Aegis Fortress – USB 3.0 FAQ

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Why is my Aegis secure device showing a solid blue/green LED combination when I try to use it?

If the device is showing a solid blue/green LED combination then there is no Admin PIN set. An Admin PIN must be established prior to unlocking and using the drive. Follow steps in the product Quick Start Guide for ‘First Time Use’ to set an Admin PIN and begin using the drive.

Why is the red LED blinking when I attempt to unlock the device?

If the red LED is flashing rapidly then the device has entered Brute Force Protection Mode. This occurs at the halfway point of consecutive incorrect unlock attempts. This number is programmable; the max (and default setting) is 10 attempts. Follow the steps in the product manual which refer to Brute Force Protection to permit the second half of your remaining unlock PIN entries. Note: if all of the allowed attempts are spent on incorrect PIN entries, the device will assume it’s under brute force attack and perform a crypto-erase, rendering all of the device’s data as indecipherable.

Why is my device locking and entering standby mode while it is still connected to my PC?

If your encrypted Aegis secure device is locking when it is connected to a PC running Windows 8 or Windows 10 it is most likely due to suspend commands that Windows is issuing to the drive in order to reduce power consumption. When Windows suspends an Aegis secure device it will lock. The PIN must be entered again in order to unlock and use the drive. The following instructions will show you how to configure Windows to stop issuing suspend commands: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/prevent-hard-drive-going-sleep-windows

Why is my drive locking and entering standby mode while connected to my PC even after I have configured the power settings correctly?
If Windows continues to suspend your Apricorn encrypted drive, causing it to return to its standby mode, a registry edit will need to be run in order to tell Windows to stop that suspension. Please fill out the following form for technical support and you will receive a reply with the necessary registry edit:
https://apricorn.com/product-support-request

Why is my drive locking and entering standby mode while it is still connected to my Mac?

There are Energy Saver system settings within the Mac OS that could be sending suspend commands to the Apricorn drive, forcing it to lock when not in use. To disable these settings, open the system preferences in the Mac OS and navigate to the Energy Saver settings. There is an option here to “put hard disks to sleep when idle.” Uncheck this option and the Aegis secure device should stay unlocked as long as the Mac is not put to sleep/shut down.

What can I do if I forget the Admin PIN?

If the Admin PIN was the only PIN generated in initial device setup then the only option is to perform a device reset and establish a new Admin PIN. All device’s data will be lost as a result of device reset. If User PIN(s) and / or data recovery PINs (Configurator-compatible devices only) were created at initial setup, then it is possible to unlock the device using any of these PINs.

What can I do if I forget the User PIN?

Access the drive using the Admin PIN. Follow the steps in the manual to remove the User PINs (which will also remove all recovery PINs and self-destruct PIN) and then add new User PIN(s). If your device has a “Configurable” symbol on it, up to 4 recovery PINs can be programmed onto the device (typically by the Admin during initial configuration). If you forget your original user PIN, the recovery PINs will allow you to create a replacement User PIN. If your drive was issued by your workplace, your IT Administrator/Help Desk should be able to provide you the recovery PIN. Once the new User PIN is set up, you will be able to unlock the drive and access your data. If Recovery PINs were not created at initial setup, the Admin PIN can be used to unlock the drive and recover the data. Additionally the Admin can generate a new User PIN(s) from within the Admin mode. In the event that no recovery PINs were set and both the User and Admin PINs are forgotten, the drive can be reset and used again but all of the device’s data will be lost as a result of the reset.

What if I forget all the PINs on my Aegis Configurator-Compatible Secure Device?

If you forget the User and Admin PINs you may still access the device using a data recovery PINs, provided they were established at initial device setup. If data recovery PINs were NOT established, you will not be able to access or recover any of its data. There are no back doors or hidden manufacturing codes that will allow data access. To resume using the device, you will need to completely reset which will result in the following:

All data on the drive will be erased
A new encryption key will be generated automatically
All PINs will be deleted (Admin, User, Self-Destruct, Data-Recovery)
A new Admin/User PIN(s) will need to be established
Data Recovery PINs should be established
The Aegis Secure Device will need to be reformatted

What if I forget my PIN on my non-configurable Aegis Secure Device?

If you forget the User and Admin PINs, you will not be able to access the data. Recovery of the data will not be possible. There are no back doors or hidden manufacturing codes that will permit access to its data. You will need to completely reset the Aegis secure device which will result in the following:

All data on the drive will be erased
A new encryption key will be generated automatically
All PINs will be deleted (Admin, User, Self-Destruct)
A new Admin/User PIN(s) will need to be established
The Aegis Secure Device will need to be reformatted

What is an Aegis secure device?

Aegis secure devices are any of our 256-bit hardware-encrypted drives as follows: Aegis Secure Key 3, Aegis Secure Key 3nx, Aegis Secure Key 3z, Aegis Padlock 3, Aegis Padlock DT, Aegis Padlock DT FIPS, Aegis Fortress, Aegis Fortress L3, Aegis Padlock SSD, and Aegis Bio 3.0