Help! Floppy drive refuses to read diskettes

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Okay
Suddenly, messages such "device is not ready" or "this
disk is not formatted, do you want to format it now"
started to appear when I insert floppy disks in the drive
A:
Worst thing the device manager won't let me to delete A:
dirve controllers (standard generic drivers) so Windows
can re-detect hardware as suggested here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;131690

Strange thing is why Windows won't let me delete current
drivers!!! it displays a message such "select + to
display a list of available drivers for this device"
though I select right controller (expand all drivers).
I made every suggestion from link above with no results
and I'm start guess with proper device failure.

This is a 6 years old IBM 350 model refurbished, Pentium
processor, 48 MB RAM, 2.1 GB HD, NEC floppy drive device.

P.S. I noticed 2 identic generic drivers duplicated
under "floppy disk controllers" in Device Manager.

Please help

Dale

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"Dale" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:361201c4a2c1$2b915870$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> Okay
> Suddenly, messages such "device is not ready" or "this
> disk is not formatted, do you want to format it now"
> started to appear when I insert floppy disks in the drive
> A:
> Worst thing the device manager won't let me to delete A:
> dirve controllers (standard generic drivers) so Windows
> can re-detect hardware as suggested here:
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
> us;131690
>
> Strange thing is why Windows won't let me delete current
> drivers!!! it displays a message such "select + to
> display a list of available drivers for this device"
> though I select right controller (expand all drivers).
> I made every suggestion from link above with no results
> and I'm start guess with proper device failure.
>
> This is a 6 years old IBM 350 model refurbished, Pentium
> processor, 48 MB RAM, 2.1 GB HD, NEC floppy drive device.
>
> P.S. I noticed 2 identic generic drivers duplicated
> under "floppy disk controllers" in Device Manager.
>
> Please help
>
> Dale

Before blaming Windows for your problems, you should
check your hardware. Boot the machine with a Win98
boot disk from www.bootdisk.com, then see if you can
access your floppy disks. Try different disks! If you can
then your problem is caused by Windows. If you can't
then you have a hardware problem.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com> wrote in message
news:OJ798atoEHA.648@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>
> "Dale" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:361201c4a2c1$2b915870$a601280a@phx.gbl...
>> Okay
>> Suddenly, messages such "device is not ready" or "this
>> disk is not formatted, do you want to format it now"
>> started to appear when I insert floppy disks in the drive
>> A:

>> This is a 6 years old IBM 350 model refurbished, Pentium
>> processor, 48 MB RAM, 2.1 GB HD, NEC floppy drive device.

> Before blaming Windows for your problems, you should
> check your hardware. Boot the machine with a Win98
> boot disk from www.bootdisk.com, then see if you can
> access your floppy disks. Try different disks! If you can
> then your problem is caused by Windows. If you can't
> then you have a hardware problem.
>

I would have to go with hardware failure, floppy drives get full of
dust especially, a 6 year old one, which kills them. Follow Pegasus'
suggestion and if it proves to be hardware failure you could try one
of those cleaning disks but floppy drive are so cheap they are
practically free so if you may as well get a new one, or better still
just take it out and use a CD-RW instead. Floppies are fragile, slow
and old .... like me 😉