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Can't get 5.25 floppy drive to work

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Reply 20 of 28, by wbahnassi

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There should be no need for DRIVPARM on D:0, the BIOS already exposes it. You just need D:1. But also I recommend using DRIVER.SYS instead of DRIVPARM, as DRIVPARM is explicitly listed as a way to redefine an existing drive rather than define a new one.

Reply 21 of 28, by Vagabund2k

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wbahnassi wrote on 2023-04-24, 00:05:

There should be no need for DRIVPARM on D:0, the BIOS already exposes it. You just need D:1. But also I recommend using DRIVER.SYS instead of DRIVPARM, as DRIVPARM is explicitly listed as a way to redefine an existing drive rather than define a new one.

Unfortunately the DRIVER.SYS modification also did nothing. Should there be a drive B: visible now even if there is none connected? (Screenshot attached)

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Reply 22 of 28, by wbahnassi

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Don't keep both DRIVPARM and DRIVER.SYS at the same time. Just remove DRIVPARM. And why do you use D:3? It should be D:1 (second physical floppy drive). Finally, please screenshot when DRIVER.SYS loads. I want to see what it says.

Reply 23 of 28, by Vagabund2k

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wbahnassi wrote on 2023-04-24, 21:57:

Don't keep both DRIVPARM and DRIVER.SYS at the same time. Just remove DRIVPARM. And why do you use D:3? It should be D:1 (second physical floppy drive). Finally, please screenshot when DRIVER.SYS loads. I want to see what it says.

I first tried it with D:1 but it didnt work. Then tried it with D:3 out of curiosity, also didnt work. Then i took the screenshot. I have now removed the DRIVPARM section and only kept device=driver.sys /D:1 /F:1, but unfortunately still no success. Attached are screenshots of the boot process. I also ran a boot log, which shows an error when loading driver.sys, but no further description is given. If I remove device=driver.sys /D:1 /F:1 from the config.sys, the error does not occur. Interestingly, in that case, the log does not mention the driver.sys at all, nor does it show successful loading.

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Reply 24 of 28, by weedeewee

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DRIVER.SYS isn't located in the root directory of your hard drive.
Please supply the correct path.
I think
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /F:1

please verify the file is in that directory C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND

and !

Please remove the scsi card with floppy controller, AND attach both drives to the onboard floppy controller AND enable the controller in the bios.

The cabling should look like straight part of floppy cable between mainboard and 5"1/4 drive then part of floppy cable with twist and then the 3"1/2 drive.
ergo mainboard === 5"1/4 drive =x= 3"1/2 drive

Last edited by weedeewee on 2023-04-26, 04:55. Edited 1 time in total.

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Reply 25 of 28, by wbahnassi

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-04-25, 19:33:

Please remove the scsi card with floppy controller, AND attach both drives to the onboard floppy controller AND enable the controller in the bios.

The cabling should look like straight part of floppy cable between mainboard and 5"1/4 drive then part of floppy cable with twist and then the 3"1/2 drive.
ergo mainboard === 5"1/4 drive =x= 3"1/2 drive

Why? His on-board controller clearly doesn't support two drives, nor his BIOS (see BIOS setup screen, it only offers one drive). That's why he's using a dedicated controller card.

Reply 26 of 28, by Vagabund2k

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-04-25, 19:33:
DRIVER.SYS isn't located in the root directory of your hard drive. Please supply the correct path. I think DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\C […]
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DRIVER.SYS isn't located in the root directory of your hard drive.
Please supply the correct path.
I think
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /F:1

please verify the file is in that directory C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND

and !

Please remove the scsi card with floppy controller, AND attach both drives to the onboard floppy controller AND enable the controller in the bios.

The cabling should look like straight part of floppy cable between mainboard and 5"1/4 drive then part of floppy cable with twist and then the 3"1/2 drive.
ergo mainboard === 5"1/4 drive =x= 3"1/2 drive

I first checked if the driver.sys is located under C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND, unfortunately it is not. I then used the Windows search tool to search the entire HDD for the file, but without any results. Apparently, it does not exist on my system (anymore). 😒 The Drive is wired correctly, thanks to the Tips i got in this Thread.

Reply 27 of 28, by weedeewee

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Vagabund2k wrote on 2023-04-26, 19:24:
weedeewee wrote on 2023-04-25, 19:33:
DRIVER.SYS isn't located in the root directory of your hard drive. Please supply the correct path. I think DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\C […]
Show full quote

DRIVER.SYS isn't located in the root directory of your hard drive.
Please supply the correct path.
I think
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /F:1

please verify the file is in that directory C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND

and !

Please remove the scsi card with floppy controller, AND attach both drives to the onboard floppy controller AND enable the controller in the bios.

The cabling should look like straight part of floppy cable between mainboard and 5"1/4 drive then part of floppy cable with twist and then the 3"1/2 drive.
ergo mainboard === 5"1/4 drive =x= 3"1/2 drive

I first checked if the driver.sys is located under C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND, unfortunately it is not. I then used the Windows search tool to search the entire HDD for the file, but without any results. Apparently, it does not exist on my system (anymore). 😒 The Drive is wired correctly, thanks to the Tips i got in this Thread.

Crud. I don't know if you can use the file from an older dos version. I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 28 of 28, by Vagabund2k

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If anyone ever encounters the same issue, I couldn't get the second floppy drive to work with the ADAPTEC AHA-1542CF. Eventually, I gave up.

Recently, I came across the Quad Flop Floppy Controller (https://texelec.com/product/quad-flop-four-po … ppy-controller/) and ordered it. Upon arrival, I installed it, disabled the onboard floppy controller, and everything worked right away. I practically didn't have to configure anything. You could say it was plug and play.

I highly recommend this device.