Hi,

Since recently formatting my Harddisk I am having the following problems when booting my machine that I am hoping someone can advise me on:

1. If I boot from the floppy the system recognises this as a: but when I attempt to change to my Hard Disk all I get is 'Invalid Drive Specification'

2. If I boot from the Hard Disk, the system recognises my Hard Disk but the floppy is now b:

3. If I physically turn off the PC and turn it back on, it detects the Hard Disk but if I simply reboot (Alt+Ctrl+Del) it doesn't!

I have the Hard Disk attached as the Primary Master device and the floppy as the Secondary Master device (both detected automatically via BIOS).

I'd be grateful if anyone has any ideas to help. I am new to this game.

Thanks

How come your floppy disk is connected as "Secondary Master Device"? Your mobo should have a floppy connector soley for fdd.

Seconday IDE ports are usually reserved, for instance, your CDROM/DVDROM or CD-Writer.

Check your mobo manual, and connect ur fdd to the floppy port, it should be fine. Once done that, confirm it by checking your CMOS.

It sounds as if there's a partition on your HDD. If so, it will push the assigned letter to the next one automatically.

Is there a reason that there is a partition if it is so? Please give more system specs so we can better determine whether or not it is this and/or if you need it that way.

OS, proc., HDD, mobo, + other drives.

Hi,

The floppy drive is not a 'normal' floppy drive - it's an LS120 and the cable is too wide to fit in the floppy connection on the mobo. I have listed the machine Spec below:

1. Pentuim II Single 440BX ATX M/B (SM-P6SBA_
2. 8.4Gb IBM Deskstar 8 Ultra EIDE Hard Disk
3. SD120 - 120Mb Bootable/Removable Super Floppy Drive {LKMF4434111}
4. LG DRD-820B IDE DVD ROM Drive

I did manage to format the c: and removed the partitions but alas the same problems occurred. I rang my suppliers and they told me to check the connections were tight (very helpful!). I'm wandering if it's a BIOS setting need to change although I have tried using the 'Fail Safe' option and this hasn't helped either.

Thanks in advance
Greg

Do you have the drives jumpered properly?

IS the LS120 on the same cable as the hard drive, if so it should be set as slave and the HD as master. If it is on the other channel both drives should be set as master (or single drive). Also you need to make sure that you have the BIOS set to auto-detect the drives, and that it actually supports booting from a non-standard floppy (the LS120).

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mjc
Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

Hi,

I've fixed (?) my PC by putting the HD and LS120 on the same IDE cable as master and slave respectively and purchasing a true floppy drive which is now a: and the LS120 is the b:

I'm not sure how the LS120 was setup as the a: before I started tinkering about and I'm not sure I ever will.

Thanks to the people who wrote back with their suggestions.

Regards
Greg