how do you get a pc to recognise a 3.5" fdd once it's connected and install it as the 'a' drive?

Question

can't see 'a' drive on 'my computer', device manager reports all devices working correctly, can hear drive initialise on power up but no green light. help and support centre doesn't help - reports all ok. ribbon cable and power cable changed but no change - this is a mitsumi drive restarting computer doesn't work either.

Answer 1

When you boot your computer, go into the BIOS to make sure that it is enabled. With so many computer companies not even bothering with floppies anymore, motherboard companies have started including the option to disable them completely. I hope that helps. Good Luck!!

Answer 2

Does the OS report that it recognizes the floppy and that it is installed correctly?

Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware tab > and then Device Manager in the top pane of the window.

Look at the list and make sure there is not a yellow question mark or exclamation point beside the Floppy drive. If there is, then it isn't being recognized or isn't installed correctly.
If there is one there click on Add Hardware in the Control Panel and follow the screen prompts to install hardware that is already installed.

I had a similar problem a while back. Not sure this applies.
I tried to install an old floppy drive into my wife's new Dell. The floppy was about 10 years old. When I connected it using the old cable it always had attached to it in my old Acer PC the drive light stayed on, but nothing worked. Through a bit of effort I found that the cable interface had changed. The old cable physically fit the motherboard but the pin out had changed. So the old drive, and old cable were incompatible with the new motherboard.

Are you trying to install a new floppy into an older PC? Or possible using an old cable for a new floppy?
If so cabling may be the issue.

HERE'S THE SOLUTION TO MY HEADACHE:
Dell's bios doesn't allow you to simply plug in a floppy and have it work. I had to buy a specific type bracket, cable, and floppy drive from Dell. Then I had to call Dell support and with some difficulty I finally got to someone who instructed me in all the proper key strokes to invoke an instruction that would allow ME to install a floppy into the PC. Once I input the proper key strokes the floppy worked perfectly.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Check device manager to see if it displays the floppy drive ok.
or go into the Bios and check that the floppy drive is ok.
You should also check the ribbon cable from the motherboard to the floppy drive. if you do not get a green light it could be the cable is fitted wrong or damaged The green light should come on on booting up and then go off again

Answer 4

read the other answers and try those. I think you probably have to get in the BIOS and enable it. The only thing I can add is you do that differently on different computers. Watch your screen carefully as it boots - it will tell you for a fraction of a second which key it is - usually delete - but sometimes it's escape. Try holding down delete on boot up to start with.

Answer 5

Right click the 'my computer' icon.
Select manage and then 'disc management' from the left.
If you can see the new drive there you can give it an active status with the right click of the mouse while hovering over it.
If you can't see it then the drive has features which need to be reconciled which is more technical.

Answer 6

nicely what style of abode windows are you employing on your laptop? because like even if it really is a winXP then you actually received't have a difficulty with that and also winME because they are plug and play in basic terms attempt to envision on the upload hardware and examine out this if this is going to artwork

Answer 7

hi, i take it your pc's one of the new 1's that doesn't have an inbuilt A drive & you are trying to install a plug&go 1? if so you may have to disable your security (including windows firewall) install then switch security back on!!