Windows Can Not Find My Floppy

Hi, how do I get my Floppy back after the big freeze up that I had first my Mouse was gone, but I have that back, but now I noticed that my Floppy has gone too. There is the yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager, but it reads the drivers are installed but Windows can not find the Device. I have un-installed the drivers several times windows will install the drivers but not the Hardware itself, there is no Floppy Drive in MY Computer.
Any advice ??
thanks
hawk22

 

Hi Hawk22,
You should look at reinstalling your drivers. If things "pop in" and "pop out" it may be due to drivers further up the line (further up the line for the mouse and floppy are probably the chipset drivers, although the floppy runs through the IDE Controller drivers which are part of the chipset anyway).

I would arm myself for battle! Find the drivers (driver updates) that are recommended by the motherboard manufacturer. Run the driver installation program.

Go into Device Manager in Safe Mode and remove/uninstall any drivers that seem to be a problem. If there are any drivers listed for old hardware, uninstall them. If there are multiple listings for hardware it means that Windows is having a problem installing/loading the correct ones.

(In Safe Mode) check in Add/Remove Programs for software programs that relate to previous hardware and uninstall them.

For Win XP (and 2000 I think), in Device Manager, go to View -> Show hidden devices. See if you can find drivers for those items that are highlighted (installing the correct chipset drivers may fix them).

In Win XP, Windows will install the drivers that it thinks are the best (it will install drivers from the CD that match the closest), these are the standard drivers that are enough to make the hardware work. You need to install the drivers that were produced for the hardware by the manufacturer to make the hardware work correctly. If the chipset/motherboard drivers are the problem it will cause problems with all the hardware they run (mmmm...about everything).

Another thing is that uprgading Win XP to SP2 may need a reinstall of drivers.

Matt
PS Are all the connections secure? You may be chasing a problem that is coming from the other end (the motherboard cannot communicate with the hardware). Check cables/connections. Edit: I see PeteC has recommended this. A mouse problem then a floppy drive problem, I would reseat all the connections I could. It may be a general hardware loading problem. Also, try booting with the floppy drive disconnected, then reconnect it. I am starting to wonder about a resouce conflict, if this is the case, try changing the position of any PCI cards in the PCI slots, that will reallocate the resources, but you will not have to reinstall any drivers.

 

Thank you Pete & Matt,
Pete I did the remove in Safe Mode and re-boot but no Joy there. But I do remember something now, going back some time ago I used to have a PCI Network Card in my No.6 PCI slot and I was having problems then conflicts and just recently as I started to attempt to Network my Internet I reinstalled that PCI card again and I think I put it back into that same slot.
Do you think that this could be also related to the difficulties that I have with
Windows not recognizing my Router. (My Post in Networking)
I will next reset the cables and move the PCI card out of slot 6.
Should I remove the controllers before resetting the Floppy cable after doing this boot up into Windows normal or Safe Mode.
I guess if this won't work than I might have to do as Matt pointed out to reload the Mobo drivers I will need some guidance on this as how to perform this the correct way I don't want to make things worse as they are.
hawk22

 

My what may be wild 10 to 1 guess is that the answers is YES !

Just how and how to fix I will leave up to the experts.

BillyBob

 

Hi all, well I have changed the Floppy Drive, hence I had to reseat the ribbon and power cable changed the pci cards from their slots (possible conflicts)
result: no change.Still have the yellow exclamation marks in device manager and also this: "Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device (code41)" mean anything to anyone.
Matt mentioned to reload the Motherboard drivers, now I don't want to do that untill one of you will tell me the correct procedure to do that, as I don't want to stuff up the rest of the system.
still hoping
hawk22

 

Check the Bios to see if the floppy drive is enabled. Make sure the floppy drive cable isn't upside down or bad. Type msinfo32 into the Run box, hit Enter, Expand Hardware Resources, check conflicts/sharing and DMA for problems related to the floppy drive.

