It's like an I-Mac! *scream*

[jackofallgeeks]

also posted on the_corner_geek

OK, I semi-mentioned this issue before, but now I'm asking for input in actuality. I just build a couple machines, and except for one minor detail, they're running fine. The minor detail is this: They don't recognize their floppy drives.

Actually, that's not quite true. When the computer runs it's tests durring post, at power-up, it throws a "no floppy drive detected" error. Bypassing that and getting into Windows, it seems that Windows knows the drive is there, but it is unable to read any disks placed in the drive -- it doesn't see that there's a disk there. I ran Windows' troubleshooting on the drive, and the device manager says that the device is working propperly.

Mister Fader said something about checking if the Bios recognizes that the drive is there, and I recalled then that yes, the Bios does see it. I'm about to go check that, and then do some drive-swapping with other computers around the house to test the integrity of the drives. I'm inclined to doubt that it's the drives, as it's two sepparate machines, each with a floppy built by a different manufactuerer.

Any ideas out there?

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Update [17:39]: Disconnected the Floppy drive cable. Aside from the power light on the drive going out, nothing has changed -- Bios still reports the same, and Windows' device manager still seems to think the device is working propperly. Next, I replace the drive with a known working drive and see what happens.

Comments

[ex-orin917.livejournal.com]

Faulty IDE cable perhaps? I've had similar problems with hard drives that turned out to be a bad cable, or one that isn't plugged in properly or comes loose. Although technically bios shouldn't pick it up if this is the case. But I wouldn't discount it being the drives until you prove this beyond shadow of doubt because floppy drives pick up glitches all the time.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm checking things out now... I didn't get around to using a 'known' drive yet because the one I was going to do was mounted on with a stripped skrew, so my skrewdriver couldn't get a bite on it. *wince* My plan as of now is to try a 'known' drive in my box, try my drive in a different box, and then see if switching up the cables does anything. Unfortunately, as far as I can see, my Bios doesn't say much as far as 'detecting' the Floppy drive -- where as iut gives me the manufacturer and such of my hard drives and the like, it only gives me selections of sizes for my floppy (ie, 1.33 mb, 1.44 mb, 2.88 mb, etc). And, failing all that, we try buying new drives, as they only cost but $5 each, anyways.

[otakulk.livejournal.com]

buy a cd burner, you don't need those floppies anyway :P