My floppy drive has a problem. I have uninstalled and reinstalled many times. I have Win 2000 Pro. Device Mgr has "!" on the floppy. Sometimes I will get a code 31 or code 1 error depending on whether the error appears during or after the reinstallation. I have tried another hardware and the exact same thing occurs. I have looked online for info on the errors, the only thing I could find was regarding code 31 and that 2000 rqrs some manual configurations. If I click run and type "a:\" then browse, an error appears that the folder was moved or removed. The A drive is not listed in "my computer". Please help. I have entered the 2000 disk to find other drivers and that did not help. I have uninstalled and reinstalled. Tried reboot and without reboot. Can you help? Oh yeah, the floppy is enabled, and I placed a win 98 boot disk during a reboot and it recognized the boot disk.
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floppy drive problem
- Thread starter amythist
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I almost forgot to mention. I have only had the pc about 2 weeks, long story, but it is not under warranty. I have spent the last few days trying to figure it out. Checked the inside cables also. Swapped a few around and when that did not help, I put everything back the way it was.
does the floppy actually work with the 98 boot disk in? has it ever worked? is your cable installed properly...red stripe to pin 1 on the motherboard and pin 1 on the floppy drive? is your floppy properly identified in the bios as a 1.44 instead of a 1.2? are the connectors just one pin off on the connector?...some are very hard to see. have you tried taking the floppy outside the case and hook up the power and the ribbon cable to make sure it's not grounded some way to the case or other component? Let us know some more details.
BuckeyeComputers
Technical User
>I placed a win 98 boot disk during a reboot and it recognized the boot disk.
The floppy drive is configured properly since it works in dos.
the problem sounds like the floppy controller software is corrupt and not allowing it to work properly. have you tried booting to safemode removing all traces of the floppy drive in device manager? floppy drive controllers, disk drive controllers?
The floppy drive is configured properly since it works in dos.
the problem sounds like the floppy controller software is corrupt and not allowing it to work properly. have you tried booting to safemode removing all traces of the floppy drive in device manager? floppy drive controllers, disk drive controllers?
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I just tried that. I got rid of the floppy drive, controler, and drivers. When I rebooted, I did so in normal mode. When I went to the control panel and checked device manager, the damned thing was right back with the "!" next to it. I never reinstalled. I will attempt to reboot in safe mode instead of normal and see if any changes occur.
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OK. I checked the ribbons. Seems ok. Thought about switching them around, in case upside down, but heard that you can fry your entire system by doing that. Can't afford a new anything with the PC. This has been the case since I got the computer. Contacted the floppy drive manufacturer. The model was not on the list. So, I sent an email. As I understand it, the floppy drive doesn't rqr drivers, but that is the exact error I am getting.
The error is:
This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)
I have also performed the safe mode uninstall and install. I have done this in normal and safe and cris-crossed the modes and have tried with and without for each possible sequence. No change.
As far as being 'grounded', I am not sure what is meant by that. It is screwed in and it is below the DVD Rom & ZIP drive with significant space between. So, just in case, I would like to know how the drive can become grounded so that I may determine if that is in fact the problem.
You guys have been great. Additional help is unfortunately needed. Any more suggestions?
Thanks!
The error is:
This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)
I have also performed the safe mode uninstall and install. I have done this in normal and safe and cris-crossed the modes and have tried with and without for each possible sequence. No change.
As far as being 'grounded', I am not sure what is meant by that. It is screwed in and it is below the DVD Rom & ZIP drive with significant space between. So, just in case, I would like to know how the drive can become grounded so that I may determine if that is in fact the problem.
You guys have been great. Additional help is unfortunately needed. Any more suggestions?
Thanks!
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I am the administrator. I have a user account, but never use it. I only log in as Administrator. I am not on a network, except for the cable internet. The problem with the floppy existed before I got the internet service. I use this computer from my home.
The 98 boot disk brings me directly to the dos A:\ prompt as it should.
The 98 boot disk brings me directly to the dos A:\ prompt as it should.
Assuming everything works in 98,
how about 2 operating systems? you could create
2 partitions, one tiny for 98, one big for 2000.
install 98, make sure all harware works.
install 2000 on big paratition the idea being the the changes would follow...
