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using IOMEGA zip drive on PC/XT

M

mikey99

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Joined
Jun 15, 2006
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1,148
Location
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I'm having a problem getting an IOMEGA ZIP drive to work on my PC/XT
using the SixPack Plus parallel port. This parallel port works fine with
my BackPack CDROM.

I realize this issue has been discussed here in the past. I read through
those threads but I'm still having a problem. I have two versions of the
GUEST program, 5.0 and 6.0. Neither of these will work. I'm booting DOS 5.0
from diskette, and running GUEST.EXE. The 6.0 version says
"Finding a drive letter for your zip drive, then hangs, version 5.0 says the same, then prints a bunch of garbage characters.

I'm running with the bare minimum files in the current directory:
Aspippm2.sys
Guest.exe
Guest.ini
Nibble2.ilm

Guest.ini is set to the following:
[----scan for existing aspi managers---]
SCAN=ON
[----Load aspi managers----]
ASPI=ASPIPPM2.SYS /INFO FILE=NIBBLE2.ILM SPEED= 1


Does anyone have an older version of the GUEST.EXE they could email me ?
Looking in the past threads it sounds like 3.0 or 3.1 might be the right version to use.


Edit: I verified that the zip drive works with my PC/AT using the 5.4 GUEST.EXE , but still cant get it
to work with the XT. Must be related to the version of GUEST.EXE. Also works great on my Windows 98
machine.
 
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It looks like you are doing the right things.

Send me your email via a private message, and I'll send you the version of the software that I have that works on my PCjr. (And this is an open offer to anybody else who needs them.)
 
I was able to use the ZIP drive on Windows 98 without installing any additional software. It shows up as a "Removable Drive" :)
 
mbbrutman said:
It looks like you are doing the right things.

Send me your email via a private message, and I'll send you the version of the software that I have that works on my PCjr. (And this is an open offer to anybody else who needs them.)
Click to expand...
--
If that doesn't work, I've got several versions of the Guest S/W as well.

mike
 
I received version 3.1 from MikeS, (thanks Mike) still no go. So unless Mike B has the magic version,
I'm giving up on this. I'll need to use a stack of 720K diskettes to backup my data. Zip drive seemed
like the way to go, but I guess it just doesn't work, although some claim to have it working. Iomega
made some nice drives, but their software is certainly not very usable. My Backpack CDROM has worked
on every machine I've attached it to. The ZIP drive always requires jumping through hoops to get it working.

I'm wondering if those who have made this work, had the NEC V20 processor?
There is some mention of a V20 in other threads on this topic.
 
I have a magic version :) but email systems tend to get upset at Zip files with code in them. I'll probably post it on my web server as a file for download to get around that problem.

(Lookt for it later tonight.)
 
I've tried all versions I could find on my 5160 XT (about seven, including palmzip that doesn't work) around the time of the earlier discussion.

I did get one to work, I'd have to fire up my XT to see which it was and with what config.sys settings.

Important though: I have a ZIP 250.
It seems a ZIP 100 is easier- what do you have?
 
mikey99 said:
I received version 3.1 from MikeS, (thanks Mike) still no go. So unless Mike B has the magic version,
I'm giving up on this. I'll need to use a stack of 720K diskettes to backup my data. Zip drive seemed
like the way to go, but I guess it just doesn't work, although some claim to have it working. Iomega
made some nice drives, but their software is certainly not very usable. My Backpack CDROM has worked
on every machine I've attached it to. The ZIP drive always requires jumping through hoops to get it working.

I'm wondering if those who have made this work, had the NEC V20 processor?
There is some mention of a V20 in other threads on this topic.
Click to expand...
----
You're welcome; sorry it didn't work for ya.
Now you've got me curious; will have to dig out an XT & try it for myself.

How about using Interlink? Kind of slow, but no disk shuffling required; start it in the evening and come back in the morning (don't forget to leave the saucer of milk for the fairies ;-)

mike
 
I have a ZIP100. All the versions I've tried either fail with a runtime error
(later versions 4,5) or hang while looking for a drive letter (older versions 3.x).

I've tried them on two different machines 5155 and 5160 (with different
parallel cards) with the same results.

ZIP drive works fine on my 5170 AT with the parallel card from the 5160.

Jorg said:
I've tried all versions I could find on my 5160 XT (about seven, including palmzip that doesn't work) around the time of the earlier discussion.

I did get one to work, I'd have to fire up my XT to see which it was and with what config.sys settings.

Important though: I have a ZIP 250.
It seems a ZIP 100 is easier- what do you have?
Click to expand...
 
According to a German programmer there were several Zip 100 models. He wrote a program to add an Iomega zip 100 to a Portfolio and warned me the later model would not work with his program. Perhaps you have one of those later models and it won't work with earlier DOS versions.

Lawrence
 
Micom 2000 said:
According to a German programmer there were several Zip 100 models. He wrote a program to add an Iomega zip 100 to a Portfolio and warned me the later model would not work with his program. Perhaps you have one of those later models and it won't work with earlier DOS versions.

Lawrence
Click to expand...
----
There were definitely different versions of the internal ZIP100, most notably a pseudo-SCSI and IDE version easily confused, but I'm not sure if there was more than one version of the parallel port version; definitely several versions of the software though...

mike
 
Try the oldest model zip drives

Try the oldest model zip drives

Im not sure of all the software/hardware requierments for Palmzip as my documents are in my computer or i read a thread somewhere about using first model zips.i got a first model zip drive to work on my tandy 1000 TX when all other versions failed.try to do some palzip document or forum searches.good luck
 
The version 3 IOMEGA driver that Mike B posted doesn't work on my zip drive.
When I run guest.exe, it says "Looking for drive letter" and then just hangs.

I'm starting to think I have one of the infamous 'later' versions of the drive.
Guess newer isn't necessarily better when it comes to ZIP drives :-(

Trying palmzip now, will post back with results (crossing fingers).

Also kicking myself because I saw a beat up ZIP drive laying in a pile
of trash a couple of months ago at the office, and I didn't grab it
........probably one of the good 'older' versions.
 
LOL.... Five generations of #&%*$( IOMEGA software couldn't cut it ....


PALMZIP WORKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WOOOOHOOOOO, YEEEEEHAAAAAAA

Thanks for posting that link Mike B. :)
 
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thats great palmzip rocks

thats great palmzip rocks

did you get a later model zip drive to work? i tried quite a few zip drives on my tandy tx and only one worked and im guessing its an old one.cant remember if i checked model but i think its an old drive.got it going a few years back.
 
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I'm not sure how to tell if its an older/newer drive. None of the IOMEGA
versions of the software I tried worked on my PC/XT. Added palmzip.sys
to my config.sys and it found the drive right away.

The Model number on the bottom of the drive is Z100P2 SN PRDH37HAEJ

CompositeGamer said:
did you get a later model zip drive to work? i tried quite a few zip drives on my tandy tx and only one worked and im guessing its an old one.cant remember if i checked model but i think its an old drive.got it going a few years back.
Click to expand...
 
glad you got it working as i know the frusteration.

glad you got it working as i know the frusteration.

i guess im too lazy to check my zip model # and look on the net for the models made but im glad you got it working.i worked with the old 720k floppy drive before i got mine working and it was quite frusterating.floppy disks are pretty unreliable.i tried moving large files that would not fit on one disk alone to my tandy with backup programs and such and whew what a process that was.the zip drive is the way to go,saves me from lots of wasted time.have fun
 
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