OneTouch 4 - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions for OneTouch 4 drives, including information on the Maxtor Manager, its backup and sync capabilities, and encryption.

The following are frequently asked questions for the OneTouch 4 Drive Products:

Before you buy / Presales

What are the minimum system requirements for the OneTouch 4 drives?
Which OneTouch 4 drive would best suit my needs?
Is there a difference between the Maxtor OneTouch 4 USB Drive and the OneTouch 4 Lite?

 

The Maxtor Manager software and installation

Where is the installation Software located?
What do I do in the event that I lose my OneTouch 4 Software?
What is the Maxtor Manager?
Will the Maxtor Manager identify Seagate External and Seagate FreeAgent Drives connect to my PC as well?

 

Maxtor Backup and its capabilities

What are the maximum capacity points for the OneTouch 4 drives?
What will the Maxtor Manager's Backup feature back up?
What won't the Maxtor Manager's Backup feature back up?
What are the differences between Backup and SafetyDrillTM?
How to set up a Simple Backup (direct link to tutorial video).
How to set up a Custom Backup (direct link to tutorial video).
Where are the backup files stored after a backup (direct link to tutorial video)?

 

Maxtor Sync and its capabilities

What will the Maxtor Manager's Sync feature do?
Can I use Sync to synchronize data between Windows XP and Windows Vista computers?
Can I use Sync to synchronize data between Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh computers?
What won't the Maxtor Manager's Sync feature synchronize?
How to set up a simple Sync in Windows (direct link to tutorial video).
How to set up a custom Sync in Windows (direct link to tutorial video).

 

OneTouch 4 encryption and security

What are the two levels of Security available with OneTouch Plus and OneTouch 4 Mini Drives?
What type of encryption does Maxtor Encryption use?
What is Maxtor Encryption's Travel Mode?
When moving my locked OneTouch 4 drive to another system, my drive is not recognized ...why?
What do I do if I lose or forget my DrivePass or Maxtor Encryption Password(s)?


Maxtor Safety Drill image backup software

What is SafetyDrill?
Can I use SafetyDrill on my Macintosh?
What are the differences between Backup and SafetyDrill?
What are some things that I should know about SafetyDrill?
Can I create a SafetyDrill Copy of FAT Volumes?
Will SafetyDrill backup all internal disk drives in my computer?

 

Other considerations

How is the OneTouch 4 drive initially formatted?
How can I erase my OneTouch 4 and start over?
How do I simply copy files and folders to my OneTouch 4 Drive?
Can I use my OneTouch 4 on both my Windows and Macintosh Systems?
How do I use my OneTouch 4?


What are the minimum system requirements for the OneTouch 4 drives?

Windows:

  • Pentium III, 500Mhz equivalent processor or higher
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Ultimate, Business(32-bit versions Only)
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home, Professional, Media Center Edition (32-bit versions Only)
  • 256MB RAM or more as required by operating system
  • Internet Connection (for software updates)
  • CD Rom Drive (for Maxtor SafetyDrill full PC recovery)
     SafetyDrill is not available for use with the OneTouch 4 Lite nor is it available for the Macintosh Platform

    The software is not supported in 64-bit operating systems. The best alternatives are to use a copy/paste or drag and drop function, or to use the backup program built into Windows.

Macintosh:

  • Mac OS X(10.4.7-10.4.10)
  • 256MB RAM or more as required by operating system
  • Internet Connection (for software updates)

Which OneTouch 4 drive would best suit my needs?

Before buying a OneTouch 4 drive, look at some of the following features to see which product will meet your needs.

Maxtor OneTouch 4 USB (also known as the OneTouch 4 Lite)

  • Home Users
  • USB 2.0 Interface
  • Minimal Software (does not contain software features found with the OneTouch 4 Plus and OneTouch 4 Mini Drives)
  • Cost and Simplicity

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus

  • Micro Businesses (< 20 computers)
  • FireWire 400/USB 2.0 Interface
  • Full Software Solution
  • Data Protection

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini

  • Mobile Professionals
  • USB 2.0 Interface (powered through the USB bus as well)
  • Full Software Solution
  • Data protection on the go

What are the maximum capacity points for the OneTouch 4 drives?

  • Maxtor OneTouch 4 - 1TB
  • Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus - 1TB
  • Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini - 500GB

Where is the installation Software located?

