Can't access FAT(32) disks

Percival P. Cassidy

unread,

Jan 6, 2010, 11:30:35 AM1/6/10

to

I have WinXP SP3 on one machine and find that I am no longer able to
access FAT32-formatted thumb drives or FAT-formatted floppies: I can
read them on other systems, but this machine tells me they are unformatted.

I reformatted a floppy but it still showed as unformatted. chkdsk found
no errors, but the disk still is reported to be unformatted.

RMB -> Properties shows:

File System: RAW

What has happened here?

Perce

Shenan Stanley

unread,

Jan 6, 2010, 12:32:12 PM1/6/10

to

- Windows XP _______ Edition with Service Pack 3
- What antivirus software?
- What antimalware software?
- Any third party firewalls?
- What changed between the day you last noticed everything was fine and the
first day you noticed everything wasn't fine?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

dadiOH

unread,

Jan 6, 2010, 12:48:06 PM1/6/10

to

What has happened is that floppies and floppy drives are notoriously
unreliable nowadays. Can't say about your thumb drive.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Percival P. Cassidy

unread,

Jan 8, 2010, 10:38:21 PM1/8/10

to

On 01/06/10 12:32 pm, Shenan Stanley wrote:

>> I have WinXP SP3 on one machine and find that I am no longer able to
>> access FAT32-formatted thumb drives or FAT-formatted floppies: I can
>> read them on other systems, but this machine tells me they are
>> unformatted.
>> I reformatted a floppy but it still showed as unformatted. chkdsk
>> found no errors, but the disk still is reported to be unformatted.
>>
>> RMB -> Properties shows:
>>
>> File System: RAW
>>
>> What has happened here?

> - Windows XP _______ Edition with Service Pack 3

XP Home

> - What antivirus software?
> - What antimalware software?
> - Any third party firewalls?

None in operation at the time.

> - What changed between the day you last noticed everything was fine and the
> first day you noticed everything wasn't fine?

I've so seldom used floppies or FAT32-formatted media on this machine
that a whole lot of changes will have taken place in the meantime.

Further information:

I insert a floppy that has been formatted on another machine.
DIR A: from command prompt reports no recognizable file system.
CHKDSK /F A: reports file system is FAT, no errors found.
DIR A: reports no recognizable file system.
FORMAT A: reports success.
CHKDSK /F A: reports file system is FAT, no errors found.
DIR A: reports no recognizable file system.

Double-click on disk icon in My Computer reports disk is not formatted.
RMB -> Format reports disk cannot be formatted (or perhaps it was format
cannot be completed).
Take disk to another machine; CHKDSK /F A: reports that file system is
FAT, no errors found.
I copy files to that disk on that machine; success.
Bring disk back to the problem computer; DIR A: reports no recognizable
file system.

Google found a reference to this (or a similar) problem at

http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

I copied the i386 folder from the installation CD to C:, made the
recommended changes to the registry, and ran

sfc /scannow

Nothing has changed as far as FAT-formatted media are concerned.

Perce