floppy drive problems

[Guest]

When trying to open a floppy, I am told disk is not formatted. When trying
to save something to floppy, I am told ..."not accessible...disk media not
recognized...it may not be formatted".
Thought the problem was the floppies....it isn't. Thought the problem was
the floppy drive, so I replaced it. Still having the same problems.
I have uninstalled/reinstalled the device; when I try to update the driver,
it says I have the latest driver; in Device Manager, it says it's working
properly. I have also checked all connections inside the tower. Everything
looks fine....but it's NOT.
If someone could help me, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When trying to open a floppy, I am told disk is not formatted. When
trying to save something to floppy, I am told ..."not
accessible...disk media not recognized...it may not be formatted".
Thought the problem was the floppies....it isn't. Thought the
problem was the floppy drive, so I replaced it. Still having the
same problems.
I have uninstalled/reinstalled the device; when I try to update the
driver, it says I have the latest driver; in Device Manager, it says
it's working properly. I have also checked all connections inside
the tower. Everything looks fine....but it's NOT.
If someone could help me, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.

Read http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=140060 and
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q309623

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ken....I read that yesterday and being a new user, I simply do not
understand it. I guess I was hoping there was an easy fix; looks like it's
back to the shop for me! lol

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks Ken....

You're welcome. Glad to help.

I read that yesterday and being a new user, I simply do
not understand it. I guess I was hoping there was an easy fix; looks
like it's back to the shop for me! lol

The shop can't help you.

What you need to do is use diskettes that ahave been formatted on
yourWindows XP machine.Older diskketes won't always work. If you need to
read older diskettes, what you have to do is format new blank didkettes on
your Windows XP machine then copy the old diskettes to the new ones on an
old machine--one running an older operating system that doesn't have this
problem with the old diskettes and can read them.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Mike Hyndman]

SusieQ

Is it possible to read the disc on another PC? The disc could be damaged.
Have you tried using a new, empty floppy disc on your PC to see if it's read
by the drive?

HTH
MH

 

[Mike Hyndman]

SusieQ,

Another thing, faulty ribbon cables are not unknown.

MH

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ken & Mike.
I can read my floppy disks on a different computer with no troubles so they
can't be damaged. I have tried using a brand new floppy on this computer and
it just keeps saying they need to be formatted. Stupid comment ??? but I
thought all floppies were formatted anyway (it says they are). It's getting
frustrating. I'll try a new cable next, since I know it's not the floppy
drive that I just replaced.

Thank you both for your help.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks Ken & Mike.
I can read my floppy disks on a different computer with no troubles
so they can't be damaged.

I never said they were damaged. They were formatted missing the Media
Descriptor byte, which how older operating system formatted them. That makes
them unusable on Windows XP.

I have tried using a brand new floppy on
this computer and it just keeps saying they need to be formatted.

Correct. If you would format them, they would work fine. The new floppy came
without the Media Descriptor byte. That too is very common (unfortunately).

Stupid comment ??? but I thought all floppies were formatted anyway
(it says they are).

Yes, but new floppies are often formatted incorrectly. Just format them, as
I said.

It's getting frustrating. I'll try a new cable
next, since I know it's not the floppy drive that I just replaced.

That would be a waste of time and nmoney. It's *not* the cable and it's
*not* the drive. It's the missing media descriptor byte, as the web site I
first sent you to explained.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Tom Ferguson]

What Ken Blake said.

If you are of an experimening frame of mind:

Open Notepad or any other text editor or word processor that can produce
a pure ASCII/ANSI file. Make a text file (say FLOP.TXT) and type in
carefully:

L 100 0 0 1
E 115 F0
W 100 0 0 1
Q

or copy and paste from above. Needs a carrage return on the line under
the Q after Q.

Place this file in the root of C drive.

Open a command window by entering

cmd

in the Start Run box. followed by enter.



Next, type

DEBUG < FLOP.TXT

Press enter.

Wait a minute while the file executes. After the drive light activity
stops, type

exit

to close the window. The floppy should be readable in Windows XP.



So, probably simpler to put the floppy in the drive of a windows 9x box,
copy the files to the HD temporarily, format the floppy, copy the files
back.



Tom

MSMVP

Windows Shell/User

Win


: When trying to open a floppy, I am told disk is not formatted. When
trying
: to save something to floppy, I am told ..."not accessible...disk media
not
: recognized...it may not be formatted".
: Thought the problem was the floppies....it isn't. Thought the problem
was
: the floppy drive, so I replaced it. Still having the same problems.
: I have uninstalled/reinstalled the device; when I try to update the
driver,
: it says I have the latest driver; in Device Manager, it says it's
working
: properly. I have also checked all connections inside the tower.
Everything
: looks fine....but it's NOT.
: If someone could help me, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
: --
: SusieQ

 

[Andy]

Thanks Ken & Mike.
I can read my floppy disks on a different computer with no troubles so they
can't be damaged. I have tried using a brand new floppy on this computer and
it just keeps saying they need to be formatted. Stupid comment ??? but I
thought all floppies were formatted anyway (it says they are). It's getting
frustrating. I'll try a new cable next, since I know it's not the floppy
drive that I just replaced.

Thank you both for your help.

Try booting the computer from a DOS floppy. That'll tell you whether
the hardware is functioning.