Knowledge Base

Err Msg: "Drive Is Not Ready for Use" with Removable Media Devices

Article ID: 222871

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

This article was previously published under Q222871

SYMPTOMS

When you use removable media devices (such as the Iomega Zip drive or the Iomega Jaz drive) with Windows NT, the following error message may be displayed after startup:

The drive is not ready for use; its door may be open. Please check drive \Device\Harddisk1\Partition1 and make sure that a disk is inserted and that the drive door is closed.

NOTE: The Device, Harddisk, and Partition values may be different, based on your configuration.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because removable media can be reported as malfunctioning if a cartridge is not present in the removable media device.

When the disk controller BIOS queries a removable media device, it stores the device status information in memory. At startup, Windows NT sends a query to determine the status of devices connected to the disk controller. Depending on the firmware installed, the BIOS revision, or the characteristics of the disk controller, removable media can be reported as malfunctioning if a cartridge is not present in the removable media device.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, place a cartridge in the removable media device and restart Windows NT.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem may occur on either IDE-based or SCSI-based systems.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

171213 Copy to Removable Drive in Explorer May Fail After Media Swap

159456 Using IOMEGA Zip IDE Insider under Windows NT

Additional query words: syquest

Keywords: kbprb KB222871

Microsoft KB Archive/222871

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