*POLL* Is your floppy dead?
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*POLL* Is your floppy dead?
Is the floppy still alive and kicking
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The only problem is that as soon as you remove the floppy, something comes up that you need to use a floppy to solve. The more 'useful' floppy drives I've seen also have a built-in card reader w/ multiple formats so that you don't feel (as much) like a dork having a floppy drive in your computer.
-Derek
-Derek
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I've had the same floppy for about 6 years, though when it goes I'm not bothered about replacing it... I use it occasionally, that's all. The only thing you need it for now (AFAIK) is installing RAID drivers on XP, but a forward-thinking user can slipstream one with the drivers already on
At least it's one component you don't need to bother silencing, though! Install one today and you'll always look back!
At least it's one component you don't need to bother silencing, though! Install one today and you'll always look back!
I just found out a week ago that mine died some time between the last install (~4 months ago) and now... never noticed it until my g/f brought a floppy disk from work. Lucky me, I also found out that I have spare drives for the next few centuries she finally considered my hardware stockpile vaguely useful!
No floppy for me, except for an old Gateway mobo which refuses to boot up without a floppy drive attached. In my HTPC, I have a non-connected (dead) black floppy simply because I had nothing else to cleanly cover all of the external 3.5" bays.
Besides taking up space and causing cable clutter, I find the floppy spoils the "can't tell the computer's been powered on" effect. They make noises and blink on the light when powered on.
Besides taking up space and causing cable clutter, I find the floppy spoils the "can't tell the computer's been powered on" effect. They make noises and blink on the light when powered on.
With most modern BIOS, you can disable floppy seek on startup, and set the boot order to ignore the floppy. The only thing left is that some virus scanners will check the floppy before it shuts down, and sometimes when it first start.jackylman wrote:It's mounted in the case, but it's not plugged in. Too noisy plus it only slows down boot process.
My main problem with the floppy drive is that I can never find any media when I actually need to use the sucker...
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Yes, if your motherboard supports it. (Those made within the last few years?) If not you can always boot from a CDRW instead.nici wrote:Is it possible to run DOS programs from a USB-memory..? i have a 1Gb stick of it. I use floppys for bios flashing and the hitachi feature tool.. so yes i have a floppy drive...
Maybe you have an unusual drive but the 12+ I've had over the years were silent until accessed. Since nothing accesses it I never hear it until it gets used.IsaacKuo wrote:Besides taking up space and causing cable clutter, I find the floppy spoils the "can't tell the computer's been powered on" effect. They make noises and blink on the light when powered on.
Last edited by StarfishChris on Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I tossed my floppy drive when I realized that I could do almost everything I needed with CD-RW. What clinched the deal was when I ended up going through a box of floppies trying to find one that would actually format.
So I bought a cheap pack of CD-RW and pretty much used them as floppies. Its just as fast and generally more reliable. The only thing it sucked at was requiring a driver to install Windows on a RAID or SATA controller. Windows is HARDCODED to look for the A:
So I bought a cheap pack of CD-RW and pretty much used them as floppies. Its just as fast and generally more reliable. The only thing it sucked at was requiring a driver to install Windows on a RAID or SATA controller. Windows is HARDCODED to look for the A:
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A. I apologize first for not being able to read your mind. I sincerely regret making this multiple choice poll because I have no idea what I am talking about. I am not worthy in your presence because your post clearly displayed your expertise and knowledge in the world of floppies.m0002a wrote:Why is it that people who make up multiple choice polls, never list the correct answer as one of the choices?
A. The pollster is not knowledgeable about the subject matter.
B. The pollster has an ax to grind and can manipulate the results by limiting the choices.
B. I confess that I do have a ax to grind because I hate any and all floppies. I hate them with passion because no matter what I try, I cannot seem to keep it silent without maintaining low temperatures. For this evil deed, I apologize again.
C. I must also confess to manipulating the results. I want the data to reflect my anger toward those overheating floppy bastards. I crashed windows when I tried overclocking that sucker. Heck, I even fried a pack of 10 floppy diskettes. After an unsuccessful overclocking experience, I tried to RMA it back to Newegg. Newegg refused me. So I'm out to destroy Newegg and want the rest of the world to never ever buy another floppy again. This is the real reason why I created this unfair, dense, dim-witted, moronic, senseless, and ignorant of a poll.
D. Get a life. A real one.
nForce2 needs sata drivers on a floppy if you intend to install windiws on a sata drive, nF4 does not. not shure about the nForce3.
