When I attempt to access my Ironkey D300 secure USB drive, MacOS displays “Ironkey D300” is not optimized for your Mac” or, after updating to MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) I get “Ironkey D300” needs to be updated.” How do I resolve this?

To resolve, you will need to update your Ironkey D300 secure USB drive for MacOS Catalina. To update, click on the link below to download the IKD300_Mac_Updater.app and IKD300 Mac Updater Instructions. Note: Please read the updater instructions in its entirety prior to running the update. Updater: <a href="https://media.kingston.com/support/downloads/IKD300_Mac_Updater.app"></a><a href="https://media.kingston.com/support/downloads/IKD300_Mac_Updater.zip">https://media.kingston.com/support/downloads/IKD300_Mac_Updater.zip</a> For more information about the "App” not optimized or “App” needs update error message, feel free to reference Apple’s support article. <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436</a> MacOS: IKD300_Mac_Updater.app supported on MacOS 10.15 Catalina.

Is the Ironkey EMS Cloud Service coming to an end?

Yes. The IronKey EMS Cloud management system hosted by our partner, DataLocker Inc, has begun with the End of Life (EOL) process set for January 1, 2023. For details about the Ironkey EMS Cloud Service EOL <a href="https://www.kingston.com/unitedstates/us/support/technical/ironkey-ems-cloud-service-end-of-life">Click Here</a>.

Why is the available storage capacity of my product slightly less than the advertised capacity?

This is common for flash storage, whether internal SSD or external USB storage. It is due in part to a variance in how flash memory vs spinning platter hard drive manufacturers calculate megabyte. Hard drive manufacturers calculate a megabyte (or 1,000x1,000 bytes) as 1,000KBs, whereas the binary calculation for flash-based storage is 1,024KBs. Example: For a 1TB flash-based storage device, Windows will calculate it as having a capacity of 931.32GB. (1,000,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024=931.32GB). Furthermore, Kingston reserves some of the listed capacity for formatting and other functions, such as firmware and/or controller-specific information, and thus some of the listed capacity is not available for data storage. <div class="clearfix"></div>

My DataTraveler will not accept a 4GB or larger file. Why?

To transfer files larger than 4GB, the DataTraveler must have an NTFS or exFAT file system. Unfortunately, the FAT32 file system is not capable of handling a single file larger than 4GB (to be exact, one byte less than 4GB). Follow the steps below to format the DataTraveler with an NTFS File system: Warning, all data on the DataTraveler will be lost! Please back up the data on the DataTraveler before proceeding. <ol> <li>Type This PC in the Windows search bar. Right-click on the Kingston drive and select Format.</li> <li>Select NTFS or exFAT from the file system drop-down list.</li> <li>Select Quick Format as the Format option and click Start.</li> </ol> Note: macOS X has read-only access for drives formatted with NTFS file system. Additionally, some multi-media devices may not support NTFS.

Why does my USB Flash Drive and/or USB Reader get hot/warm to the touch?

In most cases, it is normal for an external USB device to get warm or hot to the touch since the exterior shell helps cool the internal components by emitting heat into the air. Some of the factors of a USB external device getting warm or hot: <ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <ul> <li style="padding-left: 30px;">Material: Metal flash drives and readers tend to get warmer while in use than other types of USB flash devices. This is simply because metal absorbs heat much more easily than materials like plastic do.</li> <li style="padding-left: 30px;">Environmental Temperature: If the host device or surrounding temperature is high, the drive's cooling capability decreases. USB drives often become warmer when used in hot environments or with warm devices. <ul></ul> </li> <li style="padding-left: 30px;">File Transfers: Transferring large files or a high volume of files can raise the drive's temperature. Large files take longer to transfer, requiring more energy, thus generating more heat. Quick consecutive file transfers have the same effect as transferring large files, increasing the drive's temperature. During data transfer, the drive heats up internally and releases heat through its casing.</li> </ul> </ul> Note: None of the above listed factors impact the functionality of the USB device. After the data transfer is complete, wait 30-60 seconds before removing the USB device from the host machine. This should provide enough time for the temperature of the USB device to cool.

When I insert this IronKey into my Windows computer, I receive an error stating "(IronKey) requires two free drive letters" or "(Ironkey) could not start". Why?

