5 1/4 floppies

I'm not sure what is so important to my friend but he has 5 1/4 floppies he wants to convert. This is what he's telling/asking me: "I have power and connection in my new computer for the 5 1/4 drive as an Interior Drive, using a tape connector to the mother board.

The Computer SET-UP doesn't recognize the drive as a 5 1/4, but assignees it as another 3 1/5, and will not or cannot read it.

Do I need another driver or something, or is it a lost cause?? "
Is there any way this can be done? Thanks in advance.

 

What version of Windows are we talking about here? Can you change it in your BIOS?

 

Hi Brenda, 5 1/4 was almost before my time

He will need to go into the BIOS settings at startup and check for different settings for the floppy drive (I just see MrBill has mentioned this). He will need to set the drive as 5 1/4 in the BIOS.
(Recent computers may not have this setting so he may need to transfer the data from 5 1/4 to 3 1/2 using an older computer).

Matt

 

I've had him check the bios and there isn't an option for 5 1/4 floppy. He's using Win XP and the computer is only a week or so old. I did tell him the floppies were probably corrupt by now and that his best bet was an old computer but he wanted to try. Thanks for helping!

 

I think you're spot on here. If these floppies are several years old, it's highly unlikely they'll be readable.

Even 3.5" disks can be problematic. Even floppies that I've bought within the same calendar year end up going in the trash can.

*test one, "bad ", chuck it, test one, "bad ", chuck it*

You get the idea.

Gary

 

the floppy diskettes may very well be good. I checked some of mine out that had been in an outbuilding for 10 years and they have no problem. The old 5 1/4 last a lot better the the 3.5 diskettes.

The OP has the same post also at http://www.computing.net/hardware/wwwboard/forum/46271.html.

The 5 1/4 drives has several jumpers that must be correct, and I think the drive needs to be connected on cable before the twist in cable not after.

If you can try the drive on an older comp. If the bios does not list a choice for 5 1/4 drive then likely it will not work.

 

That could very well be. Even sandstone etching would have been better than 3.5s.

Gary