How do I extract a Zip disk from an external drive with no power?

[Buckler_of_Swashing]

Greetings all,

I’m hoping that one of the many clever Dopers among you will, in a fit of resourcefulness, be able to help me with this.

I’m helping my partner clean up some of his stuff and we’ve found a forgotten external ZIP drive. That’s good.

It has no power cable. That’s bad.

But hey, it has that green disk in it! That one he lost! That one with with stuff on it! That’s good. (Peals of joyful laughter)

You need power to make it eject. That’s bad.

Between us, we have a wealth of power cables and the like. Why, with our powers combined…etc. That’s good. Ish.

None of them work. That’s bad. And in hindsight, unsurprising.

So, is there any way to extract the disk of eternal happiness from the drive of ultimate doom?

We’d really like to keep the drive intact if we could. We hope one day to light upon/begrudgingly buy a power cable for it. We have a machine with an internal drive that can read the disk if we can retrieve it, but would like to re-establish relations with the external drive, sign some treaties, stuff like that. Generally, we’re glad we found it and would like to begin using it again once we can get it powered, but for now would just really like to retrieve the disk content.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

Well, I had a zip drive fail with a disk in it, and I just grabbed the disk with a needle-nose pliers and gave it a yank.

It was later readable when the drive was again functioning.

YMMV, I don’t guarantee good results.

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

Look at the back of the drive. There should be a tiny hole somewhere. Get a straightened paper clip and stick it in the hole. This should eject your disk.

see diagram (scroll down)

I’m assuming it’s a USB drive.

[Buckler_of_Swashing]

Wow. That was uber-simple. That’s good.

Thanks heaps Mr. Blue Sky.

And Qadgop the Mercotan - you should know your suggestion was being eagerly looked forward by certain people this side of the thread.

Cheers all