• Updated 2023-07-12: Hello, Guest! Welcome back, and be sure to check out this follow-up post about our outage a week or so ago.

VST ZIP drive for 190/5300/3400/3500

AlpineRaven

Well-known member
Morning All, 
Ive received an VST Zip drive for PowerBook 3400 (which is same unit for 190/5300/3400 and 3500) The seller "said" its was last working before she sold it. 

When I put it in my 3400, it does not boot at all, only shows mouse curser and looks like it has frozen but the mouse moves.

If I put it in after Happy Mac - it does not get recognised.

I've already tested the ZIP drive in another 3400 which is pure stock/unmodified and did the same thing. What is it?

Cheers

AP

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
Dunno, but if the drive's borked, snag the Dell P/N 653NH ZIP Module and treat yourself to a 250MB replacement drive. Snag one anyway as a test/backup drive. I can't believe it might be the Apple adapter card card gone bad?

Highly recommended  .  .  .  the drive that is, not the seller, no connection there. Link's the first good deal to pop up in my search.

 

AlpineRaven

Well-known member
Dunno, but if the drive's borked, snag the Dell P/N 653NH ZIP Module and treat yourself to a 250MB replacement drive. Snag one anyway as a test/backup drive. I can't believe it might be the Apple adapter card card gone bad?

Highly recommended  .  .  .  the drive that is, not the seller, no connection there. Link's the first good deal to pop up in my search.
Ah - just swapped over the PowerBook G3 250 ZIP module over and it did the same thing, so has to be the PCB board behind the ZIP drive and PowerBook connector.

Is it possibly that 3400 is at fault or PCB board behind the ZIP drive is borked?

Cheers

AP

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
No 190 or 5300 available? Check contacts on every connector for grunge, maybe give 'em all an alcohol brushup?

Try the module/adapter w/o a drive on it?

 

Syntho

Well-known member
I need a zip 100 drive for my 3400. I see some VST zip 100 drives on Ebay but they're listed as working with a G3 powerbook. Will that work in a 3400?

 

Franklinstein

Well-known member
Ah - just swapped over the PowerBook G3 250 ZIP module over and it did the same thing, so has to be the PCB board behind the ZIP drive and PowerBook connector.

Is it possibly that 3400 is at fault or PCB board behind the ZIP drive is borked?
Check for a bent pin on the connector. Other than that, maybe the connector separated from the board?

I need a zip 100 drive for my 3400. I see some VST zip 100 drives on Ebay but they're listed as working with a G3 powerbook. Will that work in a 3400?
If it says for "G3 Series" then probably not; you want drives that say they work with the 190/5300/3400 series. "G3 Series" usually refers to the PowerBook G3 WallStreet/PDQ; later models are usually referred to as "G3 (Lombard)" or "G3 (Pismo/FireWIre)" while the term "PowerBook G3 (Original)" is for the first PBG3, the one that looks like a 3400. 

 
Top