device such as ZIP.(R), Jazz.(R), Orb.(R), SyQuest.(R), SuperDisk.(TM) or Magneto Optical device. The HDST Cartridge Mounter extension
is not necessary for non-removable hard disk drives.
Also, it is recommended that you install the HDST Cartridge Mounter
extension file in your System Folder and restart your computer
before you insert a cartridge. This is especially if you plan
to have Hard Disk SpeedTools convert a non-Macintosh disk cartridge
to a Macintosh formatted cartridge. This instruction is even more
important for ATA/ATAPI/EIDE based removable drives.
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Q. Why doesn't the HDST Cartridge Mounter startup icon display Master/Slave
or SCSI ID information like the User's guide shows?
A. Software that scans for viruses and/or system software conflicts
may prevent some startup icons from appearing during the startup
process or may only present the application icon itself. These
programs don't generally harm or disrupt the HDST Cartridge Mounter
driver from loading properly, but if you are having problems with
your removable media drive, they may hide what might otherwise
be very helpful information. Conflict Catcher is the most popular
of these types of utility programs.
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Q. Why doesn't the Hard Disk SpeedTools program mount my drive?
A. Due to the proprietary nature of some NON-Hard Disk SpeedTools
device drivers, the Mount button feature may not work with drives
that have been setup using a utility other than SpeedTools.
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Q. I'm having trouble with my SCSI Orb drive - what can I do?
A. Hard Disk SpeedTools has been thoroughly tested by both Intech
Software and Castlewood Systems (makers of the Orb). Using HDST,
the Orb has been certified to work with every Macintosh and Macintosh
clone from the Macintosh Plus to the new G4 computers, running
MacOS versions 6.0.4 through 9.1. Usually, if you have trouble
with an Orb, it is the result of a cartridge going bad (too many
bad sectors on the media) or a SCSI termination issue. Termination
issues are a known problem with Orb configurations. The problem
has to do with the way the Orb provides automatic termination
inside the unit itself and unfortunately cannot be disabled. If
you continue to experience trouble with your Orb, please consult
Castlewood for ways to correct to issue.
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Q. Why is my SCSI Wide drive transferring data slower than it is
capable of?...............
A. Unfortunately, there are too many drives and controllers available
that incorrectly tell a driver that they can support Wide transfers
upon inquiry. As a result, Intech has had to make a conservative
choice to not enable SCSI Wide transfers as a default setting.
However, Hard Disk SpeedTools does provide a method in which you
can easily reenable Wide transfers if you are sure that your hardware
is truly capable of sustaining them. To reenable Wide transfers,
simply select your Wide drive in the HDST main window and select
"Driver Options..." from the "Devices" pull-down menu. Afterwards,
you will be presented with the "SCSI Driver Options" window. From
there, uncheck the "Disable Wide Transfers" checkbox, quit Hard
Disk SpeedTools and restart your Macintosh. That's it - you're
now SCSI Wide enabled.................
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Q. Why doesn't the Hard Disk SpeedTools utility allow me to setup
my DVD-RAM? ..........
A. Currently, Hard Disk SpeedTools does not support formatting or
configuring DVD-RAM media.
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Q. The Hard Disk SpeedTools utility is displaying "Invalid Volume
Signature" on a drive that I wish to setup or configure, what's
wrong?
A. Usually, this status message indicates that the Hard Disk SpeedTools
utility is having difficulty communicating with the drive. This
can be caused by several factors: ....................
- The drive maybe failing or is starting to fail.
- There maybe a SCSI ID conflict.
- The cables connecting the device maybe too long, not connected
properly or are not shielded well enough (allowing too much outside "noise" to
enter into the signal).
- Termination maybe improperly configured. Either not enough termination
or too much termination or possibly combining a passive terminator with
an active terminator on the same bus can all create drive communication
problems. It has been our experience that a termination problem
is the usual culprit when faced with the "Invalid Volume Signature"
problem.
