The Iomega REV Drive Strikes Again: A Classic Tech Support Mystery Unraveled
If you worked in IT in the early 2000s, you’ll remember a time when storage solutions were a wild west of questionable hardware and “innovative” disasters. But few devices have earned such infamy as the Iomega REV drive—a “super ZIP drive,” but in the worst possible sense. If you’ve ever heard the dreaded “Click of Death,” this story is going to hit you right in the nostalgia (and maybe your trauma, too).
Today’s tale, straight from the trenches of r/TalesFromTechSupport, is a reminder that sometimes the simplest answer (and the most notorious hardware) really is the culprit, no matter how much finger-pointing happens along the way.
The Scene: Healthcare IT, Print Wars, and a Mysterious Server Freeze
It all began in 2004, at a healthcare facility with a not-so-cutting-edge server and an internal IDE Iomega REV drive. The IT crew had inherited this setup from a previous provider, and things mostly worked—except for the occasional server freeze that sent staff scrambling to reboot during the busiest hours. Enter David (not his real name), a diligent but emotionally-invested technician who took every client choice to heart.
David’s pride took a hit when the customer chose a managed copier company over his carefully-crafted Lexmark MFP solution. So, when server freezes started happening after the new printers were installed, he saw red—and saw the print drivers as the obvious villain. David launched a crusade against the copier company, convinced their drivers were crashing the server, leading to a tense, finger-pointing conference room showdown.
One commenter, u/that_one_wierd_guy, summed up David’s tunnel vision: “dead certain that the wrong thing was the problem… that’s not tracking chief.” The community universally recognized the archetype—a tech who’s sure of their theory, evidence be damned.
The Real Culprit: Iomega’s Not-So-Glorious Legacy
While David was busy blaming printers, the real trouble was lurking inside the server: the infamous Iomega REV drive. If the term “Click of Death” sends a chill down your spine, you’re not alone. As u/dog2k reminisced, “it was a literal game changer until they started dying, then in 6 months everyone I knew had shelved or binned theirs.” Even the original poster, u/OinkyConfidence, admitted: “Right? It seems straightforward now, but back then, I think everyone thought it was cutting-edge tech!”
When the server was finally replaced—and the mysterious freezes evaporated despite reinstalling the same copier drivers—the truth started to emerge. The OP, ever the curious tech, set up the old server in a test room, fired it up, and watched as the REV drive clattered, froze the interface, and locked up the entire server bus. Wait long enough, and the server would recover, but by then, the damage to workflow (and David’s reputation) was done.
The community couldn’t help but chime in with their own war stories. As u/himitsumono asked, “Did anyone ever own an Iomega drive of any sort and not experience the Click Of Death at some point?” The answer, judging by the chorus of groans and flashbacks, was a resounding no. Users recalled data loss, bad backups, and “trauma flashback moments” (thanks, u/HurryAcceptable9242).
Nostalgia, Nightmares, and Lessons Learned
Why did so many of us fall for Iomega’s promise? Back then, external and removable storage felt revolutionary. But as u/Exodus2791 pointed out, computer labs quickly swapped out failed Zip drives for trusty old floppies after “near 100% failure rate.” Others, like u/Psdyekick, remembered chaos from installers using whichever disk root they felt like—sometimes causing more problems than they solved.
And then there was the sheer terror of the “Click of Death.” As u/concordchris so succinctly put it: “IOMEGA, click, click, click… IOMEGA, click, click… etc…” The sound is etched into every tech’s memory, a Pavlovian trigger for panic about lost backups and irreplaceable files.
Yet, as much as these stories make us laugh (or shudder), there’s a lesson here. As the OP reflected in the comments, even bright, passionate techs like David can get tunnel vision. The community’s verdict? Empathy, patience, and a willingness to question your assumptions are just as important as technical know-how. As u/Glowing_Trash_Panda asked, “Did David ever learn to stop being an asshat?” The OP offered a gentle epilogue: David eventually left, unable to handle the emotional toll, but was “a very bright, smart individual” who hopefully found his way.
The Takeaway: It’s Always the Iomega Drive (Until It Isn’t)
In the world of tech support, sometimes the problem really is the most infamous piece of hardware in the room. The next time you’re tempted to blame someone else’s drivers, remember: listen to the hardware, trust your instincts, and never underestimate the power of a bad Iomega drive to ruin your day.
Have your own “Click of Death” horror story? Or maybe a time you were certain the problem was one thing, only to be proven hilariously wrong? Share your tales in the comments below—and don’t forget to back up your backups. You never know when a relic from the past might come clicking back into your life!
Original Reddit Post: It was the Iomega drive after all - it's always the Iomega drive!