Tech Tip: Improve ZIP drive performance in Windows XP

by Guest Contributor | Jul 29, 2004 5:44:00 PM

Tags: Guest Contributor, Windows XP Tips Newsletter

Takeaway: Follow these steps to improve ZIP drive performance.

Are you using a ZIP drive that's connected to your Windows XP system via a USB port? If so, you may have noticed that it's a bit sluggish when transferring large groups of files to or from your hard disk.

To improve performance, you can change the default Optimize For Quick Removal setting to the Optimize For Performance setting. Follow these steps:

1. Press [Windows]E to open My Computer.
2. Right-click the ZIP drive icon, and select Properties.
3. Select the Hardware tab in the Properties dialog box.
4. Select the ZIP drive in the All Disk Drives panel (if it's not already selected), and click the Properties button.
5. Select the Policies tab in the Device Properties dialog box.
6. Select the Optimize For Performance radio button.
7. Click OK twice to close both dialog boxes.

Here's something to keep in mind: While this process helps improve disk performance by enabling write caching on the ZIP drive, it also means that you must use the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar notification area in order to disconnect the drive from the computer.