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- Path: sparky!uunet!pipex!doc.ic.ac.uk!uknet!comlab.ox.ac.uk!mark
- From: mark@physchem.ox.ac.uk (Mark)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
- Subject: Re: diskette drive puzzle - help!
- Message-ID: <1993Jan22.135640.8413@physchem.ox.ac.uk>
- Date: 22 Jan 93 13:56:40 GMT
- References: <1993Jan20.213619.19025@kronos.arc.nasa.gov>
- Sender: mark@physchem (Mark)
- Organization: Physical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ
- Lines: 64
- Originator: mark@joule.pcl
-
-
- In article <1993Jan20.213619.19025@kronos.arc.nasa.gov>, chguest@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov ( Charles J. Guest ) writes:
- > Okay folks I got one for you, how's this for an unusual problem:
- >
- > Hardware: AMI 386
- > Floppy drive a: 1,2 meg 5.25 inch
- > Memory: 640+384 and 3 meg expanded on add in card.
- > DOS: 4.01
- >
- > I had un unusual failure last night. I would put a 5.25 inch
- > disk in drive a, do a 'dir' on it and get the information. I
- > then put a new diskette in it and did a 'dir' and got the SAME
- > information as on the first disk... problem was the diskettes
- > were totally different. Even the serial numbers on the diskettes
- > showed the same. This problem would go away with a power off
- > or a reboot, that is to say it would now read the second diskette okay,
- > but if I put in a third it would again show the same dir information
- > from diskette two.
- >
- > It would access files from the first diskette okay, but if I put
- > in a new diskette and attempted to run a program known to be on
- > diskette 2, it would not find it, seemingly because it still thought
- > it had the first diskette in there.
- >
- > The obvious question: What the heck have I got broken here.
- >
- > I checked for viruses with the new McAffee scan (99?) (97?) but
- > nothing was found. I was told possibly a bad drive, but I cant
- > figure out how that would be the problem. I am thinking controller
- > card, but that same card also controls my HD, so I dont want to
- > mess with it if I dont have to. I also am playing with the idea
- > that it is something funny on the motherboard. Ugh. Yea it was
- > used, but an old QAplus checked it out okay before I installed it.
- >
- > Any ideas?
- >
- > Thank you.
- > Charles
- >
- > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- > + *READ* ---> The opinions expressed above are to the best of my knowledge, +
- > + however all options should be discussed with persons who have professional+
- > + training with the subjects covered here. * ALL POSSIBLE DISCLAIMERS APPLY!+
- > + ____FROM: chguest@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov =>or<= sun!ames!pioneer!chguest____+
- > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- > + ...One useless man is called a disgrace, two are called a law firm, and +
- > + three or more become a congress.... +
- > + A new Soviet/American truism - KGB does NOT stand for Kinder Gentler Boys +
- > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-
-
- You may find that the switch that senses the change of disk is not working. If
- this is the case, then when you try to do a dir, the computer will use the
- information that it took from the last disk access. The disk will still spin
- though.
-
-
- Mark
-
-
- --
- Mark
- ______________________________________________________________________________
- mark@uk.ac.ox.physchem
-