In installing XP it requires during setup (after hitting F6 and S) that I install the SATA drivers using a floppy drive (A). I haven't had the need nor have I used a floppy drive in 5 years. I am not sure the old floppy drive I have works or whether the diskette (the original that came with my Abit NF7-S motherboard) has gone bad. Is there a work around for this? Can one even buy floppy drives or diskettes anymore?
Need floppy drive work around for XP install
- Thread starter TCMGO
- Start date
Floppy drives are still available but you have to look harder for them. Newegg still carries them. One "workaround" is to go into the BIOS and change the mode from SATA (or AHCI) to IDE, that is, IF your BIOS has that option.
If you prefer to keep the SATA controller mode to SATA (or AHCI) or your BIOS doesn't have the IDE option, you can workaround it by making a slipstream CD. Google for the procedure as there are many sites that offer instructions. You will still need to find the SATA driver, however. See if the Abit website still has them for your motherboard.
If you prefer to keep the SATA controller mode to SATA (or AHCI) or your BIOS doesn't have the IDE option, you can workaround it by making a slipstream CD. Google for the procedure as there are many sites that offer instructions. You will still need to find the SATA driver, however. See if the Abit website still has them for your motherboard.
Zen
Posts: 763 +49
I know I'm coming into this conversation a bit on the late side, and the original poster may have indeed taken care of the problem, but I wanted to just inject something that may help the original poster and people here after that might read this topic area and may have the same problem.
In my own personal opinion, no matter how the computer world makes advances on their machines, one day someone may indeed need a Diskette Drive, like the situation the original poster is an example of. I'm an old school computer guy, Diskette Drives are installed "standard" when I build my machines. But for those who don't already have a Diskette Drive in their machines, I would recommend the following..........
http://www.walmart.com/ip/MicroPac-USB-External-3.5-1.44MB-Floppy-Disk-Drive-Black/9871217
I personally own one of these external USB diskette drives, have for many years. I find it comes in very handy when I'm dealing with my lap top computer, which of course didn't come stock with a diskette drive. When I'm installing afresh copy of my Windows XP Professional into the lap top the need for third party SATA drives comes into play, by way of the (F6) button. Also having this external diskette comes in real handy when I want to guarantee a good kill of a hard drive. For the program I use to suicide a hard drive is off of the MS-DOS 4.1 program and it is the "killpart" feature, which is on a diskette.
So one way or the other the computer companies can disavow the need to have their systems come stock with floppy drives, that's fine. Just a darn shame when a situation like this happens and one if left up poo poo creek without a paddle!
In my own personal opinion, no matter how the computer world makes advances on their machines, one day someone may indeed need a Diskette Drive, like the situation the original poster is an example of. I'm an old school computer guy, Diskette Drives are installed "standard" when I build my machines. But for those who don't already have a Diskette Drive in their machines, I would recommend the following..........
http://www.walmart.com/ip/MicroPac-USB-External-3.5-1.44MB-Floppy-Disk-Drive-Black/9871217
I personally own one of these external USB diskette drives, have for many years. I find it comes in very handy when I'm dealing with my lap top computer, which of course didn't come stock with a diskette drive. When I'm installing afresh copy of my Windows XP Professional into the lap top the need for third party SATA drives comes into play, by way of the (F6) button. Also having this external diskette comes in real handy when I want to guarantee a good kill of a hard drive. For the program I use to suicide a hard drive is off of the MS-DOS 4.1 program and it is the "killpart" feature, which is on a diskette.
So one way or the other the computer companies can disavow the need to have their systems come stock with floppy drives, that's fine. Just a darn shame when a situation like this happens and one if left up poo poo creek without a paddle!
thanks for the reply
Zen, I was finally able to fix my problem by digging through my old computer boneyard pile until I found a working drive. As none of the local stores carry diskettes anymore, I was fortunate to find a box of 10 unused diskettes for $5 at a local thrift store. Armed with the necessary supplies I made the drivers disk I needed and the XP installation went well.
Zen, I was finally able to fix my problem by digging through my old computer boneyard pile until I found a working drive. As none of the local stores carry diskettes anymore, I was fortunate to find a box of 10 unused diskettes for $5 at a local thrift store. Armed with the necessary supplies I made the drivers disk I needed and the XP installation went well.
Zen
Posts: 763 +49
Awesome, I'm glad to hear that you got things well in hand! I'm surprised that none of you local stores had any diskette drives. But there again when I shop at Fry's, as to buy things for a new computer build, I have noticed within the past 5 years or so, their diskette drive selection dwindling. Plus Fry's selection of 3.5 diskettes has almost faded away. When I started building system back in 2002, they had them hand to fist, now, it looks like a barren wasteland in their floppy drive department. That is why I got that external USB floppy drive, always there when I need it!
Again, glad things worked out!
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