Unit being worked on;

System: IBM PC 300GL (Desktop)
Model: 6268-43U
Ser. #: 78-W4261
Celeron Proc
256MB Ram

I've never run across something this strange before. I'm hoping someone out there has, and has a solution. The floppy drive in this system doesn't work ~while it's in the system~. Take it out and it works. In any orientation. Switched floppy drives and cables (one at a time of course) with known good units. Everything works until it's placed back in it's bay. Then it doesn't work again. (The bay can't be changed due to the molded front panel.)

I've been to the IBM site, looked up the system (out of warranty of course), and gone through the troubleshooting procedures. These procedures cover seeing if it (floppy drive) works on it's side, then removed from the system. They've got the symptom covered in the procedures so they must know about it. Any links (at IBM) to follow up on this are dead links.

Has anyone experienced such behaviour? Specifically for this system, but any insight will do. ;>)

Thanks Much

Hi Dan

Kind of sounds like a grounding problem. Everything works until it is screwed(?) into the case. I had a friend bring me his machine about a year ago with a similar problem. Cable was good. The drive worked in another computer. As I took it apart, I noticed one screw was a little longer than the rest. When I left that screw out, it worked. All I can figure is the screw was just long enough to touch something in the drive.

Try to pinpoint the exact moment when it stops working. Is it as soon as the drive touches the frame? Is it when a certain screw is installed?

The screws issue has been eliminated. It's one of the first things I looked for. Here's further clarification on symptoms and what I've tried;



The boot touches the drive on power up. The drive light flashes for this and it's recognized in the bios AND in 98SE. No problems etc reported in windows ~UNTIL~ I click on it or send something to it. "A: is not accessable. The device is not ready".

The (IBM) bios has no setting that I can find for a boot sequence. (I checked every single setting in every setup window).

On a boot, the drive is touched but ignored. Boots straight to the hard disk. I remove the drive from the bay and the same prodeure works. It boots from the floppy.

I've left the drive loose in the bay (thinking the button in the molded front may be holding the diskette out slightly) to ensure the diskette is fully engaged in the drive. No difference. I can leave the diskette in the drive, remove the drive from the system, and it works. I had thought about maybe some electrical anomaly of the drive metal frame/housing being in contact with the main chassis metal (the bay). Yet the power and data cable carry all (and multiple) grounds etc.

Is it the orientation of the drive that is causing it. I mean some fdd may not work at certain postition like mounting them sideways [] instead of the ususal == flat position.

Based upon what I have tried with this system, and the input I've received from various sources, I'm concluding that a Spectre exists in the enclosure. I have grounded the floppy enclosure to the floppy/main drive bay chassis (while outside of the machine) and the floppy still works. In any orientation. It's only while in the bay that it doesn't work. The last thing to try is the mainboard in another ATX tower. We'll see...........

Thanks to all who contributed.

Well Dan, how did it turn out?

The owner hasn't supplied an ATX enclosure (tower) yet. I'm not a business, just a hard-wired computer nut who gets all my friends computer problems to fix. ;>) I'll post results (or lack thereof) as things develope.

Can you put the floppy drive into the bay without screwing it in? This would allow it to come into contact with the metal...

I'm still suspicious of the screws causing the problem...

Orientation of the drive seems to be ruled out...however, early Sony Playstations had to be inverted to have them work due to a weak spring on the drive platter...

This may sound like a stupid question but are you using the correct size of screws? (Not to long) If long(ish) screws are used you could be touching an internal power connection and thus causing a short.

The screws have been ruled out early on in this process. They are the correct screws, full thread engagement with minimal protrusion past the threaded hole. (You can see inside the drive at the mounting holes.) I have tried the drive loose and secured. No difference. In the drive bay it doesn't work. Take it out, it works. I'm pretty well convinced that there has to be an electrical or magnetic phenomenon in this enclosure.

Let's just be sure I've got this right, If you hold the floppy in your hand it works oK, if you insert it in the drive day it does not work. I am also assuming you have tried other floppies and they also fail while in the drive bay.

I would remove the drive bay from the pc and try it that way. If it fails, then I rhink the power cable is not fully grounded or may be touching the drive enclosure. If it works I would put something non-conductive between the PC case and the drive enclosre. If it still fails. The drive bay is still not grounded. I would try to place something non conductive between the floppy and the drive enclosure

Do you have a spare PSU you could pop in??

The bay is not removable. It's a riveted chassis. I have tried known good cables/drives. I have tried secured in the bay and unsecured. I have grounded the floppy drive chassis to the bay while it is outside of the machine. (See #5.)

It all boils down to; it works outside the bay, in any orientation. It doesn't work in the bay. It's either ignored at boot, or a "Device not ready" in windows when I try to either read the floppy contents in Explorer, or send something to it. Bios knows it's there, windows knows it's there, no problems reported in Device Manager.

The power supply is good. There are no other devices/cables near the drive when it's in the bay. ALL drives/cables/power works. Just not in the bay.

however, early Sony Playstations had to be inverted to have them work due to a weak spring on the drive platter...
OK, a little O/T, but...

The early Playstations had a problem with heat dissipation. This problem was often compunded by kids who would set their game console on the shag carpet (which further inhibits heat dissipation) in front of the television while they played for hours on end. And even if you weren't playing it, it was still warm if it was plugged in but not turned on.

They also had an inexpensive, thin part that the game CD sits on (it's part of the spindle unit, about the size of a half dollar; maybe this is what you meant by "drive platter," Whyzman). Over time, the heat caused this disc to warp which, in turn, caused the game CD to wobble as it spun, making it harder for the laser to read the data. Inverting or turning the console on its side (my friend's worked better inverted, mine worked better on its side) would often correct the wobble; the game CD was no longer resting on the warped disc.

And now you know the rest of the story. ;)

Dan Penny:

Perhaps you should adapt jabarnutcase's solution to his monitor problem to your issue: target practice with a handgun. It certainly won't make it work, but the stress relief may be worth it! :eek: :D

Thanks Pent!

I realize that the power supply may be good, but I'm just wondering if the connections might be the problem. It could also be the connection on the motherboard itself...my thoughts are along the line of some sort of mild stress being applied either to the power cable or the floppy cable when in the bay that is affecting the connection...

Hmmmm....target practice??? Interesting concept...