Floppy disc drive

HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan in
safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones. I
have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
appreciated.
--
margie

Have you tried various disks, and still the same problem? You might try
blowing out the drive with a couple of quick blasts of compressed air,
and then use a floppy disk cleaner disk. If that doesn't work I'd say
you need a new one.

Be aware of scan disking the drive, if the physical drive is malfunctioning.
Scandisk could misinterpret the results and "fix" something that does not
need fixing.


"margie" wrote in message ...
HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan in
safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones. I
have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
appreciated.
--
margie

"Bill Blanton" wrote in message
...

Be aware of scan disking the drive, if the physical drive is
malfunctioning.
Scandisk could misinterpret the results and "fix" something that does not
need fixing.

SCANDISK can make no changes to a floppy drive.
It works only (here) on a (floppy) disk in a (floppy) drive and
if it changes anything makes changes to that disk,
not to the drive itself.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message ...
"Bill Blanton" wrote in message
...

Be aware of scan disking the drive, if the physical drive is
malfunctioning.
Scandisk could misinterpret the results and "fix" something that does not
need fixing.

SCANDISK can make no changes to a floppy drive.
It works only (here) on a (floppy) disk in a (floppy) drive and
if it changes anything makes changes to that disk,
not to the drive itself.

Obviously, I meant "drive" as in the logical A: "drive" in the first instance.

Next time your in Safe Mode look for duplicate floppy entries in Device
Manager. Make Notes of what is found.
Start Settings Control Panel System Device Manager Disk Drives -
Delete all entries for the floppy
GO next to Floppy Disk Controllers, while in Device Manager, and delete the
controller (making note if more than one).
While in Device manager and "Disk Drives" make note of the number of hard
drives shown. Also check under Hard disk Controllers the number of
drivers/entries found and what is shown.

Restart in normal mode, computer should find and replace the floppy drive
with freshened drivers. Check by going back the same way to Device Manager.
If not go to:
Start Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware and let it search.

Post back with the results if you would please.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
BLOG - http://peoplescounsel.spaces.live.com/ Public Notice or the "real
world"
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"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth.
Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if
nothing had happen." Winston Churchill
Or to put it another way:
Morpheus can offer you the two pills;
but only you can choose whether you take the red pill or the blue one.
_______________

"margie" wrote in message
...
| HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
| discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan
in
| safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones.
I
| have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
| virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
| appreciated.
| --
| margie

Many thanks all of you for replying to my question, yes I will let you know
how it goes. thanks
--
margiegirl


"MEB" wrote:

Next time your in Safe Mode look for duplicate floppy entries in Device
Manager. Make Notes of what is found.
Start Settings Control Panel System Device Manager Disk Drives -
Delete all entries for the floppy
GO next to Floppy Disk Controllers, while in Device Manager, and delete the
controller (making note if more than one).
While in Device manager and "Disk Drives" make note of the number of hard
drives shown. Also check under Hard disk Controllers the number of
drivers/entries found and what is shown.

Restart in normal mode, computer should find and replace the floppy drive
with freshened drivers. Check by going back the same way to Device Manager.
If not go to:
Start Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware and let it search.

Post back with the results if you would please.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
BLOG - http://peoplescounsel.spaces.live.com/ Public Notice or the "real
world"
Forum - http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/xforum - requires registration due
to AD abuse

"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth.
Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if
nothing had happen." Winston Churchill
Or to put it another way:
Morpheus can offer you the two pills;
but only you can choose whether you take the red pill or the blue one.
_______________

"margie" wrote in message
...
| HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
| discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan
in
| safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones.
I
| have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
| virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
| appreciated.
| --
| margie

It could be a MS-DOS compatibility mode problem--see this article.

