# Turning on/off a Lacie External Hard Drive



## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

Okay, I've asked about the dismounting information on here, and got that help. Thanks. Now, I need to figure out the proper way of powering on and off my Lacie external hard drive.

I'd appreciate if anyone who's an expert in using Lacie external hard drives, to assist me with this.

When I power up my laptop and allow it to load, and fully load, I then turn on my external hard drive. That takes a while to load up, and when it does, everything is dandy. Now, when I click the power button behind my HD, for some reason, it doesn't turn on immediately. Sometimes I am pressing it once or twice, or holding it down and I'd wait and nothing happens. Can anyone tell me the proper way to securely power up my HD? 

Second, I do not unplug it when I am done, and shut down my computer. I press the power button in the back, to take it off. I am not sure if this is the correct way to power it off. But, when I do click the power button to turn my HD off, it doesn't register. I am there waiting and wondering if this thing will turn off. 

I want to make sure that I am doing everything right with my external HD, so that I don't damage it. I've placed a lot of precious photos and items on it, that I can't afford to lose. So, is there anyone out there who can help a pure amatuer out with this little problem?

Thanks in advanced.


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

Come on guys, no one from since last night couldn't answer my request? It's a silly question I know, but it's necessary for a beginner like me.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

As long as you turn it off after the pc has shut down, you will not harm the drive or the data on it.


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

So it doesn't matter if I press the button to turn it off or on and it doesn't recognize it, unless I hit it twice or a few times. I am confused on the "why" it's not turning on as soon as I push the button and why it doesn't turn off when I push the button also. I realized last night it was a bit quicker to turn off when I ejected it from the Windows option and then shut down my laptop and then unplugged it and waited a bit. Is that all good? Thanks for answering.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Well that sounds like the chipset in the external has an issue if it does not turn on right away or shut off right away.
Now you could turn it on and then boot Windows afterwards in starting up, though I have seen some laptops refuse to boot with an external drive turned on.


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

I contacted the Lacie company and they said it might be a fault with the power button. Now, do you think that this could affect my hard drive, other than me being a little frustrated with pressing it once or twice just to turn it on or off? I don't want to have to send this into the manufacturer to repair this issue, if it's not a worrisome one. I already transferred a lot of my photos over to it, and it'd be a pain in the butt to have to send it to them with all my personal pictures on there. So, do you think this little issue can cause any bigger problems in the future?


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

The power button on the external drive or main tower?


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

The power button on the HD. Every once in a while, it'd maybe take effort or no effort to come off or on. Just want to know if I should consider the manufacturers suggestion on sending it on, even though they said it as if it's not a big issue and I can choose to opt out of it.


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

Like just a moment ago, I had it on for maybe 15 minutes, and it turned off nicely. Now, if it was one whole day, it'd be a b*tch to turn off.


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Send it for repair. If the data is important, why take the risk. It certainly is NOT working as it should.


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## spruce (Mar 2, 2003)

to shut down your hd do you right click in the icon in s.tray
safely remove hardware


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## studmaster2006 (Nov 22, 2006)

When I am poweroff my hard drive, I click on the Eject icon on my Windows start up tray, and select the external hard drive to stop. Then when it says it's safe to remove the hardware, then is when I unplug the usb cable from my laptop. After that's done, I then go to click the very small button behind my Lacie external hard drive, and it may take awhile to turn off. Being an impatient person, I click it again and either it requires me to do that twice or three times, but it eventually comes off. 

Now, this only happens when it's been on for many the whole day. And when I say whole day, that's like in the morning all the way up till the night time. Sometimes 12 or 1 am. 

Now, I've noticed, that if it's been on for only a few minutes, like 15 minutes or 30 minutes, it turns off immediately, when I do all the proper procedures and then click the button. 

I am so new to these things, that I don't know the ways around it's behaviors.


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