I've had nothing but terrible using an internal LS-120 drive with Win 10. I ultimately gave up. USB seems to be the way to go.

fosterwj03 wrote on 2023-11-16, 14:50:

I've had nothing but terrible using an internal LS-120 drive with Win 10. I ultimately gave up. USB seems to be the way to go.

Same. Even with an SATA-to-IDE adapter I had no success.
Perhaps the problem is that the LS-120 does not want to talk (U)DMA.
I'm using an USB-to-IDE adapter now.

Try a CDROM or other optical drive on that controller, maybe it doesn't do diskchange right.

AlessandroB wrote on 2023-11-16, 13:55:

I installed the card you see in the photo in my PC as a support for retrocomputers (Asrock FM2A68M-DG3+) and after a few attempts (I don't even know if I managed to install the correct driver) by connecting the HD in the photo I can see it, but there is no way to make it read the floppies in the LS120, it always tells me "insert disk". Does this particular floppy drive require an IDE controller with special features? This same floppy works if connected externally in an old USB2.0->IDE box used for CD-ROMs

I had to jump through a few hoops to get mine working.

Does your's constantly blink it's LED and make it's power on sound in a loop ?

Mine did that when it was unintentionally forced into DMA mode.

See also
Re: Options for connecting internal 5.25 / 3.5 / ZIP drives to modern system

IDE devices other than HDD require ATAPI, right?
And many controllers lack ATAPI support, especially those with RAID...

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-11-16, 16:17:

Try a CDROM or other optical drive on that controller, maybe it doesn't do diskchange right.

i will try tomorrow, in fact my ls defect to eject the floppy and when is ejected do not work the internal mechanism... can be the same as the cd-rom?

fosterwj03 wrote on 2023-11-16, 14:50:

I've had nothing but terrible using an internal LS-120 drive with Win 10. I ultimately gave up. USB seems to be the way to go.

I hate external ones, I rather integrate the electronics contained in the external box internally and arrange the LS120 internally anyway

Back when I explored the issue a few years ago, the forums concluded that the problem was in the MS super floppy driver. MS seems to have fixed the issue for USB interfaces, but not ATAPI interfaces (including SATA adapters).

A previous poster noted that UDMA might be a factor. Unfortunately, SATA adapters typically default to UDMA modes.

ok, i think i will sell and buy i regular usb floppy…

What limitations do cheap USB floppy drives found on eBay or Amazon have?

They probably may not read DD disks.
My USB floppy does.

Disruptor wrote on 2023-11-17, 17:42:

They probably may not read DD disks.
My USB floppy does.

720kb floppy? in my personal setup i have no one, does not matter for me.

AlessandroB wrote on 2023-11-17, 20:05:

720kb floppy? in my personal setup i have no one, does not matter for me.

For a long time, 720KB diskettes were common as distribution media.
Some day you may encounter such a disk, and want to archive it...

I can use one on my 8 retro-IBM for that, but i need a easy way to write something on a 1.44 floppy from my win10 PC.

Its an ATA controller that drive requires ATAPI.
You just need a PCI controller card that adds ATAPI support not UDMA RAID.

I think the Promise ATA 66 was a proper ATA controller, there were a couple of others but I cant remember their names. Ill try and dig mine out.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2023-11-19, 00:41:

Its an ATA controller that drive requires ATAPI.
You just need a PCI controller card that adds ATAPI support not UDMA RAID.

I think the Promise ATA 66 was a proper ATA controller, there were a couple of others but I cant remember their names. Ill try and dig mine out.

thanks, let me know please. so we can still save this drive

this??