The following applies to the most versatile version of the IOmega Zip Drive only, the one to connect to the "parallel", printer port of a INTEL-CPU based, DOS driven PC.
If you follow the manual and installation guide of IOmega's Zip Drive
for parallel port connection you will not succeed easily to make it
work: the proposed procedure is done in a way that it hangs the
computer necessarily, and in case you try to install it
"permanently" - i.e. via the "Install" programm, not via the "Guest"
version - you will not even be able to restart the computer !
If you have no boot diskette then to start DOS externally, you cannot
access the computer at all...
Not a very user-friendly solution.
The reason is highly trivial but not given in the information you get from the manuals (state of available hard/software in Germany in August, 1998): Both IOmega's factory-given procedures - the permanent "install" as device driver in Config.sys, or the DOS command line loading of the "Guest.exe" TSR driver - try to install driver versions for "upper" CPU types of '486+ and their memory handling first, before proceding to try those for "lower"/older types (like the '386s and '286s). But those "higher" versions hoplessly hang the "lower" version memory management of the older PC-ATs.
So here is one procedure which works:
1. Have a DOS booting diskette at hand, and go into the BIOS setup of
your computer and change the boot sequence to first boot from
diskette - or "A:" -, then from "C:". Normally it's the other way
round, with the sequence "C:, A:" and with usually C: being the boot
partition of the hard disk.
This is a precaution measure and you might need it...
2. Make sure you have a "lastdrive=(x)" command in your Config.sys
which is at least one letter, or ASCII-no. higher than the already
installed floppy and hard disk drives.
3. Do not use the permanent "install" procedure, nor try to
install any of the device drivers in Config.sys.
4. Copy the following files from the factory delivered, normal (1.4 MB)
diskette:
Guest.exe
Guest.Ini
Aspippm1.sys
Nibble1.Ilm
Aspippm2.sys
Nibble2.Ilm
5. Edit "Guest.Ini" with a clean editor (not a "word processor"!) - in
a first run, "comment out" (i.e., place "REM " in the beginning of every line)
all lines except the one listing the driver for the
"lowest" CPU/memory architecture type, which is "Aspippm1.Sys".
6a. From the DOS command line, and in that current directory, run
"Guest.Exe" - probably it's running ok., announcing that it searches
an appropriate drive letter for the Zip Drive, finally announcing
such - note it one down then! - and exits normally.
6b. If this first trial hangs, restart the computer (this should be
possible the usual way), and re-edit "Guest.Ini", only leaving the
alternative "Aspippm2.sys" line open there. Try to re-run "Guest".
6c. One of these two variations should work to access the Zip Drive
indeed; a non-edited version of the "Guest.Ini" file with running
"Guest" though, as suggested by the printed manual and the Readme's
(and other accessible) files on the normal distribution diskette
suggest, will try to use the other drivers first and thus hang the
computer.
7. Proceed to expand the main utility file from the factory delivered
Zip Diskette now (from the relevant "...\DosStuff\" directory there);
8. Run the appropriate "OptppmX.exe" among these program files (X for
either "1" or "2", depending on which driver did work in step 6.):
this will greatly enhance performanc of the Zip Drive access indeed.
For further aspects of installation and fine tuning, the manuals do give
sufficient indications. But you will sure not need to keep all the
number of files it suggests to be located in the pertinent directory
of your hard disk - throw out everything not needed. The only
additional files (besides of "Guest.Exe", the working "aspippmX.sys",
either the "nibbleX.ilm" or "byteX.ilm", and the relevant "optppmX.*) are
"Scsiutil.Exe" and (perhaps) "Scsicopy.Exe".
Then perhaps copy all that onto one normal diskette, as a backup or
use on any other computer while travelling.
The proposed procedure has two advantages. First, it does not upset
your existing arrangement and setup, in that the "Guest" program just
adds a new drive - and drive letter - to existing ones.
(The factory proposed "install" procedure will upset the sequence of
existing drive letters, perhaps with quite some additional work
involved to change a great number of batches and program
configurations.)
Secondly, it has the additional advantage not to destroy (by
writing over) anything in the original Zip Diskette, which would be
the case if you followed the manuals' advice to run the "reclaim"
programm - that one would make it impossible to travel with the Zip
Drive and to install it on another system: sheer nonsense !
One of the big advantages of the Zip Drive is just that you can connect
to any other PC - even an Apple-Mac! -, somewhere else, and carry only
the Zip Drive, and some one or two Zip Diskettes of 100MB, for all you need
for setting up your "office" or whatsoever everywhere !
(Well, as long as you're allowed to connect to a printer port there.)
Oh yes, and if you wanted to resell the Zip Drive you will have the orignal factory Zip Diskette with all the files in unchanged condition too.
Heimo Claasen / Brussels
The editor of this web page is at: hammer@inti.be
Last updated: 15 Sep 98 (with *NO* liability for anything !!!)