DOS 'writes to floppy', but the file disappears!

[Euphaz]

Imagine this:

You copy or save a file on the a: floppy.

Then you 'dir' or check in explorer and the file is present.

Some later, or on another computer the file is gone! Ie I cannot copy files from this computer to floppy.

Virus? Anyone??

 

[2ffat]

Can you put the floppy back in the original computer and still see the file on the floppy or see the file on yet another PC? If so, the problem may lie with the floppy drive. If the heads are out of alignment, mis-skewed, or dirty then not all drives can read those files. The question is, it is on the orignal drive or the second computer's drive?

James P. Cottingham

I am the Unknown lead by the Unknowing.
I have done so much with so little
for so long that I am now qualified
to do anything with nothing.

 

[THoey]

Also, if on that other machine, if it is set to hide files of that extension, it may be there, but you may not be able to see it... Terry M. Hoey

 

[Euphaz]

Many thanks. I forgot to tell what I've done:

1.Scanned computer+disks for viruses, 2 scanners and clean boot. Found Unix/Sad..
something on HDD and deleted the infected file. The virus is a web worm.

2.Replaced the floppy drive, booted clean, and copied a file to 6 new diskettes. (Surely another batch than other dikettes that failed).

3.Dir'ed and the files were present.

4.Ran diskedit on all floppies at another computer, none data but the 1k mbr!!!

(diskedit display all raw data independent of file system)

Suspect hardware failure