How do I install a floppy drive?

Hello!

I unplugged my floppy drive from my pc and now I can not figure out how to connect it again. I tried like 20 times, but it will not go back in!

In need of help and fast!

This question was answered on February 24, 2002. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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I'm not entirely sure which connection you have unplugged, so I will describe all of them Please do not be offended if I cover information you already know, as another reader may also benefit from the answer I am providing I am going to assume your floppy drive is an internal drive (not USB), that it previously worked properly on this system, and that no other hardware was added.

If you have not done so already, please reboot your computer without the floppy drive connected This allows the computer to 'catch up' and make any necessary changes to hardware configurations After rebooting once or twice, shut your computer down completely When it is shut down, unplug the power cord, open/remove the case on the tower The floppy drive should be screwed into place inside a metal bracket If not, then screw it into place after it is connected to the power supply and controller, (which can be the system board or a controller card)

The floppy drive connects to the board/card using a 34-pin ribbon cable On one end of the ribbon cable, there is a twist in a portion of the cable, this is the end that plugs into the back of the floppy drive Plug this into the back of the floppy drive, making sure no pins are bent, making sure that the red edge of the cable is inline with the #1 pin on the floppy drive Plug the other end to the board/card (again making sure no pins are bent and the red edge of the cable is inline with the #1 pin) Both should connect firmly, but excessive force should not be necessary (If connection is resistant, check the location of the #1 pin)

Using the smaller size connector, plug the power supply to the floppy drive Many times this is a pigtail from the power connection off the back of the hard drive It could also be in the form of an adapter which uses a large power connector and reduces it to the smaller size connector for the floppy drive The power connector is shaped in a way that it will only plug into the floppy drive one way Again, it should connect firmly but should not need excessive force and the red (hot) wire should be on the same side as the red edge (or #1 pin) on the ribbon cable.

After making these connections, replacing the case, and plugging the power cord back into the computer, boot it up Windows may or may not detect new hardware and lauch the Add New Hardware Wizard If the wizard doesn't start, check to see if the floppy drive is present and functioning by opening My Computer or Windows Explorer.

If you need to research further or would like more information, check these websites: http://support.microsoft.com (searching with key words)

www.computerproblems.com (search the database using key words)

About the author

Posted by Debbi of Chandler-Gilbert Community College on February 24, 2002

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