FAQ Kobra Stick Basic
General
The main button is white and other buttons are off
The Kobra Stick is in waiting mode.
All keys are unlit
The Kobra Stick is in sleep mode.
Possibility 1:
If you have connected the Kobra Stick to the host system, check whether the USB ports of the Kobra Stick and the host system are firmly connected.
Option 2:
If you pressed the main button and the Kobra Stick is still in sleep mode< /b>, the Kobra Stick needs to be charged. To do this, connect the Kobra Stick to a host system or a power outlet with a USB cable.
All buttons are unlit after pressing the main button
The Kobra Stick needs to be charged. To do this, connect the Kobra Stick to a host system or a power outlet with a USB cable.
Key functions
The main button flashes orange once and then lights up white while all other buttons are off
You pressed the X button. The Kobra Stick is now in waiting mode.
User Authentication: Press Main + 1 + ✓
The main button flashes green and all other buttons light up white. The User-PIN can be entered to unlock access to the data.
To enable or disable write protection: press main key + 2
Option 1:
If the write protection is off, the main button lights up green while all other buttons are off. Press X if this condition or ✓ if you want to enable write protection. After pressing the ✓ button: The main button is now flashing green and all other buttons are active. Enter the User-PIN to activate the write protection. The main button now lights up purple, while all other buttons are hidden. The write protection is activated.
Option 2:
If the write protection is switched on, the main button lights up purple while all other buttons are off. Press X if you want to remain in this state or ✓ if you want to activate write protection. After pressing the ✓ button: The main button is now flashing green and all other buttons are active. Enter the User-PIN to deactivate the write protection. The main button lights up now green while all other buttons are hidden. Write protection is deactivated.
Possible error: The main button flashes red after entering the current User-PIN: The current User-PIN was entered incorrectly. The Kobra Stick will go into sleep mode.
Change User-PIN: Press Main + 3 + ✓
The main button flashes green while all other buttons light up white. Enter the current User-PIN and confirm with ✓. Enter the new User-PIN and confirm with ✓. Repeat the new User-PIN and confirm with ✓. After successfully changing the User-PIN, the Kobra Stick switches to wait mode.
Possible error:The main button flashes red after entering the current User-PIN: The current User-PIN was entered incorrectly.The Kobra Stick switches to waiting mode.
Possible error: The main button flashes red after entering the new User-PIN again: The new User-PIN was repeated incorrectly. The Kobra Stick goes into waiting mode.
Creating a new DEK: press main key + 7
The main button lights up red while all other buttons are active. Press ✓. The main button flashes green and all other buttons light up white. Enter the User-PIN and confirm with ✓.
If the main button lights up green, then flashes yellow-red-red and then lights up white, the current DEK has been deleted as a result of this process.To create a new DEK, run This process completes with the connection to the host system.
If the main button flashes yellow briefly and then lights up white, the creation of a new DEK is complete.In this case, the storage device will be formatted after the next authentication The main button flashes blue continuously and then lights up green or violet. All other buttons are hidden. Access to the Kobra Stick is enabled. The files that were previously on the Kobra Stick can no longer be seen. New data can be saved to the Kobra Stick different be lifted and copied.
This process is also possible with activated write protection.
Possible error: After entering the User-PIN, the main button flashes red once and then lights up white continuously: The Kobra Stick went into waiting mode because the User-PIN was entered incorrectly. The main button flashes red based on the number of failed attempts.
Change timeout mode settings: press main + 8 + ✓
The main button flashes purple while all other buttons are active. Enter the Admin-PIN and confirm with ✓. The main button flashes solid green and all other buttons are active.
Now enter a number from 1 to 30 (e.g. the number 5) and confirm with V. The main button will now flash green once and the Kobra Stick will switch to wait mode.The timeout settings have been changed.
Possible error: After entering the Admin-PIN, the main button flashes red once and then lights up continuously white: The Kobra Stick has switched to standby mode because the Admin-PIN was entered incorrectly The main button flashes red depending on the number of failed attempts.
The administrator can specify after how many minutes the activated Kobra Stick will automatically lock itself if neither reading nor writing within the specified time Access to the Kobra Stick The selection
for the lock is between 1 and 30 minutes. To unlock, select 0.
Change Admin-PIN: press main button + 9 + ✓
The main button flashes purple while all other buttons light up white. Enter the current Admin-PIN and confirm with ✓. Enter the new Admin-PIN and confirm with ✓. Repeat the new Admin-PIN and confirm with ✓. The main button flashes green twice and the Kobra Stick switches to waiting mode after a successful Admin-PIN change.
Possible error: The main button flashes red after entering the current Admin-PIN: The current Admin-PIN was entered incorrectly.The Kobra Stick goes into waiting mode.
Possible error: After entering the Admin-PIN, the main button flashes red once and then lights up white continuously: The Kobra Stick has switched to standby mode because the Admin-PIN was entered incorrectly . The main button flashes red based on the number of failed attempts.
Set failed attempts to enter the User-PIN: Press main key + 0 +✓
The main button flashes purple and all other buttons are active. Enter the Admin-PIN and confirm with ✓. Enter a number between 1 and 16 and confirm with ✓.The main button then flashes green briefly and then lights up white permanently: The Kobra Stick has switched to wait mode. The process was successful.
