FAQ and troubleshooting

How do I clone a drive and create multiple identical copies?

TaskForce is perfectly suited for cloning! Here is how to clone into 4 SATA drives and 1 RAW file simultaneously.

When you need to create multiple copies, simply:

1. Go to Image.
2. Select a source device.
3. Select up to 5 targets (SATA, USB, SAS or RAW, E01 files) and click Continue.
4. Click Start.

What's more, TaskForce has 18 ports in total including IDE and Extension ports in combination with a huge overhead capacity to handle many imaging sessions or other operations concurrently. So if you start a 1-to-5 cloning, you still have at least 12 ports left for additional cloning/imaging sessions to run simultaneously. TaskForce is designed to minimize the imaging time.

Is there a way to delete an imaging session and start imaging all over again?

When you select source and target drives previously used in an imaging session, TaskForce will indicate the progress status of the previous session and you will be allowed to resume it.

To start a new imaging session with the same source and target, you will need to delete the previous one:

1. Go to Image.
2. Select the source drive.
3. On the Select target devices panel, select the target and click Continue.
4. Right-click the imaging session (or tap it with 2 fingers if you are using a touch screen).
5. In the context menu, click Allow imaging map deletion. A Trash icon appears in each imaging progress status tile.
6. To delete the previous imaging session, click the Trash icon. Now you can start a new session to the same target.

To disable imaging map deletion, click the imaging session again and select the option in the context menu.

Why does TaskForce not open the 'Imaging Settings' page when I click 'Continue' upon selecting targets?

The issue must have been caused by the browser cache.

1. Go to Chrome browser settings.
2. Open the Clear browsing data option.
3. Clear all the data after selecting the All time range.

Please note that TaskForce works properly only with the Chrome browser.

How do I increase the speed when I image to the network?

When imaging to network, there are two potential bottlenecks:

1. Network performance

It can be enhanced with a 10Gb connection. Another important thing: Jumbo frames should be enabled in TaskForce settings, target computer/NAS network card and network switches/routers in between them.

2. Write speed of target network drive

It can be more difficult to improve. In particular, if one images several drives to the same network location. It leads to a situation when 8 source SSDs are read with 500 MB/s speed but the total writing capability of target network drive cuts it to just 400 MB/s. Distributed between 8 sessions, the speed becomes too low (400/8=50 MB/s per session).

The best solutions to achieve top speeds with target network locations:

• A RAID consisting of SSDs.
• A NAS combined with a 10Gb switch. For example, Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch 16 XG.
• A network server with many drives and great writing performance.

Why does imaging to a NAS end up with a write error?

Possible causes and solutions:

• Maximum file size limitation by the proprietary NAS file system or OS.
• Minimum free space limitation in the NAS setting.
• Network folder permissions.
• Replace the Ethernet cable. Use Cat6 (with a length of less than 55 meters), Cat6a, Cat7, Cat7a, or Cat8 marking on it.

How do I restore a 520-byte sector-sized image to a drive?

TaskForce performs imaging and restores images in sector-to-sector mode. In the process, TaskForce does not convert logical data alignment depending on sector size, which keeps things simple and explicable.

If you have an image of a drive with a sector size of 520 bytes and you want to restore it to another drive, you must use a target SAS drive with a sector size of 520 bytes.

If the SAS drive's sector size is other than 520, you can reformat it in Linux using the sg_format utility: https://linux.die.net/man/8/sg_format

Then perform imaging to the target SAS drive by selecting the image file as a source.

How can I create an E01 image?

To image a source evidence drive to an E01 file, you have to create a new target file:

1. Go to Image.
2. Select the source evidence drive.
3. On the Select target devices panel, click Select file.
4. In the file selector, find the folder to store the image and click Create file.
5. In the Create image file dialog, select the E01 file type.
6. Fill in the E01 file information, and then click Create.
7. On the Select target devices panel, click Continue.

How do I image to an E01 or a RAW file?

When selecting targets in the slide-out panel, click the Select file tile. It only works if TaskForce is connected to a network and with an accessible network folder.