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Q. Using the Volume Options feature in the HDST utility, I've set
volume(s) to not mount at startup, but the volumes mount anyway
- what's wrong?
A. Usually, this is caused by a startup program like Conflict Catcher.
Conflict Catcher specifically, has a feature called "mount all
volumes at startup" (which is enabled by default) and will override
both Apple's and Intech's "Don't mount volume at startup" selections.
The remedy is to deselect this Conflict Catcher feature.
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Q. I've installed a new ATA/IDE hard disk in my computer, but Hard
Disk SpeedTools does not see the drive in its main window - what's
wrong?
A. First, make sure that your drive has its jumpers set properly
for the installation (i.e. master or slave). Having your drive
set for the wrong master/slave setting or if your drive has been
set to "cable select" mode will prevent your drive from working
with your Macintosh. ......
Second, if you are trying to install your ATA/IDE drive as a slave,
you should know that not all Macintosh models are compatible with
slave installations. Basically, all desktop Mac models that were
manufactured AFTER the beige G3 rev A (in other words, starting
with the rev B mother board) are compatible with slave mode. All
G3 rev A and earlier made Macintosh models are not compatible
with slave installations (this is a hardware limitation).
Third, make sure that you are using the proper ATA/IDE cable for
the installation. Cables that have a small group of wires twisted
between the drive connectors (called Cable Select ribbon cables)
are not compatible with a Macintosh.
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Q. I have an ATA/IDE drive, but when I select the "Driver Options"
feature, it provides me with SCSI Driver Options not ATA/IDE Driver
Options - what's wrong?
A. ATA/IDE drives that are connected to PCI ATA bus cards present
themselves as SCSI devices and not ATA/IDE devices for compatibility
purposes. As a result, Hard Disk SpeedTools will treat these devices
as if they were true SCSI. For these devices, Hard Disk SpeedTools
will present the SCSI Driver Options window when commanded. However,
making any selections in the Options window, will not be respected
by the PCI ATA bus card and will therefore, not be used. Because
ATA PCI bus cards use proprietary technology to function, Hard
Disk SpeedTools cannot not currently offer Driver Options for
devices connected to these cards. ....................
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Q. Why doesn't my FireWire drive show up in the HDST main window? ...........................
A. There are four possible explanations:
- If you booted from the FireWire drive, you may not be able to
see it with HDST.
- The HDST FireWire Support extension is not present in the extensions
folder or has been disabled.
- Someone else's driver maybe controlling the device. If this is
the case, you will need to disable the other driver extension before you can use either the HDST FireWire
Support extension or Hard Disk SpeedTools utility software with
your drive.
- The device is a removable cartridge drive. Removable media devices
are not supported in the current version Hard Disk SpeedTools. However,
support is expected to be added soon in an upcoming version.
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Q. Why can't I boot from my FireWire drive?
A. The Hard Disk SpeedTools FireWire driver is fully bootable with
any hardware product that supports it. If you cannot boot from
your FireWire drive when using the Hard Disk SpeedTools driver,
one of the below explanations is the problem:
- You did not copy a System Folder to the device.
- You did not select the device in the Startup Device control panel.
- You own a Blue and White G3 or a "Yosemite" G4. These machines
are not capable of booting from a FireWire device.
- Your computer may need updated firmware. Please go to the
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75131 web page to find your Mac model's Firmware updater. It must be
2.4 or higher to boot a FireWire device.
- Your device may not be the correct type. It must be a Serial Bus
Protocol 2 (SBP-2) fixed disk device which implements the Reduced Block
Command (RBC) specification.
- Your FireWire drive may not have the necessary compatibility in
its bridgeboard (ATA to FireWire conversion board) firmware.
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Q. Why does my FireWire drive show up as no longer connected?
A. You will get this message in the main window after you have dragged
all volume icons which belong to the drive to the trash (or used
the "Put Away" command). By doing this, the SpeedTools FireWire
driver had prepared the disk to be disconnected from the FireWire
bus by placing the entire disk offline. The only way to remount
the volumes on the disk is to unplug the FireWire data cable and
plug it back in.
