XP Home ruined my floppy drive!

If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it…

A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
driver, you cannot install Windows.

The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.

But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm….

He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
inside.

This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive…

So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
know they are not alone.

Purple wrote:

> If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it…
>
> A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
> PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
> load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
> drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
> driver, you cannot install Windows.
>
> The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
> the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.
>
> But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
> install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
> tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
> took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
> drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm….
>
> He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
> disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
> PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
> disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
> inside.
>
> This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
> Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
> PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
> Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
> Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
> from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive…
>
> So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
> floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
> the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
> know they are not alone.

It is essentially impossible for an OS to destroy a floppy drive.

--
The reader should exercise normal caution and backup the Registry and
data files regularly, and especially before making any changes to their
PC, as well as performing regular virus and spyware scans. I am not
liable for problems or mishaps that occur from the reader using advice
posted here.

null <null@planetzero.com> wrote in message news:<utR2RqgiEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>...

> It is essentially impossible for an OS to destroy a floppy drive.

That is what i thought too but it has happened with two drives now and
i cannot think of another explanation. Care to offer one?

"Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:d9a19377.0408240922.3cb73689@posting.google.com...
> If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it.
>
> A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
> PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
> load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
> drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
> driver, you cannot install Windows.
>
> The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
> the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.
>
> But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
> install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
> tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
> took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
> drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm..
>
> He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
> disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
> PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
> disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
> inside.
>
> This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
> Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
> PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
> Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
> Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
> from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive.
>
> So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
> floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
> the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
> know they are not alone.

You cannot pronounce a law ("XP Home ruined my floppy drive!")
based on a single observation. You might as well say "XP Home
blew the main fuse in my house", because a fuse happened to blow
while you were installing XP Home.

Unless you have a large number of observations that confirm your
suspicion, you must assume that the failure is pure coincidence. As
"null" commented, it is essentially impossible for an operating system
to ruin a floppy disk drive.

Okay, I'll type this slowly in case you can't read fast. An operating
System cannot destroy a piece of hardware. The floppy drive simply failed
on the second installation. Had the floppy failed on the 30th installation
or the 135th installation, you would not have blamed the OS. It just so
happened that the floppy failed don the second attempt to use it. The OS is
incapable of destroying hardware.

Bobby


"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
news:uLZ%23mCliEHA.396@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>
> "Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:d9a19377.0408240922.3cb73689@posting.google.com...
>> If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it.
>>
>> A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
>> PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
>> load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
>> drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
>> driver, you cannot install Windows.
>>
>> The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
>> the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.
>>
>> But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
>> install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
>> tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
>> took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
>> drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm..
>>
>> He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
>> disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
>> PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
>> disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
>> inside.
>>
>> This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
>> Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
>> PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
>> Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
>> Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
>> from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive.
>>
>> So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
>> floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
>> the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
>> know they are not alone.
>
> You cannot pronounce a law ("XP Home ruined my floppy drive!")
> based on a single observation. You might as well say "XP Home
> blew the main fuse in my house", because a fuse happened to blow
> while you were installing XP Home.
>
> Unless you have a large number of observations that confirm your
> suspicion, you must assume that the failure is pure coincidence. As
> "null" commented, it is essentially impossible for an operating system
> to ruin a floppy disk drive.
>
>

Why do you respond to my reply instead of the original post?
I basically said the same thing as you do!


"NoNoBadDog!" <mypants_bjsledgeATpixi.com> wrote in message
news:%23SDeWPliEHA.704@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Okay, I'll type this slowly in case you can't read fast. An operating
> System cannot destroy a piece of hardware. The floppy drive simply failed
> on the second installation. Had the floppy failed on the 30th
installation
> or the 135th installation, you would not have blamed the OS. It just so
> happened that the floppy failed don the second attempt to use it. The OS
is
> incapable of destroying hardware.
>
> Bobby
>
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
> news:uLZ%23mCliEHA.396@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> >
> > "Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> > news:d9a19377.0408240922.3cb73689@posting.google.com...
> >> If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it.
> >>
> >> A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
> >> PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
> >> load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
> >> drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
> >> driver, you cannot install Windows.
> >>
> >> The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
> >> the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.
> >>
> >> But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
> >> install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
> >> tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
> >> took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
> >> drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm..
> >>
> >> He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
> >> disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
> >> PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
> >> disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
> >> inside.
> >>
> >> This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
> >> Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
> >> PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
> >> Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
> >> Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
> >> from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive.
> >>
> >> So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
> >> floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
> >> the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
> >> know they are not alone.
> >
> > You cannot pronounce a law ("XP Home ruined my floppy drive!")
> > based on a single observation. You might as well say "XP Home
> > blew the main fuse in my house", because a fuse happened to blow
> > while you were installing XP Home.
> >
> > Unless you have a large number of observations that confirm your
> > suspicion, you must assume that the failure is pure coincidence. As
> > "null" commented, it is essentially impossible for an operating system
> > to ruin a floppy disk drive.
> >
> >
>
>

"Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:d9a19377.0408241439.214d492e@posting.google.com...
> null <null@planetzero.com> wrote in message
> news:<utR2RqgiEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>...
>
>> It is essentially impossible for an OS to destroy a floppy drive.
>
> That is what i thought too but it has happened with two drives now and
> i cannot think of another explanation. Care to offer one?

Here's one: as floppy disks and floppy drives are becoming essentially
obsolete, quality is not a huge consideration. Last time I bought bulk
floppy disks, quite a few were dead on the first try, some fell apart --
literally -- after a few insertions, some failed after one or two boots, and
some are working after multiple uses over months. These were name brand
disks. Years ago, I would have expected floppy disk failure to be minimal.
But that was in the days when floppies were the back-up medium of choice,
and they had to be reliable.

A bad floppy disk could conceivably ruin a drive, or it could be that the
drive itself was just cheap and flawed. Manufacturers figure you're not
going to use it often, so they can get away with the cheapest floppy drives
possible. Even if it's under warranty, the chance of you bothering to return
it is slim, considering how cheap the replacements are.

Your Jeep wouldn't start and mine used half a tank of gas.. wait until I get
a hold of B. Gates.. he has some explaining to do for all of this.. I
will never drive to Ottawa again at 120 kph after installing SP2.. this is
an absolute disgrace..


"MAP" <MAP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:96DF5E44-2267-4F8D-9D7B-96202B5A8417@microsoft.com...
> My Jeep wouldn't startup today,Maybe it was XP?
>
> "Purple" wrote:
>
>> If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it.
>>
>> A friend of mine built a new PC and installed XP Home on it. The new
>> PC is an athlon64 with a SATA hard drive. This means that he needs to
>> load the SATA drivers from a floppy because Microsoft fails to include
>> drivers in the install CD's anymore. Without a floppy drive and
>> driver, you cannot install Windows.
>>
>> The first time he installed XP Home everything worked fine. We loaded
>> the SATA drivers from the floppy drive and finished the install.
>>
>> But he had some problems with the PC and decided to do a second clean
>> install. This time the floppy drive failed to read his driver disk. He
>> tried several disks and none of them could be read in his drive. So he
>> took the disks to his old XP Home machine and found that the floppy
>> drive on that PC failed to work as well. Hmmm..
>>
>> He brought the PC over to my house and we verified that the floppy
>> disks worked fine in my PC's. So we took the floppy drive out of his
>> PC and put it in mine and verified that the drive no longer reads
>> disks. The disk light comes on but the drive never registers a disc
>> inside.
>>
>> This floppy drive is brand new and worked fine for one install of XP
>> Home. Since that install it no longer reads disks in at least two
>> PC's. I have never seen software ruin hardware but it appears that XP
>> Home is frying floppy drives. We checked the web and found many
>> Microsoft users experiencing floppy drive problems but the only "fix"
>> from Microsoft is to buy a new floppy drive.
>>
>> So after cursing the Gods for a while, we are going to buy a box of
>> floppy drives and move on. (Since we cannot install XP Home without
>> the floppy.) Just wanted to share the experience so that others will
>> know they are not alone.
>>

"D.Currie" <dmbcurrie.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<2p2l81Fg8t2aU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> "Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:d9a19377.0408241439.214d492e@posting.google.com...
> > null <null@planetzero.com> wrote in message
> > news:<utR2RqgiEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>...
> >
> >> It is essentially impossible for an OS to destroy a floppy drive.
> >
> > That is what i thought too but it has happened with two drives now and
> > i cannot think of another explanation. Care to offer one?
>
> Here's one: as floppy disks and floppy drives are becoming essentially
> obsolete, quality is not a huge consideration. Last time I bought bulk
> floppy disks, quite a few were dead on the first try, some fell apart --
> literally -- after a few insertions, some failed after one or two boots, and
> some are working after multiple uses over months. These were name brand
> disks. Years ago, I would have expected floppy disk failure to be minimal.
> But that was in the days when floppies were the back-up medium of choice,
> and they had to be reliable.
>
> A bad floppy disk could conceivably ruin a drive, or it could be that the
> drive itself was just cheap and flawed. Manufacturers figure you're not
> going to use it often, so they can get away with the cheapest floppy drives
> possible. Even if it's under warranty, the chance of you bothering to return
> it is slim, considering how cheap the replacements are.

