A RANT about bad floppy drives!!!

[Mechanic]

I have read many posts about systems not booting when first assembled, intermittant boot problems, unexplained failures when loading software by floppy, green light staying on and system won't boot, etc, etc, etc!

I put together a new system for resale and have intermittant boot problems. After the system is configured (a custom job) I decide to load the most up to date bios to see if the upgrades solves the problem. You need to know that the new Panasonic floppy drive in the system, the one my supplier said was so great because the drive is totally enclosed on the bottom, also is configured so that the number one pin on the floppy cable is on the opposite end of the connector and not next to the power connector, like all the other floppys in the world, (take note if you buy one because your green light will stay on and your system won't boot if you hook it up wrong like most other drives).

I download the bios and the flash utility and make the boot disk like a hundred other times, put it in the A drive and reboot. Half way through the program the floppy dies. Yes, that was the intermittant problem, a bad floppy drive. The bios is screwed and I am screwed and didn't even get a kiss.

The moral of this story. DON'T BUY PANASONIC FLOPPY DRIVES! Don't flash your bios just to have the most up to date one. If your system isn't broken don't try to fix it! Suspect bad floppy drives on boot up problems and be sure to hook up the cables correctly. I'll fix this thing but what a PAIN in the A**!

[This message has been edited by Mechanic (edited March 22, 2001).]

[muisejt]

Let this be a lesson to you all, buy generic floppy drives only, they work the best (if the cable is on correctly)

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PIII 800EB
ASUS CUSL2-C
Voodoo5 5500 AGP
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[SBC Member]