3.5 Floppy Drive problem

[CSB]

Hi all,

As some will know, I just finished building my new comp, everything is installed and working etc and the floppy drive I bought is a SONY and was bought brand new as OEM

I went to use the floppy drive today, but everytime I put in a 1.4mb floppy disk, the system asks for me to put one in, but its already there

The same happens with any disk I try, and I went into Device manager ect, all is fine and working, BIOS settings are fine too

What the hell is wrong with it, does anyone know the cure???

Thanks to all

CSB

 

[floppybootstomp]

I don't suppose the drive's led is permanently on is it?

If it is, that means one end of the floppy cable is round the wrong way.

Other than that, try the drive with a brand new floppy disk, give it a format or something.

Some drives are fussy about reading very old disks.

 

[CSB]

Hi FBS


The light is never on and I have already tried other floppy disks but the drive just isn't interested, still the same prompt to insert one even though it has one in

I need it badly as I need to update the BIOS, the comp is offline and is just for my bedroom for games etc, so I can't use the ASUS live update feature

Until I update BIOS I'm unable to use my 3.2Ghz P4 (Prescot) CPU, I'm running FIFA 07 on a rubbish 2.4 Ghz Celeron at mo, overclocked 10% to 2.65Ghz

I am so P!ssed off about this prob

 

[Me__2001]

i know its a stupid Q but you have got the power lead plugged into it ?

 

[CSB]

Hi Me__2001

Yeah I'm pretty sure its getting power but I'll check again just to make sure, but if it wasn't getting power, surely Device manager wouldn't say its working fine?

Thanks for the replys guys

 

[floppybootstomp]

It would be worth checking both lead connections are sound as it's quite odd the led never comes on at all. It should at least flash on and off at boot.

I was going to suggest making sure the drive's enabled in the BIOS but you've already said you've checked BIOS settings.

It's a possibility the drive's faulty of course.

A floppy drive is about £8.00 in PC World, it may be worth getting one just to verify you don't have a faulty drive in there now. If the new one works, keep it, if it doesn't and the fault lies elsewhere, you may be able to return it to PC World.

 

[MalcolmW]

Are the diskettes write protected? I am sure you will tell me that they are not! Or has your floppy drive died?

 

[CSB]

I'll check the connections to the floppy drive fully tomorrow FBS, I sure hope it's just a loose connection, but then again if it is a damaged drive, I'd be glad that it was just the Floppy


I'd be very surprised if it turned out to be faulty, I had bought it new as OEM from Tekheads site, cost me about £7 I think

I havn't actually yet looked for the light to flash when I boot the comp up FBS, that hadn't sprung to mind to be honest, my first move to try and get it working was to check BIOS and the OS settings as the drive is new, all settings are fine as stated before, just a case of elimination ain't it

The disks that I've tried in it arn't write protected MalcolmW, but was worth asking I know, even the smallest suggestion is greatly appreciated, I know myself that sometimes it can be the most simple thing that turns out to be the cure

I'll keep you all updated as to my check over tomorrow

Thanks again all

 

[CSB]

Opened up the case, unpluged the Floppy drive and reconnected, all back together, turned on and still saying the same i.e Please insert disk into drive A:, even thought it's in there

Device Manager is still saying it's working fine too tut

I can't believe a component so simple as this can screw up! huh

 

[MalcolmW]

Do you have another drive and cable to try because that's what I would do to eliminate another suspect? Is there a bent connecting pin on the mainboard or the drive? Are you connecting the cable by the end plugs? Is the cable the right way round? That is with the longer length of cable to the intermediate plug connected to the mainboard and the twited end of the cable at the drive.

Despite the trying circumstances I hope you won't mind me paraphrasing Ann Robinson: Is your floppy a stiffy?

 

[system32_freak]

Try removing the floppy disk drive and try it on another computer, if it doesn't work you know the fault is with the drive not the computer.