How do I set up an automated launch of AXIOM after imaging?

You cannot launch third-party software from TaskForce itself. However, with Magnet AUTOMATE, TaskForce can be integrated into a workflow with Magnet AXIOM. The Atola team closely cooperates with Magnet's developers to support and enhance this integration. See how it works.

Another option is a folder monitor/watchdog. Use an app that tracks when a new image file appears in a specific folder. After that, such an app can launch Magnet AXIOM against the newly created image. There are many watchdog tools on the web.

Why does a healthy drive appear to have many bad sectors during imaging?

The issue is likely caused by a loose port connection, leading to read errors and even drive identification issues.

To completely reset the physical link, unplug the cable from both the port and the storage device, wait for a full minute and plug it snugly back in.

It could also be cable wear-out. Swap cables between the "working" and "non-working" ports and see how it goes. If certain cables repeatedly cause issues, put them aside.

How to properly connect a spinning 3.5" SATA drive in a USB enclosure to TaskForce?

All USB ports of Taskforce are designed to work with USB devices conforming to the USB specification. However, some USB-enclosed HDDs consume too much current at spinup, in fact violating the specification.

For such drives, we have equipped USB 3 and USB 4 ports with extra electric load capacity. Try connecting the drive to USB 3 or USB 4 ports.

How can I image a U.2 NVMe drive?

To use a drive with U.2 interface, attach the drive to TaskForce with the help of a U.2-to-M.2 adapter and cable:

• U.2-to-M.2 adapter
• Cable for the adapter

Connecting to TaskForce:

1. Plug the U.2 drive into the U.2-to-M.2 adapter using the cable.
2. Plug the U.2-to-M.2 adapter into the Atola M.2 extension.
3. Plug the extension into TaskForce while the unit is powered off.

Why does an M.2 NVMe drive not get identified?

Please note that the support of drive hotplug for M.2 PCIe NVMe drives was added in the firmware version 2021.4.

If you have an earlier firmware version, to replace an NVMe drive, TaskForce needs to be powered off:

1. Power off TaskForce. Remove the power cable and wait for 1 minute.
2. Unplug the M.2 extension with the M.2 drive installed and plug it carefully back in.
3. Power on the TaskForce unit.

What is Storage mode?

TaskForce treats a target drive as a destination for sector-to-sector imaging unless you set it to Storage mode.

When the target drive is in Storage mode, it can only be used as a container for image files (E01, AFF4, or Raw). The software protects you from accidentally using a Storage drive for sector-to-sector imaging.

Storage mode features:

• You must format a target drive into Storage mode using TaskForce beforehand.
• When formatting in Storage mode, TaskForce creates a single exFAT partition with a large cluster size for the best imaging performance.
• TaskForce will automatically mount the target device, which is formatted as a Storage when you plug it into TaskForce next time.
• It's safe and works simpler than it seems. Format once and use it many times.

On top of that, you can select a VeraCrypt container instead of a simple exFAT partition to store image files in encrypted form.

Can TaskForce identify a RAID’s configuration if I include drives that are not RAID members (the drives are not marked properly)?

Normally, TaskForce can identify the type of an unknown RAID within a minute. TaskForce reads data from the initial 3 million sectors of each drive and searches for the correct relation between the RAID members.

With an odd drive, the module will need more time to identify the configuration.

• In the case of RAID 1 or 10, detected mirrors will be arranged into groups, the odd drive will be placed separately, and partitions will be mounted successfully.
• If it is a JBOD, the partitions will likely be identified and the order of the drives will be correct, with the odd drive placed at the end.
• As for RAID 0 or 5, TaskForce won't reassemble such an array: data from the odd drive is taken into account when TaskForce combines data from all members.

NB The autodetection module attempts to identify configuration from scratch each time you remove or add a drive. Try removing a drive that seems odd. Normally, RAID members are drives of the same capacity and usually, of the same type, made by the same manufacturer, etc.

How do I manually reassemble a RAID knowing configuration parameters?

