Floppy drive failure

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tony Batchelor
  • Start date Start date
T

Tony Batchelor

I am not sure if this is the right Group, but let me try.

Today I wanted to copy some files so first attempted to format a new floppy
and received this error message - "the request could not be performed because
of an i/o device error".

So then I tried to simply copy the files to a part used floppy, and got the
same message. The discs and the drive had all been working OK the last time I
used them.

I moved to another computer and got the same results!!

The common things about those two computers is that they both have XP Pro
sp2, AND both received MS Security Updates yesterday. So maybe the problem
stems from the updates?

Any ideas?
 
"Tony Batchelor" <tony.batchelor@get2net.dk(donotspam)> wrote in message
news:1A0F19A1-FC9B-4DA3-AF51-4607E6D9A138@microsoft.com...
>I am not sure if this is the right Group, but let me try.
>
> Today I wanted to copy some files so first attempted to format a new
> floppy
> and received this error message - "the request could not be performed
> because
> of an i/o device error".
>
> So then I tried to simply copy the files to a part used floppy, and got
> the
> same message. The discs and the drive had all been working OK the last
> time I
> used them.
>
> I moved to another computer and got the same results!!
>
> The common things about those two computers is that they both have XP Pro
> sp2, AND both received MS Security Updates yesterday. So maybe the problem
> stems from the updates?
>
> Any ideas?

Boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk from www.bootdisk.com,
then try again. This will exonerate (or otherwise) the operating system.
If you cannot make this boot disk yourself, ask a friend.
 
Tony Batchelor wrote:

> I am not sure if this is the right Group, but let me try.
>
> Today I wanted to copy some files so first attempted to format a new floppy
> and received this error message - "the request could not be performed because
> of an i/o device error".
>
> So then I tried to simply copy the files to a part used floppy, and got the
> same message. The discs and the drive had all been working OK the last time I
> used them.
>
> I moved to another computer and got the same results!!
>
> The common things about those two computers is that they both have XP Pro
> sp2, AND both received MS Security Updates yesterday. So maybe the problem
> stems from the updates?
>
> Any ideas?

The formatting error of a new floppy would indicate a probable problem with
the drive itself. OTOH, the inability to copy to a floppy diskette on two
different computes may indicate an issue with the floppy diskette. Floppy
diskettes are no longer as reliable as they once were and floppy diskette
drives are known to break.

And what were the MS Security Updates that you suspect?
 
Tony Batchelor wrote:

> I am not sure if this is the right Group, but let me try.
>
> Today I wanted to copy some files so first attempted to format a new floppy
> and received this error message - "the request could not be performed because
> of an i/o device error".
>
> So then I tried to simply copy the files to a part used floppy, and got the
> same message. The discs and the drive had all been working OK the last time I
> used them.
>
> I moved to another computer and got the same results!!
>
> The common things about those two computers is that they both have XP Pro
> sp2, AND both received MS Security Updates yesterday. So maybe the problem
> stems from the updates?
>
> Any ideas?

One further thought about the failure to copy to a partly-used floppy...is
the diskette write-protected?
 
"Ghostrider" wrote:

>
>
> One further thought about the failure to copy to a partly-used floppy...is
> the diskette write-protected?
>

Absolutely not! I have been caught out in the past like that, so
double-checked!

Since my message I have gone to an old computer running Win98 and the (brand
new) disc and the old used discs all worked OK on that.

The Updates that are suspiciously common to both the drives that gave the
error message are: 890830, 941202, 939653, 933729.

I will try the other suggestions in a day or two. I am busy cuddling a new
kitten at the moment<ggg>
 
"Tony Batchelor" <tony.batchelor@get2net.dk(donotspam)> wrote in message
news:1A0F19A1-FC9B-4DA3-AF51-4607E6D9A138@microsoft.com...
>I am not sure if this is the right Group, but let me try.
>
> Today I wanted to copy some files so first attempted to format a new
> floppy
> and received this error message - "the request could not be performed
> because
> of an i/o device error".
>
> So then I tried to simply copy the files to a part used floppy, and got
> the
> same message. The discs and the drive had all been working OK the last
> time I
> used them.
>
> I moved to another computer and got the same results!!
>
> The common things about those two computers is that they both have XP Pro
> sp2, AND both received MS Security Updates yesterday. So maybe the problem
> stems from the updates?
>
> Any ideas?


The I/O error is due to either the bios being set wrong...
bad, or reversed cable on the floppy drive or a just plain bad floppy drive.
It's possible that the drives are bad on both machine...
but not that likely due to any windows updates
 
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