<PAGE>
 
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 21, 1997

                                                  Registration No. _____________


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                           __________________________

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                           __________________________

                            SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                            ------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        DELAWARE                                    94-2793941
---------------------------              --------------------------------
  (State of incorporation)               (IRS Employer identification No.)


                             47071 Bayside Parkway
                           Fremont, California 94538
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
                           __________________________

                             1991 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)
                           __________________________

                                Edwin L. Harper,
                     Chief Executive Officer and President
                            SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                             47071 Bayside Parkway
                           Fremont, California 94538
                                 (510) 226-4000
           (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
                           __________________________

                                   Copies to:

                              M. Greg Allio, Esq.
                           Christina M. O'Brien, Esq.
                        SHARTSIS, FRIESE & GINSBURG, LLP
                         One Maritime Plaza, 18th Floor
                        San Francisco, California 94111
<PAGE>
 
                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          Proposed
    Title of             Amount to        Maximum         Proposed Maximum
 Securities To Be           be         Offering Price    Aggregate Offering         Amount of
   Registered           Registered     Per Share (1)           Price             Registration Fee
--------------------    -----------    --------------    -------------------     ----------------
<S>                     <C>            <C>               <C>                     <C>
Common Stock,            1,571,476      $3.2815           $5,156,798.40           $1,562.67
 $.001 par value,
 issuable upon
 exercise of
 options under
 1991 Stock
 Option Plan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

     (1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
accordance with Rules 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act of 1933, based
upon the average of the high and low prices reported in the Nasdaq National
Market on January 15, 1997.

                             --------------------

     The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statements on Forms S-8 (File
Nos. 33-46460 and 33-99224) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 18, 1992 and November 15, 1995, respectively, are incorporated herein
by reference.

     This Registration Statement covers 1,571,476 shares of the Registrant's
Common Stock authorized to be issued under the Registrant's 1991 Stock Option
Plan pursuant to an amendment to such Plan.  The Registrant previously
registered an aggregate of 3,365,863 shares on its Registration Statement on
Form S-8 (File No. 33-46460) as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 18, 1992, and an aggregate of 1,025,000 shares on its
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 33-99224) as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 1995.  Pursuant to Rule 429,
the Prospectus relating to the shares registered on this Registration Statement
also relates to the 3,365,863 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock registered
on Registration Statement No. 33-46460 and the 1,025,000 shares of the
Registrant's Common Stock registered on Registration Statement No. 33-99224.

                                      ii
<PAGE>
 
                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

     The following documents previously filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the
"Exchange Act") are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement:

     a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 1996, including all documents incorporated by reference into such
filing.

     b)  The Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated October 31, 1996, as
amended, November 11, 1996, November 25, 1996, December 2, 1996, and December
30, 1996.

     c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of
the Exchange Act.

     All documents subsequently filed by Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the
Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this
Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered by this
Registration Statement have been sold or that deregisters all such securities
then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the
respective dates of the filing of such documents with the Securities and
Exchange Commission until the information contained therein is superseded or
updated by any subsequently-filed document that is or is deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

     4.1  SyQuest Technology, Inc. 1991 Stock Option Plan (including Forms of
          Stock Option Grant and Stock Option Exercise Agreement), as amended.

     5.1  Opinion of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP.

    23.1  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors.

    23.2  Consent of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP (reference is made to
          Exhibit 5.1).

    24.1  Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors (reference is
          made to page II-2).

                                      II-1
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Fremont, State of California, on January 21, 1997.

                                           SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                                           (Registrant)
 
 
                                           By:  /s/ Edwin L. Harper
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                Edwin L. Harper,
                                                Chief Executive Officer and 
                                                President

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

          KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Edwin L. Harper and Henry Montgomery,
jointly and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of
substitution, for him in any and all capacities to sign any amendments to this
Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-
fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        Signature                             Title                          Date
        ---------                             -----                          ----
<S>                          <C>                                       <C>
/s/ Edwin L. Harper          Director, Chief Executive Officer and     January 21, 1997
--------------------------   President (Principal Executive
Edwin L. Harper              Officer)
 
 
/s/ Henry Montgomery         Vice President, Finance and Chief         January 21, 1997
--------------------------   Financial Officer (Principal Financial
Henry Montgomery             and Accounting Officer)
 
 
/s/ Edward L. Marinaro       Chairman of the Board of Directors,       January 21, 1997
--------------------------   Director
Edward L. Marinaro
 
/s/ C. Richard Kramlich      Director                                  January 21, 1997
--------------------------
C. Richard Kramlich
 
/s/ David I. Caplan          Director                                  January 21, 1997
--------------------------
David I. Caplan
 
/s/ Joseph Baia              Director                                  January 14, 1997
--------------------------
Joseph Baia
</TABLE>

                                      II-2
<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
                                                                   Sequentially
                                                                   Numbered Page
                                                                   -------------
<S>       <C>                                                      <C>
4.1       SyQuest Technology, Inc. 1991 Stock Option Plan
          (including Forms of Stock Option Grant and Stock
          Option Exercise Agreement), as amended.
5.1       Opinion of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP.
23.1      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors.
23.2      Consent of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP (reference 
          is made to Exhibit 5.1).
24.1      Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors
          (reference is made to page II-2)
 
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "1991 STOCK OPTION PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 10734}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY INC", "cik": "0000880865", "assigned-sic": "3572", "irs-number": "942793941", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-20089", "film-number": "97508320"}, "business-address": {"street1": "47071 BAYSIDE PKWY", "city": "FREMONT", "state": "CA", "zip": "94538", "phone": "5102264000"}, "mail-address": {"street2": "47071 BAYSIDE PKWY", "city": "FREMONT", "state": "CA", "zip": "94538"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 21, 1997

                                                  Registration No. _____________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                           __________________________

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                           __________________________

                            SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                            ------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        DELAWARE                                    94-2793941
---------------------------              --------------------------------
  (State of incorporation)               (IRS Employer identification No.)