 

[CSB]

Hi again all


I disconnected the cable to the floppy and turned it around 180 degrees, and this caused the green light to stay on permanantley, so I obviously had it wired up right in the first place, but still I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't read my disks as it was connected right etc

I put it back to how I had it (cable right way round) and I expected it to just do the same, but I was surprised, it actually started working properly and I can now read my floppy disks, Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy

But!, and it's a big but

I wanted it working so I could update the BIOS, I have the correct BIOS flash programme and the updated BIOS file on the same floppy disk, I configure BIOS to boot from floppy first, restart comp, gets to a black screen and I expect the DOS command to come up so I can enter the new BIOS file name to load from the disk

But no, instead it comes up with the black screen with just some white text asking me to remove any disks etc and then press any key, I do this but then it just goes straight back into windows

Anyone have a clue whats going on with it this time?

Has anyone else had this happen and now know the cure???

Thanks all for any help

Rob aka CSB

 

[floppybootstomp]

I'd gamble that floppy disk drive is iffy.

Sounds like you have a poor cable connection within the drive, possibly a dry solder joint where the socket is soldered to drive PCB.

If I were you I wouldn't trust that drive to do a successful Bios flash. If it fails half way through flash process, your Bios will be kaput.

Did you make the floppy disk bootable before putting on the flash program and new Bios?

If you didn't, you can use this utility to make a bootable floppy disk: DRD Flash

Just unzip to somewhere like My Documents, put a blank floppy disk in the drive, click on the program then follow instructions.

 

[CSB]

Hi FBS


I had been following the motherboards manual, and all it says in there is to use a formatted floppy disk, and then copy the 2 files to it and then boot the comp from floppy etc, and of course goes on about the DOS command and what you need to type so it knows what to load from the disk

Whats this about making the disk bootable???, I thought all floppy disks are bootable without doing more than I already have done?

I tried to get to the page with the DRD flash, but I can't get to it, it may just be this packard bell comp, but everytime I click on your link, it just takes a few moments and then says "Gateway Timeout", with "The following error occurred: Server unreachable" underneath

All this hassel just to update BIOS, in future I'll make sure the next one I build is online so I won't need DOS to update

Thanks for replying and trying to help me out FBS

 

[floppybootstomp]

If you go to your motherboard manufacturer's homepage and look again at the upgrading Bios instructions, I'm sure you'll see something about using a bootable floppy disk.

The link I've posted above works for me. Right click the link then choose 'Save Target As' it's only a small file.

Then unzip and as I mentioned above.

You can't boot from your floppy disk if it's only been formatted as it isn't bootable. using DRD flash will make it bootable.

If you can't download the file I've hosted, go to Here it's the second in the list.

 

[MalcolmW]

Has anyone else had this happen and know the cure???

Windpws XP? As the computer starts keep tapping F8. It will open a `DOS' screen giving you alternatives such as the Command prompt. Select the option you require.

It can be tricky getting the timing right and I find that a regular and positive tapping will get the required result.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Windpws XP? As the computer starts keep tapping F8. It will open a `DOS' screen giving you alternatives such as the Command prompt. Select the option you require.

It can be tricky getting the timing right and I find that a regular and positive tapping will get the required result.

See above. The disk needs to be bootable.

 

[CSB]

See above. The disk needs to be bootable.

Thanks Malcolm and FBS

FBS, Do you mean to just carry out what Malcolm said and not to bother with the bootable software you gave me the link for???, or you still want me to use that software on the disk before adding the neccesary BIOS flash with BIOS file etc ???

Also FBS, I downloaded that software to make a disk bootable, and according to Trend Micro anti virus, it classed it as possibly unsafe, would you say it still is safe to use it or not???

Feel like I should buy you a pint down the pub

for all you've done to help

Thanks again

 

[floppybootstomp]

Trend Micro is being a little over cautious. It sees a zip file and warns of a 'possible' virus.

Don't worry, it's clean. If you don't trust my file, download the one from the other site I linked to, Bootdisk.com

And this is the last time I'm going to say it but yes, you need to use that program to make a bootable floppy disk, load on the flash program and new Bios, boot from the disk then execute Bios upgrade.

And a pint of Guinness extra cold please

 

[itsme]

And a pint of Guinness extra cold please

Make that two Guinness extra cold please! FSB I have just read the thread