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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Zip 100 disks on Tiger

macpherson1 - Mar 16, 2006 - 12:22 pm

I am trying to mount a 100mb Zip disk on a 1.6 GHz G5 running 10.4.5 and get no results. Disk Utility does not even see the volume.

I have been able to use this Zip drive without incident under OS X for some time, but I'm not sure I have tried it since upgrading to Tiger.

Is this drive just abandoned under Tiger? I know that Iomega not longer supports its 100mb and 200mb drives. Is there a way to get Terminal to mount the drive?

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 1:20 am

I notice that others have the same issue"
http://www.mrbarrett.com/archives/20..._x_and_zi.html

Looks like Tiger doesn't support Iomega drives or disks. I'd venture to guess they've left reading the Iomega disk directories out of the source code for Tiger…

Though apple mentions in this doc that zip disks can't be used, I couldn't find which ones:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106941

It looks like they are giving up support on older zip drives, but I can't prove it yet…

As for the terminal question I'd guess that if disk utility doesn't see it, Terminal probably won't either.

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 1:24 am

Well, I DID find a terminal prompt for the 250 here:
http://homepage.mac.com/alf/blogs/B8...0/E1572982804/

Maybe you can replace the 250 with 100 and get your 100 disks to show up?

macpherson1 - Mar 17, 2006 - 12:36 pm

Thanks for the reply. It turns out this may have been a case of user panic. Originally I tried multiple Zip disks to see if the disk was the issue, but I hadn't tried another drive. I was eventually able to borrow another Zip 100 drive, and the same G5 *did* see a Zip 100 disk. It mounted to the Desktop, and I was able to open it to see its directory listing.

But as your address citation indicates, the older drives are clearly becoming problematic. Someone has pointed out to me that it may be a matter of simple economics. Zip 100 disks were selling at around US$10 a pop (when they were still being sold), while you can buy a pack of 50 CD-Rs for $20.00. They are so cheap comparably that you could use half for Frisbees without feeling a pinch to your wallet. Welcome to the economics of disposability.

In any event, apparently Tiger 10.4.5 will, at least sometimes, still mount the old 100s.

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 12:50 pm

And you can buy a 1GB USB keychain memory stick for $99. Beats zip every time.

I do appreciate the Tiger/Zip Disk update.

Shall we close this thread?

macpherson1 - Mar 17, 2006 - 12:52 pm

And thank you, Nathaniel F. I can't find a Volumes folder on Tiger, so I think that part of the interface must have changed from 10.3 to 10.4 and that folder no longer exists--at least not where it should be according to the Unix command you found--so I don't think a Unix remove command would help (though I am no Unix expert). I did try to apply the Unix mount command in Terminal, but to no effect. Probably because the drive had just given up the ghost.

That is not the only storage issue I have already encountered under Tiger 10.4.5, however. I have found that blank CD-Rs do not mount to the Desktop, and, while Disk Utilities sees the volumes, it lists them as read only. The only way I have found to burn data to a CD-R under 10.4.5 (without resorting to a third-party program such as Toast) is to create a Burn folder *first*, fill it with the contents you want burned, and then use the Burn button that appears on the open folder itself. Only then will Tiger prompt you for blank media and then recognize it.

This solution was suggested to me by an IT professional who stumbled across it by accident. That was lucky, because I can't find a word about it at the Apple website.

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 12:56 pm

Apple may not know about the problem, depending on what kind of discs you're using.

Thanks for the info! (Shall I close this thread?)

macpherson1 - Mar 17, 2006 - 12:57 pm

Yes, Notobasso, I am ready to close this thread--with one final note to contemplate: how long before the memory sticks go unsupported? Althought I know that the current flash drives will work with the USB 1 G4 I have at home, but how much longer will that format last?

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 1:03 pm

As long as USB remains I think the portable drives will be supported. You might monitor manufacturer websites to see if they are continuing to put out patches/updates to driver software for their products.

You're very welcome; come again!

Natobasso - Mar 17, 2006 - 2:20 pm

Sorry if you felt I was in a rush. We do this for free and we have lots of questions to answer. If you feel you need more discussion, feel free to post in the "Forums" section of this website.