Installation:
As with most USB drives, the Stream S10 was very easy to install. Those running Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 7 can simply plug the drive into any available USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on their computer. If the computer is already turned on, plug and play will automatically detect the drive.
If installed correctly, the Stream S10 should show up in the Device Manager. Under Windows 7, the drive is identified as a "SPCCN PHD 3.0 USB Device".
The Stream S10 comes formatted with FAT32, giving the 750GB model about 698GB of usable space. If you plan to store files larger than 4GB in size, you'll want to convert or reformat the drive with NTFS.
Software:
As I mentioned earlier, the Stream S10 comes bundled with Silicon Power's SP Widget software, which provides seven major backup and security functions for use with the company's portable hard drives and USB flash drives.
SP Widget's browser interface is pretty straightforward. Along with a meter that shows how full a drive is, there are a handful of icons along the right hand side of the screen. From here you can launch functions that will sync or backup your Documents, Favorites, Folders or email. You can also create your own custom backup tasks which can compress and encrypt your data and be scheduled to run at specific times.
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The software also includes features to encrypt/decrypt files outside of a backup task and lock your computer when you are away.
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The last major feature of SP Widget is Norton Internet Security 2011. The version available for download through the browser is only a 60 day trial. Silicon Power has cut a deal with Symantec, though, which lets users extend their subscription at a discounted rate.