If you are sure you know all the RAID parameters, you can rebuild the RAID manually, ignoring the autodetection process.

This is the only way to rebuild and image a RAID array when the TaskForce RAID module does not recognize partitions because they are either encrypted or unsupported (for example, ReiserFS).

To rebuild RAID manually, follow the steps below:

1. Select all RAID members (drives or their images).
2. Specify manually from drop-down menus:
1. RAID type (or RAID level)
2. Start LBA (it is an offset for all RAID members)
3. Block size
4. Block order (only for RAID 5 and RAID 6)
5. Device order (there is a two-line button for drag and drop)
3. Click the Go to Image button.

Can I select E01 images of drives for RAID reassembly?

You can select any combination of image files and/or drives constituting a RAID. See examples:

• 3 drives + 2 AFF4 files
• 5 E01 image files
• 2 raw files + 1 missing member

Can I image a RAID array that contains a damaged drive?

The RAID assembly module requires good, readable drives to find a configuration. When one of the RAID's drives is damaged, it's best to image the drive first and attempt the reassembly using the image.

However, if the configuration is known and no search is required, you can try to mount the RAID even with a malfunctioning device. In this case, specify the configuration manually and proceed with imaging. TaskForce's multipass imaging engine copes effectively with RAID arrays with such issues.

If you are dealing with a RAID 5, RAID 6, or RAID 1, TaskForce will use the RAID's redundancy when encountering internal read errors.

When one of the drives in a RAID 5 array is seriously damaged, you can add a virtual Missing device instead of the damaged device. Next, it is possible to reassemble and image the RAID 5 array from the remaining healthy drives and 1 "stub" device. TaskForce reconstructs data from such arrays on the fly during imaging.

Write error at 16TB threshold occurs when imaging an assembled RAID. What should I do?

Check the file system of your target folder for maximum file limits. For example, these file systems are limited to 16TB threshold:

• ext4
• NTFS
• Btrfs in some Synology NAS

To handle larger files in NTFS, you can reformat an NTFS partition to use a larger cluster size. By increasing the cluster size to 64 kilobytes (KB), you can create files up to 256 TB size-wise.

How to reach 15 TB/h?

TaskForce was designed as an ultimate multitasking tool with a huge overhead capacity. Given that most imaged devices are HDDs, whose data transfer rate is 200-220 MB/s at best, it is not frequently that TaskForce will reach the limits of its capacity.

Our QA team achieves a speed of 15 TB/hour with this specific setup:

• imaging 6 SAS ports to 6 SATA ports (all SSD drives)
• imaging 2 USB ports to 2 USB ports (all SSD drives)
• imaging NVMe extension port to a network file (10Gb connection)
• imaging IDE port (with an IDE drive attached) to a network file (10Gb connection)

This adds up to 10 imaging sessions at superb overall performance.

However, in most cases, you deal with HDDs as source devices, and they are half as fast as SSDs, which creates a bottleneck.

Another potential performance bottleneck is network bandwidth. To achieve maximum throughput, connect the ETH1 port to a network or NAS, and the ETH2 port to another network or NAS. It will give you 20Gb/s of throughput. It also depends on your network hardware and setup.

To learn about network throughput optimization, read the official TaskForce manual:

• Jumbo frames for fast imaging to server
• Network setup

Performance when imaging to a remote USB drive (write cache + exFAT)

There are two ways to boost imaging performance:

1. Format the target drive to exFAT. It works faster than NTFS.
2. Enable Windows write cache:
1. Go to Device Manager.
2. In the Disk Drives category, select your drive.
3. On the Policies tab, switch to Better performance.
4. Confirm the reboot of the PC.

Important: When the last imaging session completes, use Eject Removable media icon in the system tray to guarantee cache-flushing of the last portions of written data. Here is an article explaining how it works.

How do I setup Synology DS218?

1. Go to Control panel > File services > SMB > Advanced settings.
2. Set Maximum protocol to SMB3.
3. Go to Control panel > Shared folder.
4. Click the Create button and specify network folder details.

