# Can't get floppy disk drive to work.



## kemperhills (May 8, 2011)

_*Ok, I know that floppy's are are outdated, but I have a bunch of files that I created years ago when floppy was all you had.

I had an IDE floppy in my computer that I was using and one day I tried to open some floppy files and it said that the disc wasn't formated and did I want to format the disc.

I got a brand new floppy and it said the same thing. I tried to format it and got a message that said Windows could not format the disc.

So, I thought maybe the old IDE floppy drive had gone belly up. I ordered a new USB floppy drive from TigerDirect and installed it. It does the same thing.

Can anyone help me get this floppy drive working so that I can access the files.

I have an HP Compaq dc7600 small form computer running XP Pro, SP 3. The floppy drive that I ordered is a PowerUp G54-8016 external USB floppy drive.

Any help would be appreciated.

I don't know why the IDE floppy was working then quit, and now the new floppy won't work.*_


----------



## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

Have you tested the disks in another machine or tested any other floppy's in either of the drives?


----------



## kemperhills (May 8, 2011)

JMPC said:


> Have you tested the disks in another machine or tested any other floppy's in either of the drives?


_*Yes, I tried the disks, and floppy disk drive, on another computer running XP Home, SP2 and both worked on that computer. *_


----------



## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Ok so put the USB floppy drive on the computer that it works on, put the floppy discs in and copy your data from the floppies to a Flash Drive and throw the floppies away.


----------



## kemperhills (May 8, 2011)

spunk.funk said:


> Ok so put the USB floppy drive on the computer that it works on, put the floppy discs in and copy your data from the floppies to a Flash Drive and throw the floppies away.



Thanks for the response,but as I have the floppy drive and stack of disks I don't want to have to buy more Flash Drives when I already have the disks.


----------



## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

All of your floppies will copy to one Flash drive. The vulnerability, obsolescence and degradation of Floppies with the inconsistencies of the drive you will want to have a backup anyways. But maybe the data isn't important to you?


----------



## kemperhills (May 8, 2011)

spunk.funk said:


> All of your floppies will copy to one Flash drive. The vulnerability, obsolescence and degradation of Floppies with the inconsistencies of the drive you will want to have a backup anyways. But maybe the data isn't important to you?


_*It is, but I was looking for help to fix a problem. Sorry you don't like the way I wish to solve the problem. But that's your choice.*_


----------



## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

First, let me say that Floppy drives are not IDE devices. Second, whatever caused the original Floppy to fail, is also the most likely cause for the new USB drive as well.

I would start testing the original drive again. Uninstall the drive in Device Manager and reboot. Windows will reinstall the drivers as it boots. Test and see what happens.

And in spunk.funks defense, floppies are notorious for failing. They will work fine one day, and the next be unreadable. Feel free to use them until they all fail, just ensure you have a non-floppy backup copy of anything that you don't want to lose.

*note - You wouldn't have to buy "more" flash drives anyway. Even small flash drives are 512MB or 1GB. So that would be like 350+ floppy disks.


----------

