Something Weird Here??

[Sylvialn]

Ok...here's the problem....we have 2 computers (computer #1 in the office and computer #2 at our's Coordinator's home). Computer #1 is a working IBM computer with Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 97 on it. Computer #2 is a working Gateway computer (purchased 2 days ago) with Windows XP and Microsoft Office 97 on it as well. Here's the problem: We have a floppy disk from Computer #1 with saved word documents on it (from our office). When she takes this disk home and tries to read it on her computer (#2), it says the floppy is not formatted. If she takes a floppy disk from Computer #2 with word docuemnts on it (from her home computer) and brings it into work, then we can see the files (under windows explorer), but we get an error message upon opening that states word cannot open the file from the specified drive (yet we can see the files there on the drive). WHAT IS GOING ON???? Please...anyone....???? "Try everything at least once."

 

[LegoArtist]

Just a guess, but the two computers might be using two different file systems (eg. FAT16 and NTFS) for floppies. Put a floppy in each computer (one that the computer can read, of course), double-click My Computer, right-click the floppy drive (usually A and select Properties. In the General tab in Win95 just above the used and free space it should say "File System:" (without the quotes). Compare that to what you get in Windows XP (I haven't used it so I'm not sure how you get the File System info).

As I write this, it occurs to me that one of the drives might be compressing the disk. I haven't played with floppy disk compression so I could be so far out in left field that I'm parking cars. But if you're checking the File System it couldn't hurt to check for compression.

 

[paulwood]

Just because it's a new computer doesn't mean the floppy drive is OK, it may be able to read the directory without being able to read the files (although that would be a little weird). Have you checked which floppies can be read in other computers?

 

[Sylvialn]

The computer disk with files from the #2 computer cannot be opened by my computer either (at work). And of course, the disk from computer #1, I can read. "Try everything at least once."

 

[paulwood]

I'd be real suspicious of the floppy drive on the new computer and would probably contact Gateway.

 

[cdogg]

a quick test for the floppy drive on #2 is to save an office doc to the floppy and then try and open it from the floppy on the same computer (Windows XP).

It shouldn't be a file system problem (i.e. NTFS, FAT32) because the disk cannot be read when going from Windows 95 to Windows XP. Regardless of the file system used by XP, it should still be able to see and read FAT16/32 without a hitch.

try the floppy test first, then post back...

 

[Guest_imported]

I am also having this similar problem. I am dual booting win2k and win98, when i bring files saved on a disk from the win98 session....I try to read it IN THE SAME DRIVE with Win2k and it says the disk is not formatted!! Very wierd, I will post solutions if I find it. Good Luck.