Troubleshooting Without Diagnostics

Solving Diskette Problems

Common causes and solutions for diskette problems are listed in the following table.

✎You may need to reconfigure the computer when you add or remove hardware, such as an additional diskette drive. See “Solving Hardware Installation Problems” for instructions.

Solving Diskette Problems

Problem

Cause

Solution

 

 

 

Diskette drive light stays on.

Diskette is damaged.

In Microsoft Windows XP, right-click

 

 

Start, click Explore, and select a

 

 

drive. Select File > Properties >

 

 

Tools. Under Error-checking,

 

 

click Check Now.

 

 

 

 

Diskette is incorrectly

Remove diskette and reinsert.

 

inserted.

 

 

 

 

 

Drive cable is not

Reconnect drive cable. Ensure that

 

properly connected.

all four pins on the diskette power

 

 

cable are connected to the drive.

 

 

 

Drive not found.

Cable is loose.

Reseat diskette drive data and

 

 

power cable.

 

 

 

 

Removable drive is not

Reseat the drive.

 

seated properly.

 

 

 

 

Diskette drive cannot write

Diskette is not

Format the diskette.

to a diskette.

formatted.

1. From Windows Explorer select

 

 

 

 

the disk (A) drive.

 

 

2. Right-click the drive letter and

 

 

select Format.

 

 

3. Select the desired options, and

 

 

click Start to begin formatting

 

 

the diskette.

 

 

 

 

Diskette is

Use another diskette or remove the

 

write-protected.

write protection.

 

 

 

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Troubleshooting Guide