Re: Off topic... (problem)

[Patricia M Godfrey pmgodfrey@xxxxxxxx]

≪if I re-format one of the new floppies on my new machine (and here
there is no exception), the disk becomes unreadable, while it very much
is readable by my old W95 machine. ... my Win95 machine can read a file
that I manage (at times) to save to a floppy on my Win XP machine, but it
will not work the other way around.≫

That sounds very much like a problem with the XP box's floppy drive. Or
its cable. There is no Opsys or format issue involved. Floppy formats
haven't changed since we got rid of those wretched 720 K floppies, which
caused all sorts of problems. Except, of course, for the special
formatting that Windows used for its install disks a while back. Good
grief! They haven't set up XP to use that, have they? Cannot believe it,
or I'd have read about it somewhere.

Check the cable first. If it's loose, that could cause flaky behaviour.
First, though, if this is a new machine, you should check with the
manufacturer before opening the box. Some name brands consider that to
void the warranty. If they won't hold opening the cover against you, but
you've never popped the cover on a PC before, see if your library has
either of these books:

Minasi, Mark. The PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide
Mueller, Scott. Upgrading and Repairing PCs

Either will give you very good directions on how to remove and hook up a
floppy drive. Have a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a pair of
needle-nose pliers (for getting the power connectors off) at hand. Make
sure the cable is tight to the drive and the motherboard. Then try
switching cables (make sure you have a floppy cable; they have a twist at
the end; see either book). If you still have problems, swap floppy
drives. And if you still have problems, complain to the manufacturer (I
HOPE it isn't Dell), because the problem is likely in the controller, and
that's built into the motherboard. Good Luck.

Patricia M. Godfrey