                             47071 Bayside Parkway
                           Fremont, California 94538
                    (Address of principal executive offices)
                           __________________________

                             1991 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)
                           __________________________

                                Edwin L. Harper,
                     Chief Executive Officer and President
                            SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                             47071 Bayside Parkway
                           Fremont, California 94538
                                 (510) 226-4000
           (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
                           __________________________

                                   Copies to:

                              M. Greg Allio, Esq.
                           Christina M. O'Brien, Esq.
                        SHARTSIS, FRIESE & GINSBURG, LLP
                         One Maritime Plaza, 18th Floor
                        San Francisco, California 94111
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed
    Title of             Amount to        Maximum         Proposed Maximum
 Securities To Be           be         Offering Price    Aggregate Offering         Amount of
   Registered           Registered     Per Share (1)           Price             Registration Fee
--------------------    -----------    --------------    -------------------     ----------------
Common Stock,            1,571,476      $3.2815           $5,156,798.40           $1,562.67
 $.001 par value,
 issuable upon
 exercise of
 options under
 1991 Stock
 Option Plan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
accordance with Rules 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act of 1933, based
upon the average of the high and low prices reported in the Nasdaq National
Market on January 15, 1997.

                             --------------------

     The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statements on Forms S-8 (File
Nos. 33-46460 and 33-99224) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 18, 1992 and November 15, 1995, respectively, are incorporated herein
by reference.

     This Registration Statement covers 1,571,476 shares of the Registrant's
Common Stock authorized to be issued under the Registrant's 1991 Stock Option
Plan pursuant to an amendment to such Plan.  The Registrant previously
registered an aggregate of 3,365,863 shares on its Registration Statement on
Form S-8 (File No. 33-46460) as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 18, 1992, and an aggregate of 1,025,000 shares on its
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 33-99224) as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 1995.  Pursuant to Rule 429,
the Prospectus relating to the shares registered on this Registration Statement
also relates to the 3,365,863 shares of the Registrant's Common Stock registered
on Registration Statement No. 33-46460 and the 1,025,000 shares of the
Registrant's Common Stock registered on Registration Statement No. 33-99224.

                                      ii
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

     The following documents previously filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the
"Exchange Act") are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement:

     a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 1996, including all documents incorporated by reference into such
filing.

     b)  The Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated October 31, 1996, as
amended, November 11, 1996, November 25, 1996, December 2, 1996, and December
30, 1996.

     c)  The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of
the Exchange Act.

     All documents subsequently filed by Registrant with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the
Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this
Registration Statement that indicates that all securities offered by this
Registration Statement have been sold or that deregisters all such securities
then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the
respective dates of the filing of such documents with the Securities and
Exchange Commission until the information contained therein is superseded or
updated by any subsequently-filed document that is or is deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

     4.1  SyQuest Technology, Inc. 1991 Stock Option Plan (including Forms of
          Stock Option Grant and Stock Option Exercise Agreement), as amended.

     5.1  Opinion of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP.

    23.1  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors.

    23.2  Consent of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP (reference is made to
          Exhibit 5.1).

    24.1  Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors (reference is
          made to page II-2).

                                      II-1
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Fremont, State of California, on January 21, 1997.

                                           SYQUEST TECHNOLOGY, INC.
                                           (Registrant)
 
 
                                           By:  /s/ Edwin L. Harper
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                Edwin L. Harper,
                                                Chief Executive Officer and 
                                                President

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

          KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Edwin L. Harper and Henry Montgomery,
jointly and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of
substitution, for him in any and all capacities to sign any amendments to this
Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-
fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:
Signature                             Title                          Date
        ---------                             -----                          ----
/s/ Edwin L. Harper          Director, Chief Executive Officer and     January 21, 1997
--------------------------   President (Principal Executive
Edwin L. Harper              Officer)
 
 
/s/ Henry Montgomery         Vice President, Finance and Chief         January 21, 1997
--------------------------   Financial Officer (Principal Financial
Henry Montgomery             and Accounting Officer)
 
 
/s/ Edward L. Marinaro       Chairman of the Board of Directors,       January 21, 1997
--------------------------   Director
Edward L. Marinaro
 
/s/ C. Richard Kramlich      Director                                  January 21, 1997
--------------------------
C. Richard Kramlich
 
/s/ David I. Caplan          Director                                  January 21, 1997
--------------------------
David I. Caplan
 
/s/ Joseph Baia              Director                                  January 14, 1997
--------------------------
Joseph Baia
II-2
EXHIBIT INDEX
Sequentially
                                                                   Numbered Page
                                                                   -------------
4.1       SyQuest Technology, Inc. 1991 Stock Option Plan
          (including Forms of Stock Option Grant and Stock
          Option Exercise Agreement), as amended.
5.1       Opinion of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP.
23.1      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors.
23.2      Consent of Shartsis, Friese & Ginsburg, LLP (reference 
          is made to Exhibit 5.1).
24.1      Power of Attorney of certain officers and directors
          (reference is made to page II-2)