Floppy doesn't recognize disk

fmuellerfmueller Auckland, NZ Icrontian
edited January 2007 in Hardware
I recently upgraded my computer, and one of the few parts I could salvage from my trusty old machine was the floppy disk. Not sure if I'll ever really need the thing again, but I thought it would be nice to have one in there just in case.

So I hooked it up to the power supply and plugged it into the FDD header, but whatever I do, when I boot I get an error message: "Floppy disk(s) fail (40)". I can actually see drive A: in Windows Explorer, but whenever I click on it I get the message: "Please insert a disk into drive A:.", regardless if there is actually as disk in there or not. What can I do? It's the first PC I put together myself, so I am assuming I am missing something that might be obvious to everybody else. :D

I am using a Biostar Geforce 6100-M9 NVIDIA Socket 939 MicroATX Motherboard (www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=B450-2303), in case that matters.

Many thanks!

Frank

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    Your floppy cable may be oriented wrong on the floppy drive or on the motherboard FDD header or at both locations. Both the drive and the board will have a little tick mark or '1' mark on them. The floppy cable should have a strip along one edge. The edge with the stripe should be aligned with drive's and motherboard's markers.
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    fmueller wrote:
    ...but whatever I do, when I boot I get an error message: "Floppy disk(s) fail (40)". I can actually see drive A: in Windows Explorer, but whenever I click on it I get the message: "Please insert a disk into drive A:.", regardless if there is actually as disk in there or not....
    Hello fmueller
    This isn't a mobo (motherboard) problem. Rather it's either an issue w/ your FDD (floppy disk drive) or your floppy diskette(s).

    It is normal to get that ("Please insert a disk into drive A:") message if there isn't a diskette in the drive when you double-click on its icon in My Computer.

    If you get that message when there is a floppy diskette in the drive, then either the FDD or the floppy diskette is bad.

    Note:
    Make sure there is no floppy diskette in the drive when you boot your computer. If it (the FDD) is set as one of the boot priority devices (b4 the HDD (hard disk drive) in the BIOS, then the system will hang during the boot process if the diskette inserted is not a bootable floppy)

    A Caveat:
    Is the LED on the front of the floppy drive on all the time? If so, the ribbon cable is installed incorrectly. Reversing the orientation of the cable will correct this problem.

    Let's see what happens now (when you try new floppy diskettes and/or check the orientation of your floppy drive ribbon cable)

    EDIT:///
    My apologies. I wasn't paying close enough attention to the error message you were getting when booting your computer. Please, click here for a description and resolution to your problem. (I'm pretty sure that the cable orientation is the problem)

    ===================

    Oooops! Sorry, Leonardo. We must've been both working on our posts at the same time. You beat me out of the gate, however!! ;)
  • fmuellerfmueller Auckland, NZ Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    Wow! You guys are not only good, you are lightning fast as well! It was indeed the wretched cable, and I never expected to get this issue resolved tonight! Now I can finally close up the box and get on with my life. Many thanks!

    Frank
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    fmueller wrote:
    Wow! You guys are not only good, you are lightning fast as well! It was indeed the wretched cable, and I never expected to get this issue resolved tonight! Now I can finally close up the box and get on with my life. Many thanks! Frank
    You are most welcome Frank. Come back anytime. :celebrate
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