Floppy Disk Drive

[seafox]

I built a new computer and I can't get the Floppy Disk Drive to work. The operating sys. is Windows XP. The motherboard is a Biostar A780L3G and the CPU is an AMD Sempron 145. I have replaced the Floppy Disk Drive, the connector cable and the Power Input cable. Still the Floppy Disk Drive doesn't work. It should be plug and play. So it's plugged but no play. Any ideas what the problem might be?

 

[EvanDavis]

Have you checked BIOS settings to see if FDD is enabled ?

 

[Anon_F]

stupid question, but do new motherboards even have fdd on the bios?

 

[seafox]

I checked the bios and the FDD is enabled. When I go to My Computer in Windows it shows that a FDD is present. When I insert a disk I get a window saying insert a disk .

 

[Anon_F]

not used a fdd for ages, but does the drive make a noise when you put in the floppy?
try another disk?

 

[seafox]

Tried several disks. FDD makes no noise, no light. Nothing.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Does the led flash briefly on the drive when you boot? You say there's no led lighting up on the drive so we can rule out the cable being the wrong way round cos then the led stays on all the time.

In My Computer when you click or double click on the drive does it read the disk? Any noises from the disk? By the sound of it the FDD is knackered yet you say it's a new drive. Bit puzzling.

 

[seafox]

No brief light flash when boot.In My Computer no noise when double clicking. Doesn't read disk just message saying insert disk in drive. There was the same symptoms with the older FDD .Replaced FDD and cables and still don't work. I'm starting to think it may be the generic drivers in Windows XP that are the problem. Is there any way I can reload them short if a complete fresh install of Windows XP?

 

[floppybootstomp]

If the led on the front of the FDD doesn't flash briefly then it isn't powered. That first flash happens independently of the OS so nowt to do with Windows XP.

Try a different power connector and make sure it's connected properly, it's actually possible to push the connector home and miss the four pins on some drives.

 

[seafox]

I've tried different combinations of power and info cables. I know the power is getting to the FDD because the molex connector I originally tried is now powering the case fan and it works fine. I looked at the power connector to the FDD several times and I am sure it is connected properly. I've tried three different FDDs and numerous combinations of cable and power connections all with the same result (no light flash on boot and no noise from FDD) just message to insert disk when I insert a disk.

 

[seafox]

Also, I reversed one end of the cable from the motherboard and the light stayed on all the time . So I'm thinking there must be power to the FDD.

 

[muckshifter]

if you have followed this guy, excluding the 98 bit, or not, and it still don't work, you either have a faulty cable/FDD/MB or even a BIOS fault ... if all else fails, use a USB key.

 

[seafox]

I've tried different FDDs, cables and power connectors. I've checked the bios and the FDD is enabled. Still don't work. Think it's time to give up an go to an external FDD. Thanks for all your help. It was aperciated.

 

[floppybootstomp]

To my mind the one telling clue here is the FDD led doesn't even flash on momentarily during the POST sequence.

Makes me suspect a faulty power connection, especially if a known working substitute FDD has been tried. If the PSU has a second FDD power connector, try that.

If you have a voltmeter, carefully place pins or needles in the PSU FDD connector pin slots and try to measure volts. But be careful, don't want to short circuit the thing by letting the pins touch each other.

 

[seafox]

When I reverse one end of the data cable the FDD light stays on all the time. So I think the power source and connection is god. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Bear in mind that there are many pins for communications on the ribbon cable. If you have tried alternate drives, cables and power sources, sounds like you have a bad controller.

Any way to test the questionable drive in another machine to verify function. If you can verify that all parts work in another machine or parts from another machine work in this, you can rule things out. Sounds like you got yourself a bad FDD controller or connector. Move to USB boot or external drive or CD boot.

 

[floppybootstomp]

When I reverse one end of the data cable the FDD light stays on all the time. So I think the power source and connection is god. Thanks for trying to help.

Yes, sorry, I missed your earlier post, please ignore my last one