After install of WinXP floppy drive A is not available.

[John Herbster]

In My Computer, there are *no* floppy drives shown.
Light on front of floppy drive is ON.
In BIOS, Floppy drive A shows as 1.44 MB and 3.5 inch.
In Hardware Manager, the Standard Floppy Disk
Controller is enabled. Any ideas for further diagnosing
and bringing back missing floppy? TIA, JohnH

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

start/run, type :
devmgmt.msc

Is there a exclamation point icon (bang) on the floppy drive device? Double
click that, and try the Driver tab, "Update driver" button.

 

[David B.]

The floppy drive light in a constant on state usually indicates the data
cable is on backwards.

 

[John Herbster]

My Computer, shows *no* floppy drives. Light on front of

start/run, type :
devmgmt.msc

Mark, Thanks for shortcut!

Is there a exclamation point icon (bang) on the floppy
drive device? ...

No there was no exclamation point ("bang" if you prefer,
as in "Hook, Bang, Crunch", if you are old enough to
remember a newsletter by that name).

David guessed correctly that the data cable was on
backwards. I have now written the correct orientation
inside the computer box.

Regards, JohnH

 

[John Herbster]

My Computer, shows *no* floppy drives. Light on front of

The floppy drive light in a constant on state usually
indicates the data cable is on backwards.

You are correct in this case! That was the problem.
Why don't keys prevent such reversal? How is it
possible for the BIOS to guess at the type of floppy?
Why did the PS not get shorted or something not get
fried? And do the HDs have pin 1 on their left and FDs
have pin 1 on their right? (I have now written this
inside the computer box.) Thank you, JohnH

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

You are correct in this case! That was the problem.
Why don't keys prevent such reversal? How is it possible for the BIOS to
guess at the type of floppy?
Why did the PS not get shorted or something not get
fried? And do the HDs have pin 1 on their left and FDs
have pin 1 on their right? (I have now written this inside the computer
box.) Thank you, JohnH

Installing XP doesn't normally switch the position of the FD cable..

The constant light is notification that the cable is not connected properly,
and the PS didn't blow because power is through a cable which is keyed to
prevent such a happening.

 

[David B.]

Some are keyed, some are not. Almost all BIOS firmware does not auto detect
the floppy, it is factory default set to the most popular, which is the
1.44MB 3.5, even if no floppy is installed it will usually list it as
present.
As far as pin 1 that is up to the floppy drive mfg, I have seen them on
either side.
As Mike said the floppy data cable is data, not power, so reversing the data
cable usually has no bad effect other than the problem you encountered.

 

[John Herbster]

Installing XP doesn't normally switch the position of
the FD cable..

Yeah! Well I waited until I needed to add a bigger HD
and the power supply failed. Thanks again, JohnH