floppy drives not responding

any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both machines
tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are empty.

--
NS

Charlie
Tue Aug 29 11:22:02 CDT 2006

Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the floppy
drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but it
makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that they
can only go in the right way.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64


Nigel S wrote:
> any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
> machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are empty.

Tony
Tue Aug 29 12:21:59 CDT 2006

Oh, I never knew that, Charlie. I've just learned to look at the colored
edge of the cable (lead nr. 1), and most drives today have a symbolic
drawing engraved in the back if you're ever in doubt. As they fall into
oblivion the time intervals can have you wonder. But the crossed cable,
syndrome. . .thanks!


Tony. . .


"Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message
news:eVzPDd4yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the floppy
> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but it
> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that they
> can only go in the right way.
>
> --
> Charlie.
> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
>
>
> Nigel S wrote:
> > any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
> > machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are
empty.
>
>

M
Tue Aug 29 12:42:43 CDT 2006

Some day the fate of the Universe will hang upon someone finding an old
floppy drive to read a diskette with "the answer to everything" on it. And,
no, the answer is NOT "42..."

"Tony Sperling" <tony.sperling@dbREMOVEmail.dk> wrote in message
news:ewg5s%234yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Oh, I never knew that, Charlie. I've just learned to look at the colored
> edge of the cable (lead nr. 1), and most drives today have a symbolic
> drawing engraved in the back if you're ever in doubt. As they fall into
> oblivion the time intervals can have you wonder. But the crossed cable,
> syndrome. . .thanks!
>
>
> Tony. . .
>
>
> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message
> news:eVzPDd4yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the
>> floppy
>> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but it
>> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that
>> they
>> can only go in the right way.
>>
>> --
>> Charlie.
>> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
>>
>>
>> Nigel S wrote:
>> > any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
>> > machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are
> empty.
>>
>>
>
>

VWWall
Tue Aug 29 12:42:16 CDT 2006

Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the floppy
> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but it
> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that they
> can only go in the right way.
>
Several years ago I bought a floppy drive whose cable was "keyed" to go
in the wrong way. I had to file the key off the connector to get it to
plug in correctly. As usual, the constant "on" LED provided the clue.

--
Virg Wall, P.E.

Charlie
Tue Aug 29 13:02:36 CDT 2006

LOL. Figures, doesn't it?

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64


VWWall wrote:
> Charlie Russel - MVP wrote:
>> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the
>> floppy drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm,
>> but it makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so
>> that they can only go in the right way.
>>
> Several years ago I bought a floppy drive whose cable was "keyed" to go
> in the wrong way. I had to file the key off the connector to get it to
> plug in correctly. As usual, the constant "on" LED provided the clue.

Charlie
Tue Aug 29 13:01:59 CDT 2006

of course it isn't "42". :) -- it's "64". :D

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64


M. Murcek wrote:
> Some day the fate of the Universe will hang upon someone finding an old
> floppy drive to read a diskette with "the answer to everything" on it.
> And, no, the answer is NOT "42..."
>
> "Tony Sperling" <tony.sperling@dbREMOVEmail.dk> wrote in message
> news:ewg5s%234yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> Oh, I never knew that, Charlie. I've just learned to look at the colored
>> edge of the cable (lead nr. 1), and most drives today have a symbolic
>> drawing engraved in the back if you're ever in doubt. As they fall into
>> oblivion the time intervals can have you wonder. But the crossed cable,
>> syndrome. . .thanks!
>>
>>
>> Tony. . .
>>
>>
>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in message
>> news:eVzPDd4yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the
>>> floppy
>>> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but it
>>> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that
>>> they
>>> can only go in the right way.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Charlie.
>>> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
>>>
>>>
>>> Nigel S wrote:
>>>> any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
>>>> machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are
>>>> empty.

Tony
Tue Aug 29 13:10:57 CDT 2006

Ha! - Very good, M.M.

There is a bit of circular logic in there I am affraid, though. If someone
finds such a diskette, it must be documentation compiled by someone who can
only know what 'everything' is if that has already happened, and that makes
the fate a known fact and thus the Universe's fate will not be dependent on
it, and the uncovering of a drive to read the diskette - while a meaningfull
mission, won't change anything.

