Mercury Elite Pro

Assembly Manual & User Guide

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Mercury Elite Pro side view

Introduction

1.1 Minimum System Requirements

Operating System

  • Mac: macOS 10.12.6 or later
  • PC: Windows 7 or later

Hardware

  • Mac or PC with a USB 3.2 5Gb/s port
  • Will also work with USB 2.0 host ports at slower speeds

Supported Drives

  • 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s drive or 2.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s drive (adapter required)

1.2 Package Contents

  • OWC Mercury Elite Pro with USB 3.2 5Gb/s
  • USB Type-A to Type-B cable
  • Power supply and cable
  • Quick start guide

1.3 About This Manual

The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and subject to limitations.

1.4 Rear View

  1. Security slot – connect a security tether here.
  2. USB 3.2 5Gb/s – connect the included USB cable to this port and the host.
  3. DC power input – connect the power supply here.
  4. ON/OFF – power the Mercury Elite Pro on and off using this switch.
Mercury Elite Pro rear view

1.5 Usage Notes

  • Once assembled, you may plug the power supply into a power outlet and into the Mercury Elite Pro. Then connect the USB cable into the drive and the computer.
  • The Mercury Elite Pro has an LED mounted behind the front cover. The LED emits a solid, blue light when the unit is powered on and it flashes blue during drive activity.
  • For the safe removal of your drive and to ensure that no data is lost, always eject or unmount the corresponding disk(s) from your operating system before powering off the Mercury Elite Pro. You can use the methods described below to safely unmount your disk(s).

OS X :

  • Drag the icon for the disk you wish to unmount to the trash can; OR
  • Right-click the disk icon on the desktop, then click “Eject”; OR
  • Highlight the disk on your Desktop and press Command-E.

Windows:

  1. Go to the System Tray in the lower right corner of your screen. Click on the “Eject” icon.
  2. A message appears showing devices that the “Eject” icon controls. Click on the “Safely remove...” prompt.
  3. When you see the message “Safe to Remove Hardware,” disconnect the Mercury Elite Pro from the computer.

General Use Precautions

  • To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside: 41º — 95º F (operating) or -4º — 140º F (non-operating)
  • Always unplug the device from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended period of time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting or fire.
  • Do not use the device near other electrical appliances such as televisions, radios or speakers. Doing so may cause interference which will adversely affect the operation of the other products.
  • Do not place the device near sources of magnetic interference, such as computer displays, televisions or speakers. Magnetic interference can affect the operation and stability of hard drives.
  • Do not place objects on top of the device.
  • Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of damage or malfunction.
  • Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation. Blocking the ventilation openings may cause damage to the device and cause an increased risk of short-circuiting or fire.

Safety Precautions

  • Read this user guide carefully and follow the recommended steps for assembly.
  • Use proper anti-static precautions while installing drives into this enclosure. Failure to do so can cause damage to your drive mechanisms and/or the enclosure.
  • Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the device. To avoid any risk of electrical shock, fire, short-circuiting or dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device. If it appears to be malfunctioning, please contact technical support.
  • Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water or in damp or wet conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the drive, as they may spill into its openings. Doing so increases the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire or personal injury.

Device Setup

2.1 Quick Start

If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro as an empty enclosure, proceed to Section 2.2 below. If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro with a drive installed, the OWC Drive Guide formatting utility has been installed. Follow these steps to use the Drive Guide to format your drives for macOS or Windows.

2.2 Assembly

NOTE: these assembly instructions are written for users who purchased the Mercury Elite Pro as an empty enclosure. The instructions show how to open the enclosure in order to install a drive. If you purchased the Mercury Elite Pro with a drive already installed, opening the enclosure before the expiration of the original warranty will VOID the warranty. If you wish to remove or replace a drive after the expiration of the original warranty, you may do so at that time. You should start with Step 7 in that case and work backward.

1. Remove the enclosure from its packaging and set it on a level worksurface with the rear of the device facing you. Remove the two case screws at the locations shown.

Assembly

2. The back plate should fall away; set it aside and holding the front edge of the enclosure, pull the inner chassis out.

Assembly

3. Carefully insert the 3.5 inch SATA drive with its connectors facing down and towards the PCBA, then slide the drive into the SATA connector on the PCBA until it is fully seated. Only a modest amount of force is required.

Assembly

4. Use the included screws to affix the drive to the inner-chassis at the locations shown (2 on each side).

Assembly
Assembly

5. Align the guide on each side of the inner chassis (below-left) so that they rest under the bottom grooves on the outer case (below-center), and slide the inner chassis back into the case (below-right).

Assembly

6. Reseat the back plate so that it sits flush with the edge of the enclosure, as well as the USB port and power switch.

Assembly

7. Re-affix the screws you removed in Step 1. The Mercury Elite Pro is now ready to use.

Assembly

Support Resources

3.1 Formatting

For additional formatting information, including instructions on how to format your Mercury Elite Pro for Mac or Windows, go to: www.owcdigital.com/format

3.2 Troubleshooting

Begin your troubleshooting by verifying that the power supply is connected to the Mercury Elite Pro and to a power source. If the power supply is connected to a power strip, make sure that the power switch on the strip is on. Then, verify that the data cable is securely plugged into the computer and the Mercury Elite Pro. You can also connect the Mercury Elite Pro to a different computer.

3.3 About Data Backup

To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data: one copy on your Mercury Elite Pro and a second copy on either your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup, or on another external storage unit. Any data loss or corruption while using the Mercury Elite Pro is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances may OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be held liable for loss of the use of data including compensation of any kind or recovery of the data.

3.4 Online Resources

To access our online knowledge base, please visit: www.owcdigital.com/support/faq

Changes

The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, and agents assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

FCC Statement

Warning! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Warranty

The Mercury Elite Pro has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty if it was bundled with drives. Mercury Elite Pro enclosures that do not ship with drives have a 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty. For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product web page.

Copyrights and Trademarks

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of OWC.

© 2020 Other world Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. Mercury Elite Pro, OWC, and the OWC logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.

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