User-PIN responses
The main button flashes red once, other buttons are off and the Kobra Stick goes into standby mode
Possibility 1:
There is no DEK key. This should be generated after connecting the Kobra Stick to a computer (main button +7+✓+User-PIN+✓ ).
This reaction can occur if the DEK has not yet been created.
Possibility 2:
The User-PIN was entered incorrectly . The Kobra Stick switches to waiting mode. The main button flashes red briefly after each incorrect User-PIN entry according to the number of failed attempts.
The main button flashes yellow-red-yellow-red and the Kobra Stick goes into waiting mode
The User-PIN is blocked because it was entered incorrectly too many times.
The main button is green and all other buttons are hidden
The User-PIN entry was successful. The main button lights up green during the User-PIN entry, other buttons are active and switch off briefly each time they are pressed as confirmation that the entry has been accepted. The write protection is not active and you have access to the data.
After connecting the Kobra Stick to the host system for the first time, the main button starts flashing blue. This means that the Kobra Stick is formatting. After a few seconds, the main button lights up green again and you can use the Kobra Stick on the host system.
The main button is purple and all other buttons are hidden
The User-PIN entry was successful. The main button lights up green during the User-PIN entry, other buttons are active and switch off briefly each time they are pressed as confirmation that the entry has been accepted. The write protection is active and you are reading data on the Kobra Stick but not moving or editing it.
After the Kobra Stick is first connected to the host system, the main button will start flashing blue, which means the Kobra Stick is formatting. After a few seconds, the main button will turn purple again and you can use the Kobra Stick on the host system, but note that it is not possible to copy or move data from the host system to the Kobra Stick, nor edit data on it the Kobra Stick is not possible.
The main button flashes blue and all other buttons are hidden
You have connected the Kobra Stick to the host system for the first time. The Kobra Stick will therefore format itself automatically so that you can use it. The initial formatting also takes place if the write protection was previously activated.
Other responses
The main button is white and all other buttons are hidden
The Kobra Stick is in wait mode.
Access to the data is not / no longer possible.
The Kobra Stick is not connected to the host system via USB.
Inactivity behavior
The main button is white and all other buttons are hidden
The Kobra Stick is in waiting mode.
The timeout mode is activated and set to a specific time.
Access to the data is no longer possible. A new login with the User-PIN is required to be able to access the data again.
The main button is purple and all other buttons are hidden
No timeout function is set.
The write protection mode is active.
Access to the data is no longer possible. A new login with the User-PIN is required to access the data again to be able to access.
The main button is green and all other buttons are hidden
No timeout function is set.
The write protection mode is inactive.
Access to the data is no longer possible. A new login with the User-PIN is required to access the data again to be able to access.
Other Questions
The security query failed
Feature:
The main button flashes red.
An incorrect User-PIN was entered. Press the main button + 1 + ✓ to start the security query again. (You have a maximum of as many attempts as the administrator has set for you).
The disk is not recognized
Possibility 1: Drive icon is not displayed:
This error can occur when connecting via a USB hub or an extension cable. Please connect the Kobra Stick to the host system directly.
Possibility 2:
Missing formatting / partition or unreadable file system:
Read the chapter „Formatting“ in the administrator or user manual. for more information.
Possibility 3: An inferior cable is used:
Please use the included USB cables and connect the USB connector with your host system.
The disk is running slowly
Please check whether you are using a USB 3.0 cable. The Kobra Stick cannot achieve its normal read and write speed if you use a USB 2.0 cable instead of a USB 3.0 cable.
Please check whether the Kobra Stick is correctly connected to a USB interface.
If the data storage device is still working slowly, please check the following possibilities: Possibility 1: A different USB cable is being used: Please use the USB cable included in the scope of delivery and connect the USB plug to your host system. A longer USB cable can reduce the read and write speed of the Kobra Stick.
Possibility 2: Incorrect connection: Check whether the USB port of the cable is firmly connected to the USB port of your host system.
Possibility 3: The Kobra Stick was connected via a USB hub: A USB hub and / or extension cable can reduce the read and write speed of the Kobra Stick. Connect the Kobra Stick directly to the host system.
Possibility 4: Other devices with the same connection are connected: Please remove all other USB devices and observe whether the Kobra Stick works faster afterwards.
Files cannot be written
Check that the Kobra Stick is formatted with the correct file system for your operating system. The NFTS file system can only be used by Windows users
Possible typos on MacOS
The encrypted USB sticks KOBRA Stick Basic and KOBRA Stick VS are currently supplied with the Fat32 file system as standard. These storage devices also receive the Fat32 file system during automatic formatting after the key change. This file system enables data exchange with most Windows systems as well as non-windows systems such as macOS and Linux.
Sometimes some applications of MacOS (e.g. TextEditor software) may encounter errors in the Fat32 file system.This problem can be as follows
- Using another word processing software. Other MacOS text editors do not experience this error.
- Formatting the disk to ExFAT. This file system has better compatibility with both Windows as well as various versions of MacOS and Linux.
To format on MacOS, use Disk Utility:
1. Plug the USB drive into the Mac and launch Disk Utility from Applications, you can also use e.g. For example, you can find it in Spotlight search and under Applications > Utilities.
2. On the left side you will see the USB drive name.
3. Click the USB drive name and switch to the Erase tab.
4. There you will see Format option where you can select ExFAT format and Master Boot Record scheme.
5. Confirm by clicking Delete