Machine won't POST

[macdude425]

My dad's brand new computer (Sempron 2600+, MSI mobo, etc.) will no longer post with the floppy drive hooked up. I always get something like "Floppy error (40)", and then I get "DEL to enter Setup, F1 to Continue". The drive works, and the cable is good, and the settings in BIOS are correct, so does this mean that the floppy controller is shot, or something else?

TIA.

 

[Nitestick]

strange. from memory error 40 is actually the error for a stuffed drive. but if the drive is good then i would be looking at the controller. try another drive see if it produces the same error. [joke] maybe you've jumpered it wrong[/joke]

 

[macdude425]

We don't have a spare floppy drive at the moment, so I'll see if I cant grab the one out of my dad's PC at work (which is technically his).

 

[Ste]

Why don't you remove the flopy and see if it POSTS without it, then if it does we we will go from there, or you can enter BIOS and tell it to halt on all errors cept floppy.

 

[003]

is it possible that the ide cable on the floppy drive is backwards?

 

[Ste]

is it possible that the ide cable on the floppy drive is backwards?

IDE cables are not used on floppies, IDE cables are 40 Pin while floppies are 34 Pin.


That is a possibility, if the drive light stays lite then they are backwards, make sure Pin 1, the colored tracer ar lined up to pin 1 on floppy and to motherboard.

It is more likly that the Floppy disk is bad or the cable or the controler is bad.

 

[macdude425]

Why don't you remove the flopy and see if it POSTS without it, then if it does we we will go from there, or you can enter BIOS and tell it to halt on all errors cept floppy.

It will post WITHOUT the floppy installed. I hooked up my dad's old machine not too long ago and the drive and cable worked, so it's not that.

Now I may sound like an idiot here, but this drive is about fifteen years old (I pulled it from an old 386). Could age have any affect on the board not recognizing the drive?

 

[Ste]

Yes age could be, being that old, I would just buy a new one, it like 14 bucks max and at newegg its like 8 bucks.

 

[macdude425]

OK, since tomorrow is Black Friday, I'll see if I can't find a cheap one somewhere around here.

Thanks everybody