OneTouch 4 installation software is located on your OneTouch 4 drive. Refer to the Quick Start Guide included with your OneTouch 4 drive (or on Seagate's Website) for installation procedures.

What do I do in the event that I lose my OneTouch 4 Software?

You can always download the OneTouch 4 software in the event that it is lost or deleted. Please access the Seagate Download page for available software.

How is the OneTouch 4 drive initially formatted?

The OneTouch 4 drive comes initially formatted with the NTFS File System and is ready for use with Windows XP/Vista computers.
If using with a Mac, the drive will be formatted for use during software installation. Refer to the Quick Start Guide included with your OneTouch 4 drive (or on Seagate's Website) for installation procedures.

What is the Maxtor Manager?

The Maxtor Manager is the software interface provided with the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Drive Family. The following Table identifies Maxtor Manager features and which products provide these features.

Windows:

Feature Maxtor OneTouch 4 Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini
Scheduled Backup x x x
Backup/Restore of User Files/Folders x x x
Maxtor Auto Software Update x x x
OneTouch Button Customization x x x
Adjust Power Management x x x
Drive Diagnostics x x x
Sync   x x
Maxtor Encryption   x x
DrivePass   x x
SafetyDrill   x x

Macintosh:

Feature Maxtor OneTouch 4 Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini
Scheduled Backup x x x
Backup/Restore of User Files/Folders x x x
Maxtor Auto Software Update x x x
OneTouch Button Customization x x x
Drive Diagnostics x x x
Sync   x x
Maxtor Encryption   x x
DrivePass   x x

Note:

  • Power Management is managed through the Mac OS
  • SafetyDrill is not an available feature on the Macintosh platform

Will the Maxtor Manager identify Seagate External and Seagate FreeAgent Drives connected to my PC as well?

No. The Maxtor Manager will identify the following external drives:

  • Maxtor OneTouch 4
  • Maxtor OneTouch III
  • Maxtor OneTouch II

Is there a difference between the Maxtor OneTouch 4 USB Drive and the OneTouch 4 Lite?

No. Both names are used for the OneTouch 4 that only has an USB interface.

What will the Maxtor Manager's Backup feature back up?

The Backup feature by default will back up the following:

  • Windows XP - Back up the contents of current user's My Documents folder
  • Windows Vista - Back up the contents of current user's Personal folder
  • Mac OS X - Back up the contents of current User's folder to include Documents, Movies, Music and Picture folders

What won't the Maxtor Manager's Backup feature back up?

The Backup feature will not back up the following:

  • Your Operating System
  • Your Programs
  • Your Email (when not selected in a Custom Backup and when the Email Client is Open)
    Please refer to this Knowledge Base article for email backup suggestions
  • Internet Favorites/Bookmarks
  • Certain proprietary files (e.g., financial data)
  • Files/Folders located on networked drives/shares/volumes
  • Files within a parent folder if the parent folder is not selected (e.g. files in the My Documents folder will not be backed up if the My Documents folder is deselected)
  • Any files/folders that contain System Attributes or that are hidden by the Operating System

If you wish to back up these types of files, it is suggested that you use SafetyDrill.
SafetyDrill is only available for OneTouch 4 Plus and OneTouch 4 Mini drives used on Windows systems.

What will the Maxtor Manager's Sync feature do?

With Sync, files can be synchronized between two or more computers allowing customers to have the most up-to-date files.

Can I use Sync to synchronize data between Windows XP and Windows Vista computers?

No. Due to the differences between Windows XP and Windows Vista default folder structures, data cannot be synchronized between these operating systems.

Can I use Sync to synchronize data between Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh computers?

No. Due to the differences between Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh file systems, data cannot be synchronized between these operating system platforms.

What won't the Maxtor Manager's Sync feature synchronize?

The Sync feature will not synchronize the following:

  • Your Operating System
  • Your Programs
  • Your Email
  • Any files/folders that contain System Attributes or that are hidden by the Operating System

What are the two levels of Security available with OneTouch Plus and OneTouch 4 Mini Drives?

  • Maxtor Encryption - Secures data in an encrypted file that is password protected. Data is sealed by dragging files into the Maxtor Encryption Folder and simply encrypting all the files at the same time.
  • Maxtor DrivePassTM (formerly Maxtor DriveLockTM) - Password protects entry to the contents of the drive in case the drive is lost or stolen.