I have about 5 floppy drives in PC's in my house and none of them have
failed. Some have worked for years although I rarely use them.

My friend has had 3 drives in two computers and all of the drives have
failed after as little as 1 use. I suppose this could be coincidence
but it seems extreme to me to suggest some repeatable cause. Since the
only thing that is the same in both is systems in XP Home, it looked
like the most likely culprit.

Note that the disks are fine. They work in other floppy drives whereas
good disks do not work in the failed drives no matter what machine
they are in.

Microsoft has a knowledge base article on their lack of support for
some floppy drives in XP (so-called tri-mode drives) so I suspected an
OS problem or perhaps a motherboard problem. But the same drives that
worked at first now fail to work in other non-XP machines as well so I
concluded the floppy drives were toast. A mean-time-to-failure of 1 is
pretty hard to believe for such an old, stable piece of hardware.

Oh well, we will buy more floppy drives and keep trying.

Then again, none of this would even be necessary if Microsoft would
include SATA and RAID drivers on their install CD.

As long as you can specify Where to look for additional drivers, why not
burn them to a CD and use that when you need to insert the additional
drivers? [It's been so long since I had to add additional drivers, that I'm
no longer 100% positive that you can select the location other than "A:", so
I'm offering this suggestion under the assumption that the OS install will
let you specify location of drivers.]

--

Regards,
Len Segal, MCP
Microsoft - MVP
--------------
My reply address is intentionally wrong to reduce SPAM Email.
NOTE: We do not respond to unsolicited Email support questions,
please post questions in newsgroup.


"Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:d9a19377.0408250955.2df4f606@posting.google.com...
> "D.Currie" <dmbcurrie.nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<2p2l81Fg8t2aU1@uni-berlin.de>...
>> "Purple" <vaitkus@pacbell.net> wrote in message
>> news:d9a19377.0408241439.214d492e@posting.google.com...
>> > null <null@planetzero.com> wrote in message
>> > news:<utR2RqgiEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>...
>> >
>> >> It is essentially impossible for an OS to destroy a floppy drive.
>> >
>> > That is what i thought too but it has happened with two drives now and
>> > i cannot think of another explanation. Care to offer one?
>>
>> Here's one: as floppy disks and floppy drives are becoming essentially
>> obsolete, quality is not a huge consideration. Last time I bought bulk
>> floppy disks, quite a few were dead on the first try, some fell apart --
>> literally -- after a few insertions, some failed after one or two boots,
>> and
>> some are working after multiple uses over months. These were name brand
>> disks. Years ago, I would have expected floppy disk failure to be
>> minimal.
>> But that was in the days when floppies were the back-up medium of choice,
>> and they had to be reliable.
>>
>> A bad floppy disk could conceivably ruin a drive, or it could be that the
>> drive itself was just cheap and flawed. Manufacturers figure you're not
>> going to use it often, so they can get away with the cheapest floppy
>> drives
>> possible. Even if it's under warranty, the chance of you bothering to
>> return
>> it is slim, considering how cheap the replacements are.
>
> I have about 5 floppy drives in PC's in my house and none of them have
> failed. Some have worked for years although I rarely use them.
>
> My friend has had 3 drives in two computers and all of the drives have
> failed after as little as 1 use. I suppose this could be coincidence
> but it seems extreme to me to suggest some repeatable cause. Since the
> only thing that is the same in both is systems in XP Home, it looked
> like the most likely culprit.
>
> Note that the disks are fine. They work in other floppy drives whereas
> good disks do not work in the failed drives no matter what machine
> they are in.
>
> Microsoft has a knowledge base article on their lack of support for
> some floppy drives in XP (so-called tri-mode drives) so I suspected an
> OS problem or perhaps a motherboard problem. But the same drives that
> worked at first now fail to work in other non-XP machines as well so I
> concluded the floppy drives were toast. A mean-time-to-failure of 1 is
> pretty hard to believe for such an old, stable piece of hardware.
>
> Oh well, we will buy more floppy drives and keep trying.
>
> Then again, none of this would even be necessary if Microsoft would
> include SATA and RAID drivers on their install CD.