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Q. With my FireWire drive, I can copy small amounts of files without
problems, but when I attempt to copy a large number of files,
I get errors - what can I do?
A. This is usually a FireWire bus timing problem that can occur when
connecting a FireWire disk to an add-in PCI FireWire bus card
or to a first generation built-in FireWire bus in a computer such
as the Blue & White G3 or "Yosemite" G4. Generally, the problem
can be resolved by using HDST's exclusive data transfer and packed size reduction
features which are accessible from the "Driver Options..." section
of the utility. Please read the FireWire Driver Options section
of our User's Guide for complete instructions about configuring
this feature. ............................
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Q. After I startup my computer, I turn on my FireWire drive but it
doesn't automatically appear/mount on my desktop or my Mac freezes
- what's' wrong?
A. This problem is related to the way that the firmware was developed
on the FireWire bridgeboard (your disk's ATA to FireWire conversion
board). In other words, its a hardware problem and a common one
for that matter. Unfortunately, there is no software cure for
this. However, there are a few instructions/tips that we can share
that will help with the problem:
- If you can, turn on you FireWire drive before you turn on your
computer.
- If the above instruction is not convenient, unplug the FireWire
drive from your computer, turn on the drive, then reattach the cable back to the computer.
- Lastly, if you already made the mistake of turning on your FireWire
drive without unplugging its cable from the computer first and your
computer has frozen, try unplugging the cable now and replugging
it back in. This remedy should reset the FireWire bus and resolve
the freeze.
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Q. Why can't I boot from my striped drives?
A. The ROM's found on the Blue and White G3's and all G4's (called
open firmware) will not boot from striped disk devices, regardless
of the software used to setup the striping array.
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Q. My disk fixing software has reported a problem with the partition
maps on my RAID volume(s), what's wrong?
A. Because of the proprietary nature of partition maps on a RAID
volume, some disk fixing utilities (such as Norton Utilities)
may inform you of a partition map problem if the partition map
does not look logical during its scanning process. What ever you
do - DO NOT REPAIR THE PARTITION(S). Doing so will result in TOTAL DATA LOSS ON ALL VOLUMES CONTAINED ON THE ENTIRE RAID GROUP. Basically, the only functions/features of disk fixing programs
that are currently known to create a problem with RAIDed drives
are functions/features that recreate or otherwise modify a partition
map. All other functions/features are safe to perform.
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Q. Can I stripe a SCSI drive to a FireWire drive (creating a hybrid)?
A. First, let's clarify a few terms, as they are very important.
When we call a device "SCSI" we mean one of two things:
- The storage device behaves exactly like a true SCSI device.
- The storage device is controlled by a software SIM (SCSI Interface
Module) which has properly registered with the SCSI Manager.
For example, an ATA/IDE disk drive connected to a PCI ATA Bus
card such as those made by ACard, ProMax, and Sonnet, etc. behave
exactly like a true SCSI drive and, therefore, can be included
in a stripe group along with a true SCSI drive or with another
PCI ATA drive without limitation.
On the other hand, a FireWire drive which is being controlled
by a software SIM, does not fully behave like a true SCSI drive.
The most important difference related to striping under a software
SIM is that the SCSI ID assigned to the device can change between
reboots. We call this kind of stripe group which consists of one
true SCSI device and one FireWire device a "hybrid." The HDST
RAID driver will attempt to find the second device of a hybrid
stripe group if it's ID has changed, but it will not be able to
find the device if another PCI SCSI bus card has been added after
the stripe group was created (which changes the BUS ID). In other
words, if the SCSI ID of a drive changes - no problem, we've taken
care of that possibility. But, if you add another host bus card
after you've created a hybrid RAID - this is a problem and the
FireWire drive will not be found. If you create a hybrid stripe,
and you wish to add an additional PCI SCSI bus afterwards, you
will need to do the following:
- Back up your hybrid stripe group.
- Add in your new PCI SCSI bus card.