Embedded firmware restricts data access even if the internal hard drive is removed from the casing and attached to another computer.

What type of encryption does Maxtor Encryption use?

Maxtor Encryption uses the 256-AES encryption method.

What is Maxtor Encryption's Travel Mode?

Travel Mode is a feature that allows you move your OneTouch 4 drive to other systems that do not have the Maxtor Manager installed, decrypt the Encrypted Folder (provided you have the password) and access the contents of this folder.

When moving my locked OneTouch 4 drive to another system, my drive is not recognized ...why?

The reason for this is because most likely the Maxtor Manager is not installed on the second system. To resolve this issue, you can do one of the following:

  • Return your OneTouch 4 to the original system and remove DrivePass temporarily and move it to the second system
  • Download the OneTouch 4 Installation software from Seagate's Website and install it on the second system. At which time, you can connect the OneTouch 4 drive to this system and unlock it.

What do I do if I lose or forget my DrivePass or Maxtor Encryption Password(s)?

There is no way to recover a lost/forgotten password. In the event that this happens:

  • For Maxtor Encryption - you must delete the Encrypted Folder
  • For DrivePass - You must erase the OneTouch 4 drive

 Both methods are data destructive. Seagate strongly recommends that you store your passwords in a safe location to prevent this issue from happening.

What is SafetyDrillTM?

Maxtor SafetyDrill (aka Bare-Metal Restore) is the Ultimate Solution to Disaster Recovery. Maxtor SafetyDrill allows users to save a snapshot image of their full system including: the PC operating system, applications, settings and personal content onto their Maxtor OneTouch drive and create a bootable CD. In case of a hard drive or system failure, users can reboot from their SafetyDrill Recovery CD and restore their computer - no installations are required.

Can I use SafetyDrill on my Macintosh?

No. SafetyDrill only works with computer running compatible, Microsoft Windows XP and/or Windows Vista.

What are the differences between Backup and SafetyDrill?

The following table shows the differences between these two features:

Feature Backup SafetyDrill
Backup User Files/Folders x x
Restore User Files/Folders x x
Restore Historical File Versions x x
Backup & Restore Email   x
Backup & Restore Proprietary Files
(e.g., Financial Data)
  x
Backup & Restore your applications and desktop   x
Backup & Restore your entire Operating System   x



What are some things that I should know about SafetyDrill?

Before creating your first SafetyDrill Copy, it is suggested that you try and boot your PC with the SafetyDrill CD to make sure that it works. Before restoring from a SafetyDrill Copy:

  • Make sure that DrivePass is removed from the OneTouch 4
  • Make Sure that your SafetyDrill Copy is removed from the Encrypted Folder

Can I create a SafetyDrill Copy of FAT Volumes?

No. In order to create a SafetyDrill Copy, the host and target volume must be formatted with the NTFS file system.

Will SafetyDrill backup all internal disk drives in my computer?

No. Safety Drill will only copy all partitions located on the primary boot drive in your computer. It will not copy data contained on secondary, hard disk drives.

How can I erase my OneTouch 4 and start over?

You can use the Maxtor Manager to erase the drive. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Maxtor Manager.

  2. Set a password on the drive under Settings/Security (if there is not already a password set).

  3. Power down the drive.

  4. Wait 30 seconds.

  5. Power up the drive.

  6. To access it, you would now need to enter a password. Do not enter the password, but act as if you had forgotten it.

  7. It should offer you the option to erase/perform a Secure Erase. Erase the drive. This will probably take several hours.

How do I simply copy files and folders to my OneTouch 4 Drive?

Copying data to your OneTouch 4 drive can be accomplished through various methods found in your Operating System. Refer to Document ID: 206419 for more information.

Can I use my OneTouch 4 on both my Windows and Macintosh Systems?

No. Due to the differences between Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh file systems, you cannot use your OneTouch 4 drive between these operating system platforms.

How do I use my OneTouch 4?

Seagate provides several useful sources of information.

 

  1. ⁺ For a limited time of March 25, 2024, 10:00AM Pacific Time ("PT") to April 1, 2024 9:59AM PT, all orders placed at the Seagate store at Seagate.com will receive free ground shipping to addresses located within the United States.