Parallel Port Zip-Drive Problem

[UNCTUOUS]

On Win98SE bootup (with theZip-Drive plugged in) it causes the monitor to switch off (SONY G500 and ADI 21"). Monitor just sits there blank-screened with bright orange status light (should be green) and boot cycle is discontinued (cannot even get to BIOS screen). After unplugging zipdrive and zeroing out BIOS with jumper and trying other parallel port modes, interrupts and addresses, find that nothing resolves it. Zip-drive works well with other computer under Win XP. Computer prints normally via same port. Tried earlier version of Omegaware to no avail. Computer is an ABIT BX-6(II) m'board with latest bios update.

Norton Disk-Dr and WinDoctor and system File-Checker find no faults. Swapped drive lead and that made no difference either. Any ideas? ([email protected])

[FL310]

When does the boot cycle stop...is this still under BIOS startup or is it already in the Windows startup...

Did it ever work before on this computer?

Do you have drivers for Win98SE?

[UNCTUOUS]

It actually never gets to a screen of any sort so it's quite early in the piece. It must be during a BITE check of the vGA card (because that's normally the first text info to appear on screen). Instead of continuing its hardware head-count it just dies on the spot. So my theory is that instead of finding the card it's finding some sort of conflict between the VGA card and the parallel port (but strangely enough it affects both an AGP Riva TNT7700 and a PCI Matrox Millenium 11 VGA card). You hear a click in the monitors as the green light gives way to the orange status light - and the boot cycle stops, leaving you with the PS fan whirr only.

Once you remove the Zip-Drive's data-cable it is OK. The zip-drive did work in this machine, on this motherboard (and works well on other machines as well (but we don't have any other win 98 machines to try it on.

I've used the unified Omegaware software (drivers included). Version 31 and earlier v28.... Both give the same symptoms.

It's annoying because the case has no room for an internal zip drive.

[FL310]

This does not sound to be a Windows problem at all...if it stops before Windows is called to start, you are still in the BIOS mode and than it is a serious hardware / BIOS failure...check your BIOS and the requirements for your ZIP drive, the setting for the printer port (ECP etc...).
If your printer card is an add-on (a PCI or IDE card) take it out and reseat it after cleaning (dusting with brush) the contacts. Try it on another printer port. That the printer works does not necessarily confirm that the port works correctly for other peripherals.
The clicking of your monitor is the sound of a contactor which just lost power, i.e. the signal from the VGA card.

One more thing (I hear some others laughing already...) is your monitor plugged in to the power supply unit of the computer? If so, remove the cable, use another power source and start the monitor a couple of seconds before you start the computer, there is a fair chance that the power surge while starting everything up gives a break somewhere and it is very well possible that even your motherboard does not work anymore (you said the fan is the only thing working....no noise from harddrives????) and this means that the PSU does not supply power to anything, this in turn switches your monitor into standby mode and your zip drive does not work . Now you want to tell me...but the printer...well, the power consumption of the printer is by far not as high as the one from the ZIP drive (unless you are talking about a laser....).

Let us know...I guess you are running close to the maximum possible power consumption ...

[UNCTUOUS]

This does not sound to be a Windows problem at all...if it stops before Windows is called to start, you are still in the BIOS mode and than it is a serious hardware / BIOS failure...check your BIOS and the requirements for your ZIP drive, the setting for the printer port (ECP etc...). <<tried all the printer-port modes and DMA's. Switched to the other two available settings (LPT2 and 3 with different I/O and IRQ's)>>

If your printer card is an add-on (a PCI or IDE card) take it out and reseat it after cleaning (dusting with brush) the contacts. Try it on another printer port. <<<it's on the motherboard>>> That the printer works, does not necessarily confirm that the port works correctly for other peripherals.

The clicking of your monitor is the sound of a contactor which just lost power, i.e. the signal from the VGA card. <<<AGREE>>

One more thing (I hear some others laughing already...) is your monitor plugged in to the power supply unit of the computer? <<<NO, it's not>>> If so, remove the cable, use another power source and start the monitor a couple of seconds before you start the computer, there is a fair chance that the power surge while starting everything up gives a break somewhere and it is very well possible that even your motherboard does not work anymore (you said the fan is the only thing working....no noise from harddrives????<<< just the spin, no HEAD movement>>>) and this means that the PSU does not supply power to anything, this in turn switches your monitor into standby mode and your zip drive does not work . Now you want to tell me...but the printer...well, the power consumption of the printer is by far not as high as the one from the ZIP drive (unless you are talking about a laser....). <<<it is a LASER HPljet3P>>>

Let us know...I guess you are running close to the maximum possible power consumption ...<<< I guess I could confirm this by unplugging the other (scsi-2) HD. There is a CD-ROM, a CD-RW and a scsi card running a 10gb IBM HD. However the CD-rom's shouldn't be sucking power, neither should the floppy drive. Not sure whether the MSOffice new-fangled keyboard contributes to the power-drain, but the zip-drive, being via the parallel port, has its own power-supply (ICW the internal version). i.e. the power-drain of supplying data should not be too great>>>

Of course the possibility exists that the computer P/S, even though an AT in a new AT case may not be what it says it is (250W). Thanks for all your help 310, but I fear it's time to go into swap-out mode again. I just hate that.

[FL310]

one more thing...if you are starting the PC from an IDE (EIDE) drive, go into SCSI BIOS and delay spin up of SCSI drives...makes them suck power well after the intialisation of motherboard and other pieces...test the system..looks like you know what you are doing, disconnect whatever you do not need and try the zip drive, than add again...i still guess it is a power problem...:confused:

forgot something, if you have a lot of USB devices connected, just disconnect them and tell us more...

[stagger]

Think I might have heard of this problem before.

Quick question - you say the zip drive has its own power supply...

Does this failure to boot only occur when the zip drive is connected to the parallel port and powered up?

If so, can you start the boot process with the zip drive connected but powered off, then power up the zip drive just after the POST checks and just before Windows starts to load? This way you'll get the drivers loaded.

I know this wouldn't be an ideal solution but if it works it'll help locate the problem.

[UNCTUOUS]

Thanks. I'll try these suggestions and report further. Slight pause in the proceedings because wifey has taken her computer back and pronounced me incompetent. She plans to fetch local yokel to show me the error of my ways.

So after short hiatus I will attempt miraculous fix.:(