This IronKey requires two consecutive drive letters AFTER the last physical disk that appears before the ‘gap’ in drive letter assignments (see figure below). This does NOT pertain to network shares because they are specific to user profiles and not the system hardware profile itself, thus appearing available to the OS. This means that Windows may assign the IronKey a drive letter that’s already in use by a network share or Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path, causing a drive letter conflict. If this happens, please consult your administrator or help desk department for information on changing drive letter assignments in Windows Disk Management (administrator privileges required.) In this example, the IronKey uses drive F:, which is the first available drive letter after drive E: (the last physical disk before the drive letter gap). Since letter G: is a network share and not part of the hardware profile, the IronKey may attempt to use it as its second drive letter, causing a conflict. If there are no network shares on your system and the IronKey still won’t load, you may have a gap between drive letters that only has one drive letter free. If you do not have any other drive letters or there is a gap bigger than two drive letters, check to see if you have a flash card reader in your computer. In many cases, these drive letters are hidden until a card is inserted. You will need to move the conflicting drive letter in order for the IronKey to work. Go to control panel>administrative tools>computer management>disk management. Note the drives on the bottom window pane. Right-click on the conflicting drive letter and choose "change drive letter and paths". In the next dialog box, click on the "Change" button and assign a new drive letter that does not conflict with the IronKey. it is possible that a card reader, removable disk or other previously installed device is holding on to a drive-letter assignment and still causing a conflict. Please note that Drive Letter Management, or DLM, has improved significantly in Windows XP SP3, Vista and 7, so you may not come across this issue, but if you are unable to resolve the conflict, please contact Kingston’s Technical Support Department for further assistance.

When I run the software on my new D300 drive, It asks for an activation code. How do I get this code?

This indicates that you have a D300 Managed (D300M) drive. Managed devices are designed for large-scale deployments and the use of a centrally managed IronKey Enterprise Management Service (a yearly licence per device and separate purchase) is needed. It is this Management Service that issues activation codes and is administered by an administrator. A minimum of two devices are needed to run an Enterprise account. This drive cannot be used as a standalone secure USB drive.

Where do I find the serial number for my Ironkey drive?

For a non-managed model, here is where to find the serial number: 1. Plug In Ironkey drive 2. Run IronKey.exe 3.Enter password and login to IronKey 4. In the windows System tray (bottom right corner of windows), right click on IronKey icon and select "About IronKey D300" <img alt="" src="https://media.kingston.com/support/images/iksn2.png" /> 5. Serial number will be visible here (Highlighted in red box): <img alt="" src="https://media.kingston.com/support/images/iksn3.png" /> For a managed or enterprise model that is not yet activated, here is where to find the serial number: 1. Plug in your IronKey drive 2. Run IronKey.exe 3. When you see the control panel asking for activation code, Hold the" CTRL" key and "Left Click" on the IronKey logo on the top left control panel (Picture below) <img alt="" src="https://media.kingston.com/support/images/iksn1.png" /> 4. The Configuration window will pop up with the serial number (highlighted in the red box)

If I forgot my password or the drive no longer accepts my password. Can the data on the drive be recovered?

By default, after the predefined max number of unsuccessful password attempts is reached, the drive will format and all data will be lost. Once the format is complete, data recovery is not possible. However, if you have not exhausted the max number of unsuccessful password attempts, you may consider contacting a professional data recovery company for assistance, such as DriveSavers Inc. Please note: Kingston does not retain master passwords for encrypted USB drives.

After upgrading to Windows 10, I cannot log in to my secure USB drive. The password Windows appears briefly and then disappears. How can I resolve this?

The problem may occur because the update has deleted your user Temp folder. The drive uses this when running the security software. To access the location of this folder, you must first un-hide all files and folders. To un-hide the files and folders, right-click on the Start button and select File Explorer, click on File at the top then on Change Folder and Search Options. Click on the View tab and select Show Hidden Files and Folders. Once un-hidden, go to the C: drive>Users>Username (where username should be your name)>App Data. If there is no file called Temp, create a new folder and name it Temp. Once this is done, try your drive again.

IronKey D300 - Support - Kingston Technology

IKD300 (IKD300)

We've seen this happen when security software blocks the user's ability to write to CDs/DVDs. Run gpedit.msc and go to Windows Settings>Security Settings>Local Policies>Security Options and make sure Devices: Restrict CD-ROM access to locally logged-on user only is set to disabled.

Also, too many entries for mounted devices in older computers can cause this problem. When all the entries cleared the drive should work again. To do this, go to start and type regedit in the search field. Make sure to back up your registry before making any changes. Here are instructions for backing up your registry.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-vista/Back-up-the-registry

In the directory list on the left side, find the entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices. Remove all entries except for default (it won't let you anyway).

You can also look at Device Manager when the Data Traveler is connected to see if the drive comes up with any yellow exclamation marks. Uninstalling the device with the exclamation mark and scanning for new hardware sometimes will work as well. You may want to try this even if you do not see any yellow exclamation marks for this device. You will need to run the uninstall as the Admin to be able to perform this while logged-in as a non-Admin.

