Floppy Drive not formatted in XP

[Ed Geater]

The following error is reported in XP when trying to
access the floppy drive:

The disk in drive A: is not formatted.
Do you want to format it now ?

If I then try and format it the following error is
reported:

Windows is unable to complete the format

When the drive properties are examined the file system is
shown as RAW.

All my floppy disks are formatted under Windows 98,
and the floppy drive is a few years old.

Any ideas,
Ed

[E.P. van Westendorp]

This error is displayed when the floppy has no "Media Descriptor Byte"
in it's bootsector identifying the type of flop.
Windows 9x versions didn't check this byte but Windows XP does, like
Windows NT does.

There is an article (for Windows NT) in the MicroSoft Knowledge Base
Error Accessing Floppy Disks Using Windows NT
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;140060

This problem is caused by using a non MS format program, like
pre-formatted floppies.
So it's best to format even pre-formatted floppies yourself before using
them.

If you want to cure the floppy you will have to reformat, insert the
Media Descriptor Byte manually (eg by using Debug or diskeditor).

I made a little Dos program (FIXMEDIA.COM that also works in Windows) to
cure 1.44MB floppies.
If you want to try the program you can email me.

If you are sure you formatted the floppy yourself in Windows 98 you must
have another problem and above doesn't apply.

--

Eric P. van Westendorp Tel: +31(0252)210579
Reigerslaan 22 2215NN Voorhout Netherlands

[Peter Hutchison]

On Sat, 22 Feb 2003 03:28:41 -0800, "Ed Geater" <ejge...@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:

You may have installed a driver which is incompatible with floppy
drives such as the Intel Accelerator or Chipset updates.. Uninstall it
and you will get floppy access back.

Peter Hutchison
http://www.blizzard.u-net.com/