M E R C U R Y E L I T E P R O D U A L

Assembly Manual & User Guide

RAID 0 & 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Up to 407MB/s Mac and PC Thunderbolt

CONTENTS

Introduction
1.1 Minimum System Requirements.............................................1
- Apple Mac Requirements
- PC Requirements
- Supported Drives
1.2 Package Contents..................................................................1
1.3 About This Manual..................................................................1
1.4 Front View...............................................................................3
1.5 Rear View................................................................................3
1.6 Usage Notes...........................................................................4

Device Setup
2.1 Quick Start..............................................................................5
2.2 Assembly................................................................................5
2.3 RAID Settings.........................................................................8
- Changing the RAID Mode
- RAID Modes
2.4 Drive Failure............................................................................9
- Replacing Drives
Support Resources
3.1 Formatting............................................................................12
3.2 Troubleshooting....................................................................12
3.3 About Data Backup..............................................................12
3.4 Online Resources.................................................................12
3.5 Contacting Technical Support..............................................12

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Contents

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Minimum System Requirements

Mac Requirements
- USB 3.1 Gen 1
- OS X 10.6.8–10.11.6
- macOS 10.12 or later
- Thunderbolt 2
- OS X 10.9.3–10.11.6
- macOS 10.12 or later

Windows Requirements
- USB 3.1 Gen 1: Windows XP or later
- Thunderbolt 2: Windows 7 or later

Supported Drives
- 3.5-inch SATA hard drives (identical model and capacity required for RAID 0 and RAID 1)

1.2 Package Contents

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Thunderbolt cable USB 3.1 Gen 1 Power Supply and cable
(Standard-A to Standard-B) cable

- Drive mounting screws are included with empty enclosures, but not pictured.
- Required tools: Phillips PH2 screwdriver

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 or driver version, if applicable. Please
visit the product web page for the most recent product information. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not
transferable and subject to limitations.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Introduction
 General Use Precautions

-- To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the following ranges:

Environmental (Operating)
-- Temperature (ºF): 41º — 107º
-- Temperature (ºC): 5º — 42º

Environmental (Non-Operating)
-- Temperature (ºF): -40º — 149º

-- Temperature (ºC): -40º — 65º

-- 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 your hard drives into this drive 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.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Introduction
 1.4 Front View A B C

A. Power LED — emits a solid light when the Mercury Elite Pro Dual is
powered on.
B. LEDs 1 & 2 — these LEDs represent the two drives inside the
enclosure. If one of the drives fails, is not connected properly, or if the
drive bay is empty, the corresponding LED will turn solid red.
C. Activity — If you are building a new array or if you have replaced
a drive in a RAID 1 and are rebuilding the array, the Activity LED will
pulse orange. It will blink orange during normal read / write operations
(all modes).

1.5 Rear View

A
A. USB 3.1 Gen 1 port — attach the included USB 3.1 Gen 1
(Standard-A to Standard-B) cable to this port.
B. RAID Dial and Set button— set the RAID mode by using
these items.
B
C. Thunderbolt ports — attach the included Thunderbolt cable to one
of these ports. Connect a daisy-chained Thunderbolt device to the
other port as needed.
D. Power input — connect the included power supply here.
E. Kensington Security Slot — connect a security tether here.
C

D
E

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Introduction
 1.6 Usage Notes
-- Use only one interface (USB 3.1 Gen 1 or Thunderbolt 2) at a time.

-- Identical drives (model, capacity, firmware) are required for RAID 0 and RAID 1 configurations.

-- Booting in RAID 0, RAID 1, and span mode are supported via Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.1 Gen 1.
Thunderbolt 2 also supports Independent mode booting.

-- When connected via USB, the following limitations apply when booting in Independent mode:

-- If both drives are installed, only the disk connected to the ‘Drive A’ cables will boot. 

-- If only one drive is installed, the disk will boot regardless of which set of cables it is connected to.
See Section 2.2 for more information on drive connections.

-- 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. You can use the methods
described below to safely unmount your disk(s).

OS X/macOS
-- 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
-- Go to the System Tray (located in the lower right corner of your screen). Click on the “Eject” icon
(a small green arrow over a hardware image).

-- A message will appear, detailing the devices that the “Eject” icon controls, i.e., “Safely remove...”
Click on this prompt.

-- You will then see a message that says, “Safe to Remove Hardware.” It is now safe to disconnect the
Mercury Elite Pro Dual from the computer.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Introduction
 DEVICE SETUP

2.1 Quick Start

Follow the steps below to use the OWC Drive Guide utility to format your Mercury Elite Pro Dual for Mac
(OS X 10.6 and later) or Windows (XP and later). If you installed your own drives, please use the formatting
method you are most familiar with or check Section 3.1 for a link to our online formatting tips.
1. Power on the Mercury Elite Pro Dual and plug it into to your computer using the proper data
cable. If you prefer to use a different formatting utility, do so at this time and skip the rest of
these steps.
2. The disk will mount and your operating system will display it as “OWC SETUP”. Open the disk
icon to view its contents.
3. Double-click the OWC Drive Guide application.
4. Follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the formatting process. Once the
formatting is finished the drive is ready to use.