Also check the setting for your security programs (Norton, Symantec, etc).

FAQ: KDT-121311-PRV-03

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To resolve, you will need to update your Ironkey D300 secure USB drive for MacOS Catalina. To update, click on the link below to
download the IKD300_Mac_Updater.app and IKD300 Mac Updater Instructions. Note: Please read the updater instructions in its
entirety prior to running the update.

Updater: https://media.kingston.com/support/downloads/IKD300_Mac_Updater.zip

For more information about the "App” not optimized or “App” needs update error message,
feel free to reference Apple’s support article. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

MacOS: IKD300_Mac_Updater.app supported on MacOS 10.15 Catalina.

FAQ: KIK-D300-CATA

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To transfer files larger than 4GB, the DataTraveler must have an NTFS or exFAT file system. Unfortunately, the FAT32 file system is not capable of handling a single file larger than 4GB (to be exact, one byte less than 4GB). Follow the steps below to format the DataTraveler with an NTFS File system:

Warning, all data on the DataTraveler will be lost! Please back up the data on the DataTraveler before proceeding.

Type This PC in the Windows search bar. Right-click on the Kingston drive and select Format.
Select NTFS or exFAT from the file system drop-down list.
Select Quick Format as the Format option and click Start.

Note: macOS X has read-only access for drives formatted with NTFS file system. Additionally, some multi-media devices may not support NTFS.

FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-05

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This is common for flash storage, whether internal SSD or external USB storage. It is due in part to a variance in how flash memory vs spinning platter hard drive manufacturers calculate megabyte. Hard drive manufacturers calculate a megabyte (or 1,000x1,000 bytes) as 1,000KBs, whereas the binary calculation for flash-based storage is 1,024KBs.

Example: For a 1TB flash-based storage device, Windows will calculate it as having a capacity of 931.32GB. (1,000,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024=931.32GB).

Furthermore, Kingston reserves some of the listed capacity for formatting and other functions, such as firmware and/or controller-specific information, and thus some of the listed capacity is not available for data storage.

FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-06

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When you delete files from the drive while the drive is connected to a macOS system, macOS will keep a backup of the deleted files, allowing you to recover files if accidentally deleted. Because of this feature, macOS will also reserve space on the drive in the event that you do recover the deleted files. Therefore, in order to recover the available storage space back to the drive, you will need to empty the macOS Bin while the drive in question is connected to the macOS computer.

If this does not work, the device should be completely reformatted. Please follow these instructions to format your Kingston drive.

WARNING: Formatting will erase all your data so please make sure you have a copy before proceeding.

Go to Go > Applications > Utilities and Open Disk Utility.
Choose your drive from the left panel and then click Erase on the right.
Select a Volume Format. Select MS-DOS File System or exFAT if you plan to use the drive on macOS and Windows. If used only in a Mac then select Mac OS Extended as the Volume Format.
Click Erase.

FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-04

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Although it is possible to boot from the DataTraveler, it is not a feature Kingston supports.These drives are intended as storage devices.

FAQ: KTD-082913-GEN-27

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This drive is designed to be 100% encrypted. The security is built into the drive and cannot be removed or disabled.

FAQ: KDT-012914-PRV-04

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In most cases, it is normal for an external USB device to get warm or hot to the touch since the exterior shell helps cool the internal components by emitting heat into the air.

Some of the factors of a USB external device getting warm or hot:

Material: Metal flash drives and readers tend to get warmer while in use than other types of USB flash devices. This is simply because metal absorbs heat much more easily than materials like plastic do.
Environmental Temperature: If the host device or surrounding temperature is high, the drive's cooling capability decreases. USB drives often become warmer when used in hot environments or with warm devices.
File Transfers: Transferring large files or a high volume of files can raise the drive's temperature. Large files take longer to transfer, requiring more energy, thus generating more heat. Quick consecutive file transfers have the same effect as transferring large files, increasing the drive's temperature. During data transfer, the drive heats up internally and releases heat through its casing.

Note: None of the above listed factors impact the functionality of the USB device.

After the data transfer is complete, wait 30-60 seconds before removing the USB device from the host machine. This should provide enough time for the temperature of the USB device to cool.

FAQ: KTD-021211-GEN-01

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This is a limitation of the FAT32 file system, which has a limit on the number of files stored on the root of the drive. To transfer more data to this unit, you will need perform one of the following.

A) Create folder(s) on the root of the drive and then transfer all data to the folder(s). Once this is done, you should be able to transfer more data to the DataTraveler.

B) Back up the data on the drive to another storage, then reformat the drive with exFAT file system. Once this is done, you should be able to transfer more data to the DataTraveler.

FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-12

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