How to get Floppy drive working

[David]

I have decided to install a floppy drive in my computer - am running XP
Home, and when I put known good floppy in the drive I get the "cant
read this" etc. message, and XP wants me to format the disk.

When I do try to format a floppy, it wont.

I gather this is a bug in XP, but haven't found a solution as yet.

Any ideas welcome

David

PS Of course I tried a new drive just in case the 1st one was faulty,
and have tried a number of blank and known good floppies

 

[peter]

Boy...its just not your day is it???
So how many hours have you had XP??
Did you know that XP has a build in "help&support"??
Did you know it works??
Good luck
peter

 

[Guest]

So did you figure it out yet because I have been having the same problem but
I am not installing one mine just stopped working. any suggestions yet? by
the way I did know hp had a help but it hasn't helped me.

 

[David]

Boy...its just not your day is it???

Not when it comes to using XP - other times are OK - but thanks for asking

So how many hours have you had XP??

Just a year now - but I only use it for video editing and RC simulator
practice - I use my Mac for everything important

Did you know that XP has a build in "help&support"??

Yep, but despite entering all the terms I could think of re 'non-working
floppy' it wasn't any help - similarly entering terms re an overful start
window wasn't any help either

Did you know it works??

Only sometimes - have had to re-install 6 times in 12 months and some of
the guys here wonder why I think it is crappy

David

 

[David]

Hi Bridgette

There is something about this problem on the M/Soft site, but it didn't offer
any help in fixing it. Apparently it is something to do with XP only working
with floppy drives that only handle 1.4 meg disks, whereas the drives I have
also work with 720k etc. Or so I gather, but then I am not cluey about Windows
boxes.

But if yours just stopped working, then perhaps that is something different -
ie a faulty drive or such. Since I built (or more accurately just assembled)
my computer it didn't come with a floppy originally, and I didn't think I would
ever need one. But a friend has some photos on floppy that she wants put on
CD, so I picked up some floppy drives and....

Sorry I cant help

cheers

David

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

I have decided to install a floppy drive in my computer - am running
XP Home, and when I put known good floppy in the drive I get the
"cant read this" etc. message, and XP wants me to format the disk.

When I do try to format a floppy, it wont.

I gather this is a bug in XP, but haven't found a solution as yet.

Any ideas welcome

David

PS Of course I tried a new drive just in case the 1st one was faulty,
and have tried a number of blank and known good floppies

Are you sure you didn't get the cable backwards?

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Bridgette,

If it just stopped working, then the unit itself is probably faulty. They
only cost about $20(US) to replace, not worth trying to fix. It's a fairly
simple job to do.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi David,

WinXP is really finicky with floppy drives. It can format only in the 1.44MB
mode, but can read 1.20MB, 720K, and 360K formatted disks.

But that's not the real problem. That's the finicky part that is. It is not
fault tolerant like previous versions of Windows, particularly the Win9x
line. Even any one thing is even marginally wrong, the whole thing goes
kablooey. The biggest problem is usually in reading the media descriptor
byte, as described here:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=140060

Frankly, I just avoid using floppies on XP systems where I can, and rely on
USB thumb drives.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[johnf]

Did you know that there's nothing in there about that problem, because MS
decided for a reason only known to them, to drop 3-mode floppy drivers from
XP - it's a common problem & there's no fix AFAIK. Do your homework before
opening your mouth.

 

[johnf]

It's a built-in problem with XP, David.
Try formatting the floppy on a non-XP PC first, then it will recognise it.
Personally, I installed "Alkonost FloppyFormat" and format them with that.

 

[DanS]

Just a year now - but I only use it for video editing and RC simulator
practice - I use my Mac for everything important

Hmmmm. I would think that as a Mac enthusiast, the video editing would be
done on the Mac as well as that's one of the thing's the Mac was designed
for.

Yep, but despite entering all the terms I could think of re
'non-working floppy' it wasn't any help - similarly entering terms re
an overful start window wasn't any help either

The built-in Help is never any help. The Printer Troubleshooter is a real
joke....Is the printer turned on ? ....is the cable plugged in ? .....Did
you install the printer driver's provided by the manufacturer ? We can't
offer any help, contact the printer manufacturer for support. DOH!!!!

Only sometimes - have had to re-install 6 times in 12 months and some
of the guys here wonder why I think it is crappy

If you have had to re-install six times in twelve months, you're
definately doing something wrong and really don't understand how windows
works. But I'm not here to put anyone down, only try to help people. My
XP PC (which was upgraded from 98) has been running for over 3 years,
without requiring a re-install. Most of the time people jump the gun on
re-installing when the install can be fixed, but they lack the
understanding on how everything works. It also doesn't help when you call
Gateway, or Dell, or whatever big company, which hire mostly inept phone
support people, over in India, or wherever that you can barely
understand, that are instructed that after 15 mins. if the problem's not
fixed to do a restore from the restore disk's provided.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with this floppy problem.

Regards,

DanS

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Try here http://www.bootdisk.com/bootlist/136.htm and scroll down to the bit
on XP Floppy Driver for Old Disks

Thank Plato if it works.

 

[David]

Hmmmm. I would think that as a Mac enthusiast, the video editing would be
done on the Mac as well as that's one of the thing's the Mac was designed
for.

