floopy driver not working

[caraloca]

Hi, I installed win xp pro in a new pc, before I formatted my hd using a floopy diskette , everything went fine, the os is fine etc... but now my floppy driver does not work, the light is always on and when I put a floopy disk I just get the pop up that said "retry or cancel".
In my old pc with 98se all the drives (cdrom, cdrw and floppy drive) have always the lights on but only the floopy does not work.
Any ideas about?.
thank you

 

[paparazi]

This is one of the most commonly reported hardware faults and is simply rectified by connecting the ribbon cable the right way around to the drive.
:>) Martin

Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[edfair]

But Paparazi failed to tell you that there are 2 ways it can be connected wrong. The connector on the N/B can be backwards, and the connector on the floppy can be backwards.
Best to look on the floppy for markings near the connector for pins 1&2 or 33&34. The red stripe on the ribbon indicates the pin 1 end of the floppy connector. That puts the cut and twist closest to the pin 1 end also. The floppy is to be on the end of the cable nearest the cut and twist of conductors.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[caraloca]

Hi, Ok now I'm getting confused.
If I checked the ribbon cable and there is only one way it can be connected to the motherboard and to the floppy drive or any other drive, I mean, there is no way I can put it wrong, even if I try the other way it won't fit.
thank you

 

[edfair]

Are you telling me that you have shells on both ends? And cables with interlock guides? If so you are a lucky person because you have higher quality parts than most.
It comes down to the floppy ribbon going on the M/B with pin 1 of the cable connector going to pin 1 on the board and the same thing on the floppy.
And sometimes the cables are put together wrong, with the interlock guide on the wrong side, or the cut and twist on the wrong end, and I have seen a floppy or 2 with the interlock slot in place on the board but the pins reversed, where the design was changed and the board layout redone but everybody forgot to get rid of the slot.
You really need to look at the floppy board and see what the numbering really is.
I have seen only 1 M/B where the drive select light was caused by anything other than the ribbon connectors turned around so the drive select was driven by a 0 volt line off the M/B or the cables were installed on one or the other connector off by 1 pin or 1 row.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[micker377]

Also, check for bent pins on the floppy ans M/B.