- Resetup/reinitialize your hybrid stripe group.
- Restore your data to the hybrid group.
To sum up, Hard Disk SpeedTools does not functionally limit your
ability to create a hybrid stripe group so long as the selected
devices appears in the HDST utility as SCSI devices and are not
removable media devices, but please be aware of the limitations
of this particular kind of arrangement as described above.
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Q. Why does my stripe not automount at startup, but will mount manually
if I use the HDST utility?
A. This is likely a timing problem. This timing problem can occur
when one of the drives (that make up the stripe group) is not
ready or is connected to a SCSI card/bus that has not registered
at the same time as the partner drive.
If both drives are powered on prior to the boot process, the problem
is most likely a bus registration timing problem. The Adaptec
2906 and the Apple equivalent SCSI bus cards are known to create
this type of bus registration timing problem when one of the drives
that make up the stripe group is connected to them. This is because
these SCSI cards load their SIM's (which registers the SCSI bus
to the MacOS) from an extension DURING the boot process, whereas
other add-in SCSI cards and built-in SCSI busses load their SIM's
BEFORE your computer even begins to boot. If your drives are connected
to one of these types of cards that uses an extension to load
its SIM, you will need to replace the SCSI card with one that
does not need an extension for RAID automounting to function.
Alternatively, you can connect both drives to the same card, which
may hurt performance somewhat, but will solve the automount issue.
Another possibility for a timing problem is when one of the drives
does not make itself available soon enough during the startup
process because of either an extremely long startup test sequence
that it goes through with every power-on cycle, or the drive takes
too long to spin up to speed or the power supply of the drive
is flaky or is starting to fail. In this instance, try turning
on both drives (that make up the stripe group) and let them come
up to full speed before turning on your computer.
The last possibility for this problem is when you create a stripe
which consists of a drive connected to one type of interface along
with a drive which is connected to another type of interface (we
call these setups hybrid stripes). Click here for a related Tech FAQ which explains the hybrid stripe problem in more detail.
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Q. Can I stripe two ATA hard disk devices with Hard Disk SpeedTools?
.........................
A. You may only stripe ATA disks that are connected to ATA PCI bus
cards. You CANNOT stripe ATA disks that are connected to built-in
ATA busses. The reason for this is, HDST only allows for the striping
of SCSI devices. Drives connected to ATA PCI card busses actually
pretend to be SCSI devices (not ATA) which allows the HDST RAID
driver to talk to these devices as if they were true SCSI.
To our knowledge, no RAID software offers support for ATA drives
connected to native built-in ATA busses. However, Intech is currently
researching true ATA RAID feasibility. ....................
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Q. How do I stripe two FireWire hard disk devices with Hard Disk
SpeedTools? .............
A. Currently, Hard Disk SpeedTools is only compatible with striping
"Indigita" designed bridgeboard equipped FireWire devices. Indigita
is the leading developer of ATA to FireWire conversion technology
(bridgeboard). Indigita's bridgeboard technology can be found
in a variety top-selling FireWire drive enclosures including those
made by Maxtor, WD, BellStor, EZQuest, MacAlly and many others.
To setup a FireWire RAID system using Hard Disk SpeedTools (provided
you are using FireWire devices equipped with Indigita's bridgeboards),
you will first need to install the "FireSCSI" extension set. After installing the extensions,
you will need to remove the HDST FireWire Support extension (if
installed) and restart your computer. Once your computer has rebooted,
your FireWire drives will look like they are connected either
to a SCSI or FireSCSI bus within the Hard Disk SpeedTools utility
and will then be available for RAID configuration. If your drives
do not show up as being connected to a SCSI bus, either another
FireWire driver has loaded for your devices before the FireSCSI
extensions or your FireWire drives may not be equipped with Indigita
bridgeboards.
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Q. Can I setup a RAID level 1 "mirror" disk array with Hard Disk
SpeedTools? ...............
A. Currently, Hard Disk SpeedTools is only capable of supporting
RAID level 0 (stripe) disk array configurations.
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