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Protecting Your Digital Assets
TM
Forensic LabDock S5 and U5 User Manual
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Before starting any type of hardware installation, please ensure that all power switches have been
turned off and all power cords have been disconnected to prevent personal injury and damage to the
hardware.
2 INSTALLATION STEPS
The Forensic LabDock requires a SATA data connection inside your computer. The U5 model also
requires a USB data connection for the write-blocked USB port, and the S5 model requires a SAS
connection to a RedPort SAS write-blocked PCIe host bus adapter (HBA). If you do not already have
the necessary connectors inside of your computer, you must add an HBA card with the appropriate
connectors into an empty expansion slot inside your computer.
2.1 CONFIGURE HPA/DCO MODE
The Forensic LabDock gives you the ability to select the way hidden areas on hard drives (HPAs and DCOs)
are handled. The Forensic LabDock will only notify you by default of the presence of these hidden areas by
blinking the HPA/DCO LED indicator. Other modes allow you to view the information in these hidden areas.
To change modes, follow the steps below. If the default behavior is satisfactory, continue to Section 2.2.
a. Connect a USB cable from your computer to the “SATA & PATA Firmware Config only” USB port on
the rear of the Forensic LabDock. You may find this easiest to do before installing the Forensic LabDock
inside a computer.
b. Connect a SATA power cable from the computer’s power supply to the rear of the Forensic LabDock.
c. Flip the power switch to the
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position to power the Forensic LabDock on.
d. Download and install the Forensic Software Utility—a free software application designed for use with
the Forensic LabDock:
www.cru-inc.com/support/software-downloads/forensic-software-utility/
e. Open the Forensic Software Utility and navigate to the HPA/DCO Behavior tab.
f. Select the desired behavior (leave them in place, remove HPA temporarily but ignore DCO, remove HPA
permanently but ignore DCO, or permanently remove them both).
g. Click the Set HPA/DCO Behavior button.
h. Turn the Forensic LabDock off and unplug it from the USB and SATA power cables.
2.2 INSTALL THE FORENSIC LABDOCK INTO YOUR COMPUTER
a. Mount the Forensic LabDock into an empty 5.25” drive bay inside of your computer. Do not screw it into
place until all the cables have been connected.
b. Connect a SATA power cable from the computer’s power supply to the rear of the Forensic LabDock.
c. Attach the SATA data cable from your computer system to the rear of the Forensic LabDock.
d. Connect the remaining open data port (USB on the U5 model and SATA on the S5 model) on the rear of
the Forensic LabDock to your computer system. There are separate ways to connect for both SATA and
USB devices, which are detailed on the next page.
Both models contain a USB port that is used for firmware configuration only. Use the USB port on the
far right that is labeled “Connect USB For Front Panel USB WriteBlocker” instead.
STOP!
STOP!
