my mpc 3000 wont recognize my external zip250???!!!

i have just temporarily traded my 2000 for a 3000, and am trying to hook up my zip250, but i wont recognize the drive. ive tryed a couple 100mb disks, and tryed ports 5, 6, and auto, and nothing seems to work. does the mpc 3000 only work with zip100 drives?

First. The ZIP250 must be a SCSI type.

Second. The MPC3000 will only see disks that have been formatted by:

1: An MPC60 ( any os ).
2: An MPC3000 ( any os ).
3: The Midicase MPC Editor ( windows ).

Third. ZIP250 drives have trouble formatting 100 meg disks.

Download OS 3.14 from www.mpc3000.com ...

Use the "FAST" format option to format your zip carts.

Using the "SLOW" format option will cause the ZIP250 to have a cow if a 100 meg cart is installed.

Your MPC3000 should now deal with the disks.

Rohan.

mpc3000le wrote:First. The ZIP250 must be a SCSI type.

Second. The MPC3000 will only see disks that have been formatted by:

1: An MPC60 ( any os ).
2: An MPC3000 ( any os ).
3: The Midicase MPC Editor ( windows ).

Third. ZIP250 drives have trouble formatting 100 meg disks.

Download OS 3.14 from www.mpc3000.com ...

Use the "FAST" format option to format your zip carts.

Using the "SLOW" format option will cause the ZIP250 to have a cow if a 100 meg cart is installed.

Your MPC3000 should now deal with the disks.

Rohan.

Or... If you have version 3.11 already installed, you can do the following:

1. Hit the 'Disk' button and select option 0.

2. Select the 'Format SCSI Disk' option

3. Hit SOFTKEY 1 to go to the next page

4. Now you should see <FORMAT> right above SOFTKEY1.. DON"T PRESS IT!!!!! Instead press SOFTKEY 2, and you will be taken to the partitioning screen, that normally comes up after you've formatted the disk.

5. Select the number of partitions you want to use and the size of each partition.

The MPC3k will now do a "Soft Format" and partition the ZIP disk. You'll be good to go after that.

I had the same problem about two months ago, and found this method completely by accident. Let us know how it works out.

peace

="redgreenz"
Or... If you have version 3.11 already installed, you can do the following:

1. Hit the 'Disk' button and select option 0.
2. Select the 'Format SCSI Disk' option
3. Hit SOFTKEY 1 to go to the next page
4. Now you should see <FORMAT> right above SOFTKEY1.. DON"T PRESS IT!!!!! Instead press SOFTKEY 2, and you will be taken to the partitioning screen, that normally comes up after you've formatted the disk.
5. Select the number of partitions you want to use and the size of each partition.
The MPC3k will now do a "Soft Format" and partition the ZIP disk. You'll be good to go after that.
I had the same problem about two months ago, and found this method completely by accident. Let us know how it works out.
peace

The "SOFT FORMAT" function was never meant to be in version 3.11 or 3.12 ... ( or previous versions for that matter ).

The original programming team left the "button" active by mistake.

3.14 includes the additional code required to make the soft format function work correctly and re-set the disk system.

Although the function may work in 3.11/3.12 you will use it at your own risk.

Rohan.

The "SOFT FORMAT" function was never meant to be in version 3.11 or 3.12 ... ( or previous versions for that matter ).

The original programming team left the "button" active by mistake.

3.14 includes the additional code required to make the soft format function work correctly and re-set the disk system.

Although the function may work in 3.11/3.12 you will use it at your own risk.

Rohan.

I've been using it for a little over a month now, and haven't had any problems whatsoever. But I hear ya fu sho on the "use at your own riski" clause.

peace

redgreenz wrote:

mpc3000le wrote:First. The ZIP250 must be a SCSI type.

Second. The MPC3000 will only see disks that have been formatted by:

1: An MPC60 ( any os ).
2: An MPC3000 ( any os ).
3: The Midicase MPC Editor ( windows ).

Third. ZIP250 drives have trouble formatting 100 meg disks.

Download OS 3.14 from www.mpc3000.com ...

Use the "FAST" format option to format your zip carts.

Using the "SLOW" format option will cause the ZIP250 to have a cow if a 100 meg cart is installed.

Your MPC3000 should now deal with the disks.

Rohan.

Or... If you have version 3.11 already installed, you can do the following:

1. Hit the 'Disk' button and select option 0.

2. Select the 'Format SCSI Disk' option

3. Hit SOFTKEY 1 to go to the next page

4. Now you should see <FORMAT> right above SOFTKEY1.. DON"T PRESS IT!!!!! Instead press SOFTKEY 2, and you will be taken to the partitioning screen, that normally comes up after you've formatted the disk.

5. Select the number of partitions you want to use and the size of each partition.

The MPC3k will now do a "Soft Format" and partition the ZIP disk. You'll be good to go after that.

I had the same problem about two months ago, and found this method completely by accident. Let us know how it works out.

peace

had to go to option 9 cause there was no option 0 yet, then i chose the partition option then softkey 2, FINALLY!!! i got a proper response from the zipdrive. thankyou

No problem. It can get frustrating after several tries. I use an external zip250 with my 3000, but I am in the process of gettin a 100mb external for testing purposes. Basically, I'm trying to find out if using a zip100 cartridge in a zip100 drive, will solve the formatting/partitioning issues, that seem to show up when using a zip250 drive with a 100mb cartridge.

peace

"the formatting/partitioning issues, that seem to show up when using a zip250 drive with a 100mb cartridge. "

Rohan already mentioned:

"ZIP250 drives have trouble formatting 100 meg disks."

This has to do with the Zip drive itself, nothing to do with the MPC.

That's what I figured in the first place, however, I thought that I would test it out first. Seeing as though I have a 100mb zip drive on the way to me, I think I'll use it with my MP instead of the zip250. Thanks for the reminder MPC3000.

peace

ive used a 2000 for 5 years with a 250 drive, using 100 disks, and never had any problems formating. im not too sure i like the partition thing on the 3000, is there any way around that? or is that a 3000 standard?

rob6king wrote:ive used a 2000 for 5 years with a 250 drive, using 100 disks, and never had any problems formating. im not too sure i like the partition thing on the 3000, is there any way around that? or is that a 3000 standard?

An MPC2000/2000XL from what I have tested "only" partitions or "soft formats" the drive. No low level disk format operation is performed.

Many reasons for this.

An MPC3000 and MPC60 when formatting the usual way, low level format a connected external drive by issuing an appropriate command over the SCSI bus. Once the drive has returned from this process when completed; the partition, soft format or high level format process is carried out.

Note this FACT from IOMEGA.

"ZIP250 drives will not initialise a ZIP100 cart with a low level format command."

ZIP250 drive also came out after MPC3000/MPC60 machines were in the market place.

These above reasons are possibly why certain post MPC3000 model MPC units only have a soft or high level format option.

Rohan.

PS: You will note if you're a MAC user that the ability to low level format a hard drive was removed from drive setup routines in recent OS versions. This ZIP250 drive/ZIP100 cart low level format issue being one of many reasons for doing so. IE: Certain MPC models are not the only thing affected.

I love how mysterious things get dispelled when Rohan and Mike step up, most places we wouldn't get this kind of info for real.

props and Thanks guys.

"These above reasons are possibly why certain post MPC3000 model MPC units only have a soft or high level format option. "

Format 100 in 250 drive issue is not restricted to MPC's. The same holds true for some of the Akai S-series, E-mu ESI's and Ensoniq ASR-10.
Generally anything that performs a low level format.