Troubleshooting Floppy Disk Drive Problems in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=131690


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"margie" wrote in message
...
HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan
in
safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones.
I
have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
appreciated.
--
margie

Thank you to all who have helped. I spent quite some time today checking out
the floppy drive and found some files wouldnt open and I couldnt delete them.
Others were perfectly ok and I managed to save and open and delete files from
various programmes successfully.
I went into device manager and there were two disk drives: Generic IDE Disk
Type 01 and Generic NEC floppy disk, I deleted both and rebooted and the NEC
didnt come back on reboot.
I did the MS-DOS command prompt copy a:\*.* nul but the files I couldnt
bring up on the floppy wouldnt come up here either. "Read fault error reading
drive A. Abort, retry Fail. Files that did come up on the floppy were listed.
I did a thorough scan on C drive and it was ok. The standard scan on Drive
A was ok as well but didnt do another thorough scan, advised not to by a few
of you. But the original thorough scan from cluster 1518 came up with
"Scandisk could not properly read or write to cluster...... This cluster is
currently unused but should be marked as bad so windows does not attempt to
store data in it in future, this went on until I stopped at cluster 1527,
some repaired some didnt.
I noticed that when I tried to bring up some entries on the floppy, the ones
that wouldnt come up made a clicking noise. So, I am unsure if replacing the
floppy hardware would be the right thing to do, please tell me what you
think????
I noticed when the tower was open that an auxillary fan wasnt going, the one
in the power supply was, should this auxillary fan have been going, the
computer had been on at least 3 hours. Hoping you can advise me. Many thanks
from Margie.

"MEB" wrote:

Next time your in Safe Mode look for duplicate floppy entries in Device
Manager. Make Notes of what is found.
Start Settings Control Panel System Device Manager Disk Drives -
Delete all entries for the floppy
GO next to Floppy Disk Controllers, while in Device Manager, and delete the
controller (making note if more than one).
While in Device manager and "Disk Drives" make note of the number of hard
drives shown. Also check under Hard disk Controllers the number of
drivers/entries found and what is shown.

Restart in normal mode, computer should find and replace the floppy drive
with freshened drivers. Check by going back the same way to Device Manager.
If not go to:
Start Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware and let it search.

Post back with the results if you would please.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
BLOG - http://peoplescounsel.spaces.live.com/ Public Notice or the "real
world"
Forum - http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/xforum - requires registration due
to AD abuse

"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth.
Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if
nothing had happen." Winston Churchill
Or to put it another way:
Morpheus can offer you the two pills;
but only you can choose whether you take the red pill or the blue one.
_______________

"margie" wrote in message
...
| HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
| discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan
in
| safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones.
I
| have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
| virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
| appreciated.
| --
| margie

--
Forgot to mention in my previous reply that I could not create a start up
disk either.
I have one from a few years ago, but towards the end of trying to create one
it wouldnt do it.

"MEB" wrote:

Next time your in Safe Mode look for duplicate floppy entries in Device
Manager. Make Notes of what is found.
Start Settings Control Panel System Device Manager Disk Drives -
Delete all entries for the floppy
GO next to Floppy Disk Controllers, while in Device Manager, and delete the
controller (making note if more than one).
While in Device manager and "Disk Drives" make note of the number of hard
drives shown. Also check under Hard disk Controllers the number of
drivers/entries found and what is shown.

Restart in normal mode, computer should find and replace the floppy drive
with freshened drivers. Check by going back the same way to Device Manager.
If not go to:
Start Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware and let it search.

Post back with the results if you would please.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/
BLOG - http://peoplescounsel.spaces.live.com/ Public Notice or the "real
world"
Forum - http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com/xforum - requires registration due
to AD abuse

"Most people, sometime in their lives, stumble across truth.
Most jump up, brush themselves off, and hurry on about their business as if
nothing had happen." Winston Churchill
Or to put it another way:
Morpheus can offer you the two pills;
but only you can choose whether you take the red pill or the blue one.
_______________

"margie" wrote in message
...
| HP Pavillion 6611 my elderly neighbour is having trouble with his floppy
| discs. Slow to bring up and computer freezing. I tried to do a diskscan
in
| safe mode but it will not finish, comes up with errors and unfixable ones.
I
| have checked all the internal connections and they seem ok, spyware check,
| virus check, I think it is time to replace the hardware, any help would be
| appreciated.
| --
| margie

"margie" wrote in message
...

--
Forgot to mention in my previous reply that I could not create a start up
disk either.
I have one from a few years ago, but towards the end of trying to create
one
it wouldnt do it.

I would not waste another minute fooling with that drive.
It seems quite obvious that the floppy drive is worn out.
It is one of the cheapest repairs there is. Just replace it.

You'll probably be able to recover the files from the disks,
unless the drive was already too far out of alignment
when the disks were originally created.