Old Iomega 100 Zip discs - anyone know how I can access them?

mgbfan · 08-08-08, 05:14 PM

I've got some files on IOMEGA ZIP 100 discs from like 10 years ago (Mac formatted, though I'm not sure that matters) and I find myself needing to access them. Problem is my old ZIP drive seems to be toast, and I'm not sure how I get at the files on my current computer. On Amazon, I've found drives with parallel ports, but I don't seem to have any of those.

Any inspiration on how to get at these files? Is there any way to convert a parallel port into USB, Firewire, or something? I'm happy enough to buy a used drive off Amazon if I think it will work on my computer.

Dr Mabuse · 08-08-08, 05:29 PM

A parallel port is a printer port. You have one.

dleedlee · 08-08-08, 05:58 PM

Iomega still makes USB Zip drives. I bought a 100Mb only version at Best Buy 3 or 4 years ago. Here's one that reads 100/250Mb discs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16840107122

...100Mb only version
http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-31714-1...8232517&sr=8-1

GHackmann · 08-08-08, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgbfan

Is there any way to convert a parallel port into USB, Firewire, or something?

There are USB-to-parallel adapters, but they're designed for printers and generally don't work with other random parallel-port devices.

Iomega made native USB Zip 100 and 250 drives, and you can probably pick up a used one pretty cheap on Amazon.com or eBay. Given the choice, go with one of the Zip 100 versions, since the Zip 250 drives are slower when using them with Zip 100 disks.

The Mac formatting matters if you're trying to read your disk from a Windows PC.

Rex Fenestrarum · 08-08-08, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse

A parallel port is a printer port. You have one.

Maybe not. OEMs have been phasing them out for the past couple of years; none of the Dells I've purchased for clients have had them since sometime in 2006.

Also, he says the disks are Mac formatted, but doesn't say what kind of computer he has now. Didn't Mac drop parallel ports with the first iMacs?

mgbfan · 08-09-08, 12:37 AM

Sorry, I'm on a Windows machine now. My printer goes through USB, but I might be able to dig my old one out of the box (also a Windows unit).

Also ... if the ZIPs were Mac formatted, does that mean I won't even be able to bring them up on my PC? What if I downloaded some sort of emulator?

GHackmann · 08-09-08, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgbfan

Also ... if the ZIPs were Mac formatted, does that mean I won't even be able to bring them up on my PC? What if I downloaded some sort of emulator?

Assuming they're still Mac formatted (i.e., you didn't just buy Mac formatted disks and then reformat them to PC format), then yes, you'll need third-party software to read them on a PC. At the time, Macs used a filesystem called HFS that no version of Windows has ever been able to read out of the box.

If you know someone running Linux who'll let you borrow their computer for a bit, there's a chance their Linux distribution will include an HFS driver. There're also third-party Windows drivers and apps that let you read HFS-formatted volumes, but I don't know too much about them beyond the fact that they exist.

printerati · 08-09-08, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rex Fenestrarum

Also, he says the disks are Mac formatted, but doesn't say what kind of computer he has now. Didn't Mac drop parallel ports with the first iMacs?

Macs have never shipped with parallel ports; you had to use the SCSI Zip drives before USB came along. We still have several at work (in use, no less).

mgbfan, if it comes down to it, you can ship me the disks, and I'll be happy to copy their contents onto CD/DVD for you. I assume the files on the disks are Windows-compatible? Remember, the Mac stores file format information within the file and doesn't require an extension in the file name, which always confuses the hell out of Windows.

Alternately, maybe you could stop by your local Apple store (if you have one) and see if they can help you out with transferring them to CD/DVD.

Decadance · 08-09-08, 09:11 AM

The program Macdrive would let you read them on a PC if you end up going that route.

Jay G. · 08-09-08, 10:05 AM

I found a free open-source program for Windows that can read HFS+ and HFSX volumes:
http://hem.bredband.net/catacombae/index2.html

Doesn't look as elegant a solution as Macdrive, but hey, it's free!

GHackmann · 08-09-08, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay G.

I found a free open-source program for Windows that can read HFS+ and HFSX volumes:
http://hem.bredband.net/catacombae/index2.html

Doesn't look as elegant a solution as Macdrive, but hey, it's free!

I use and like HFSExplorer, but unfortunately AFAIK it only supports the newer HFS+ filesystem rather than the original HFS filesystem.