 

Whiskeyman thank you, I did have a look in there and I found this in
Problem Devices:
NT Apm/Legacy Interface Root\NTAPM\0000 This device is disabled
I think this is related to my external LS120 drive that is also not showing and not working.
Also the floppy disk drive is listed and on both it reads Error Code 41
hawk22

 

Check for bad cable.

 

To find the motherboard chipset drivers you will need to know the make and model of the motherboard.
There may be several ways:
If it is a branded computer like a Dell, HP, Compaq etc., the computer itself will have a model number. Usually the only place to get the original drivers for these is from the CD that came with the computer. You may find a full driver set at the manufacturer's website.

The motherboard model number is listed on the second screen at startup. You can press the Pause key to look at it. If the second screen is a "splash" screen, you will need to press the Esc key to see behind it. Intel chipset motherboards identify the motherboard this way.

Everest in my signature may be able to identify the motherboard. It will be under Motherboard -> Motherboard -> Motherboard Properties.

For non-Intel based motherboards the Make and Model will be printed on the board itself. Also take note of any "Revision" or "Version" number.

The motherboard information should be with the paperwork that came with the computer. The manual/User Guide may list the model, although some cover several models, the chipset should be the same for those models. The manufacturer will have the same download for all the same chipsets that were on those motherboards. What you won't know is the model number of extra features like built-in graphics or audio, etc. Best is to find the model number of your motherboard, then you will be able to find all the updated drivers and information about it at the manufacturer's website.

Look at the information at the manufacturer's website about BIOS upgrades and whether they may help overcome your problems. Don't attempt a BIOS upgrade unless you need to and if it is your first I would suggest getting an IT friend to help (that has done it before) or if you know the correct motherboard model and BIOS upgrade, take the relevent files on floppy disk to your local computer repairer and ask them to show you how it's done. It will be a 5 minute job (book a time with them). Anyway, that's the cautions on BIOS upgrades.

We will help you find the drivers, etc, when you can tell us the motherboard model number.

Matt

 

By the way,
If the floppy cable does not seem to be the problem (and I'm thinking of the other errors) try removing and disconnecting all added hardware (PCI, USB, etc). Try restarting several times and see if the floppy drive "comes back" then. If so I might wonder about the PSU being overloaded. Check your power requirements here:
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/
You will need to compare it to the power rating that will be printed on the power supply.

It sounds like you have quite a bit of added hardware and some computers come with only a minimal sized power supply.

Matt

 

Hi Whiskeyman and Matt, I changed the cable and the Floppy over from a working PC. And Matt I do have the Motherboard Driver CD as I purchased the mobo myself.It is a custom build PC I would never buy a Brand PC. It is a IWill KK266-R Mobo Socket A. But I never had the need to fush the BIOS.
I did that Powersupply test and and I am well covered. All this happened after a freeze up, I had no issues beforehand with Hardware, and I did a boot when I had my PCI cards out I also did a boot without the new Floppy in and the boot stopped when it could not find the Floppy.
I am still confident that it can be resolved, but if not it is not the end of the world as I have more than 1 PC and whatever I need I will just have to transfer via USB stick.
hawk22

 

This could be a bad floppy controller on the motherboard if everything else has been tried and failed to fix the problem. This could be the root cause of the freeze ups.

 

Here is the download page for your motherboard:
http://www.iwillusa.com/product_legacy2.asp?na=KK266-R&SID=32&MID=26&Value=39
Install the VIA 4in1 v.4.38 drivers. They are your chipset drivers. You could get a more recent version from VIA, you may need them if you run Win XP SP2. Let me know if you want to find them.

There is a list of BIOS upgrades here:
http://www.amdmb.com/files.php#Iwill
One deals with IDE (you would just need to install the latest version, it will have all the previous versions included). As you say, you can work around the problem, so see if you can get by for the moment. If it causes you further problems, consider using it. If you can't see much alternative to replacing the motherboard or getting a new computer, try it yourself for experience. It is only a matter of following the instructions carefully (double-check the BIOS is for the KK266-R).

