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"Which SyQuest Should I Buy?" FAQ Part III of IV -- Troubleshooting • To read this page OFFLINE: (In your browser, in its formatted style...) Save As or export as "source" format. Then "open file" within your browser software offline. • To PRINT this page from your browser: We recommend an 80% reduction to easily fit standard 8.5 x 11" page width. For technical support, please contact SyQuest (not me). SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part I of IV -- Initial Buying Questions SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part II of IV -- Entry-Level & IGB Removables SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part III of IV -- Troubleshooting SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part IV of IV -- Contacting SyQuest As a great defender of SQ technology with many drives (over fifty 44s and fifty 200s) and over a thousand cartridges, I see the same questions asked repeatedly. I do not work for SyQuest Technology. This document is an independent publication. (Before you write to me, please realize that I am a Macintosh SCSI systems person and have little PC experience.) 2009 UPDATE: If you need help converting your data from a SyQuest or Iomega cartridge, please visit http://mullermedia.com/ Need help with a problem? Cartridge won't mount on your Mac's desktop? "Data Recovery?" Data (SCSI) Errors Physical drive not starting, spinning up or mounting correctly? SyQuest & WIN95 Compatability Backup apps that support SyQuest?" Need help with a problem? Who's brand of SyQuest drive do you have? (PLI, MicroNet, APS, Doug'sDumpyDrives, etc.) Contact them! Always contact your drive's vendor for support and/or a new driver. If no luck, then try SyQuest tech support. If you have a SyDos drive, you need to contact SyQuest directly (SyDos is the only "brand" that SyQuest sells directly to consumers, otherwise, all other drives are sold through various third party vendors). Cartridge won't mount on your Mac's desktop? On a Macintosh, the drivers that mount volumes (hard drives, removable drives, etc.) must now be "SCSI Manager 4.3 compliant." Go to the SCSI Manager 4.3 article to read more details. Data Recovery? If you need data recovery from a bad disk, I highly recommend Total Recall at 1-800-743-0594. They have the ability to search the B'Tree for data whereas most/all user level recovery software only goes to A'Tree directories. Data (SCSI) Errors When trying to back up large quantities of data across drives, if you sometimes lock up or get a disk error, this normally signifies a SCSI cabling or termination problem. From Charles McConathy, "Sounds like termination issue when a computer hangs on a copy. Try adding an active terminator, changing cables, or if the bus is longer than 10 feet add a second terminator in the middle." (Don't forget to count the flat ribbon cable inside the box when calculating cable length. I use one foot as a good round off.) Kass' advice is to... Get good cables. Hi-quality (expen$ive), double-shielded. Keep the same brand of cables throughout your entire SCSI chain (don't mix and match). Never kink, fold, twist or compress SCSI cables, you will ruin them and they will, in turn, ruin your data transmissions. Get active terminators (they are smart enough to 'see' where, when and how much termination is necessary.) Active Terminators and hi-quality cables are available from Granite/Reflex Technology 510-471-6112 or APS (1-800-947-8591) has their own version of active terminators also. Since I started using newer Macintoshes which support SCSI2, they have become more sensitive to termination and power fluctuations. I had no luck with my older cables (which worked fine on my older Mac), I switched over to hi-quality cables/active termination and suddenly found relief! Physical drive not starting, spinning up or mounting correctly? Check your drive's manual. Many have the diagnostic chart of light errors. Those lights on the front of a 5.25" drive blink in a specific order for different errors (many folks don't realize that). I assume you have tried another cartridge?! For those who can browse tables, here are the error tables for the 5.25" drives. There are no error tables for 3.5" drives, as those have to be diagnosed at the vendor with a firmware diagnostic routine. SyQuest & WIN95 Compatability I am not a PC user, but I hope the following may help you. The "hold" recording on SyQuest's Tech Support line (1-800-249-2440) states that "SyQuest Drives are usable with Windows 95. Instructions are contained within faxback documents. IDE owners should ask for document #2007. SCSI owners ask for document #2008." More info on how to get to their faxback system is at this phone number. Backup apps that support SyQuest? I don't know which backup apps support SyQuest, but I have heard that auto backup routines may not be compatible because of the several-step eject, insert routines. I do not use auto backup apps myself, so don't know the answer. Related original articles on this site... SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part I of IV -- Initial Buying Questions SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part II of IV -- Entry-Level & IGB Removables SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part III of IV -- Troubleshooting SyQuest Buying FAQ: Part IV of IV -- Contacting SyQuest SyQuest 5.25" Drive Error Tables Iomega's Zip versus SyQuest's EZ135 Comparison Article (28k html) SCSI Manager 4.3 & Mounting Removables (17k html) © Copyright 1996-2001 by Kass Johns, all rights reserved world wide. The opinions and recommendations stated here are solely those of the author and are not the responsibility of anyone else. This is an independent publication not affiliated or otherwise associated with, sponsored by, or sanctioned by any vendor. We state here that we have used trademark names in this publication for editorial purposes only, with no intent to infringe on those trademarks. Permission is granted to copy this document for personal use only for *non-commercial* purposes, in electronic or printed form, provided that this copyright notice is not removed. This work may not be used on another Web site or online service, sold for profit, included within commercial works, or altered or changed in any way without the express written permission of the author.