On Thursday, August 26, 1999 4:43 PM, Thursday, August 26, 1999 4:43 PM
Timothy B. Schryer <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

I have a zip drive and would like to know about this "click of death" to
which you refer.  I haven't had a problem so far but that sounds pretty
fatal!  Would someone please educate me?  Thanks in advance.
  ...have been one that has had the misfortune of losing data due to the
infamous
  Click of Death on a Zip drive and a totally failed jaz drive.

Timothy --  The "Click of death" refers to a "clicking" problem in certain
Zip and Zip Plus drives.  Users report data loss and a repetitious clicking
noise, after which the drive will no longer function (thus, this problem was
dubbed the "Click of death" by some user).    Iomega has a document on their
homepage documenting this issue here.  Iomega Corporation's take on this
issue is as
follows: "A number of Iomega's customers call from time to time describing a
'clicking' sound emanating from their Zip drive, which can be a symptom of a
variety of problems in Zip drives, as well as in other kinds of drive
products in general," the statement read. "Iomega continually works with its
customers to resolve the particular problems they are experiencing. Iomega
also continually evaluates its
own product testing data to ensure the highest quality standards."

-- Iomega Corporation
A source who has identified himself as a former Iomega technician has said
the clicking sound is caused by the read/write head bumping against its
movement stops--bumpers that keep the head within its intended range--while
searching for and not finding track 0 on the Zip disk. When the "click of
death" problem happens, the read/write head fails to find that track, which
contains vital directory information, because the head has become
misaligned. "I don't think the drives are faulty in any way," he said,
noting that he had just authorized the purchase of 50 Zip drives for the
company where he is currently employed.  The source said he also had
encountered a related problem reported in newsgroups: a domino effect in
which misaligned heads damage disks, which in turn misalign heads of other
drives, which then damage more disks.  "It's fairly rare," he said. "But it
does happen."

Iomega's Official Response to COD
We are concerned about the problem that you are having with your Zip Drive.
Please contact our Technical Support so that they may diagnose your
troubles. They can be reached at (888) 446-6342 from 6am to 9pm MST.

Our RMA Department is available from 6am to 6pm MST to set up any
replacement or repair services that you may need. They also have information
on "out of warranty" and "data recovery" services that we have available.

You may also contact our Corporate Offices to discuss any questions or
concerns that you may have. We are always alert to constructive criticism,
for we appreciate the enviable reputation that our brand names enjoy in the
market place.

Our goal is to delight our customers every time they touch Iomega. Please
give us the chance to "delight" you.

Gina Pales
Customer Service
Iomega Corporation

What Can I Do To Prevent The "Click of Death" From Affecting My Zip Drive?

If you have not experienced any physical clicking problems with your Zip
drive, then chances are that you have a perfectly fine working Zip drive.
The "Click of death" can afflict drives which were once working perfectly
fine though if you do not take proper care of your Zip drive.  To see if you
are experiencing COD, refer to this Iomega document:
http://www.iomega.com/support/documents/2135.html If you are having this
problem with your Zip drive, fill out this RMA form on Iomega's web site:
http://www.iomega.com/support/documents/101.html or call 1-800-4-IOMEGA.
You will NOT be charged for the phone call if you are experiencing a product
defect. Here are some common sense steps you can take to ensure the proper
functioning of your Zip drive:

1) Always carry your Zip drive in a protective case or use some sort of
cushioning when transporting the drive.  If not, the drive heads could
easily
become misaligned.  The Zip drive is meant to be portable, but leaving it
naked
on top of the passenger's seat in your car isn't a great idea.

2) Always keep Zip disks in their plastic case when not in use.   Don't use
excessive force when inserting disks.  Bad disks can misalign Zip drive
heads.

3) Don't move the Zip drive around while the drive is accessing information
on
the Zip disk.

Info may be a "little" dated, however, this describes the problem and
further info can be obtained from:  http://www.juip.com/software.shtml.
HTH.  :-)

Walter R. Worth

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