Why Doesn't Floppy Drive Work?

[HKEK]

My floppy drive can read disks just fine but it always shows a failure
whenever I attempt to write to a floppy disk. I have swapped drives
(using one that I know works on my other computer) but I get the same
result. Does this indicate a failure of the motherboard/onboard
controller? What are the other possibilities? -- Thanks in advance for
any help.

 

[Rod Speed]

My floppy drive can read disks just fine but it always shows a failure
whenever I attempt to write to a floppy disk. I have swapped drives
(using one that I know works on my other computer) but I get the same
result. Does this indicate a failure of the motherboard/onboard controller?

Very likely.

What are the other possibilities?

The ribbon cable.

 

[Eric Gisin]

if you can format in dos but not Win 2K/XP you ran into a well known bug.

| My floppy drive can read disks just fine but it always shows a failure
| whenever I attempt to write to a floppy disk. I have swapped drives
| (using one that I know works on my other computer) but I get the same
| result. Does this indicate a failure of the motherboard/onboard
| controller? What are the other possibilities? -- Thanks in advance for
| any help.

 

[Arno Wagner]

I have had the ribbon cable in/out several times (though I may not
have swapped it out with a known good cable). I am running Windows
98SE.
Short of swabbing motherboards, maybe I can add a separate controller.

If the board has an ISA slot and the on-board floppy controller can be
disabled, then you can do this. Otherwise you cannot.

Arno