Imation Defender F100 Software Update
DesignFor a thumb drive, the Defender F200 is large, measuring 3.4 inches long and weighing 1.6 ounces. The device has a cover that protects the fingerprint reader when not in use.
With that bulk comes added protection: Its casing is a tough metal alloy, and a rubber gasket makes the drive waterproof and dust-proof. A metal ring secures the drive to your laptop lock port or a keychain, but it's really more for looks; there is a clasp that anyone can turn to remove it. Fingerprint SecurityThe idea of using biometrics on a USB drive is not new, but Imation does a nice job of walking users through the setup process.
To configure the Defender F200, we plugged it into a free USB port and ran the built-in biometrics software. We then ran a wizard that had us scan our finger over the fingerprint reader. This setup process took about 10 minutes, mostly because we had to scan our finger a few times to add the profile, then configure drive partitions and add an administrator account.The fingerprint reader is not just a gimmick, either: It's rated for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 validation. We tested the Defender F200 on two notebooks with a few co-workers, and the biometrics locked everyone else out. In a few cases, even our own swipes failed to read correctly-you have to slide straight and slow.
Imation Defender F100 Software Update Free
Although you can manage multiple users and assign specific partitions of the drive, Imation does not include a backup program of any kind. PerformanceDespite lacking USB 3.0 support, the Defender F200 is fast. We copied a 5GB folder full of media files and Word documents to the drive in 5 minutes 46 seconds, which equals a read speed of 14.8 MBps.
That's faster than both the Lexar Echo MX (13.9 MBps) and the SanDisk Ultra Backup (9.8 MBps). Still, the USB 3.0-powered Patriot Memory Supersonic (41.3 MBps) blows all of these drives away.Copying the same files off the F200 took 4:07, which yields a read speed of 20.7 Mbps. That's in between the Lexar Echo MX (24.4 MBps) and the SanDisk Ultra Backup (18 MBps). Still, the Patriot Memory drive took just 55 seconds for a blazing rate of 93.1MBps. PricingOur main issue with the Defender is its price. The 16GB version we tested costs $269; that's $16.80 per GB.
By comparison, the Patriot Memory Supersonic costs $210 for 64GB; of course, that drive doesn't have a built-in fingerprint reader. Imation offers other sizes of the F200: An 8GB version costs $199 and a 64GB version costs $749. That's a lot to pay for fingerprint security. VerdictOverall, the Imation Defender F200 is solid and secure, but a bit too expensive for a drive that delivers USB 2.0 speeds. We're content using Windows 7 encryption techniques and prefer the zippy performance of the USB 3.0 Patriot Memory Supersonic drive. Still, if you're forgetful or paranoid, the F200 is definitely worth a look.The Imation Defender F200 is one of the most secure-and most expensive-USB drives we've tested. At $269 for just 16GB of storage, this peripheral attempts to justify its premium with an ultra-rugged design and a built-in fingerprint reader that promises to protect sensitive files.
Is it worth the splurge? DesignFor a thumb drive, the Defender F200 is large, measuring 3.4 inches long and weighing 1.6 ounces. The device has a cover that protects the fingerprint reader when not in use. With that bulk comes added protection: Its casing is a tough metal alloy, and a rubber gasket makes the drive waterproof and dust-proof.
A metal ring secures the drive to your laptop lock port or a keychain, but it's really more for looks; there is a clasp that anyone can turn to remove it. Fingerprint SecurityThe idea of using biometrics on a USB drive is not new, but Imation does a nice job of walking users through the setup process. To configure the Defender F200, we plugged it into a free USB port and ran the built-in biometrics software. We then ran a wizard that had us scan our finger over the fingerprint reader. This setup process took about 10 minutes, mostly because we had to scan our finger a few times to add the profile, then configure drive partitions and add an administrator account.The fingerprint reader is not just a gimmick, either: It's rated for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 validation. We tested the Defender F200 on two notebooks with a few co-workers, and the biometrics locked everyone else out. In a few cases, even our own swipes failed to read correctly-you have to slide straight and slow.
Although you can manage multiple users and assign specific partitions of the drive, Imation does not include a backup program of any kind. PerformanceDespite lacking USB 3.0 support, the Defender F200 is fast. We copied a 5GB folder full of media files and Word documents to the drive in 5 minutes 46 seconds, which equals a read speed of 14.8 MBps. That's faster than both the Lexar Echo MX (13.9 MBps) and the SanDisk Ultra Backup (9.8 MBps).
Still, the USB 3.0-powered Patriot Memory Supersonic (41.3 MBps) blows all of these drives away.Copying the same files off the F200 took 4:07, which yields a read speed of 20.7 Mbps. That's in between the Lexar Echo MX (24.4 MBps) and the SanDisk Ultra Backup (18 MBps). Still, the Patriot Memory drive took just 55 seconds for a blazing rate of 93.1MBps. PricingOur main issue with the Defender is its price. The 16GB version we tested costs $269; that's $16.80 per GB.
By comparison, the Patriot Memory Supersonic costs $210 for 64GB; of course, that drive doesn't have a built-in fingerprint reader. Imation offers other sizes of the F200: An 8GB version costs $199 and a 64GB version costs $749. That's a lot to pay for fingerprint security. VerdictOverall, the Imation Defender F200 is solid and secure, but a bit too expensive for a drive that delivers USB 2.0 speeds. We're content using Windows 7 encryption techniques and prefer the zippy performance of the USB 3.0 Patriot Memory Supersonic drive.
Still, if you're forgetful or paranoid, the F200 is definitely worth a look.
New features and fixes are continually being developed and are often released as updates for IronKey Enterprise and IronKey Personal Secure Flash Drives. For those existing devices, updates are made available via the IronKey Control Panel.
Users of IronKey Personal and IronKey Enterprise devices may update their devices at any time. Updating your IronKey is a feature that is currently only available on Windows computers. Mac and Linux users can update their IronKey Personal and IronKey Enterprise devices by temporarily using the IronKey on a Windows computer. Following are instructions on how to update your device:Below are detailed steps how to update your device. A is also available:I. PREPARATION.
Be sure you have an Internet connection. It may be helpful to disable any end-point or firewall security products. Be sure you have at least 65MB of contiguous free space on the Secure Files volume of the device.
Running a defragmentation utility will help confirm this. Be sure you have a backup of your data. Be sure you have backed up your Identity Manager data via the Online Backup utility (available from the Identity Manager application). Close any applications running from the IronKey device, including all Internet and file browsers.II. CHECKING IF YOUR DEVICE NEEDS UPDATING. From the x250 IronKey Control Panel click Settings Tools Check for Update. (For S100/x200 click Settings Software Updates Check for Update.).
If the device has the most current update, the Status will read 'Your IronKey is up-to-date.' Otherwise you will have the option to download the current update.Please note: IronKey S100 models cannot be updated past version 2.0.8.0. In this case the 'Your IronKey is up-to-date' message is expected.Please note: IronKey x200 models cannot be updated past version 2.5.3.0. In this case the 'Your IronKey is up-to-date' message is expected.Please note: IronKey x250 models cannot be updated past version 3.5.0.0.
In this case the 'Your IronKey is up-to-date' message is expected.III. UPDATE TROUBLESHOOTING. If you receive a message that the Update was not able to complete successfully, please follow the suggestions given to resolve the problem. In some cases, you may be asked to copy the installation log and send it to Technical Support. Please be sure to include the serial number printed on your device.