A:\ drive missing
Hi all i am a new member hope you can help .
i have just notice the a:\ drive is missing i am running xp home.
any info please.
i have just notice the a:\ drive is missing i am running xp home.
any info please.
0
Comments
I have moved your thread to General Hardware from Spyware and Virus Removal. If this turns out to be a Spyware or Virus problem someone will move it back to the appropriate forum.
Tell us more, please. Floppy drives can go missing in Windows because they are malfunctioning, are dusty inside and hanging trying to read dust instead of a floppy(in which case the first thing to do is get and use a floppy head cleaning disk), have the power cable disconnected (in which case the floppy will not work until it is plugged in again).
Viral things are less often the cause of floppy failure then these two above things. One way to tell if the floppy drive has trouble that is hardware related is a solid floppy drive light (drive light on floppy drive is stuck on as computer just starts up or stays on even when windows runs, IOW).
Here is what happens with a floppy drive is reading dust or trying to read dust or the power cable disconnected:
A program set in computer called a BIOS will not pass on to windows that there is a floppy drive in computer when floppy drive is stuck or filled with dust . So, Windows disables the floppy drive and it vanishes from the hardware available to use.
The one OTHER way I can think of for a floppy drive to not show in windows is if the data cable is bad or not connected to both motherboard and\or floppy drive. Given what you said, this is about as likely as a viral problem (IE not very likely). In this case,the light on the floppy drive should never go on as windows starts. New floppy drive cable is about $2.00 USD to $4.00 USD at retail.
Worst comes to worst and the floppy is dead or filled with dust, a good new floppy drive is about $20 US dollars. Before you buy one, or if you have opened the computer case and tried to clean it of dust or moved cables around, tell us about the light on the floppy drive and if you do not understand what is written here please ask about what you do not understand.
I would take it to a computer store if you need to use the floppy drive and have the computer completely cleaned of dust also. if you want to clean the floppy drive with a can of air, do not bother to blow dust into the floppy drive(it will move around the blown dust and make things worst if there is just a bit of dust-- instead, VACUUM the dust off the outside and reachable surfaces of the floppy drive).