# Computer question: what's wrong with my floppy drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902 "2001-10-27T01:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/1 "2001-10-27T01:30:20Z")
_Apologies if this has been asked and answered already. I did a search in this forum and didn’t find anything._ Over the past few months I’ve been having a problem with the A drive on my computer. You know that sound the computer makes when it’s reading a disk? If I use my computer for more than two hours the computer starts making that noise, regardless of whether I have a disk in the drive or not. For awhile that was the only problem with it – everything else worked fine. But last week I found out that the computer can’t read disks anymore; the computer keeps saying something like “A: inaccessible” and giving me the retry or cancel option. And just a few minutes ago I found out that if I try to save a file to a disk I get the same error message. So is my floppy drive dead? Does it need to be replaced, or is there a way to fix it? Help, please! ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/2 "2001-10-27T01:33:54Z")
Go buy a floppy drive cleaning kit…around 10 bucks. A worthy purchase. Wally mart sells them. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/3 "2001-10-27T01:35:37Z")
Might as well replace it, they don’t cost much. But if your computer is trying to access it for no apparent reason, maybe you have a desktop shortcut to an a:\ drive file or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/4 "2001-10-27T02:32:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*Go buy a floppy drive cleaning kit…around 10 bucks. A worthy purchase. Wally mart sells them. \*\* (Agreeing with Manduck here.) Floppies cost $10 new at those strip light industrial parks. Not Best Buy or CompUSA, those little hole in the wall places. Check your local “Computer User/Currents/whatever” rag. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/5 "2001-10-27T03:19:52Z")
What’s a floppy drive? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/6 "2001-10-27T03:26:01Z")
You are suggesting she crack her box and install it herself? Is it not just a bit easier to try cleaning it first? ---
**Author:** ![Erasticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3e96dc/32.png) [@Erasticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasticity)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/7 "2001-10-27T03:26:03Z")
Like deez guys said (thick NY accent affected…😉 Floppy Drives are cheap, BUT: Try a boot disk (if you’ve got one already) like a ‘Windows 98 Start up disk’ or boot up to ‘Command Promt’ and try reading it from there. That will rule out software interference like shortcuts to floppy, Virus scanning software that checks for errant/forgotten disks , an viruses. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/8 "2001-10-27T06:19:39Z")
Ahhh…own a mac do you? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/9 "2001-10-27T14:03:37Z")
I prefer denatured alcohol about three bucks a quart at the hardware store, some long cotton swabs ( a few cents from a drug store). You can then clean the head of the floppy without taking it out. But those cleaning disks work. The reason I buy denatured alcohol is that it can clean vcr heads, audio heads, etc etc. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/10 "2001-10-27T17:07:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*I prefer denatured alcohol about three bucks a quart at the hardware store, some long cotton swabs ( a few cents from a drug store). You can then clean the head of the floppy without taking it out. But those cleaning disks work. The reason I buy denatured alcohol is that it can clean vcr heads, audio heads, etc etc. \*\* Notes: 1. The standard Isopropyl (“rubbing”) alcohol you get at drug stores is maybe 10% water (and possibly other Bad Things) and water on senstive tape/disk heads is _not a good thing_. You need 100% alchohol which is probably why handy went to a _hardware_ store and not a _drug_ store. 2. You _never_ use cotton swabs on VCR heads. I mean _never_. Use foam swabs (from Radio Shack type places) for these. I use only foam swabs on floppy drive heads as well. Cotton shreds, leaves behind threads, catchs on heads, etc. Any of which will leave your VCR is worse shape than when you started. See [http://www.repairfaq.org](http://www.repairfaq.org). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/11 "2001-10-27T17:23:18Z")
Clearly not a tech here (just look at most of the questions I post on the boards) but, I’ve always assumed you’d want to try everything else before simply replacing a component. Cracking open the case is a (minor) PITA, and always carries with it the inherent risk of disaster (a combination of 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it maxim, and the ‘gee, where did that screw go’ mentality). On that note, isn’t it possible that something inside Windows is trying to access the drive from time to time? Is it possible that after enough tries, it has marked the drive as unreadable, and sent that information to Explorer? Have you tried going into the CMOS setup and seeing if the drive is still listed? (or is this just a thing that happens with hard drives?) What about trying to get ot the drive via a DOS prompt (either from a command box in Windows or completely exiting to DOS). If it were a Windows problem, I’d think (did I mention I am talking out my ass yet?) that DOS should be able to see the drive, and your problem is just software. These are just my $.02, and I don’t know if I mentioned this or not, but I’m not a tech. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/12 "2001-10-27T18:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Reeder** \* > Ahhh…own a mac do you? Guilty as charged 🙂 ::reminisces about the days when Macs had floppy drives:: Is “cracking the box”, as you put it, really a PITA? ::reminisces about the days when Macs required a case cracker and a looooong Torx screwdriver to open the case:: Well, if the OP doesn’t wanna open the box, how about one of those USB floppies that are produced mainly with floppy-less iMac users in mind? Assuming the PC has USB, would it recognize a USB floppy drive? Would it need a different driver, or would the standard floppy driver work for it? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/13 "2001-10-27T18:21:48Z")
PITA is a relative concept. Crawling around, unplugging, unscrewing, setting up a small worktable to rest the box on, etc., generally involves a good deal of ‘getting-around-to-it’ time. The case I have now is a sweet dream to work with, but I’ve suffered many a cramped space and difficult screw placement to not relish the thought of going back in. Not a huge PITA but I’d personally rather try out all software options first. Anyone think ‘Difficult Screw Placement’ would be a good name for a band? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/14 "2001-10-27T19:20:15Z")
What’s a screw? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/15 "2001-10-27T22:40:52Z")
We aren’t cleaning vcr heads here ftg…if we were I would suggest a paper coffee filter, they work well for me. You need the medical q-tip to get far enough in the floppy drive. they are about 8" long a few cents each. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/16 "2001-10-27T23:09:53Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s a screw? - It’s when a company builds computers without a common type of I/O hardware, so that students who require that type of I/O for course material cannot consider buying that computer. -Of course, that’s screwing _yourself_…- MC ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-whats-wrong-with-my-floppy-drive/89902/17 "2001-10-28T16:13:35Z")
Thanks to all for the replies. 🙂 I’m obviously not a tech, so I appreciate all of the help. I think I’ll try going into the CMOS setup, just to make sure everything is still listed. I might also try using the boot disk to check for software interference. If everything checks out OK with both of those, then I’ll try a cleaning kit. If that doesn’t work I’ll probably just replace the drive – my brother already told me he’d install it for me. Thanks again for the help!