Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
51 Posts
0
21788
Problem with zip disks with 750 Iomega drive
I am using a 750MB, Iomega, external, zip drive with a Dell 4600, Windows XP computer. I am having an odd problem with the zip drive. When using 750MB or 250MB disks, the disks work fine for a couple of weeks. Then, after a few weeks, when I put them in the zip drive, the drive's green light stays on and the disk then cannot be read or formatted. If I then put a blank, different zip disk into the drive, the disk works fine. I don''t believe I amusing bad disks becuase I am using disks thatI I purchased at different times from different sources. This problem of getting unusable zip disks after a few week's use has happened with three 750MB disks and two 250 MB disks. All the disk are made by Iomega.
What could be causing this problem and how do I correct it?
Thanks.
Richard
What could be causing this problem and how do I correct it?
Thanks.
Richard
zbestwun2001
8.8K Posts
0
December 13th, 2004 21:00
Usually the disk will click one time or so when loading then stop.
Steve
RoHe
10 Elder
10 Elder
•
44K Posts
0
December 20th, 2004 00:00
Sounds like the Zip drive may be failing. Don't know if tip.exe works on 750MB Zip drives (I've used it on 100MB and 250MB Zips) but check out Steve Gibson's site: www.grc.com/tip/codfaq2.htm for a free download of his tiny Trouble in Paradise utility. tip.exe tests Iomega Zip and Jaz drives and media and gives you a report on condition and problems. It runs totally independently of Iomega software/drivers so you'll get an unbiased assessment of the drive's condition.
Depending on how your drive is connected (parallel, USB, SCSI), you may also need to get ASPI drivers for XP. Assuming tip.exe supports 750 MB Zips, if you get message "no Zip drives identified" (or something similar), send email to GRC tech support (get address at their site) and they'll send you free self-installing ASPI drivers. Also see www.grc.com/tip/codfaq8.htm for Qs and As on Zip problems. I recently used tip.exe to analyze brand new internal Zip 250 and Iomega promptly told Dell to replace it.
There are bunches of other useful for-sale and free software at grc.com that are worth looking at while you're there. And no, I don't work for GRC.
RoHe
RichDH
51 Posts
0
December 20th, 2004 07:00
Thanks for the information. After talking to a tech support guy at Iomega for awhile (their "Live Chat"), he concluded my zip drive was bad and sent me a new one. I'll still donwload the program you suggewsted and try it on the new drive.
Thanks again.
Richard