Floppy drive

[bill b.]

When attempting to read a floppy on comp #1 it says to insert a disk. When I
attempt to read the disk on comp #2 it opens it correctly. I switched the
drives between the computers and comp #1 still says to insert a disk although
it has one. I uninstalled the drive and let windows reinstall it...same
problem. Would appreciate some advice.

Thnx

 

[philo]

When attempting to read a floppy on comp #1 it says to insert a disk. When I
attempt to read the disk on comp #2 it opens it correctly. I switched the
drives between the computers and comp #1 still says to insert a disk although
it has one. I uninstalled the drive and let windows reinstall it...same
problem. Would appreciate some advice.

Thnx

Check your cables (or replace them)

also be sure the drive is IDed properly in the bios

 

[Lem]

When attempting to read a floppy on comp #1 it says to insert a disk. When I
attempt to read the disk on comp #2 it opens it correctly. I switched the
drives between the computers and comp #1 still says to insert a disk although
it has one. I uninstalled the drive and let windows reinstall it...same
problem. Would appreciate some advice.

Thnx

Five years ago, there was a rash of complaints from people who were
having difficulty reading floppy disks in a Windows XP computer if the
disks were originally formatted on a Win 9x computer. One solution that
was posted in windowsxp.hardware was to use a different (non-Microsoft)
driver for the floppy drive.

To be fair, this "fix" was pooh-poohed by some reasonably knowledgeable
posters in this NG, and, of course, it may have nothing whatsoever to do
with your situation (you didn't mention anything about your 2 computers
or what OS might be on them, or for that matter, the origin of the
floppy disk that is giving you problems), but ...

Try opening Device Manager and comparing the version of the floppy drive
driver (flpydisk.sys) on the two machines. For comparison purposes, on
my XP Pro sp2 box, flpydisk.sys is 5.1.2600.2180
(xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158 created 8/29/02 and modified 8/3/04).

(and if you're interested, that old thread is here:
http://tinyurl.com/2llgdc)

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Unknown]

Have you run diagnostics on the failing floppy? Can you format a disk on the
failing floppy? Can you write on it?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

bill b. wrote:

Five years ago, there was a rash of complaints from people who were
having difficulty reading floppy disks in a Windows XP computer if the
disks were originally formatted on a Win 9x computer. One solution that
was posted in windowsxp.hardware was to use a different (non-Microsoft)
driver for the floppy drive.

Almost invariably, such problems had nothing to do with drivers, but
was the media descriptor byte problem described at
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=140060

Whether that's Bill's problem isn't clear from his message, but if
Computer #2 is running Windows 9X, he should read that article.

 

[Plato]

Almost invariably, such problems had nothing to do with drivers, but
was the media descriptor byte problem described at
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=140060

Whether that's Bill's problem isn't clear from his message, but if
Computer #2 is running Windows 9X, he should read that article.

As an aside. XP likes to use 1.44s that were formatted using XP.

 

[Plato]

When attempting to read a floppy on comp #1 it says to insert a disk. When I
attempt to read the disk on comp #2 it opens it correctly. I switched the
drives between the computers and comp #1 still says to insert a disk although
it has one. I uninstalled the drive and let windows reinstall it...same
problem. Would appreciate some advice.

Even tho you switched A: drives. One of them may still need a cleaning,
as one drive may read it and another may not:

Get a cleaning kit, it comes with a disk made of felt and a small bottle
of cleaning fluid. Blow out the floppy drive _first_ with "compressed
air".

Then be liberal when applying the cleaning fluid to the special disk,
generally a white felt 1.44. Put it in the floppy drive, try to read the
disk about 20 times. Of course it wont read it but the wet felt will
clean the floppy heads.

Wait ten minutes. Then put a disk in that you dont need and try to read
it several times. After that the drive should be fixed.

 

[windmap]

When attempting to read a floppy on comp #1 it says to insert a disk. When I
attempt to read the disk on comp #2 it opens it correctly. I switched the
drives between the computers and comp #1 still says to insert a disk although
it has one. I uninstalled the drive and let windows reinstall it...same
problem. Would appreciate some advice.

Thnx

Buy pen drive

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

As an aside. XP likes to use 1.44s that were formatted using XP.

Yes, but that's not an aside. That *is* because of the media
descriptor byte problem I mentioned above.

 

[Plato]

Almost invariably, such problems had nothing to do with drivers, but
was the media descriptor byte problem described at
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=140060

Whether that's Bill's problem isn't clear from his message, but if
Computer #2 is running Windows 9X, he should read that article.

The MS Resolution is to reformat the disk. That is not an option.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The MS Resolution is to reformat the disk. That is not an option.

Like it or not, if that is the problem, it's the *only* option to be
able to read that particular diskette on an XP machine.

However, what the article doesn't say, and certainly should say, is
that if the data on the diskette is needed, it should be copied off
the diskette using a Windows 9X computer. Then the data can be copied
back onto the diskette that was formatted on an XP computer.

Or alternatively, format a different diskette on an XP machine and
copy the old one to the new one on a Windows 9X computer. That
essentially amounts to the same thing.

 

[bill b.]

Like it or not, if that is the problem, it's the *only* option to be
able to read that particular diskette on an XP machine.

However, what the article doesn't say, and certainly should say, is
that if the data on the diskette is needed, it should be copied off
the diskette using a Windows 9X computer. Then the data can be copied
back onto the diskette that was formatted on an XP computer.

Or alternatively, format a different diskette on an XP machine and
copy the old one to the new one on a Windows 9X computer. That
essentially amounts to the same thing.

Sorry it has taken me some time to get back. I have XP Pro on both
computers. Comp #1 does not see ANY disk in its floppy drive although the
light comes on and the device manager says it is working properly. The only
thing I have not tried is switching cables. Could that be the problem? I
bought a new floppy drive and the same problem remains, i.e., all drives work
on comp #2 and comp #1 says to insert a disk with any of the drives connected
to it. It simply does not see any disk that is in a drive.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Sorry it has taken me some time to get back. I have XP Pro on both
computers. Comp #1 does not see ANY disk in its floppy drive although the
light comes on and the device manager says it is working properly. The only
thing I have not tried is switching cables. Could that be the problem?

Sure.


I
bought a new floppy drive and the same problem remains, i.e., all drives work
on comp #2 and comp #1 says to insert a disk with any of the drives connected
to it. It simply does not see any disk that is in a drive.

If it's not the cable, sorry, I don't have any other suggestions.