2.2 Assembly
These assembly instructions are written for users who purchased the Mercury Elite Pro Dual as an empty
enclosure. The instructions show how to open the enclosure in order to install drives. IMPORTANT: opening
an enclosure with pre-installed drives will VOID the warranty. You may replace the drives after the expiration
of the original warranty. You should start with Step 9 in that case and work backwards.

1. Remove the Mercury Elite Pro Dual from its

packaging, then set the enclosure on its side.
Use a Phillips PH2 driver to remove the two
screws shown at right.

2. Slide the inner chassis out the front of the

outer enclosure, as shown at left. Start by
pushing on the back cover, then grip the front
grill and pull the chassis the rest of the way.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 3. Remove the packet of screws from the inner
chassis and set them aside; they will be
used in upcoming steps.

4. IMPORTANT: before installing the drives, note

that each SATA port on the blue circuit board
is accompanied by a label. These labels are
printed on the board and are located at the
base of the two red SATA cables. The ‘Drive
A’ cable corresponds to LED 1 on the front
cover. The ‘Drive B’ cable corresponds to
LED 2. This is important when replacing a
4 failed drive or checking a drive’s connection.

To continue with the installation, carefully set

the first hard drive into the inner chassis so
that the edge with the SATA ports sits just
to the right of the cable connectors on the
circuit board. Connect one set of data and
power cables to the corresponding ports on
the drive.

5. Set the second hard drive into the inner

chassis so it is aligned above the first drive.
Connect the second set of data and power
cables to the corresponding ports on the
drive. The cables may need to twist or bend
a modest amount; this is OK as long as you
do not crimp the cables and as long as none
of the cables protrude from the back plate
5 once connected.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 6. Using eight of the larger screws from
the packet removed in Step 3, fasten the
inner chassis to the hard drives. There are
four screw holes on each side of the inner
chassis; you may need to move each drive
slightly to align its screwholes with the holes
on the inner chassis.
6

7. To determine the correct orientation of the

outer enclosure relative to the inner chassis,
turn the outer enclosure on its side and look
at the bottom. As shown above, the screw
REAR FRONT holes at the front of the outer enclosure are
close to the silicone feet. The screw holes
7 at the rear of the outer enclosure are farther
away from the silicone feet.

8. Once you know the correct orientation from

Step 7, slide the inner chassis back into the
outer enclosure as shown.

9. Once the front grill of the inner chassis sits

flush with the edge of the outer enclosure,
turn the device on its side again. The screw
holes in the outer enclosure should line up
with the screw holes in the inner chassis.
Use the four smaller screws to fasten the
9 inner chassis to the outer enclosure, shown
above.

This completes the assembly process.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 2.3 RAID Settings

Changing the RAID Mode

The RAID mode is controlled by a dial on the rear of the unit, as shown below-left. The dial has four
positions, each labeled with a different RAID mode. To change the RAID mode, follow the simple
steps below.

Changing the RAID mode will destroy the data on the drives. Be sure to back up your data
Warning first! See Section 3.4 for information on proper backup strategies.

Changing the RAID mode for the Mercury Elite Pro Dual requires an active USB or
Note Thunderbolt connection.

Adjust the RAID dial so that the arrow is pointing at the desired RAID mode. Each
time the arrow is aligned with a new mode, you will feel a slight click. A small
flathead screwdriver works the best to adjust the dial.

When starting from a powered-on state, first unmount the disk, then rotate the
RAID dial to the desired mode and hold down the SET button for 3 seconds. The
LED on the front will blink for a brief time; once the blinking stops the new array has been built. You can
access and format the disk in the OS at this time.

When starting from a powered-off state, rotate the dial on the back of the enclosure to the desired RAID
mode, then power on the Mercury Elite Pro Dual and immediately press the SET button for three seconds.
The LED on the front will blink; once the blinking stops the new array has been built. You can access and
format the disk in the OS at this time.

RAID Modes

Drives of identical model and capacity are required for RAID 0 and RAID 1. Always maintain a
Warning full and separate backup of your RAID disks, especially RAID 0 disks.

RAID 0 “Drive Striping” Mode

The two drives show up as a single large disk with a size equal to the combined capacities of both
drives. RAID 0 is used when speed is the primary objective; it does not provide data redundancy
for protection. The reading and writing of data files is spread across both drives to gain speed by
distributing the workload. This allows for the fastest data transfer rates, but if one drive fails the whole
array becomes corrupted. The data will be lost.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 RAID 1 “Drive Mirroring” Mode
The two drives show up as a single disk with a size equal to the capacity of a single drive from the
array. RAID 1 copies (or “mirrors”) the data from the first drive to the second drive. This is useful when
reliability and redundancy are more important than capacity or maximum speed. When one drive fails, it
can be replaced and the data can be rebuilt automatically from the other functioning drive. See Section
2.4 for more details on the drive replacement and rebuild process.

