Troubleshooting for Your USB Drive System

If you encounter a problem while connecting or using your Peerless™ drive system, check the topics listed below for possible solutions. For additional help options, see How to Get Help.

CAUTION! The USB Peerless Drive System is designed to the latest USB specification. However, there are some USB devices (including controller chips and hubs) currently available on the market that do not conform to the USB standard. If you experience problems after connecting the Peerless drive, your system may contain a non-compliant USB controller. Contact the manufacturer of the USB controller or your computer for possible solutions. We also recommend checking the Iomega web site (www.iomega.com) frequently for updated software and the latest information on USB.

The Peerless Icon Does Not Appear on a Mac® OS Desktop.

NOTE: A Peerless icon will only appear on your desktop if you insert a Peerless disk into the Peerless base station.

  1. If you did not reboot your computer after installing the Iomega software, do so now.

  2. Check all connections.

  3. Make sure the drive system is receiving power.

  4. Make sure you are using the USB cable that came with your Iomega drive system.

  5. Make sure the IomegaWare software is installed. The IomegaWare software package shipped with your drive system includes drivers required for Iomega USB drives. Restart after running the IomegaWare software installer.

  6. If you are connected to a USB hub, ensure the hub is connected correctly and has power.

  7. Try connecting the Iomega Peerless drive system directly to one of the USB connections on your computer, rather than a USB hub or keyboard.

  8. If the problem continues, there may be an extension conflict on your system. Please contact the Iomega web site (www.iomega.com) or refer to How to Get Help for additional troubleshooting information.


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The Iomega USB Drive System Is Not Assigned a Drive Letter under Windows.

  1. Check all connections.

  2. Make sure the drive system is receiving power.

  3. Make sure you are using the USB cable that came with your Iomega Peerless drive system.

  4. Make sure the IomegaWare software is installed. The IomegaWare software package shipped with your drive includes drivers required for Iomega USB drives.

  5. Try reinstalling the software. If you are using Windows and the Iomega software is already installed, remove it using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, restart Windows, then reinstall the software.

  6. Check to see if your USB controller is enabled and is working properly:

    Windows® 98/Me Users:

    1. Right click on the icon for My Computer and select Properties.

    2. Click the tab for Device Manager.

    3. Double click on Universal Serial Bus Controller.

    4. Universal Host Controller and USB Root Hub should be listed.

    5. If either of these has an exclamation or a red X next to it, or if the Universal Serial Bus Controller is not listed, there is a problem with the USB Controller. Call your computer manufacturer for information on getting it fixed.

  7. If you are connected to a USB hub, ensure the hub is connected correctly and has power.

  8. Try connecting the Iomega Peerless drive directly to one of the USB connections on your computer, rather than a USB hub or keyboard.

  9. Try manually assigning a drive letter to the Iomega USB drive system.

  10. Check your BIOS to ensure USB is enabled. Refer to your computer's User's Guide or manual for directions.

NOTE: If you disconnect your Iomega USB drive system and reconnect to the same USB port, the drive should be reassigned the same drive letter automatically. If you reconnect to a different USB port, you may have to manually reassign the drive letter.

If the problem continues, there may be a driver conflict on your system. Please contact the Iomega web site (www.iomega.com

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Windows 2000 Users:

  1. Check all connections.

  2. Make sure the Iomega USB drive system is receiving power.

  3. Make sure you are using the Iomega USB cable that came with your Iomega Peerless drive system.

  4. If you are connected to a USB hub, ensure the hub is connected properly and has power.

  5. Try connecting the Iomega USB drive system directly to one of the USB connections on your computer, rather than a USB hub or keyboard.

  6. Try manually assigning a drive letter to the Iomega USB drive system.

    7. NOTE: You must have administrator privileges for your local computer in order to change drive letters under Windows 2000.

    1. Select Control Panel, Administrator Tools, Computer Management, then Disk Management.

    2. Right click on the icon for the Iomega USB drive and select Change Drive Letter & Path from the shortcut menu.

    3. Click the Edit button.

    4. Click on Assign a drive letter and select the letter you want to use for your Iomega USB drive system.


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Problems accessing IomegaWare Software on my Macintosh®

Mac OS 9.0 Users

If you start your computer with a disk in an Iomega USB drive, the Apple® driver will automatically take control of that drive. The Iomega USB driver will not load and you will not have access to the IomegaWare software and tools.

Remove the disk, then disconnect and reconnect the drive to access IomegaWare tools.

Iomega USB Drive System Performance Seems Slow.

Other USB devices connected at the same time as the Iomega Peerless drive system can affect the Iomega Peerless drive system's performance, especially digital cameras or scanners that are processing large amounts of data. If you are using a hub to connect several devices to your computer, disconnect the other devices and connect the device directly to either of the computer's USB ports.

Your Iomega USB Drive System Stops Responding (Locks up), or Information Gets Lost or Corrupted While You Are Saving or Copying Files.

The problem is probably due to a non-compliant USB controller chip or other USB device on your computer system. Try the following suggestions:

  • Carefully follow the USB guidelines. They are designed to help you avoid some of the problems caused by non-compliant USB devices.

  • Upgrade your system software to Windows 98 Second Edition. This version of Windows 98 includes USB driver upgrades that fix most of the problems associated with USB controllers and motherboards.

  • If the problem still continues, you may want to upgrade the USB controller in your computer system to one that complies with the latest USB specification. In this case, contact your computer manufacturer for help.

  • Do not connect or disconnect any USB device while the Iomega USB drive system is transferring information. Data loss will result!

CAUTION! USB devices (including controller chips, hubs, cables, cards, mice, joysticks, and peripherals) that do not comply with the USB specification may cause system lockups or possible data loss when used with your Iomega USB drive system. If you are not sure that a USB device complies with the latest USB specification, contact the manufacturer of the device.


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The Iomega USB Drive System Does Not Work on an Older Laptop Computer.

Some older laptops use a USB port called an "Open Host" that is not compliant with the latest USB specification. If your laptop has an "Open Host" USB port, your Iomega USB Peerless Drive System may not be assigned a drive letter when connected to the laptop. Try following the USB guidelines. They are designed to help you avoid some of the problems caused by non-compliant USB devices. If you continue to have problems, contact the manufacturer of your laptop computer for additional information.


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