If you're not familiar with setting up dual boot
pcs, it might not be the easiest option...
how about 2 operating systems? you could create
2 partitions, one tiny for 98, one big for 2000.
install 98, make sure all harware works.
install 2000 on big paratition the idea being the the changes would follow...
If you're not familiar with setting up dual boot
pcs, it might not be the easiest option...
BuckeyeComputers
Technical User
Try this then remove the floppy drive completely from the system and reboot into the bios and set floppy drive A: to none and then reboot the system... is the error gone form device manager?
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- #14
I guess I could try partitioning and have both Win 98 & Win 2000. I haven't seen Win 98 in the stores for a while. Seems an expensive fix. I could borrow from someone that may have Win 98. Will have to look around.
From reading other threads in tek-tips and other areas, there are other people who have this problem. On the Microsoft website, the error 31 refers to NT mostly and that 2000 will sometimes need to be manually configured. I know more than your average "non-tekkie", but configuation of the sorts is not one where my limited experience has taken me.
For instance:
"Fixed it. Went in to registry and removed some references to real time floppy virus detection and to sfloppy drivers and reran the config for Innoculan and when I rebooted the floppy was working."
and
"The only cure (short of reinstall) that I know of is to
a) Delete _all_ traces of the old drivers, file by file. You have to do this by hand, so you need to know what the files are. The original driver source (CD or floppy disk) should have a list of what it installs, or should have
created an install log. Use that for reference. and
b) Delete _all_ references to _all_ floppy drivers in the Registry. Again, you must do this by hand, so you need a Registry Editor.
c) Install the proper drivers.
Just how well this works depends on how good you are at finding and deleting unneeded files, and editing the Registry.
If you mus reinstall, I suggests that you create a second partition on your drive, and move or copy all the data you want to save to it. (Keep this partition for future use, too.) When you reinstall W2K it should be untouched. If W2K wants to touch it, don't give permission. You must do a
custom install to ensure that the second partition is untouched, which means you have to know what you want. I advise getting one of the better books about W2K - one written by a person who is not merely a shill for MS, but has a properly realistic attitude towards operating systems. I have Windows 2000: A Beginner's Guide, by Matthews, publ. Osborne-McgRaw Hill. It has proven
reliable so far.
"
(was from Litha)
I just don't know quite enough about deleting and partitioning to perform the suggestions without a significant possibility of really messing things up (from past experience.)
Naturally, if I am just not "getting it", I am open to suggestions.
From reading other threads in tek-tips and other areas, there are other people who have this problem. On the Microsoft website, the error 31 refers to NT mostly and that 2000 will sometimes need to be manually configured. I know more than your average "non-tekkie", but configuation of the sorts is not one where my limited experience has taken me.
For instance:
"Fixed it. Went in to registry and removed some references to real time floppy virus detection and to sfloppy drivers and reran the config for Innoculan and when I rebooted the floppy was working."
and
"The only cure (short of reinstall) that I know of is to
a) Delete _all_ traces of the old drivers, file by file. You have to do this by hand, so you need to know what the files are. The original driver source (CD or floppy disk) should have a list of what it installs, or should have
created an install log. Use that for reference. and
b) Delete _all_ references to _all_ floppy drivers in the Registry. Again, you must do this by hand, so you need a Registry Editor.
c) Install the proper drivers.
Just how well this works depends on how good you are at finding and deleting unneeded files, and editing the Registry.
If you mus reinstall, I suggests that you create a second partition on your drive, and move or copy all the data you want to save to it. (Keep this partition for future use, too.) When you reinstall W2K it should be untouched. If W2K wants to touch it, don't give permission. You must do a
custom install to ensure that the second partition is untouched, which means you have to know what you want. I advise getting one of the better books about W2K - one written by a person who is not merely a shill for MS, but has a properly realistic attitude towards operating systems. I have Windows 2000: A Beginner's Guide, by Matthews, publ. Osborne-McgRaw Hill. It has proven
reliable so far.
"(was from Litha)
I just don't know quite enough about deleting and partitioning to perform the suggestions without a significant possibility of really messing things up (from past experience.)
Naturally, if I am just not "getting it", I am open to suggestions.
- Thread starter
- #15
As lady luck would smile upon me, merely 15 minutes after I made the last posting, a friend sent me a file that fixed the problem. It is called Flash Path Monitor version 6.30.07 by the Smart Disk Corporation. It was a missing driver. The file reinstalled the missing driver.
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