If you need to get a guest account working, run the next actions:

1. Go to Control panel > User.
2. Edit for Guest user.
3. Untick Disable this account.

How to connect TaskForce to a fiber optic network?

Option 1. Use a 10GBASE-T RJ45 Copper Ethernet to 10G SFP+ Fiber Media Converter.

This device converts signals from your TaskForce’s 10 Gbit Ethernet ports to a fiber optic SFP+ connection, enabling high-speed network capabilities.

Option 2. Connect through a switch with SFP+ ports.

Integrating a network switch that has SFP+ ports can bridge TaskForce with fiber optic networks. Ensure that the switch supports 10 Gbit speeds to match TaskForce's capabilities.

Important considerations:

• Ensure that the SFP+ module is compatible with your switch brand (e.g., Cisco, Juniper).
• Use cables shorter than 55 meters with SFP+ modules; otherwise, these modules might not function properly.

How do I extend my server network with a DHCP-enabled switch?

Here is an example of a switch that supports static IP setup via simple web admin. To set the IP addresses for each current server network node:

Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch 16 XG
Four 10Gb Ethernet ports, twelve 10Gb SFP ports

To configure an Ubiquiti DHCP server:

1. Connect PC and TaskForce to Ubiquiti switch.
2. Set static IP address of PC to 192.168.1.4.
3. Open a browser and enter 192.168.1.2 (default Ubiquiti switch IP).
4. Log in with default credentials: ubnt (both name and password).
5. Go to System > Advanced Configuration > DHCP server > Global.
6. Activate Admin mode by checking the required checkbox and clicking the Submit button.
7. Go to Pool Summary and click Add to make a new address pool.
8. Enter your:
   • pool name
   • network base address (192.168.1.0, for example)
   • network mask (255.255.255.0)
   • put Default Router Address and DNS

   After creating your pool, you can change it via Pool configuration tab.

9. Click the Save configuration button in the upper right corner of the window and then Save.

Alternatively, there is a tutorial on Youtube.

To enable 10Gb with jumbo frames:

1. Go to Basic > Port summary.
2. Select ports 0/13, 0/14, 0/15 and 0/16 and click Edit.
3. In the Edit Port configuration window, change Maximum Frame Size to 9014.

There is no DHCP server on our internal lab network. How do I assign a static IP address to TaskForce?

1. In TaskForce, click the menu button in the top right corner.
2. Click Settings.
3. In the Network section, find IP settings for both 10Gb Ethernet cards.
4. Click the pencil button to see Use static IP checkbox.

Atola TaskForce demo video includes a basic explanation of the network settings. Here's a Youtube video on that.

How do I connect TaskForce to a network domain?

TaskForce does not require a preliminary setup for working in a domain. Instead, your flow would be:

1. In the left-side taskbar, click the Image icon.
2. In the left slideout panel, select the source.
3. To select the target, in the File section, click Select file.
4. In the file manager's Local network section, click the Connect button.
5. A new dialog appears with the Domain field.

The entered server will remain in the Local Network section list.

Additionally, in Web API, there's a targetFolderDomain parameter of /start-image command that may be of use.

How do I set up my network shared folder?

Follow these steps to setup Windows network folder:

1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Sharing Options.
2. Open Private (current profile) section.
3. Select Turn on network discovery.
4. Select Turn on file and printer discovery.
5. Open Guest or Public section.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for Guest or Public section.
7. Open All Networks section.
8. Select Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders.
9. Select Turn off password protected sharing.
10. Click Save changes.

If the above has not fixed the issue, edit the folder share permissions:

1. Open the Computer Management window (press Win button and type in Computer Management).
2. Expand System Tools > Shared Folders and click Shares in the left-side tree.
3. Right-click the shared folder in the central pane and click Properties.
4. Select the Share Permissions tab.
5. Click Add to assign permissions to the shared folder for a user group.
6. In the dialog box, type Everyone and click OK.
7. Select Full control permission (Read & Write permissions) for the user group you have just added.
8. Click OK.

We strongly recommend using the latest OS versions. It is crucial for reaching high network transfer speeds.

