Using Iomega ATAPI Zip Drives with Windows NT

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

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.

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, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:


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/ (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.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is 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.

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