[ale] Q: Zipdisk won't eject @#$!! disk

[jmills at jmills.gtri.gatech.edu (John M. Mills)]

I have an IDE Iomega zip100 drive, and it refuses to spit out the *(@#!!
disks.  Pushing the button gets no result.  Console command no better:

# eject zip
eject: inquiry ioctl error: I/O error
eject: CDROMEJECT ioctl failed for `/dev/hdc4': I/O error

or:
# eject hdc
eject: inquiry ioctl error: I/O error
eject: CDROMEJECT ioctl failed for `/dev/hdc': I/O error

Maybe duct tape _is_ the answer.  FWIW: 2.0.33 kernel, IDE floppy built
OK, transfers seem to go OK, drive is on its side (button downward), I'm
tired of rebooting my system into windows (won't turn loose till Win is
running) just to change the zip disk.

Suggestions?  Things to look for?

TIA

  John M. Mills, Senior Research Engineer -- john.mills at gtri.gatech.edu
  Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332-0834
         Phone contacts: 404.894.0151 (voice), 404.894.6285 (FAX)
             "Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics, and Simulations"