How do I set up the Windows Server share?

In Control panel:

1. Enable Guest account (Administrative tools - Add users and computers - Users).
2. Next, go to Network and sharing center and choose Change advanced sharing settings.
3. Select Turn On network discovery and Turn on sharing (file and printers + public folders).
4. In the shared folder access options, add Guest or Everyone.

If the shared folder demands restricted access, please follow this guide.

Why does an IP address not show despite an Ethernet cable being plugged into the unit?

Usually, your network router is responsible for assigning IP addresses to other computers or devices in the same network.

Make sure your router has DHCP support and it is enabled.

TaskForce booting does not get completed. What should I do?

To make sure TaskForce boots correctly, reset TaskForce:

1. Power off TaskForce.
2. Detach all devices and cables from the system (including PSU cable, Extension module, SATA cables, USB devices/cables, etc.). So the TaskForce should be just by itself with nothing attached to it at all.
3. Give it 3-5 minutes to fully reset. There are a few internal circuits that need up to a minute to fully reset after powering off, but we recommend waiting at least 5 minutes to be sure.
4. Plug only the power cable back in (no network/USB/SATA cables, etc.).
5. Power TaskForce on and wait for 3-4 minutes.

How to see the syslog for more information about the issue I am facing?

To download the TaskForce logs:

1. Connect TaskForce to the network so that you can access it from your PC.
2. An IP address is shown on the IP screen on the front panel of the unit. Let's say, it is 10.0.0.33.
3. On your PC, open Chrome browser and enter http://10.0.0.33/syslog.
4. Click Save.
5. This will download the logs to your PC's Downloads folder.

The Tablet UI has no connection or shows a blank page. How to fix this?

The issue might be caused by the browser cache. Try clearing the cache:

1. Exit full-screen mode by going to TaskForce Menu > Toggle full screen.
2. Go to Chrome browser settings.
3. Open the Clear Browsing Data option.
4. Clear all data by selecting the All time range.

Please note that TaskForce works fine with Chrome browser only.

If this doesn't help, follow the steps below:

1. Leave full-screen mode by going to TaskForce Menu > Toggle full screen.
2. On your TaskForce page in Chrome, press F12. This will bring up the Chrome Dev Tools panel.
3. Go to the Applications tab, navigate to Local Storage and right-click your TaskForce IP.
4. Press the Delete button.
5. Press F12 again to close the panel.
6. Press Ctrl+F5 to refresh the page.

If the problem persists, reinstall the Chrome browser.

Why when I try to turn on the screen, a battery indicator starts blinking?

The screen battery needs to be charged. Let the unit stay powered on for 5–10 minutes and avoid turning the screen on during this time. 10 minutes later, use the button on the screen to turn it on as usual.

How do I connect a mouse and a keyboard to the Surface tablet?

1. Exit full-screen mode by tapping the menu in the top right corner and selecting Toggle Full Screen.
2. Enable Bluetooth in the tablet's Windows 10.
3. Connect the mouse and keyboard.

How does SSD Trim work and does it wipe a drive completely?

SSD Trim doesn't instantly wipe sectors (NAND memory cells) of a drive. It instructs SSD's firmware which sectors can be wiped by marking them as 'dirty'.

The time of erasure of 'dirty' sectors depends on the SSD manufacturer and firmware. For instance, recent Samsung SSDs have a so-called foreground garbage collection. It wipes any erased file almost immediately thanks to a TRIM command proactively executed by the operating system. In older SSDs, trimmed sectors can remain intact for minutes or even hours.

The most secure way to erase an SSD entirely is using one of the following methods:

• Secure Erase - for SATA drives
• Format NVM - for NVMe drives

The drive's internal implementation of these commands is vendor-specific. In most drives, it ensures full erasure of an SSD including non-addressable areas.

How can I export reports in Standalone mode?

You can use an external USB drive for it. To proceed, it must be formatted as a TaskForce-compatible Storage device.

