34 pin floppy drive

computerwoman

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me, I bought a 34 pin IDE floppy drive and it wouldn't work, when looking at the back of the floppy they are only 33 pins, what should I do, send it back as it is newly bought, from ebuyer or is there a way I can get it to work.
thanks
cw.

computerwoman

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/74630
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/23925/product_info/rb/0
sorry
these are the two that wont work, they fit onto an IDE motherboard, with the long black 34 pin connection, thanks
cw.

bat999

Hi
I've just looked in the back of my PC.
The floppy disk drive is connected by a 34 pin ribbon cable.
But when I unplugged it I can see that the floppy disk drive has one pin missing.
So I think that all floppy disk drives are the same, 33 pins connected through a 34 pin connector.
The ebuyer description says 'a standard 34-pin floppy drive interface'.
And that's what you've got. It doesn't say that the drive should have 34 pins.
So I don't think that's what is causing it not to work, something else is wrong.
Perhaps check that you haven't inserted the connector the wrong way round.
On my drive, the missing pin is near to the edge which has the red stripe on the ribbon cable.

computerwoman

thanks bat999 it says that the floppy is disabled and wont work I got them both last week and tried them both they just wont work in any computer, so dont think I have done anything wrong as this is not the first pc I have build its about my 10th to date and everything has gone great with all the others just these 2 are causing a problem, I have even took mine out which works fine, put each one in in turn and they are disabled so I think it most be them, I didnt think to look at the back of mine, but when I put it back in it just worked fine, I have even installed them on to a brand new mobo as I am building 2 more pc's for some friends and they just wont work, so I think it must be them that are faulty.
cw

geordie_joe

bat999 wrote: »

Hi
I've just looked in the back of my PC.
The floppy disk drive is connected by a 34 pin ribbon cable.
But when I unplugged it I can see that the floppy disk drive has one pin missing.
So I think that all floppy disk drives are the same, 33 pins connected through a 34 pin connector.

The missing pin is to prevent you from plugging the cable in the wrong way round.

The cable should have one of the holes blocked up, which matches the missing pin.

bat999

geordie_joe wrote: »

The missing pin is to prevent you from plugging the cable in the wrong way round.

The cable should have one of the holes blocked up, which matches the missing pin.

No, it's the floppy drive that has a missing pin.
The ribbon connector has all the pins and holes. None of the holes are blocked on some connectors, like the one in my pc.
So it is possible to force the connector in the wrong way round.

geordie_joe

bat999 wrote: »

No, it's the floppy drive that has a missing pin.

I know, you said

But when I unplugged it I can see that the floppy disk drive has one pin missing.

and I replied

The missing pin is to prevent you from plugging the cable in the wrong way round.

bat999 wrote: »

None of the holes are blocked on some connectors, like the one in my pc. So it is possible to force the connector in the wrong way round.

I was thinking about the OPs cable, and I did say "Should have a hole blocked up"

All I was doing was reassuring the OP that the missing pin is normal and nothing to do with the drive not working.

computerwoman

thanks for replying, yes I realise the missing pin is ment to be there now, my floppy ribbin doesn't have any holes missing, which is one of the reasons why I thought it was faulty, when I put it in to where my floppy is that works ok, I get error 40 when I go into the bios the floppy is disabled, so when I enable it, and the post goes up again, I still get error 40 floppy failed, and when I then goes back into the bios its disabled again even though I saved and exited.
any ideas, as I thought it was the motherboard, and not the floppy but now I suppect it is the floppy's (2) but when I put my floppy back in everything is a-ok again.
cw

Little_John

Floppy drives are always a pain in the !!!!.
Firstly they dont follow the rule of pin 1 towards the power connector pin 1 on the cable in indicated by the red stripe on the ribbon you must make sure you have them connected corectly.

The bios it needs the floppy drive enableing remember to hit F10 to save and exit the bios.

Also connect the small power connector.

If you get the cable the wrong way round the floppy activity light will remain on when it is doing nothing.

You also need to make sure you are connecting the correct end to the drive and board, the drive end usually has the twist in the cable or a cut out in one of the wires (remember that missing pin).

How many heads (connectors) are on the cable? 2 or 3 floppys can be installed as a pair and there are no jumpers like on a hard drive so it depends which head you connect it to whihc drive is which.

Chippy_Minton

Error 40 - http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000426.htm

computerwoman

Hi guys, just wiped out my floppy drive, installed the first one, worked, fine no problems, but the second one (both sony) wouldnt have it, solid light all the way, error40, please insert disk, inserted, please insert disk, wont read the disk, wont clip, wont do anything, so me thinks its a bad drive, which is a pain in the butt, as I am making 2 computers for some guys, and they want them, like now, but they cant have them yet, sodding ebuyer, this is not the first time I have got stuff off them that has been faulty, I think I need to get myself a new supplier.
thanks anyway guys,
cw.