One test that may isolate the problem to Windows is to boot to a Win 98 startup disk (or any other boot floppy). If you don't have one, get one from www.bootdisk.com.

Hope you get some luck.
Matt

 

Hi Matt, thanks for all the research you are doing for me.
I have been Googling a bit too for the Error Code 41 that is listed and it appears that I am not the only one with this error, and in most occasions it seems to happen after a freeze up due to different things , but I have not seen one conclusive answer to resolve this error. The majority of the tips is from Device manager to delete the Floppy and then from Action use" Scan For Hardware changes" I did it again and for a brief moment thought I was in luck when Windows responded with Found new Hardware Floppy Drive but then came up with There was a problem with installing your new hardware, it may not work properly. And it’s not. Now Matt I went to the sites that you looked up and downloaded the How to Flash my Award BIOS and a BIOS but I could only save it to disk as I have no Floppy drive to put it on and this is the only way they show.
I have also looked through my Driver Installation CD it has a
Make Device Driver From CD to Diskette
VIA Hardware Monitor AP Setup Program and a
Hardware Monitor Utility on it.
Looking in Everest Home my mobo uses the VIA VT8 363A Apollo KT 133A Chipset
Award Modular BIOS v.6.00PG
Award BIOS Message KK266-R / 35102A (Mar.07.2001)
The one that I would probably use and downloaded was the : KK266-R BIOS 2.27 but I don’t know if that would be going forward or backward.
Now Matt you suggest to boot to Windows with a 98 Startup disk or other boot floppy I did that some time ago on another PC and it started to setup a dual boot and after that every time on boot up it displayed the option to boot to 98 so I have not done that without conferring with you again first, but I do have them I also have the 6 MS Boot Floppys for XP Pro SP2 that is what I am running.
Pity you live in Sydney and not in Melbourne.
Hawk22

 

I have not looked at the map, but I thought Chelsea made you a crow eater SORRY! .

Try booting to those (you can try booting to any startup/boot floppy). As long as the information is read from the disk (watch the LED on the drive and that no error message is recieved) that should suggest that the floppy drive is in working condition, the problem is with Windows.
You have ruled out the drive and the cable as being the cause. The only things left are a problem with the OS (Windows) or a problem with the computer (as Whiskeyman suggested). Booting to a floppy disk will rule out one or the other (and "booting to a floppy disk" only means that the disk can be read and the functions carried out...so for Win 98 startup disk you will end up at an A drive prompt...A:\...that's all, this means the DOS operating system has been loaded.

You don't have a floppy drive on the laptop? Drat!
You can take the files to any Windows XP or 2000 computer using your USB drive and make the floppy/floppies there.

Let us know what happens.
I haven't heard a PCI card that will run the the floppy drive, but then again I have not looked for one. This may be a possibility if your floppy drive controller has "bitten the dust ".

Matt

 

Hi Matt, and thanks; well I popped the No.1 of the 6 MS XP Pro Floppies into the drive, pressed the Power button and it booted up and into the Windows setup program, ready to install Windows. F3 to exit, same as the XP CD. But still no Floppy Icon in My Computer. No error messages and the lights on the floppy where lit up when it was reading. Where to from here
When I was Googling for the Error code 41 I came across when people lost the CD-Rom or DVD-Rom drives after a freeze up and some had success by going into the registry and disabling lower and upper Filters, not that I would know what that means. But you might.
no no, no crow eater stricktly Hawks Supporter
hawk22

 

Seems definitely a Windows problem. Found this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812489/en-us
I am having trouble seeing the whole page using Firefox. Suggest using IE.

Set a restore point and make a backup of the registry first.

Here's luck.
Matt

 

Hi Matt, Now this is real scary, as I have never done any Registry Editing.
In your book what would be the best way of safeley backing up the Registry, so if things go wrong I can restore it again.
I printed out the methods described by MS, but they are not always the best.
hawk22