Span Mode
Both drives show up as a single large disk, but one which functions differently than RAID 0. The
total size will depend on the drives installed; unlike RAID 0 or RAID 1 you can use drives of different
capacities. A span is an array (but not a RAID) in which the data is written sequentially across the drives.
When one drive becomes full, subsequent data is written to the second drive. This combines the
capacities of the drives, but it does not provide any performance or data redundancy benefits.

Independent Drive Mode

Each drive will appear individually without being combined. If you are using drives of differing capacity
and model, or if you are using only one drive, this is the mode to use.

2.4 Drive Failure

If one of the drives fails, the corresponding drive LED will turn solid red. If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual was
configured as a RAID 0 or span, the data on the array is lost and the disk is no longer usable. In a span, only
the data stored on the failed drive is lost, although data recovery software will be required to retrieve the data
from the other drive. If the drives were configured independently, then the data on the drive that did not fail
will remain intact.

Replacing Drives
If the Mercury Elite Pro Dual is set up as a RAID 1, a drive that has failed can be replaced. The data will
remain accessible via the functioning drive until the array is rebuilt with a new drive. If the enclosure was
purchased with drives and it is still under warranty, contact OWC technical support for assistance (see
Section 3.5). If the unit is outside its warranty or was purchased without drives, follow the assembly
instructions in Section 2.2 to access and replace the failed drive.

If the Drive 1 LED is solid red, the failed drive is the one connected to the data and power cable labeled
as Port 1 on the printed circuit board (Section 2.2 Step 4). If the Drive 2 LED is solid red, the failed drive
is the one connected to the data and power cable labeled Port 2.

Note A failed drive must be replaced with an identical drive (model, capacity, firmware).

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 Once the drive has been replaced, if the Mercury Elite Pro Dual is configured as a RAID 1, the array will
automatically begin to rebuild when the enclosure is powered on. This process may take several hours
to more than a day, based on the capacity of the drives. During the rebuild process, the LED for both
drives will blink green. The Rebuild LED will blink orange.

If possible, leave the Mercury Elite Pro Dual powered on during the entire rebuild process; if power
is interrupted (or the computer sleeps), the unit will continue rebuilding automatically when power is
restored. Once the rebuild process is complete, the rebuild LED will turn off and the LED for the rebuilt
drive will resume normal activity. See Section 1.6 for more information on the behavior of the LEDs.

The Mercury Elite Pro Dual needs an active data signal to remain powered on. If it is
disconnected from the computer, or if the computer goes to sleep or turns off, the device
Note will power off. To minimize the total rebuild time, it is recommended to keep the device
connected to the computer (with the computer powered on), and disable any hard drive
sleep settings on the computer for the duration of the rebuild process.

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Device Setup
 SUPPORT RESOURCES

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

3.2 Troubleshooting
Begin by verifying that the power cable is connected to the Mercury Elite Pro Dual and to a power source. If
the power cable is connected to a power strip, make sure that the power strip switch is in the ON position.
Next, verify that both ends of the data cable are properly plugged into the computer and the Mercury Elite
Pro Dual, respectively.

If you are still having trouble, try connecting a different type of data cable and see if the Mercury Elite Pro
Dual works properly; you can also connect the device to a different computer or use different cables of the
same type.

If one of the drive LEDs (Drive 1 or Drive 2) is solid red, then that drive has failed or is missing. If you
purchased the Mercury Elite Pro Dual as an empty enclosure, or the enclosure shipped with drives installed
but is past the three year warranty period, unmount the disk from the OS, power off, then check the cables
connected to drive and enclosure. See Section 2.4 if you are sure the drive has failed. If the Mercury Elite
Pro Dual is configured as a RAID 1 and the rebuild LED is blinking, simply wait for the rebuild process to
complete. If the rebuild LED is still blinking after more than 48 hours, or if you still need assistance for other
reasons, Section 3.5 provides information for contacting technical support.

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 Dual 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 Dual is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no
circumstances may OWC, its parents, 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, which includes topics like migrating your data from an old drive to a
new one, please visit: www.owcdigital.com/faq

3.5 Contacting Technical Support

Phone: M–F, 8am–5pm Central Time
(866) 692-7100 (N. America) | +1 (815) 338-4751 (Int’l)

Chat: M–F, 8am–8pm Central Time

www.owcdigital.com/support

Email: Answered within 48 hours

www.owcdigital.com/support

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OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual SUPPORT RESOURCES
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 Dual has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty if it was bundled with drives. Mercury Elite
Pro Dual 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.

© 2019 Other World Computiong, 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. Apple, Mac, macOS, and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in
the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/
or other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.

OWCMANMEPDTB2U3-V2 — 05/02/19