My Mac is about 6 years old now, and while I had hoped to buy a new one, I
had to use the cash to buy a windows box for a RC model plane simulator that
needs fast graphics - while the Mac can simulate Windows that does not work
for apps that need fast graphics. So, reluctantly I ended up with a Windows
box with 2.8 ghz processor, and big HD etc - THEN I bought a video camera so
decided I may as well use the Windows box for doing my video work.
Naturally I would have used the Mac for video if it had been a newer model,
but would have needed to upgrade to a faster processor, added firewire etc
etc.

If you have had to re-install six times in twelve months, you're
definately doing something wrong and really don't understand how windows
works.

Of course I fully agree that I don't understand how it works - but should I
have to? - why I say it is crappy is that at one time I didn't know how Macs
worked either - but then I have just reloaded the OS on my Mac for the 1st
time in 6 years of daily use. And of course only because I have installed a
new HD. Had to reload on another Mac when the HD went down, but that is all
I can remember in nearly 20 years of using Macs.

And of course when you reload - eg even a whole fresh OS install - the Mac
you don't have to reload all the applications - finding out that I had to do
that with XP was a shock to the system - why would anyone design an OS like
that?

But I'm not here to put anyone down, only try to help people. My
XP PC (which was upgraded from 98) has been running for over 3 years,
without requiring a re-install

Ok that is good - I guess you know how to fix these things Dan.

Most of the time people jump the gun on
re-installing when the install can be fixed, but they lack the
understanding on how everything works.

People like me who put their box together themselves don't have the option
of calling anyone - just muddle through and use these groups when needed

Unfortunately, I can't help you with this floppy problem.

Thanks for the reply anyway Dan - much appreciated

David

 

[David]

Pretty sure Frank, but I will double check - thanks for the reply

David

 

[peter]

I have reinstalled XP twice in the 2.5 years that I've had it and I've never had
to reinstall my other applications.
There is also the "repair" option .Coming from a 98/ME to XP required a learning
curve but it definitely was not a year long.Working in the educational system
meant that I also worked with MAC's and then coming home and working on a PC did
require a "mindset" change.
Might I suggest that you stop the comparison and do a "mindset" change when you
sit down at that PC the next time.....looking at it in a MAC way does not
improve the learning curve..rather it hinders it.You spend more time saying to
yourself "on the mac it was this way" than learning a new way.
peter

 

[David]

Thanks Harry

This seems to be what I need - no luck in downloading it tho so will have to
chase them up a bit and see what/where the problem is (just get a blank red
page when I follow their link (not yours)

David

Try here http://www.bootdisk.com/bootlist/136.htm and scroll down to the bit
on XP Floppy Driver for Old Disks

Thank Plato if it works.

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp

I have decided to install a floppy drive in my computer - am running XP
Home, and when I put known good floppy in the drive I get the "cant
read this" etc. message, and XP wants me to format the disk.

When I do try to format a floppy, it wont.

I gather this is a bug in XP, but haven't found a solution as yet.

Any ideas welcome

David

PS Of course I tried a new drive just in case the 1st one was faulty,
and have tried a number of blank and known good floppies

 

[David]

Thanks John I will try that

David

It's a built-in problem with XP, David.
Try formatting the floppy on a non-XP PC first, then it will recognise it.
Personally, I installed "Alkonost FloppyFormat" and format them with that.

 

[David]

I have reinstalled XP twice in the 2.5 years that I've had it and I've never had
to reinstall my other applications.

???? Obviousely you know something I dont - after re-installing I found all my apps
gone - or at least once (when I didn't initialise the HD) there were bits of them
there, but they didn't work. Nothing in the help files about how to do that, that
I found at the time. Sadly MS doesn't provide a manual with its OS.

There is also the "repair" option .

I did try that once as well, but didn't count that as a reinstall

Coming from a 98/ME to XP required a learning
curve but it definitely was not a year long.Working in the educational system
meant that I also worked with MAC's and then coming home and working on a PC did
require a "mindset" change.
Might I suggest that you stop the comparison and do a "mindset" change when you
sit down at that PC the next time.....looking at it in a MAC way does not
improve the learning curve..rather it hinders it.You spend more time saying to
yourself "on the mac it was this way" than learning a new way.

Thanks and good point Peter - although it would help tho if they provided a manual
with the OS so at least one could get an idea of how the OS is structured etc - eg
when I install an app the installer usually says it will install in that startup
section, hence I presumed the actual app files were there - not just shortcuts - if
I had known that or they had said that in the installer instructions then I would
have been able to deal with the issue without asking for help.

David

 

[Test User]

I have decided to install a floppy drive in my computer - am running XP
Home, and when I put known good floppy in the drive I get the "cant
read this" etc. message, and XP wants me to format the disk.

When I do try to format a floppy, it wont.

I gather this is a bug in XP, but haven't found a solution as yet.

Any ideas welcome

David

PS Of course I tried a new drive just in case the 1st one was faulty,
and have tried a number of blank and known good floppies

Try BadCopy Pro. This should let you read these disks. The apparent
problem is that XP dropped support for one of the floppy access modes.

http://www.jufsoft.com/badcopy/

Copy the floppy contents to a hard disk directory and then format them on
the XP system. Now the other systems should be able to read them. Or,
perhaps better, copy the contents to USB keys.

HTH
-pk

 

[johnf]

Forgot to mention that in my previous post. I use 'Alkonost FloppyFormat'
for formatting & 'BadCopy Pro' for unreadable ones.