Iomega representative questions accuracy of Apple TIL file on Iomega Drive Options

Last week, we mentioned an Apple TIL file describing a missing Iomega Drive Options program. The TIL file noted that you could use this application to "resolves the most common reason for the disk clicking and not mounting." [Iomega drive veterans have traditionally described this as the "Click of Death."]

Yesterday, I received an email from an Iomega Technical Support representative who challenged the accuracy of the Apple TIL file. He writes:

The clicking problem is a physical issue with some Zip drives and disk. To explain: What is happening is the heads on the drive become misaligned. In doing so, they try to seek for the directory track and "double-click." This issue affected considerably less than 1% of Zip and Jaz drives (all platforms, all interfaces). Unfortunately, a faulty drive can cause disks (Zip, less likely Jaz) to become faulty, which can, in turn, affect another drive. This is why Iomega always exchanges the drive and disks (see also this Web page).

The information contained in the TIL file is simply wrong. You can write Zip and Jaz drives without the Iomega Drive Options control panel being installed without any ill effects whatsoever.

On the Macintosh platform, not mounting is usually caused by SCSI issues. Of 18 Jaz/Zip Macintosh SCSI calls taken last week concerning not mounting, 18 were people not terminating their SCSI chain properly as enumerated in the documentation.

[Note: A previous MacFixIt report had covered the issue of Iomega Drive Options and matching drivers in the hard drive's System Folder and on disks, as regards to problems starting up from Zip cartridges. As to the Click of Death, many Zip drive users remain unhappy with Iomega's policies.]