pc cannot see floppy

[tockworth]

Hi
I have recently purchased a pc which came without a floppy drive I have now installed an internal one but cannot find anywhere in the bios set up a facility for setting the pc to auto detect the drive. The pc does not recognise it. Am I missing something here,Is it possible I may need to set jumpers on the motherboard.My pc is a Compaq and the bios is
Phoenix-award BIOS cmos set up facility.Under the main menu in "set up" floppy drive is listed with the options of changing to
Disabled
720kb
1.44 3.5
not installed.
It defaults to not installed and if I change that option to 1.44 3.5 it just resets to not installed when retuurning to that page.
The reason that I would like a floppy drive as well as the installed cd/dvd writer is that I do not keep any of my security passwords/user information on my hard drive but on cd and a copy on floppy as well. Belts and braces if you like but I have had information on media corrupt in the past.

 

[Spark123]

Are you saving the changes in bios? I can't think of the version of bios you are talking about, is it a bog standard PC bios or one of the compaqs own? Sometimes with the compaqs own you used to need to enter the password otherwise it wouldn't allow changes. If the password was forgotten then resetting the bios cleared the password by pressing a button on the motherboard (albeit the lock on the case had to be worked around first).
Failing that, I bought a USB floppy disk drive in PC World (chough splutter) for £15 last week.

 

[Estrella]

F10 is the usual 'save changes' key.

Make sure that you have the cable on the right way , on both the Mobo and the drive itself.

Does the light on the floppy stay permanently illuminated when you boot up ?

 

[tockworth]

Yes I realised the connector cable can be reversed as it is not keyed but on reversing the cable one way the led does not illuminate so I know the cable is the correct way round.The led is permantly illuminated and f10 does save and exit the bios set up but when I boot up again it still does not see the floppy and when I access the bios again it is back to floppy is not connected.

 

[Igorian]

Yes I realised the connector cable can be reversed as it is not keyed but on reversing the cable one way the led does not illuminate so I know the cable is the correct way round.The led is permantly illuminated and f10 does save and exit the bios set up but when I boot up again it still does not see the floppy and when I access the bios again it is back to floppy is not connected.

If the LED is permanently on, the cable is fitted incorrectly. The LED should illuminate briefly during boot up and then be off until the drive is accessed.

What's the make model of the motherboard?

 

[Estrella]

If you are saying that the floppy light stays illuminated throughout the boot up process then you are incorrectly connected at one end.

 

[Estrella]

Would appear that Igorian and I posted at the same time, but the same goes.


The red line on the cable connects to PIN 1 on the Mobo and Drive. Look carefully at the plug on the motherboard for a number 1. Make sure the red stripe on your cable is that side and so the same for your drive.

 

[tockworth]

ok cheers for that I will try that and let you know

 

[tockworth]

Yes thanks guys you were spot on the mobo was connected correctly but I had the connector to the drive reversed.I can only think I must have not seated it correctly when I tried it the correct way previous. Puzzling why designers did not simply key these connections, normally fitting a plug/connector in many other pcb's would result in blown power supply or fried panel. However thanks again for resolving problem.

 

[Estrella]

Glad your sorted