Floppy drive as B:\

[NEM1S1S]

just built a system with a Asus VX97 mainboard. When you go to Command prompt in DOS, to get access to the Floppy Drive, you need type B:\ not A:\. Similarly in Windows GUI....the thing is, there is no other Floppy media attached to the motherboard, I cleared BIOS, flashed BIOS to v0204, checked all the usual stuff...I can't work this one out.

[Styx]

Be sure to try to have the floppy on the cable head farthest from the mainboard and set the Default settings in the BIOS using the appropriate 'F' key and exit saving changes.

[ski]

Try Styx's suggestions.
If no luck, then just use it as B if it's working ok like that.

[Eeyore]

The problem with that Ski is that B is not bootable. I would guess that it is connected to the wrong connector on the floppy connector.

Another situation where this occurs is when you have a device such as an Iomega Internal Atapi ZIP drive installed. This can act as A drive which would shift your floppy letter to B.

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[bchzd1]

also may want to check the bios for the swap floppy option


ah the bios defaults would fix that tho wouldnt it. yet he would be able to use the option to fix the problem if all else failed

[Train]

Originally posted by bchzd1
ah the bios defaults would fix that tho wouldnt it.

Not always, sometimes that will not revert.

[Nix]

Also if you boot from a bootable CD that is emulating a floppy, then the pysical floppy becomes B: as the virtual (emulated) floppy is A:

[ski]

The problem with that Ski is that B is not bootable.

You're right, Eeyore. Forgot about that. Thanks for the heads up.

[Markgc]

I am not sure if this is pertinent to your problem but in the olden days (286, 386 machines) when there would be 2 floppy drives fitted to a machine - a 5 1/4 and a 3 1/2 inch drive there would be a cable coming from the motherboard floppy drive controller. with two connectors on it. The first connector is for the B: drive and then there would be a twist in the cable where two pins are swopped over. The connector after this twist is for the A: drive


Hope this helps

Mark

[Nick Grana]

Floppy cable orientation:

Keep red line on ribbon cable orientated to pin 1 of flop
and mobo jacks.
Good luck.

[NEM1S1S]

I placed the connector at the end of the Floppy ribbon cable to the Floppy Drive and it worked. thanks.