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General discussion

Floppy Drive Doesn't See Discs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sep 3, 2004 2:16AM PDT

My computer recognizes the existance of a floppy drive but doesn't see the inserted discs. When I insert a disc and click the drive, it say's "please insert a disc in drive A." I've tried other floppy drives and get the same result. So it's not the fault of the drive. Any ideas? XP Pro machine.

Thanks

Eric

Discussion is locked

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Re: Floppy Drive Doesn't See Discs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 3, 2004 2:40AM PDT

Eric,

If I am reading this correctly you cannot read the floppy?

Then the floppy is dead. Worst medium to put files on.

If the disk has needed data on it a disk editing application might retrive it for you.

luck

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Re: Floppy Drive Doesn't See Discs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 15, 2004 11:31AM PDT

Exactly what is a disk editing application. I have a diskette that was working but now I get a message to format it. Of course, my only copy of the file is on the diskette. Stupid I know but is there any way to recover the file?

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Re: Floppy Drive Doesn't See Discs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 17, 2004 8:45AM PDT

Does your floopy drive work with other discs? If so, you can go to download.com and search for free "recovery" software. install it and point it at the suspect disc. That may work.

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More basic information please
Sep 3, 2004 2:48AM PDT

What Op Sys know that it won't make much difference, but how about a statement as to whether or not the floppy ever worked for a month, year or never?

See that you tried other floppies. On the same cable? Have you tried a different cable???

When I plug the signal cable into a floppy in the case, I frequently get the cable mated where only one row of contacts are engaged.

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Re: More basic information please
Sep 3, 2004 7:26AM PDT

turn round the cable. may sound stupid but i did this once tryed two floppy drives in my comp before realising i had accidently pluuged in the cable upside down. even with the cable upside down windows said there was a floppy drive i just couldnt read disks of it. and i would go buy a CDWR or DVDWR instead. Happy

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Re: More basic information please
Sep 3, 2004 7:41AM PDT

Simple and stupid is much more preferable to complicated and PhD requirements to solve. That did the trick. Thanks much. My wife, especially, thanks you.

Grace and Peace

Eric

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Re: More basic information please
Sep 3, 2004 7:28AM PDT

XP Pro, and no, haven't swapped out cables, but why would the OS see the drive if the cable wa bad. It only doesn't see the disc, any disc.

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Re: More basic information please
Sep 3, 2004 11:38PM PDT
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Re: More basic information please
Nov 21, 2004 1:19AM PST

yo e'rbudy,
all this cable and driver stuff is fine and good, but i've got all o' my stuff set up fine and dandy with still no luck. i've tried configuring the bios somehow but that's all how it's supposed to be too. if someone has some constructive advice on the floppy, let me know. i NEED it to update the my BIOS to fix some system bugs, so don't bother suggesting a CDRW (i have one, anyway)

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Re: More basic information please
Nov 21, 2004 9:14AM PST

Got another floppy drive you can try?