Floppy format

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Apparently Windows 7 cannot format a floppy disk (unless it is a USB floppy drive). Copying files to a floppy works, but they are ALL hidden and inaccessable (again, a USB floppy drive works fine).
It looks like Windows 7 is the culprit here.

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Do you have a Windows 7 driver installed for your floppy drive?

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Apparently Windows 7 cannot format a floppy disk (unless it is a USB floppy drive). Copying files to a floppy works, but they are ALL hidden and inaccessable (again, a USB floppy drive works fine).
It looks like Windows 7 is the culprit here.

Of course Windows 7 can format a floppy. Computer | Right-click Floppy Disk Drive| Click Format.

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I have the same problem trying to use my onboard floppy drive. It will do a quick format but a full format will not work. I can copy files to the floppy close the floppy window reopen and can still see and open the files but if I close the floppy window and remove the floppy disk then put the disk back in and open the floppy window I am informed there are no files in the folder. The files are still there according to the properties window but are not displayed. I have tried to update the floppy driver but windows informs me I have the best driver for the floppy drive already installed. I have had this problem since first installing Windows 7 Home editition. I have installed this floppy drive in my XP machine and it works normally using the same floppy disks I am trying to use in Windows 7. I do not have a USB floppy drive so cannot comment on same. I agree it must be a Windows 7 problem and wish Microsoft would take notice and correct same.

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I have the same problem trying to use my onboard floppy drive. It will do a quick format but a full format will not work. I can copy files to the floppy close the floppy window reopen and can still see and open the files but if I close the floppy window and remove the floppy disk then put the disk back in and open the floppy window I am informed there are no files in the folder. The files are still there according to the properties window but are not displayed. I have tried to update the floppy driver but windows informs me I have the best driver for the floppy drive already installed. I have had this problem since first installing Windows 7 Home editition. I have installed this floppy drive in my XP machine and it works normally using the same floppy disks I am trying to use in Windows 7. I do not have a USB floppy drive so cannot comment on same. I agree it must be a Windows 7 problem and wish Microsoft would take notice and correct same.

You have the exact problem I have. Online search has plenty of responses, but the general consensus is that W7 software is faulty.
Thanks, Tony

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You have the exact problem I have. Online search has plenty of responses, but the general consensus is that W7 software is faulty.
Thanks, Tony

Well, problem solved! I disabled HPET support in the BIOS and FDDs format just fine. Apparently HPET doesn’t “play nice” with AHCI.
Tony

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Well, problem solved! I disabled HPET support in the BIOS and FDDs format just fine. Apparently HPET doesn’t “play nice” with AHCI.

Glad you got it fixed. Thanks for posting back.

Joe

--Joe

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Just wondered, who uses floppy drives anymore anyhow? That’s old technology and computers don’t even include them anymore. I don’t think Microsoft will spend too much time reworking Windows 7 to accomodate “Floppy Drives.” With prices of USB drives being so low, I can’t understand how anyone could be without one at this point in time.

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Just wondered, who uses floppy drives anymore anyhow? That's old technology 

That may be old stuff but so am I and I am still somewhat useful. I still use floppies for some things and they are a lot easier to label than flash drives which you have to plug in to see what is on them. I have a home built machine with XP original and that is when I put in the floppy drive then installed Win7 as dual boot and I have no problem quick or full format in either system with native drivers.

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I was reflecting upon my boxes of 5-1/4 floppies literally yesterday. (No eight-inch disks I’m afraid, but I do have tapes and lots of Zip disks.) No, I haven’t tried them with Win 7.

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You do a bios update on older PC still need a floppy. Last 2 I bought don’t have one so I grabbed my first and smallest usb drive and reformatted it to look like a floppy but I have the full 128 mb space. Every pc I have stuck it in with usb recognizes it and boots with it. I’m learning to live without the floppy but now wonder what to do with all them floppies I have.

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A number of years ago I went through all my floppies, chucked 75% of them, and copied the rest to my HD, one folder per disk. I burned the disk to DVD, and printed out the folder names to store with it.

For transport I keep an 8GB MicroSD card in an extremely small USB reader in my wallet, mostly full of apps to help fix PC’s, and have never looked back (it’s like having over 5500 floppies in my pocket!).

I’ve had so many floppy disks fail, especially going from PC to PC, that I was quite relieved to be rid of them. I do have a usb floppy in my arsenal for the odd floppy that shows up in my travels though!

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OK, I have done some more research, and have modified the issues. My system:
Rosewill R5601-BK/SL Screw-less ATX Mid Tower Case, Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750w Power Supply, GigaByte GA-890GPA-UD3H – rev 1.0, BIOS F6, CORSAIR VS2GB1333D3 2GB 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1333, AMD Phenom II X4 (Quad Core) 955 (3.2GHz, 8MB L3 Cache) (Socket AM3) 125w, ASUS Triton 78 120mm EBR CPU Cooler, WD Caviar Blue WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s (logical CDEF), WD Caviar Blue WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s (logical GX), WDC 1tb WD10-EACS-00ZJB0 SATA 3.0Gb/s (logical Z), ATI Integrated Graphics (ATI Radeon HD 4290), Plextor PX-870a IDE Super Multi Burner, ETC.
3 bootable partitions: Windows 7×32 Ultimate with all updates, Windows 7×64 Ultimate with all updates, Windows XPx32 with all updates.

I normally run Windows 7×32 Ultimate which is where I noticed the Ffloppy format problem.
Windows Ultimate (x32 or x64) will NOT format and/or write-to an internal floppy in either native IDE mode or AHCI mode. It WILL format an external USB floppy. WhenI disable the HPET (High Performance Event Timer) in the BIOS, all floppies format fine, BUT there are too many consequences to leaving HPET off, sooo it’s back on, and i’ll just have to use the USB drive.

btw: with HPET enabled, internal floppies are COMPLETELY un-writeable… not just formatting, and yes, I use them a lot… been in the business for over 40 years, 3 silicone valley startups, and am constantly evaluating soft & hard ware.

So, it looks like Windows has a problem interfacing floppy-format with HPET. Hope they solve it.

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So, it looks like Windows has a problem interfacing floppy-format with HPET. Hope they solve it.

Doubt they will, time to chunk the old and get into the new. Last 2 I bought don’t have a floppy so time to move on for me at least. Out at work still deal with floppies for Dos 6.0 but I get paid for that headache.

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