floppy problems

[Swafe]

yo

got a system which i finally got going - its running windows 98 at the mo

it seems my floppy is b0rked, in some sense, it wont read off it to boot, and also not only that, now ive got windows it wont read it, says drive is inaccessible - however the drive is there in windows, and is found in the bios

ive tried 3 different floppy drives, and all of them do the same, so whats the problem ?

is it my floppy drive controller thats died on me ? or just partially passed out, or are all my drives b0rked and i just need a new one ?


if it is dead, how can i fix it ? is there any sort of pci card that would allow you to add extra floppy ports (like a raid controller adding more ide ports??) or something like that so i can use it again and get it working i only ask as i said id fix it for a pal, and hes coming round tonight after me having it for a week and i just cant seem to get it going ! i thought replacing the drive would be enuff, but obviously not

[SmileyUK]

sounds like the cable is the wrong way round.... and its not detected in the bios per se as set to have one.

[DaKid]

Based on the topic title, I was gonna suggest taking the blue pill, but SmileyUK might possibly have made a better suggestion.

[Allen]

^^ Just what I was thinking. Either that, or have a lady friend try and help persuade it.

Does the power light stay lit? If so, a wire is in the wrong way round (power I think). If not, wiggle the wires around and check the floppy cable connection on the mobo and drive.

[Steve]

Does the power light stay lit? If so, a wire is in the wrong way round (power I think). If not, wiggle the wires around and check the floppy cable connection on the mobo and drive.

You mean the drive activity light, and if it's on all the time the cable is in the wrong way. Also the cable end with the twist should be attached to the FDD.

[Allen]

Yesh, I meant the activity light, not the power light, and also meant the cable, not the wire.

What if you're using a rounded floppy cable?

[Steve]

What if you're using a rounded floppy cable?

Then you're too "hip" for me to deal with.

[Allen]

My parents call me 'hip', they're in their 60's though!

[Swafe]

well i think it was on all the time

but u sure that means the cables the wrong way round ? i mean, it dont fit the other way round

or do you mean the power cable? :\

[Steve]

Yeah it means it's on the wrong way around, or maybe the floppy drives mode in the BIOS is wrong? Set to 1.44MB 3.25"?

If the power cable is the wrong way around, you can get smoke... so no it won't be that.

[Swafe]

i thought it could be, so i got a different floppy cable

its got 2 connectors, one with plugs on, which obviously goes into the motherboard, and the other one to the floppy, ill try and change it round (turn the cable upside down in the floppy)

hope its that simple

[Swafe]

er doesnt go the other way round :\ its definutly in right - the floppy

and it powers up, doesnt blow up, so surely the floppy power is right as well??

[DaKid]

Floppy drives generally don't have restrictors in place which prevent the insertion of the cable into them the wrong way round (i.e. rotated 180 degrees from the correct position) ... if you do insert it the wrong way round into the drive, then generally the light just stays on the whole time.

[Swafe]

it is the right way round ! i know this

i just checked with my sisters pc , as her floppy works fine

so i look - and i plugged it in, EXACTLY the way it was in hers making sure i got it the same way so i didnt mess the cables up


works fine in hers

exactly the same drive in mine, exactly the same leads, in exactly the places


A: Drive Error press F1 to continue

!!! AHHHAA !!

[Swafe]

Floppy drives generally don't have restrictors in place which prevent the insertion of the cable into them the wrong way round (i.e. rotated 180 degrees from the correct position) ... if you do insert it the wrong way round into the drive, then generally the light just stays on the whole time.

mine does, its got a block around it, with a hole in the middle, so you get the cable the right way round ( like IDE, you cant get it thr wrong way around, as it cannot go in due to bit of plastic stopping it going in)

[Swafe]

so my my flopy thing on the motherboard bust? :\