How to use an ATAPI Zip or SuperDisk Drive as the boot device

by Grace Nelson.
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To configure your system to boot from an ATAPI Zip Drive or SuperDisk Drive, take the following steps:

Restart the system and enter BIOS Setup (usually by pressing F1, F2, or the Delete key while the BIOS boot screen is visible).

Verify that your high-capacity FDD is displayed as a connected device in the IDE configuration section. Most recent motherboards list the drive by name, but some older motherboards may list it only as an ATAPI device.

In BIOS Setup, locate the Boot Sequence setting (probably in the BIOS Features or Advanced Settings section) and view the available options. If an option corresponds directly to your drive (e.g., "SuperDisk Drive" or "LS-120" for the SuperDisk Drive or "Zip Drive" for the Zip Drive), set the first boot device to that option. If the BIOS provides a named boot option only for the Zip Drive but you have a SuperDisk Drive (or vice versa), try lying to the BIOS. We've never done that, but some readers have reported success using that method.

If neither drive is listed by name, but the BIOS offers an option such as "ATAPI Device/Drive," "Floptical Drive," "Removable Device/Drive," or "UHD Floppy," set the first boot device to that option. If none of these options appears, your motherboard probably does not support booting from a high-capacity FDD. Check the motherboard maker's web site for a BIOS update. Downloading and installing that update may add extended boot support to your motherboard.

After you configure Boot Sequence to use the high-capacity FDD as the first boot device, use BIOS Setup to disable the embedded FDD controller and to set Floppy Drive A: and Floppy Drive B: to "Not Installed." Save all changes and power down the system.

Insert a blank formatted disk in the drive and use the appropriate operating system commands to transfer system files to the disk and make it bootable. For a Zip Drive, you must use a Zip disk. For a SuperDisk Drive, you may use either a standard 3.5-inch 1.44 MB floppy diskette or a SuperDisk disk. Restart the system with the bootable disk in the drive. The system should boot normally to the FDD. If it doesn't, recheck your BIOS Setup configuration. Once you have verified that the system boots properly from the FDD, don't forget to restart the system and use BIOS Setup to change the boot order if you prefer to use something other than the FDD as the primary boot device.

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