Another form of data back-up is a CD-R / CD-RW burner drive that you can burn many mega-bites of data on discs that run about $1.00 or less a piece.
There are also external (or removable) hard drives that are more expensive, but can have your data downloaded on to and then disconnected from the computer to isolate it.
Just a suggestion.
Iomega products are (ahem) extremely unreliable. I will never purchase another. I have had click-of-death with both Zip and Jaz Drives. The company I work for is abandoning all Iomega products for DVDs. At home, I had to work through four separate and distinct product returns before I got a functioning drive--and had to write the president of the company twice. Here are the letters I sent to Iomega:
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May 17, 2000
Mr. Bruce R. Albertson
President
Iomega Corporation
1821 West Iomega Way
Roy, Utah 84067
Dear Mr. Albertson:
I am enclosing an e-mail thread I have had with your technical support department concerning serious problems I am having with a 2-Gigabyte JAZ drive and cartridges.
Evidently, I offended your technical support people by mentioning “JAZ”, “Click of Death”, and “Gibson Research”. I consulted both Iomega and Gibson as I strove to resolve my problems. As you will note from the e-mail, I have made a determined effort to solve the problem myself. I performed all of the tests and procedures suggested by BOTH Iomega and Gibson, and have now invested many hours—including most of a Saturday—on this problem.
As of now, I am certain that either the JAZ drive itself is defective or that all three brand-new JAZ cartridges I recently purchased are defective—possibly both. I have been a loyal customer and user of Iomega products for years. I own a JAZ and two Zips, and use both a JAZ and Zip at work.
I am a very knowledgeable user. I program in many languages, including Assembly language. I have written and sold commercial software in the area of computer graphics. I am a past president and newsletter editor of my company computer club. My employer is {bleep}, and I am considered an expert on the subject of PCs and peripherals by everyone there—from the Division president down. I am telling you this because my opinion carries some weight with over 5,700 people. After my experience with the JAZ drive and media and your technical support department, I will no longer recommend your products. In fact I will actively work to make certain that as many people as possible hear about this matter. In my opinion, the support I have received is shameful.
I have already invested too much time and effort upon resolving what should be a reasonably straightforward matter. So I am requesting once again that you provide some means of resolving it. Ideally I would like an RMA and a replacement JAZ, and/or replacements for the 3-pack of JAZ disks that appear to be part of the problem.
Thank you for your time.
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May 27, 2000
Mr. Bruce R. Albertson
President
Iomega Corporation
1821 West Iomega Way
Roy, Utah 84067
Dear Mr. Albertson:
I wrote you recently about problems I was having with Iomega’s technical support. Soon after I wrote, I received an RMA for my defective JAZ drive (RMA 6393610). I received a “remanufactured” replacement JAZ drive and an apology from one of your staff.
Unfortunately, the replacement drive issued under RMA # 693610 is also defective. The drive rejects every JAZ cartridge inserted into it. I examined the drive and heard a rattling noise inside. Tilting the drive with the door open caused a small metal part to fall out, which upon inspection appears to be a part of the drive hub. I have saved the part and affixed it to the outside of defective replacement drive with scotch tape.
Please arrange yet another RMA for the defective replacement drive, which has serial number X13V330135.
In this case, I would certainly like the replacement for the replacement to be a brand-new (not remanufactured) drive, one that works (assuming that your company is capable of making such a product).
One more thing: the replacement was issued as a “hot swap”, which means that Iomega has my credit card number. I have no intention of returning either the original defective drive OR the defective replacement drive until I receive one that works. Please DO NOT charge my credit card, which I provided in order to obtain the hot-swap.