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31/2 floppy read only error

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tmoses

tmoses

MIS
Dec 4, 2001
98
US
This is a very weired problem i have been having since i assemble this pc about 4 months ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;&nbsp;3 1/2 floppy drive is somehow set as readonly.&nbsp;&nbsp;I can only view and copy data to a disk, not write to it.&nbsp;&nbsp;i have checked the tabs on the diskettes and they are set correctely.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am running windows 95 on a IBM Pentium 133.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have another floppy drive and installed it but the same results occurred.&nbsp;&nbsp;I looked at all the settings in windows in the device manger but they appear exactly the same as those for a normal drive.&nbsp;&nbsp;I looked in BIOS, but found no option preventing or locking this drive.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even if you bypass windows and go to safe mode dos, this still applies.&nbsp;&nbsp;My other guess was this was perhaps a physical switch on the drive, looked this up with no luck either.&nbsp;&nbsp;This machine is sort of a assembly of spare parts i found at work, but as far as i understand nothing should be causing this ?&nbsp;&nbsp;thanks for any help<br><br>tmoses <p>moses<br><a href=mailto:tmoses@iname.com>tmoses@iname.com</a><br><a href= my site</a><br>"In the beginning there was HTML, and it was good"<br>
by Nick Heinle, Designing with JavaScript<br>
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If it's both floppy drives, try a different cable.&nbsp;&nbsp;It could also be something flaky in the floppy controller. <p> Jeff<br><a href=mailto: masterracker@hotmail.com> masterracker@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br> Of all the things I've lost in life, I miss my mind the most ...
 
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Copying data to a disk is actually writing to it. If you are perhaps trying to edit a file on the disk and save the changes then this is another issue.
 
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ATCal<br>I can edit a file and make changes but it does not allow me to save those changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;I cannot delete a file or copy a file to the disk.<br>ex.<br>a:\del links.bak<br>Write protect error writing drive A<br>Abort, Retry, Fail<br>f<br>Fail on INT24<br>This is what happens when i try to simply delete a file in dos, same thing happens in windows but with a differnt error message.<br>MasterRacker <br>I will try a new cable, i have an extra machine to test it on.&nbsp;&nbsp;How would i go about testing the floppy controller, is it a bus or something ?<br><br>thanks <br><br>tmoses <p>moses<br><a href=mailto:tmoses@iname.com>tmoses@iname.com</a><br><a href= my site</a><br>"In the beginning there was HTML, and it was good"<br>
by Nick Heinle, Designing with JavaScript<br>
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Have you written to the SAME disk from the other machine? I might even go the extra step by plugging the hard drive into the other machine. Just F8 it and go to command prompt only and try a file copy. If it works, then you knows its hardware. If it doesn't work, then you know its some kind of funky software thing. If it is the controller, and you machine is even semi-new (Pentium or newer) then the controller is embedded in the motherboard. Unfortunately a bad controller means a new motherboard.
 
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ATCal <br>I might try that but i am not positive that will work because as far as software goes.&nbsp;&nbsp;I used a boot disk which loads the command.com from the diskette not the hard drive and the floppy drive is still read only.&nbsp;&nbsp;The motherboard is old, i actually got it because the place i worked for threw it away :)&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm a poor college student:)&nbsp;&nbsp;The only other thing i might try is to find the newest BIOS flash for the mother board ?<br><br>moses<br> <p>moses<br><a href=mailto:tmoses@iname.com>tmoses@iname.com</a><br><a href= my site</a><br>"In the beginning there was HTML, and it was good"<br>
by Nick Heinle, Designing with JavaScript<br>
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4.00.950 B<br>But i really don't think the OS has anything to do with it ?&nbsp;&nbsp;haven't tried any other OS's other than DOS and Windows but i think the performance would be the same ?<br><br>moses <p>moses<br><a href=mailto:tmoses@iname.com>tmoses@iname.com</a><br><a href= my site</a><br>"In the beginning there was HTML, and it was good"<br>
by Nick Heinle, Designing with JavaScript<br>
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The reason - faulty switch. In drives 3 1/2 - gauge mechanical.<br>
 
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thanks man i will try to see if i can fix that<br><br> <p>moses<br><a href=mailto:tmoses@iname.com>tmoses@iname.com</a><br><a href= my site</a><br>"In the beginning there was HTML, and it was good"<br>
by Nick Heinle, Designing with JavaScript<br>
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