Oh well, ill keep my floppy anyway. It doesnt do any harm, and i think its convenient to have say one floppy for Hitachi Feature Tool and one for another program.. Though i suppose i could do this with cds too
btw i didnt wote
Oh well, ill keep my floppy anyway. It doesnt do any harm, and i think its convenient to have say one floppy for Hitachi Feature Tool and one for another program.. Though i suppose i could do this with cds too
btw i didnt wote
Slipstream the drivers into your Windows install imagenici wrote:nForce2 needs sata drivers on a floppy if you intend to install windiws on a sata drive, nF4 does not. not shure about the nForce3.
My floppy drive is in the cupboard, and has been for nearly three years now. The floppy slot in my case sports a 7-in-1 memory card reader ... which gets regular use
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A floppy drive is still installed in every one of my own systems. I use floppies to run Drive Image and to do the occasional BIOS flash on every system I own. I also use them for running diagnostic tests. I have turned a lot of bootable floppy-based apps into bootable CD's, but there's other stuff that I'm just not smart enough to pull off on my own, and there's no reason to waste a lot of time futzing with it when I can just create and run a bootable floppy in a few minutes.
I also install floppies on every system I build for customers, otherwise I'll invariably hear about it later. The Average Joe, non-enthusiast computer user still seems to use floppies often enough that the drives just can't be eliminated entirely, yet.
I also install floppies on every system I build for customers, otherwise I'll invariably hear about it later. The Average Joe, non-enthusiast computer user still seems to use floppies often enough that the drives just can't be eliminated entirely, yet.
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I always include a floppy in my builds. I highly recommend NEC drives. I've had no problems with them, even on the oldest ones.
Last edited by Random73421 on Thu May 16, 2013 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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I have one and it's cable, in the drawer of my comp desk... I think... at least there was one there..... (And about a half a dozen in the loft... just in case...)
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With Respect:
m0002a, If you had included something constructive to your posts above they would have seemed less like SPAM... and much more in keeping with the generally calm posts that are the very Ethos of SPCR...
IMHO there's little point to a critical post unless it offers help, guidance or at least an alternative.
It may be of course that I am the only one that thinks this...
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Pete.
(Mods... If the bit between the -----'s is deemed... 'un****' feel free to dispose of it. Though not the whole post Please. )
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With Respect:
m0002a, If you had included something constructive to your posts above they would have seemed less like SPAM... and much more in keeping with the generally calm posts that are the very Ethos of SPCR...
IMHO there's little point to a critical post unless it offers help, guidance or at least an alternative.
It may be of course that I am the only one that thinks this...
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Pete.
(Mods... If the bit between the -----'s is deemed... 'un****' feel free to dispose of it. Though not the whole post Please. )
I believe that I posted something extraordinarily useful in this thread--that multiple choice polls are biased (unless one assumes the creator of the poll is just grossly ignorant).peteamer wrote:m0002a, If you had included something constructive to your posts above they would have seemed less like SPAM... and much more in keeping with the generally calm posts that are the very Ethos of SPCR. IMHO there's little point to a critical post unless it offers help, guidance or at least an alternative.
It may be of course that I am the only one that thinks this
For example, the creator of this thread is saying in his poll (read the choices if you don't believe me), that anyone who installs a floppy drive believes both of the following:
1. The floppy is the most silent component in my system, and
2. It is a “must have” component in my system.
I don't think anyone who has a floppy believes both of these things (certainly not me), and it is more than a little insulting to have someone tell me (by clear implication) that I must believe these things if I installed a floppy.
By no means did I mean (nor did I say) that the multiple choice poll in this thread is the only one that is biased. In fact, if you study the example of the poll in this thread and understand how a multiple choice poll can distort the reporting of public opinion (although usually more skillful and more subtle than in this thread), you could learn an extremely important lesson.
Further, I really don’t believe that my posts in this thread could reasonably be considered as SPAM, even if you don’t like my comments, or if even if you considered them inappropriate (sort of like I consider the poll inappropriate). SPAM is something different altogether.
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Then I must Bow to your superior ability to read that which is not written (My girlfriend has this complaint about me also )...m0002a wrote:For example, the creator of this thread is saying in his poll (read the choices if you don't believe me), that anyone who installs a floppy drive believes both of the following:
1. The floppy is the most silent component in my system, and
2. It is a “must have” component in my system.
I for one had not seen it and I offer my profuse apologies for my inability to read 'between the lines'...
I offer my humblest apologies for my failings...
Yours in Subservience...
Pete 'The Apologetic' Amer