Here is how you do it:

1. Plug the USB drive into one of the USB ports.
2. Switch the USB port into target mode (turn off its Source switch).
3. Click Devices and then click the File tile.
4. In the Select image file window, click the Add storage button.
5. In the Select device panel, click the drive you want to use in the Storage mode.
6. Choose Format device to exFAT and click Next.
7. Click Format and confirm the action.

Once the USB device has been formatted as a Storage, you can use it as a target device to save reports on in Standalone mode:

1. Plug the USB Storage device into any USB port in target mode.
2. Go to Cases.
3. Search for the cases you need. Use the search field and sortable table to locate the cases.
4. Select the cases and click the Export button.
5. Select Storage plugged into TaskForce and click the Export button.

Can reports only be exported in PDF, can I export them into RTF format instead?

It should be possible to save a page into RTF. For example, in this Chrome AddOn, you can select the reports and click Print. It will generate a single page with all selected reports, which can be exported to .RTF file.

Can all reports listed on the main page be sorted, managed, or deleted?

Yes, they can be filtered, sorted, exported, and deleted. The quickest way to perform a search is by using the Search field above the reports on the main page. Entering the task name (Image, Diagnose, Wipe) and/or device model/serial helps get a more specific output.

To sort, export, or delete reports, you can go to Reports in the top menu, where all case reports are shown in a table view. Save to helps download the selected reports in a single ZIP file. There is also a Delete button in the bottom right corner for your needs.

How do I remove or swap out the internal storage from TaskForce for security reasons?

We have foreseen that such a requirement may be imposed by some organizations. That's why TaskForce allows the following:

• Removable internal SSD: locate the hatch (behind the removable touchscreen) in the lid, unscrew it to remove the SSD.
• Units assembled in 2020 onwards: the Wi-Fi module is no longer built in.
• Built-in Wi-Fi (in units assembled in 2018 - 2019) is disabled by default and can be removed if necessary (through the hatch in the lid).
• The tablet's camera and mic are disabled during the assembly.
• The touchscreen is detachable (the imager can be operated without a screen).

How can I protect my TaskForce from physical damage during transportation?

From September 2020 onwards, all newly assembled units are equipped with a magnetic screen cover that is included in the standard package with the product.

This cover helps protect the unit's screen, it is easily attached and removed when necessary. If you need a pelican case to pack the unit with all the cables and extensions, the suitable case model is IM-2700. For instructions on how to obtain a fitted foam, please contact our support.

Where can I purchase additional SAS and SATA cables?

eSATAp cables similar to the ones included in the package with TaskForce can be ordered on Amazon or a different online shopping site (Ebay, AliExpress, etc.) at around $9 each. The SAS/SATA powered cables are not widely available on the market - this custom cable is made per our order.

Is there a battery to keep my TaskForce powered when there is no electric grid available?

These Cyberpower UPS systems can serve as a reliable battery for Atola imagers, TaskForce and Insight alike:

• CyberPower PR750RT2U Smart App Sinewave UPS 750VA/750W
• CyberPower OR700LCDRM1U Smart App LCD UPS 700VA/400W

The flat horizontal UPS design is convenient as it allows putting an Atola imager on top of it. The price range of CyberPower UPS systems is quite vast, and you can choose a suitable model with power ranging from 500VA/300W to 2000VA/2000W.

How do I activate my unit in a network-free environment?

There is a single way to perform TaskForce activation or subscription extension:

1. Enter the TaskForce serial number. It can be found at the bottom of the unit.
2. TaskForce generates a license key (Internet connection is not required).
3. You find an Internet-connected PC and visit the website: a.atola.com.
4. You enter the license key and several other details.
5. The website generates a TaskForce activation code.
6. You write the code down or take a photo, and then enter it in the TaskForce activation screen.

Why Internet Explorer renames TaskForce's .AFM firmware file into a ZIP file?

Internet Explorer identifies an AFM file as a ZIP file and automatically renames it to ZIP. Read this article about the reason Explorer does this. This issue only occurs in the Internet Explorer.

We suggest using other popular browsers, such as Chrome or Firefox.