Truely sorry!

But I agree that proprietary fileformats (among other things) isn't
providing the generations to come with any substantial benefit.

Tony. . .


"M. Murcek" <mamurcekjr@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:%23i55II5yGHA.4932@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Some day the fate of the Universe will hang upon someone finding an old
> floppy drive to read a diskette with "the answer to everything" on it.
And,
> no, the answer is NOT "42..."
>
> "Tony Sperling" <tony.sperling@dbREMOVEmail.dk> wrote in message
> news:ewg5s%234yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> > Oh, I never knew that, Charlie. I've just learned to look at the colored
> > edge of the cable (lead nr. 1), and most drives today have a symbolic
> > drawing engraved in the back if you're ever in doubt. As they fall into
> > oblivion the time intervals can have you wonder. But the crossed cable,
> > syndrome. . .thanks!
> >
> >
> > Tony. . .
> >
> >
> > "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
message
> > news:eVzPDd4yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> >> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the
> >> floppy
> >> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but
it
> >> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that
> >> they
> >> can only go in the right way.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Charlie.
> >> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
> >>
> >>
> >> Nigel S wrote:
> >> > any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
> >> > machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are
> > empty.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>

dfeifer
Wed Aug 30 16:46:02 CDT 2006

the real answer to life the universe and everything.. one day.. god sneezed..


"Tony Sperling" wrote:

> Ha! - Very good, M.M.
>
> There is a bit of circular logic in there I am affraid, though. If someone
> finds such a diskette, it must be documentation compiled by someone who can
> only know what 'everything' is if that has already happened, and that makes
> the fate a known fact and thus the Universe's fate will not be dependent on
> it, and the uncovering of a drive to read the diskette - while a meaningfull
> mission, won't change anything.
>
> Truely sorry!
>
> But I agree that proprietary fileformats (among other things) isn't
> providing the generations to come with any substantial benefit.
>
> Tony. . .
>
>
> "M. Murcek" <mamurcekjr@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
> news:%23i55II5yGHA.4932@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> > Some day the fate of the Universe will hang upon someone finding an old
> > floppy drive to read a diskette with "the answer to everything" on it.
> And,
> > no, the answer is NOT "42..."
> >
> > "Tony Sperling" <tony.sperling@dbREMOVEmail.dk> wrote in message
> > news:ewg5s%234yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> > > Oh, I never knew that, Charlie. I've just learned to look at the colored
> > > edge of the cable (lead nr. 1), and most drives today have a symbolic
> > > drawing engraved in the back if you're ever in doubt. As they fall into
> > > oblivion the time intervals can have you wonder. But the crossed cable,
> > > syndrome. . .thanks!
> > >
> > >
> > > Tony. . .
> > >
> > >
> > > "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
> message
> > > news:eVzPDd4yGHA.4796@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> > >> Yup - a crossed cable. Is the light always on? A sure sign that the
> > >> floppy
> > >> drive connector is plugged in backwards. It won't cause any harm, but
> it
> > >> makes the floppy not work. And those things are never "keyed" so that
> > >> they
> > >> can only go in the right way.
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Charlie.
> > >> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Nigel S wrote:
> > >> > any ideas why 2 new x64 builds won't use the A: floppy drives, both
> > >> > machines tell me there are disks in the drives even though they are
> > > empty.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>

Jud
Wed Aug 30 16:54:19 CDT 2006

On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 14:46:02 -0700, dfeifer
<dfeifer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>the real answer to life the universe and everything.. one day.. god sneezed..

Sorry, but the answer to that question is 42!

j

Tony
Wed Aug 30 18:57:06 CDT 2006

Yes - perhaps there is even a bit of circular logic in 'everyhing'?

Hmmm.


Tony. . .


"Jud Hendrix" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:r72cf2l4u87ph864lqh2c786dvn6ct99n0@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 14:46:02 -0700, dfeifer
> <dfeifer@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >the real answer to life the universe and everything.. one day.. god
sneezed..
>
> Sorry, but the answer to that question is 42!
>
> j