Congratulations on your purchase of the Kingston IronKey D500S. If you haven\u2019t already checked out the quick start guide video, we encourage you to do so now.
\nNow that you\u2019ve performed the initial setup for your D500S, let\u2019s go through some of the additional features and menu options to ensure that you make the most of your hardware-encrypted USB.
\n(Please note, the D500S is supported on Linux with limited functionality. Please refer to the user guide for more details.)<\/p>\n
Unlocking your drive
\nTo begin, let\u2019s unlock your D500S on a Windows or macOS device with the Complex or Passphrase password you set up previously. If, during the initial setup, you chose to enable the drive as User Only, enter your password and click to Login. If you enable Admin & User passwords, you can choose to log in with the User password or select \u201cLogin as Admin\u201d to enter the Admin password and access your device\u2019s full settings and features. Remember, you can use the Virtual Keyboard function for additional keylogger and screenlogger protection, as well as the \u201ceye\u201d symbol to quickly check for any typos or errors. If you\u2019re using an untrusted or unknown computer, you can also unlock your drive in Read-Only or Write-Protected Mode to prevent possible malware from infecting your drive or data.<\/p>\n
Accessing your files
\nOnce you\u2019ve unlocked your drive, you can securely access your stored files. If you enabled dual partitions during setup, logging in as User will unlock the User partition only. Logging in as Admin will give you the option to unlock either the User or Admin partition. User and Admin partitions cannot be unlocked at the same time. <\/p>\n
IKD500S settings
\nOnce you\u2019ve successfully logged in and the partition is mounted, an IronKey icon will be visible in the right-hand corner of your Windows taskbar or in the macOS menu that when clicked will open a menu with additional drive options. Select \u2018D500S Settings\u2019 to change the login password, contact information, device language, and other Admin options.
\nAny changes made here will require you to enter your password in order to accept and apply them. If you would like to cancel or continue to modify your changes, leave the password field blank and click \u2018OK\u2019 to return to the settings menu. On the Admin Options tab, you have the ability to reset the User Password, if forgotten, or enforce a password change the next time the User logs in with a temporary password. To set up a temporary User password, click the \u201cLogin Password Reset\u201d box to enable this feature. Once enabled, the current user password will be required to be changed upon the next successful login.<\/p>\n
Password recovery
\nThe One-Time Recovery Password feature is a very useful, single-use password that can be enabled to help recover and reset the User password should it be forgotten. To enable this feature, click the \u2018One-Time Recovery Password\u2019 button and enter a new password using the same Complex or Passphrase criteria that you selected during the initial setup. In order to save your changes, you will need to also enter the Admin password for verification. The next time the User attempts to log in, a new \u2018Recovery Password\u2019 button will appear. When selected, the User can now enter the provided Recovery Password and then create a new User Password going forward. Once created, you will return to the User Password screen where the \u2018Recovery Password\u2019 button is now gone and the new password will need to be entered. The One-Time Recovery Password feature will be disabled after 10 incorrect entries. If this happens, the Admin will have to log into the drive to re-enable the Recovery Password feature.<\/p>\n
Additional password options
\nThe D500S has the unique ability to enable a Crypto-Erase password, to protect against physically compromising situations. If you enable this feature and unlock the drive with the Crypto-Erase password, all contents and settings will be securely erased and the drive will open in factory state mode with an empty User partition. Exercise caution when enabling the Crypto-Erase password and refer to the User Manual for more information about this feature.
\nLastly in Admin Options is the \u2018Forced Read-Only\u2019 feature that allows you to restrict write access for the User. If enabled, this will be a permanent setting change, until disabled by the Admin.<\/p>\n