Won't recognize floppy drive

[AngelicKnight]

Just a quick question: What do you do when the A: doesn't show up on My Computer? The New Hardware wizard doesn't identify it, and it says the A: folder has been deleted. How does one go about fixing this?

[DeadAddict]

If I am reading your question correctly I would open up the case and check to see if a cable came lose and if possible take a floppy drive out of the current computer and test it in another computer.

[rcgreen]

Make sure there is a known good, formatted disk in the drive.

[fourdc]

If this is a new installation of the floppy drive... make sure you used the correct plug on the floppy cable, drive a and drive b were by cable select. you want the end plug

[nihil]

When you boot up the computer does the little green light come on?

If it does, and does not go out a few seconds later, your cable is connected wrong way round.

If it does not come on at all during the post (boot) sequence then the power is out...check the cable connection.

It could be dead?...they don't give any warning in my experience, so try another one if you can get hold of a spare.

Good Luck

[AngelicKnight]

I think you pinpointed the problem. No light comes on during boot, so I guess it is a power issue. Alas though, the situation gets more complicated. This particular computer is an odd little IBM in which all the drives are actually built into the monitor -- you press a button under the monitor and a compartment drops down with the CD and floppy drives, which leaves me wondering how in the world one goes about getting inside the computer and -- heaven forbid -- changing out drives if necessary.

[AngelicKnight]

Well, I finally found out what was up -- all the floppy drives on the computers used for similar purposes were purposefully deactivated, I just didn't know about it myself. So that solves that! Thanks for all the help!

[AngelicKnight]

Well guys, now I have a new A: problem! I've since moved on to one of our other computers whose floppy drive is also not working properly (and this time it's supposed to!). The light was functioning properly, I tried the Windows troubleshooter, reinstalled drivers, and finally swapped out floppy drives, but nothing will work (so at least I know it's not the drive itself, it's something in the computer).

When you try to read a disk, it pops up a message that the disk needs to be formatted. Of course, if you try then to format the disk, it then says it cannot be formated. It evidently does this with any floppy disk you stick in there. So so far, I'm stumped again! Everything looks to be working properly, until you actually try to use it.

[cheyenne1212]

Does the floppy light stay on all the time?

If it doesn't, it could be a bad floppy drive, or a bad disk. Have you tried any other disks?

[AngelicKnight]

The light is working as usual, only on when it's expected to be. I've tried all of the following:

1) Used a floppy that other computers with the same OS accepted
2) Uninstalled and reinstalled drivers
3) Swapped floppy drives
4) Swapped floppy drive connecting cables
5) Checked BIOS settings

...and yet it still won't work. Quite a head-scratcher...