My Zip drive Zonked out on me.

clemmo · 07-29-2003, 10:31 AM

Here I go again, with another problem.
Perhaps it's me and not the machine.
Any case, I bought and installed an external Iomega Zip100 drive about three years ago. Everything was going smooth enough till suddenly (as if by wizardry) the fool thing just zonked out. Whenever I insert a disk, the amber and green lights go on but that's it. The amber should go off, the drive should recognize the disk and the green light should stay on. But they don't do that. The two lights remain on and the computer will not recognize or find the external drive. Surely, I must have done something but I have no idea what it is.
In the "My Computer" the zip drive has the icon but that's all. What am I to do?
Thanks,
Clemmo

**johnwill** · 07-29-2003, 02:32 PM

It's not uncommon for Zip drives to die, it's quite likely it's just dead. I'd try the disk on another drive, and the drive on another system.

BTW, don't put any more of your disks into the drive, because there used to be a failure mode where the drive would kill the disk! I remember a big flap about the "Click of Death" of Zip drives several years back. I've pretty much retired my Zip drives, I have four or five in the closet in a big box. :)

clemmo · 07-29-2003, 03:32 PM

so that's it huh? the bugger up and died on me? that bums me out. do you advise me to go out and buy another one?

**johnwill** · 07-29-2003, 05:43 PM

Look around for deals on used ones, many people are in the same situation as me, a bunch of unused ones sitting around. I wouldn't pay more than $25 or so for one, I'd sell you one of mine for that. :D

clemmo · 07-29-2003, 07:53 PM

is it as simple as that? just go out and buy a used one? how am i to know that the one i buy isn't zonked like mine? there's a vacant computer at work with a zip100 drive just like mine. perhaps i should switch them. no one who ever know as no one ever uses the bloody thing. whaddya think?

**johnwill** · 07-30-2003, 06:51 AM

If there's one available, that's the cheap way to solve the problem. :)

07-29-2003, 10:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
clemmo Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: new york Posts: 9 OS: win98	My Zip drive Zonked out on me. Here I go again, with another problem. Perhaps it's me and not the machine. Any case, I bought and installed an external Iomega Zip100 drive about three years ago. Everything was going smooth enough till suddenly (as if by wizardry) the fool thing just zonked out. Whenever I insert a disk, the amber and green lights go on but that's it. The amber should go off, the drive should recognize the disk and the green light should stay on. But they don't do that. The two lights remain on and the computer will not recognize or find the external drive. Surely, I must have done something but I have no idea what it is. In the "My Computer" the zip drive has the icon but that's all. What am I to do? Thanks, Clemmo

07-29-2003, 02:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,832 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	It's not uncommon for Zip drives to die, it's quite likely it's just dead. I'd try the disk on another drive, and the drive on another system. BTW, don't put any more of your disks into the drive, because there used to be a failure mode where the drive would kill the disk! I remember a big flap about the "Click of Death" of Zip drives several years back. I've pretty much retired my Zip drives, I have four or five in the closet in a big box. :) __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-29-2003, 05:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,832 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Look around for deals on used ones, many people are in the same situation as me, a bunch of unused ones sitting around. I wouldn't pay more than $25 or so for one, I'd sell you one of mine for that. :D __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-30-2003, 06:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,832 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	If there's one available, that's the cheap way to solve the problem. :) __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-29-2003, 03:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
clemmo Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: new york Posts: 9 OS: win98	so that's it huh? the bugger up and died on me? that bums me out. do you advise me to go out and buy another one?

07-29-2003, 07:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
clemmo Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: new york Posts: 9 OS: win98	is it as simple as that? just go out and buy a used one? how am i to know that the one i buy isn't zonked like mine? there's a vacant computer at work with a zip100 drive just like mine. perhaps i should switch them. no one who ever know as no one ever uses the bloody thing. whaddya think?