Open the control panel, open administrative tools and then open computer management. Click on Disk Management and see if the SSD drive is seen in the right window pane. If it is, right click on where it is labeled as disk 1, disk 2, etc and select "Initialize disk" (this may come up automatically when you go to Disk Management).

In XP, right click on the area to the right of that and choose "New Partition". Then choose "Primary Partition" in the partition wizard. Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partition.

In Windows Vista and 7, right click on the area to the right of the disk label and choose "New Simple Volume". Continue with the wizard by choosing the size, drive letter and formatting of the partition.

In MacOS, a "disk insertion" window will appear. Click on the "initialize" button. This will take you to the disk utility. Select the Kingston drive from the list of drives on the left side of the Window. From the actions available, choose partition. For the "Volume Scheme", choose "1 partition". For the format, choose MacOS extended for a permanent drive. Choose ExFAT for an external drive (available on MacOS 10.6.6 and above). Click Apply. A warning windows will appear stating you will erase all data from the drive. Click on the partition button at the bottom.

FAQ: KSD-011411-GEN-14 (edit 5/24)

No. If you forget the password for this drive, it cannot be accessed. Be aware that forgetting your password is not covered under Kingston’s warranty.

The only exception to this is using a master or administrative password for the drive in addition to the user password. Using a master password would allow an administrator to reset the user password.The system BIOS would have to support a master password and user password for hard drives and it would have to be enabled at the time you initiated the user hard drive security password. Using a master password would allow an administrator to reset the drive.

FAQ: KSD-011411-BUN-02

This program, used to clone your existing hard drive to your new SSD does not run in Windows. In order to use this software, you must boot the computer from this CD.

You will see a menu where you can choose to boot into Windows or Run the Acronis True Image software.

FAQ: KSD-011411-BUN-03

Yes. The SSDNow is compatible with the USB enclosure included with the bundle kit that Kingston offers. However, internal testing shows that the cloning process (in some systems) may not copy the Master Boot Record (MBR) properly when the SSDNow (destination drive) is attached via the USB enclosure.

Even though the cloning process will appear to have completed successfully, the system will fail to boot when the drive is later configured as the boot device. Visually, the user will experience a blinking cursor at boot up.

For the best user experience, Kingston recommends that you install the hard drive (source drive) into the external enclosure and the SSDNow (destination drive) into the notebook for the purpose of a successfully cloning process on a consistent basis.

FAQ: KSD-030111-BUN-04

The system isn't freezing. It is the keyboard and mouse not working. Enable legacy keyboard and mouse support or USB legacy support under Integrated Peripherals in the BIOS.

FAQ: KSD-051911-BUN-05

No. Acronis True Image will not work in a Mac.

FAQ: KSD-052411-BUN-06

Cloning can be performed with Bootable disc utility or directly within the OS as seen below.

Note: You can utilize this same procedure in cloning drives on a laptop with the enclosure. The SSD can be placed in the enclosure when cloning, the HDD does not have to be removed until the cloning is complete.

1. Access “Utilities”

2. Select “Disk Utility”

3. Select startup volume (this will be the system’s bootable, primary volume) and click on the “Restore” tab

4. Drag Startup Volume “Macintosh HD” to “Source” location

5. Drag Mounted Volume “Macintosh HD” (this should be located directly under the SSD Volume, see above image) to “Destination” location.

6. Check “Erase Destination” and select “Restore”

7. Select “Erase”

8. System will start calculating estimated time and copying files

9. Drive should be bootable once file copying is complete.

FAQ: KSD-052411-BUN-07

The current version of Acronis may not be compatible with some USB 3.0 controllers. The solution is to use a USB 2.0 port during the cloning process. Once this is done, the enclosure can be used in USB 3.0 ports.

FAQ: KSD-071811-BUN-08