Freezing Floppies !
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Thread: Freezing Floppies !

  1. #1
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    Freezing Floppies !

    Hi Folks,
    Just bought another old computer today,from the Goodwill...Brand name is 'ACE'? 486, CD, 3 1/2 1.44 floppy, 5 1/4 floppy, tape drive card, modem, soundcard. 1.2 Gig HD and 20mb RAM.

    Has Windows 95.
    Here is the problem, working in Windows, when I am in Explorer and click on either the A or B drive (with disks installed) the cursor turns to hour glass, the drive's light lights up and then the system freezes. Click on them without disks and get error message 'cannot read drive x 'retry''cancel'

    Both seem to be set up properly in CMOS. Both light up on self-test at boot up, Strap is connected properly, A:\on the end and B:\on middle before the twist. Strap is connected to a controller card along with the Hard Drive.

    Also both drives "are readable" in DOS.
    Device Manager shows 'no' conflicts!
    Any ideas...???

    Thanks,
    Dave



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    [This message has been edited by davidgsmith (edited 10-08-2000).]
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  2. #2
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    Test the floppy drives independently
    Check the cabling (used, might not be cabled correctly, check!)
    Use a shot or two of compressed air
    Trash the 5 1/4 (Want one? I got 6 here 100 diskettes free!)
    Replace the 3 1/2 if you need to as a last resort for about 15 bucks
    Thats what I would do
    In the beginning there was the command line

  3. #3
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    Hey P.C.
    I edited the post while you were replying I think..THey work fine in DOS.
    Dave

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    *** Help others less fortunate.

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  4. #4
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    Ok, it works ok at DOS. Has the problem cleared when you re-installed Windows?
    ------------------
    My

    Dennis
    Politalk

  5. #5
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    Sorry to be late getting back.
    After a re-install of windows they both still freeze in windows, from clicking on the drive in Explorer, from Start > Run A:\file.exe, From a DOS Window.
    but not in true DOS...That's how I reloaded WIN 95 with 29 floppies!!!!

    Dave

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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.

    [This message has been edited by davidgsmith (edited 10-09-2000).]
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

  6. #6
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    Hey all,
    Swapped drive and strap with one from another 486, still had same problem.

    I was convinced that Windows 95 had trouble working with the floppy, (probably because motherboard is too old, and so is controller card). I switched out the HD with one that has Win 3.11 on it and everything works fine, as Win 3.x is a DOS based program.

    I'll hold on to the Maxtor till I find a small P133 or something like that and put it in there...

    All in all it was a few lessons learned about CMOS/BIOS etc.

    Dave

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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.

    [This message has been edited by davidgsmith (edited 10-09-2000).]
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

  7. #7
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    Puzzling. Have you tried removing the Standard Floppy Disk Controller in Device Manager then rebooting and let Windows 95 re-autodetect it? I'd also print a Device Manager System Summary and see if anything is trying to use IRQ 6.
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

  8. #8
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    Hey Vern,
    I did remove it in Device Manager, but Windows did not redetect it. It's the same computer that had the BIOS issue. No PnP.

    I posted on the Win 95 site also Here and Moke answered with a link from Microsoft that seemed to work, but I had some additional questions, if you could please go over there and take a look, and let me know what you think, it would be greatly appreciated.
    P.S. Please don't go into great detail, just enough to let me know....save your great work for others....

    Dave

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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.

    [This message has been edited by davidgsmith (edited 10-09-2000).]
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

  9. #9
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    Protected Mode links:
    http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/p...cted_mode.html http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/...protected+mode http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/...ed+mode+driver

    Things to try? (shooting in the dark here):

    1) Do the floppy drives work in "Safe Mode" ?

    2) http://support.microsoft.com/support.../Q140/1/56.asp ?

    3) Start|Settings|Control Panel|System|Performance|File System|Troubleshooting and check "Disable all 32 bit protect-mode [sic] disk drivers" ?
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

  10. #10
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    Sorry to be late getting back,
    Yes Vern, I can access the floppies in safe mode.
    The Microhard link you provided has just about the same solution that MOKE gave me over on the Win 95 forum.

    Thanks for the links.... Protected mode from what I gather means while using the floppy I can do other things, and with the floppy out of protected mode, then I can only use it alone and not do something else, or it will be slower since it will start to share processor space with other programs that are running. If that is the basic idea...
    Thanks...
    Dave



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    *** Help others less fortunate.

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  11. #11
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    Thanks Mosaic,
    When I open this box back up (which will be soon) I will check for make, and model. I must admit that is one thing I forgot to do.

    I am now running on a disabled standard controller? but it's working !

    Dave

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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

  12. #12
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    When you say "disabled", do you mean you did this:[list=1][*]Right-clicked My computer and selected Properties.[*]Clicked the Device Manager tab.[*]Clicked the "+" next to Floppy disk controller[*]Clicked the Standard Floppy Disk Controller[*]Clicked the Properties button[*]De-selected (unchecked) the box next to "Original Configuration Current"[*]Kept clicking the Ok buttons until you were out.[*]Rebooted?[/list=a]

     
    If so, you have disabled protected-mode support for the floppy disk controller. This causes the floppy disk drives to operate in MS-DOS Compatibility mode, (which for floppy drives is really no big deal).
     
    --
     
    If that system is running the original version of Windows 95, I'd try installing Service Pack 1 and then the Backup Update. According to this Microsoft page,
     
    Some models of floppy disk drives require specific timing and delays between disk operations to work properly. The timing implemented by the Windows 95 floppy disk driver is not sufficient for some of these drives.
    It then goes on to say that to fix this problem, you need these versions (or later) of these files:
     

     
    It didn't say exactly how to get these versions but, installing the SP1 and Backup updates can't hurt. And, hopefully, they will contain the correct updates allowing you to re-enable protected-mode for the floppy.
    Vernon Frazee, Microsoft MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

    Defenses Up!
    Tip: When prompted for a password, give an incorrect one first. A phishing site will accept it; a legitimate one won't.


    Inside Spyware: A Guide to Finding, Removing and Preventing Online Pests


    If you don't keep up with security fixes, your computer|network won't be yours for long.

  13. #13
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    I doubt if an old motherboard has anything to do with it, since the floppy works in a pure DOS session.
    Open your mind, not your computer.

  14. #14
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    Yes Vern,
    Nice graphics!, that is what I did.
    I did install the Service Pack 1 to upgrade it to 95a, but I did not install the Back Up Update. I will have to download that, I have still to install the Y2k updates also.

    That project is temporarily on hold at the moment, but I will get on it sometime next week. At that time I will check for those files and their current dates and find the correct ones if needed. I will also do what Mosaic suggested concerning the drivers. Thanks RobertM for the info!

    My project this weekend is to install a Lucent Winmodem on my buddies Win95a machine. Wish me Luck!

    Dave


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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

  15. #15
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    Thanks Mosiac,
    That lesson I have learned ! Just helped a buddy put in a new CD and we had the same problem with the light staying on, because the strap did not have a red stripe and we could not read the No.1 pin on the floppy drive, so when the light stayed on I knew exactly what the problem was!!!

    Thanks,
    Dave


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    Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.
    *** Help others less fortunate.

    JESUS IS LORD !

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