Using Iomega ATAPI Zip Drives with Windows NT

ID: Q154094

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

SYMPTOMS

Windows NT cannot access the disk in the ATAPI version of an Iomega Zip drive.

CAUSE

Windows NT identifies the ATAPI version of the Iomega Zip drive as a floppy disk drive and assigns it the first available floppy disk drive letter (usually B). This problem does not occur with the IDE version of the Iomega Zip drive as Windows NT properly identifies it.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

For your convenience, the English version of this post-SP3 hotfix has been posted to the following Internet location. However, Microsoft recommends that you install Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 to correct this problem.

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/ hotfixes-postSP3/zip-fix/

NOTE: The above link is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

The simplest way to tell the difference between the IDE and ATAPI versions of the Zip drive is the fact that the IDE version works under Windows NT, while the ATAPI version does not work without the hotfix. You can also determine the type of Zip drive by examining the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\Scsi\ScsiPort0\ScsiBus0 \Target ID X\Logical Unit ID 0

NOTE: The Target ID is 1 or 2 for devices on the primary EIDE channel and 3 or 4 for devices on the secondary EIDE channel.

In this key you see an Identifier value which includes information on the device such as the manufacturer, model number, and firmware revision. IDE and ATAPI Zip drives have identical information in this value except the firmware revision has a different format depending on the drive type:

The ATAPI drive firmware appears in the following format (note that the letter follows the number):

IOMEGA ZIP 100 23.D

The IDE firmware number has the opposite format (note that the letter precedes the number):

IOMEGA ZIP 100 B.29

Keywords : kbfile kbhw NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 ntdriver nthw kbfix4.00.sp4 NTSrvWkst
Version : WinNT:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug