Iomega Zip drive

a) There were several external Iomega Zip drives. Zip 100 was one of them, and it came in a number of variants (connection via SCSI, USB, or parallel). To begin with, please provide information about the exact Zip drive model.

b) Is the iMac 21.5" 4K (model year?) running macOS 10.15 the computer that you want to use for reading files?

c) Do you have access to an older Mac as well? If so, which model? Any other computer?

d) What about the Zip disks; where and in what format were they written?

Hello,

Thank you for the information.

The Zip 100 Plus was able to use a SCSI or parallel connection. Unfortunately, the other computers mentioned do not have suitable ports (unless the PowerPC G4 is a Power Macintosh model with a SCSI card).

One way would be to look for a USB Zip 100 (although the prices are relatively high at online auction sites), and connect that drive to one of the more modern Macs. I do not know whether it would work with the current iMac, but it should probably be OK with at least one of the other two machines (drivers may or may not have to be added).

Otherwise, you could perhaps ask someone with an old PC for help. It should be possible to connect the Zip 100 Plus to a parallel port (using the proper cable and drivers). However, the PC would also need a Mac-disk utility (such as MacDrive or TransMac) in order to read the Mac-formatted Zip disks. From there, depending on the PC model, files could be burned to a CD, copied to a USB flash drive, or transferred to one of your Macs via a network.

Once you have chosen a solution, do not hesitate to post back. If necessary, we may be able to help you locate drivers, et cetera.

Addendum

... and I have to assume that the old PowerBook G3 is not available any more.