Season's Greetings!

Ref: Win XP Pro/SP2

I have the HDD first in the boot sequence followed by CD-ROM drive, and then the floppy drive. Something I've just noticed . . . and it may have been this way forever and a day . . . after the WinXP boot screen and as Windows begins to start, I hear the floppy drive for a couple of seconds. I suppose I never noticed it before because it is rather quiet; I do see the floppy drive light momentarily. I have floppy drive 3rd in BIOS and disabled AV check of floppy drive.

Is the floppy drive access/check a normal part of the startup process even though it is not the initial drive in the boot sequence?

I have been told that this is not "normal" -- that there should not be a FD access once Windows launches.

In trying to solve this: Anti-virus (AVG) is set to NOT scan floppy drive; AVG, Spybot S & D & Ad-aware scanned; upgraded drivers; latest MS updates; there are no shortcut links to the FD; a compete search of the registry and no links to A:\; no startup items linked to A:\; MRU items cleared; BIOS upgraded; new FD installed, FD cables changed; checked IRQ for conflicts (none) and a few Win XP configuration settings changed.

Am I searching for a "phantom"? Could this be an endless search for a solution to a non-problem? LOL

I have found a number of posts that discuss RANDOM floppy drive access (not my specific problem) and what what some describe as EXCESSIVE floppy drive checks (I would not call mine excessive) when Windows 2k/XP launches. (Note: This is NOT the POST boot drive check -- this is after POST as Windows launches and goes through its start sequence.)

I have another machine with Win 2k and it does the same thing -- FD check as part of WIndows launch sequence. I never really noticed it before (as with the Win XP machine).

I did find info on MS site that the Windows launch sequence does include detection of installed hardware but it does not describe how "detection" is accomplished. In any case, I noticed that my keyboard LEDs would flash momentarily and then in about 2 seconds the FD would be accessed. It fits the detection sequence as outlined by MS -- the keyboard is checked before the FD.

I finally came to the conclusion that I may be chasing a phantom, a non-problem! I have spend many hours on this already. I used the opportunity to upgrade component drivers and the system BIOS as well.

Now, I am not a tech -- far from it. Which is to say that I know a little and with a little (dangerous) knowledge, I could be way out in the boonies on a wild goose chase.

I would appreciate your comments about this FD access during Windows 2k/XP launch sequence. Call it a sanity check! LOL

Merry Christmas!

janusz