Is XP Corrupting my Zip Disks? (XP Home)

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I am having problems with zip disks. I have used zip disks for several years on several computers and have never had one “go bad” on me. Since getting this new computer which runs on XP home, I have had four of them “go bad” in various ways, always while being used on this computer (I have several disks which get used on any of three different computers). The bad disks have been of various ages and made by various manufacturers.

Two of them have apparently been physically destroyed – they start clunking and once they do that, it doesn’t matter what computer I put them into, they just clunk and are totally inaccessible. I assumed this was a problem created by the disks themselves, until other things started to happen.

Two others have had files either corrupted or deleted.
Most recently was the disk on which I keep several websites that I manage.
I should mention that I have not been able to get this computer to eject the disk on shutdown, so I frequently forget to eject them and they are in the computer when it starts up. Usually this doesn’t seem to cause a problem. But yesterday when the computer was starting up it said it needed to perform a disk check and started giving me all kinds of messages about the files in the zip disk. Last time it did that to a zip disk, many of the files in it became inaccessible (the disk still worked – just some of the files would no longer open or copy – while using this same disk the day before I had gotten a message that the WSFTP log file was corrupt – I had not taken any action on that message, although I had meant to delete that file so the FTP would create a new one).

Sure enough. This time it had converted an entire folder to a file of an unrecognizable file type (says its 2k in size, won’t open), and numerous files were just completely missing from at least two of the websites.

Here are some of the entries in the log that it created while it was checking the disk. My comments follow each entry in parentheses:
Unrecoverable error in folder DECDFWorkingFiles.
Convert folder to file (Y/N)? Yes
(This is the folder that is no longer accessible, mentioned above)
DECDFindex.html first allocation unit is not valid. The entry will be truncated.
(This file is no longer visible on the disk)
Fiddlecampjuneaug.htm is cross-linked on allocation unit 206.
Cross link resolved by copying.
(This file is now 356 KB instead of 4 or 5, and is gobbledygook when I open it)

These entries are typical of about 50 files that appear to have been affected.
Any clues whether this is XP or the zip drive itself?

Thanks,
-cynthia

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“they start clunking and once they do that”

I would say that you have a hardware problem. We have been using the Zip drives since they came out and have NOT had any of these problems you have. I am still using some the the very first Zip disks and they are still working.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Yes – some of my disks are several years old and I never had a problem until I got this new computer (and I am still having no problems on the old computers except for the two that clunked in the new computer – those two are dead – the disks with the file destruction problems appear continue to work, but I don’t keep using those disks just in case…..). So far one old and and three new ones have died (in the various methods described above). I’m thinking that a defective drive is easier to fix than if it was some problem caused by XP – so I hope you are right!
Thanks,
-cynthia

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Yes – some of my disks are several years old and I never had a problem until I got this new computer (and I am still having no problems on the old computers except for the two that clunked in the new computer – those two are dead – the disks with the file destruction problems appear continue to work, but I don’t keep using those disks just in case…..). So far one old and and three new ones have died (in the various methods described above). I’m thinking that a defective drive is easier to fix than if it was some problem caused by XP – so I hope you are right!
Thanks,
-cynthia

Reply | Quote

“they start clunking and once they do that”

I would say that you have a hardware problem. We have been using the Zip drives since they came out and have NOT had any of these problems you have. I am still using some the the very first Zip disks and they are still working.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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It sounds like the “click of death” that indicates problems with the ZIP drive.

Search Iomega Support for details – search for “Click”

Alternatively this search has the result of the search based on 250MB USB variant of the ZIP drive.

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Thanks. I couldn’t get the Iomega site to bring up anything for “click” – but I was able to access the second link in your message. I’m going to hope that the problem is the physical drive, for reasons I mentioned in my reply to Dave above, and it looks like there are some good things at that link to look for. Thank you.

The most frustrating thing is that these disasters occur weeks or months apart – and all seems fine in between. Just when I start to get secure, bam! Another disk has some kind of problem. But I think after four disks I have a definite problem so I’m going to have to try some things.

Thanks again,
-cynthia

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Hi Cynthia,

Check out the links on this Google search for Iomega Click of Death. I think you’ll find some information you will be able to use to diagnose this problem.

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Thank you. This information is very helpful. Definitely looks like I will need a new drive. They describe my problem just about exactly!
-cynthia

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I’m pretty sure it’s stated in the articles, but just in case…………. try to extract whatever useable data is on those damaged disks BEFORE you replace the drive(s) and then throw the disks away. They can cause damage to a new, unaffected drive.

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Thanks for the tip. I’ve already copied the remaining good data onto the hard drive. Good to know I shouldn’t use the disks after replacing the drive (obviously the clunking ones were total losses – but the other two just had some files that got corrupted or disappeared – the rest of the files seem okay and are working fine off the hard drive).

-cynthia

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Thanks for the tip. I’ve already copied the remaining good data onto the hard drive. Good to know I shouldn’t use the disks after replacing the drive (obviously the clunking ones were total losses – but the other two just had some files that got corrupted or disappeared – the rest of the files seem okay and are working fine off the hard drive).

-cynthia

Reply | Quote

I’m pretty sure it’s stated in the articles, but just in case…………. try to extract whatever useable data is on those damaged disks BEFORE you replace the drive(s) and then throw the disks away. They can cause damage to a new, unaffected drive.

Reply | Quote

Thank you. This information is very helpful. Definitely looks like I will need a new drive. They describe my problem just about exactly!
-cynthia

Reply | Quote

Hi Cynthia,

Check out the links on this Google search for Iomega Click of Death. I think you’ll find some information you will be able to use to diagnose this problem.

Reply | Quote

Thanks. I couldn’t get the Iomega site to bring up anything for “click” – but I was able to access the second link in your message. I’m going to hope that the problem is the physical drive, for reasons I mentioned in my reply to Dave above, and it looks like there are some good things at that link to look for. Thank you.

The most frustrating thing is that these disasters occur weeks or months apart – and all seems fine in between. Just when I start to get secure, bam! Another disk has some kind of problem. But I think after four disks I have a definite problem so I’m going to have to try some things.

Thanks again,
-cynthia

Reply | Quote

It sounds like the “click of death” that indicates problems with the ZIP drive.

Search Iomega Support for details – search for “Click”

Alternatively this search has the result of the search based on 250MB USB variant of the ZIP drive.

Reply | Quote