Jay G. · 08-09-08, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHackmann

I use and like HFSExplorer, but unfortunately AFAIK it only supports the newer HFS+ filesystem rather than the original HFS filesystem.

HFS+ was introduced in 1998 with Mac OS 8.1, so depending on what the OP was using about 10 years ago, the discs may be HFS+ instead of the much older HFS.

If it is HFS, there's another (older) Windows utility called HFVExplorer:
http://www.fenestrated.net/~macman/stuff/HFVExplorer/

It's based off of hfsutils for unix. Those command-line tools have been ported to Windows directly too:
http://www.student.nada.kth.se/~f96-bet/hfsutils/

mgbfan · 08-10-08, 12:00 AM

Hmm - not sure which I'd used. Guess that software might be worth a try. Printerati, if all else fails I might just take you up on your offer.

SterlingBen · 08-10-08, 12:04 AM

You can get one on ebay for like $10 (USB)

printerati · 08-10-08, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgbfan

Hmm - not sure which I'd used. Guess that software might be worth a try. Printerati, if all else fails I might just take you up on your offer.

Cool, let me know via PM. I'm curious to know how well the open source stuff works, in case you decide to pick up a USB Zip. If you're having trouble finding a 100 drive, you can use the 250 or 750 models to read 100 disks (and the 250 can also write to them).

mgbfan · 08-18-08, 12:48 AM

Just an update - an $11 (shipped!) USB Zip 100 drive off of Ebay and the trial version of Macdrive got the job done. Macdrive seems to freeze my computer frequently and fatally, but in between freezes, I was able to retrieve the files in question.

Thanks to all for the help!

08-08-08, 05:14 PM	#1
mgbfan DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,719	Old Iomega 100 Zip discs - anyone know how I can access them? I've got some files on IOMEGA ZIP 100 discs from like 10 years ago (Mac formatted, though I'm not sure that matters) and I find myself needing to access them. Problem is my old ZIP drive seems to be toast, and I'm not sure how I get at the files on my current computer. On Amazon, I've found drives with parallel ports, but I don't seem to have any of those. Any inspiration on how to get at these files? Is there any way to convert a parallel port into USB, Firewire, or something? I'm happy enough to buy a used drive off Amazon if I think it will work on my computer.

08-08-08, 05:29 PM	#2
Dr Mabuse DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge... Posts: 9,561	A parallel port is a printer port. You have one. __________________ "I cannot tell if what the world considers 'happiness' is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness" - Chuang-tzu

08-08-08, 05:58 PM	#3
dleedlee Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: dc-md-va Posts: 822	Iomega still makes USB Zip drives. I bought a 100Mb only version at Best Buy 3 or 4 years ago. Here's one that reads 100/250Mb discs. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16840107122 ...100Mb only version http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-31714-1...8232517&sr=8-1 Last edited by dleedlee; 08-08-08 at 06:03 PM.

08-09-08, 12:37 AM	#6
mgbfan DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,719	Sorry, I'm on a Windows machine now. My printer goes through USB, but I might be able to dig my old one out of the box (also a Windows unit). Also ... if the ZIPs were Mac formatted, does that mean I won't even be able to bring them up on my PC? What if I downloaded some sort of emulator? Last edited by mgbfan; 08-09-08 at 12:47 AM. Reason: Addition

08-09-08, 09:11 AM	#9
Decadance DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 1,038	The program Macdrive would let you read them on a PC if you end up going that route. __________________ Testing Peoples Apathy

08-09-08, 10:05 AM	#10
Jay G. DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 6,341	I found a free open-source program for Windows that can read HFS+ and HFSX volumes: http://hem.bredband.net/catacombae/index2.html Doesn't look as elegant a solution as Macdrive, but hey, it's free!

08-10-08, 12:00 AM	#13
mgbfan DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,719	Hmm - not sure which I'd used. Guess that software might be worth a try. Printerati, if all else fails I might just take you up on your offer.

08-10-08, 12:04 AM	#14
SterlingBen DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Japan Posts: 1,614	You can get one on ebay for like $10 (USB) __________________ Me On Twitter: BenCree & JapaneseBeers DVD Spending Tab 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 FlickChart

08-18-08, 12:48 AM	#16
mgbfan DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,719	Just an update - an $11 (shipped!) USB Zip 100 drive off of Ebay and the trial version of Macdrive got the job done. Macdrive seems to freeze my computer frequently and fatally, but in between freezes, I was able to retrieve the files in question. Thanks to all for the help!