A: not responding?

alienz · 2003-08-05, 00:23

have had problems with my PC's this week. I got home and found they had both had hard drive crashes. The XP recovery disk repaired one computer, that is now fine. The other one I reinstalled XP onto. However now I need to reinstall the network driver off a 3.5" floppy. The floppy device "A" is showing in "My Computer", A device cheque appeared to show it as working properly. When ever I click the "A" drive though I get an error message "Please insert a disk into drive A:" Does anyone know what I am missing/ not doing correctly?

PS... Before you say it... there is a disk in drive A: (

ops: )

NickGlover · 2003-08-05, 01:26

Well, if you have messed with the floppy's IDE cable, maybe you plugged it back into the floppy drive upside down. I've managed to do that one a couple of times.

One time that I made that error (and had working network drivers already installed), I was too lazy to fix it, so I just shared the floppy on another computer and used that for a while.

alienz · 2003-08-05, 04:32

IDE cables and BIOS are unlikely, I guess I will try sharing the other A: from the other computer temporarily, this may narrow down the possible cause or eliminate a few things

Xyzzy · 2003-08-05, 04:38

One of the wires in the cable is the disk change wire... If this wire is broken or shorted it will never know a new disk has been inserted... IIRC, this wire is connected to pin 34... I can't tell you how many times I have experienced this myself, but it is enough that I remember it and it is the second thing I check after checking to see if the cable is on backwards... BTW, if the cable is on backwards the floppy light will stay on forever...

alienz · 2003-08-05, 07:00

I will check that wire too thanks, the light does not come on at all

lycorn · 2003-08-05, 08:23

I assume you just have one FD in the system.
Check if you are connecting the drive to the connector located at the far end of the cable, after the twisted wires. That is where it should be if you have just one drive.

eepiccolo · 2003-08-05, 13:05

Also, lots of times floppy cable connectors aren't keyed, so you have to make sure the cable is connected properly. The side of the cable with the red strand should go on the pin 1 side of the connector.

trif · 2003-08-05, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickGlover

Well, if you have messed with the floppy's IDE cable, maybe you plugged it back into the floppy drive upside down. I've managed to do that one a couple of times.

Ditto. At the AMD promotional tour event I went to, during the "build-off" the guy who finished first was disqualified due to having plugged in the floppy drive cable upside down. Seems to me that pin1 is always on the opposite side from the hard drives.

wfzelle · 2003-08-05, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickGlover

Well, if you have messed with the floppy's IDE cable, maybe you plugged it back into the floppy drive upside down. I've managed to do that one a couple of times.

My dad managed to connect a floppy drive cable to a hard drive.

ops: Luckily I was able to straighten the pins again.

Well, that my dad for you. Everything fits if you apply enough force.

Xyzzy · 2003-08-05, 23:50

If you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail... :)

QuintLeo · 2003-08-06, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by eepiccolo

Also, lots of times floppy cable connectors aren't keyed, so you have to make sure the cable is connected properly. The side of the cable with the red strand should go on the pin 1 side of the connector.

This is fairly easy to detect, usually.

The floppy drive light will come on, it's motor will start running, and it'll never stop.

2003-08-05, 00:23	#1
alienz Jun 2003 3·7 Posts	A: not responding? have had problems with my PC's this week. I got home and found they had both had hard drive crashes. The XP recovery disk repaired one computer, that is now fine. The other one I reinstalled XP onto. However now I need to reinstall the network driver off a 3.5" floppy. The floppy device "A" is showing in "My Computer", A device cheque appeared to show it as working properly. When ever I click the "A" drive though I get an error message "Please insert a disk into drive A:" Does anyone know what I am missing/ not doing correctly? PS... Before you say it... there is a disk in drive A: ( ops: )

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2003-08-05, 01:26	#2
NickGlover Aug 2002 Richland, WA 2²×3×11 Posts	Well, if you have messed with the floppy's IDE cable, maybe you plugged it back into the floppy drive upside down. I've managed to do that one a couple of times. One time that I made that error (and had working network drivers already installed), I was too lazy to fix it, so I just shared the floppy on another computer and used that for a while.

2003-08-05, 04:32	#3
alienz Jun 2003 10101₂ Posts	IDE cables and BIOS are unlikely, I guess I will try sharing the other A: from the other computer temporarily, this may narrow down the possible cause or eliminate a few things

2003-08-05, 04:38	#4
Xyzzy "Mike" Aug 2002 2·23·179 Posts	One of the wires in the cable is the disk change wire... If this wire is broken or shorted it will never know a new disk has been inserted... IIRC, this wire is connected to pin 34... I can't tell you how many times I have experienced this myself, but it is enough that I remember it and it is the second thing I check after checking to see if the cable is on backwards... BTW, if the cable is on backwards the floppy light will stay on forever...

2003-08-05, 07:00	#5
alienz Jun 2003 3×7 Posts	I will check that wire too thanks, the light does not come on at all

2003-08-05, 08:23	#6
lycorn "GIMFS" Sep 2002 Oeiras, Portugal 1473₁₀ Posts	I assume you just have one FD in the system. Check if you are connecting the drive to the connector located at the far end of the cable, after the twisted wires. That is where it should be if you have just one drive.

2003-08-05, 13:05	#7
eepiccolo Dec 2002 Frederick County, MD 2×5×37 Posts	Also, lots of times floppy cable connectors aren't keyed, so you have to make sure the cable is connected properly. The side of the cable with the red strand should go on the pin 1 side of the connector.

2003-08-05, 23:50	#10
Xyzzy "Mike" Aug 2002 2×23×179 Posts	If you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail... :)