Maxtor BlackArmor - Understanding Maxtor Manager Security Settings

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Managing BlackArmor Security

BlackArmor security uses Government-grade AES encryption certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide the strongest hardware-based, full disk encryption available for an external storage device. Your entire drive and all the data stored on it are protected by a drive encryption key from unauthorized access.

Unlocking the BlackArmor Drive

Your BlackArmor drive locks automatically each time you disconnect it from a computer. You can unlock it in either the Maxtor Manager application or the BlackArmor Manager application when your drive is connected to a computer on which the Maxtor Manager software is not installed.

1. Click the Security icon in the Maxtor Manager window. The Security window opens. Instead of a drive letter, the screen window Locked.
2. Click Unlock Drive. The Unlock window opens
3. Enter your password and click Unlock. The window refreshes to display the drive letter. The Unlock Drive option is now grayed out.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Unlocking your BlackArmor Drive

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Changing your Password

Your password must initially be set in the BlackArmor Manager application. Once you've set a password, you can change it in either the Maxtor Manager application or the BlackArmor Manager application when your drive is connected to a computer on which the Maxtor Manager software is not installed.

To change your password in the Maxtor Manager application,

1. Click the Security icon in the Maxtor Manager window. The Security window opens.
2. Click Change Password. The Change Password window opens.
3. Enter your current password, then enter and re-enter a new password.
4. Click Set. A message confirms that a new password has been set successfully.
5. Click Done to return to the Security window or Set Password Hint to set a hint that will open a reminder to your password.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Changing Your Password

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Using the Password Hint

BlackArmor not only allows you to set a hint to help you remember your password, but also protects that password hint with a security question you must answer in order to retrieve the password hint. You can delete or change your password hint any time you like.
Note: To set, change, or delete a password hint, you must enter the 25-character identification code printed on your BlackArmor drive label.

Opening the Set Password Hint Window

• The Configure window:
  1. Set a password in the Configure window.
  2. Click Set Password Hint in the Password Set window.
• The Unlock Drive window:
  1. Click Hint in the Unlock Drive window.
  2. Click Set Password Hint in the Password Hint Not Set window.
• The Change Password window:
  1. Set a new password in the Change Password window.
  2. Click Set Password Hint in the Password Set window.
• The Other Features window:
  Click Set, Change, or Delete Password Hint in the Other Features window

To set a password hint:

1. Open the Set Password Hint window
2. Select a security question from the drop-down list or create a question of your own.
3. Enter the answer to the security question.
4. Enter a hint to help you recall your password if you forget it.
5. Enter the 25-character identification code printed on the drive label.
6. Click Set. A message confirms that your password hint has been set successfully
7. Click OK to return to the Other Features window. Changing a Password Hint

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Set Password Hint

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To change a password hint:

1. Connect the drive to a computer.
   Note: Windows Vista users will see an User Account Control window. Click Continue to proceed.
   The Unlock Drive window opens.
2. Click Other Features. The Other Features window opens
3. Click Set, Change, or Delete Password Hint. A message informs you that a password hint has already been set and asks if you want to delete it or overwrite in with a new password hint.
4. Click Overwrite. The Set Password Hint window opens
5. Select a security question from the drop-down list or create a question of your own.
6. Enter the answer to the security question.
7. Enter a hint to help you recall your password if you forget it.
8. Enter the 25-character identification code printed on the drive label.
9. Click Set. A message confirms that your password hint has been set successfully
10. Click OK to return to the Security window.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Change Password Hint

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To delete a password hint:

1. Connect the drive to a computer.
   Note: Windows Vista users will see an User Account Control window. Click Continue to proceed.
   The Unlock Drive window opens.
2. Click Other Features. The Other Features window opens
3. Click Set, Change, or Delete Password Hint. A message informs you that a password hint has already been set and asks if you want to delete it or overwrite in with a new password hint.
4. Click Delete. The Delete Password Hint window opens.
5. Enter the 25-character identification code printed on the drive label.
6. Click Delete Password Hint. A message confirms that your password hint has been deleted
7. Click OK to return to the Other Features window. You can set a new password hint by following the original steps at any time.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Delete Password Hint

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Erasing a BlackArmor Drive If you've forgotten your password and cannot unlock the BlackArmor drive, the only way you can continue to use the drive is to securely erase it using KeyErase!". This erases all the data stored on your drive and resets the drive encryption key. There is no way to recover your data once the drive has been erased. To erase your BlackArmor drive:

1. Click the Security icon in the Maxtor Manager window. The locked Security window opens
2. Click KeyErase®. The KeyErase window opens
3. Read the warning information and click Next Step. A second KeyErase window opens
4. Verify that the security LED is flashing on the drive you want to erase.
5. Enter the 25-character identification code printed on the drive label.
6. Click Erase Drive. When the drive has been erased (this takes only a few moments), the Unlock window opens
7. Enter your password and click Unlock.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Erasing a BlackArmor Drive/Configuring the BlackArmor Drive for Future Use

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1. After a BlackArmor drive has been erased/unlocked, the Format Maxtor Drive window opens. Click Format to reformat your drive for use.
2. A Format confirmation window opens. Since you've just erased everything on your BlackArmor drive, you do not have to worry about erasing data. Click Format. You're informed of the progress of the format. A message confirms a successful format.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: The Format Maxtor Drive feature for Preparing an Erased Drive

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Additional Information:

If the formatting fails, a message informs you that a partition could not be created:

1. Close the Partition creation failed window.
2. Use Disk Management to create a partition so you can continue to use the BlackArmor drive.
   Note: You must have administrator privileges to use the Windows Administrative Tools feature.

Using Disk Management to Format an Erased BlackArmor

If your BlackArmor drive cannot be formatted automatically using the Format Maxtor Drive window, you must use Disk Management to manually create a partition so you can continue to use the BlackArmor drive.

1. Click Start - Run. The Run window opens.
2. In the field provided, type diskmgmt.msc and click OK
   Note: Windows Vista users are prompted with an User Account Control window asking for permission to proceed. Click Continue.
   The Disk Management window opens
3. The Initialize Disk window opens listing the Disk Number associated with the Maxtor BlackArmor drive. Click OK to initialize the BlackArmor drive. The Disk Management window opens.
4. Select the Disk Number associated with the BlackArmor drive, right-click and select New Simple Volume from the menu. The Welcome Window opens.
5. Click Next. the Specify Volume Size window opens.
6. Maintain the full size listed for your BlackArmor drive and click Next. The Assign Drive Letter or Path window opens.
7. Maintain the assigned drive letter shown or assign a letter to associate with your BlackArmor drive and click Next. The Format Partition window opens.
8. Enter the Volume Label for the drive (e.g., BlackArmor) and check the Perform a quick format box. Click Next. The Completing... window opens.
9. Click Finish. Your Maxtor BlackArmor drive is partitioned and formatted for use.

Maxtor BlackArmor Video Tutorial: Using Disk Management to Prepare an Erased, Black Armor Drive

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