I do.
Preferrably both 3.5" and 5.25".
Sometimes even three: 1.44MB, 1.2MB, 360KB.

If the motherboard has the relevant header, I'll add a floppy drive. I do this even on my WinXP systems, since I sometimes need to load SATA or RAID drivers from the floppy disk. Technically, I could slipstream those drivers onto the installation CD, but sometimes I can't be bothered.

For my DOS and Win9x rigs, a floppy drive is a must, since it provides the easiest way to boot the system if something goes wrong.

I have a 3.5" floppy drive installed on my retro computer primarily for nostalgic reasons, but they are useful for troubleshooting and installing some essential drivers (particularly NICs).

well, it's simply a necessity if you want to install a pre-98 windows from scratch on the actual machine, and/or are dealing with old enough hardware that won't boot from CD. to my knowledge, the advanced/EV board from early 1995 was the first attempt to implement/expose CD booting in BIOS, but i once looked into that and it had quite an interesting history - IIRC the feature was always broken and simply canned altogether in later BIOS versions, according to intel spec updates. i'm not sure what boards first implemented it successfully.

there is also the good old phantom A: drive "issue" when you don't have a floppy, along with the 16-bit compatibility mode message - can't be fixed from what i know, doesn't seem to cause real problems either, but will freeze the machine for a couple seconds if you click on it by accident.

Whenever I can, I add a Floppy drive.

I will even go out of my way to use a Floppy when it's difficult (i.e.: Using a Floppy disk with the MiSTer FPGA 😁)

3.5" and 5.25" are a given for me. Gotek doesn't cut it for me as I often use copy-protected disks. I also archive disks using IMGDisk if they're not copy-protected. If copy-protection is involved I revert to Greaseweasle on a Win11 machine.

Floppy drives are also awesome for boot disks to install OSes or simply play that game that hates your default Autoexec/Config combo.

I agree they are a bit out of style for WinXP and above.. but as I said, I have utility for them.

yes, if I can add one I will add it to a system

Use one every single day on a WIndows 11 Pro PC to save my household accounts spreadsheet.

I hardly use mine. All my PC's have large hard drives so have a partition with the files required to at the very least reinstall the OS and networking.
After the network is up I can access shares to install the rest.

Only time I need a drive is if I'm starting a new project, in which case you can just leave the FDD attached temporarily and remove it once done.

With all that said I do install gotek's in any PC that has a FDD header, drives are cheap and the standard gotek firmware is good enough for Bios updates, slipstream drivers, etc.
alot of my cases don't have a fdd bay so need a 5.25 to 3.5 adapter

I keep a few around in various old machines.
They're helpful when I find random floppies with old software from flea markets, garage sales, dumpsters, and etc. A good deal of those old floppy disks still retain their data correctly.
I also have utilities on a few, like memtest86, active@killdisk, and such. Why bother burning CDs with Linux or some other large run-from-CD OS and trash my optical drives, when a floppy drive with a simple DOS-based boot disk and relevant utilities can achieve the same. 😉

When dealing with era appropriate software its essential to have a floppy drive. Most of the software which supports those systems fits on that floppy and its the easiest way to transfer software. Even if you only have 1 disk. I also have a ton of physical copies that come on either 5.25 or 3.5 so of course I have both installed.

If it can take a floppy drive I don't see the downside to including one.

I mostly use it to install operating systems , drivers or to launch boot disks.

I dont use it for installing games unless its from disks I imaged a while back as new old stock floppies are harder to get and my supply is dwindling.

I switched all of my computers with FDD controllers over to Goteks (with Flashfloppy firmware) during the last couple of years. I couldn't be happier about it.

Yes I do include floppy drives in all that are running XP or earlier. For any XT/286/386/486/586/686 they are basically required if you want to set them up proper.
Have a stack of maybe 20 or more spare drives and boxes of NOS floppy disks so it is not an issue....

I install 3.5" drives on all of my builds up to and including early 2000's hardware. Older machines (486 and earlier) I also include a 5.25" drive. The only retro system I don't have a floppy drive installed on is my ultimate XP build (i7-3770k).

In practice, I don't use them much expect for initial OS setups and occasional software installs. But I like the start-up seek sound a floppy drive produces.

I do still use boot disks. I've got a little faux leather case with those.
They're useful to partition/format CF cards and HDDs directly on old hardware.

My PC/XT compatible uses an 5,25" 360KB as boot drive A: and I'm using a real, physical boot disk to run "Boot B" utility.
This utility will then boot from drive B:, which is a Gotek with FlashFloppy firmware.
This way, I can use images, but can also still boot from real PC-DOS 3.30 diskettes as if it was 1987.

fosterwj03 wrote on 2024-06-21, 01:00:

Goteks (with Flashfloppy firmware)

Please explain what that means.

I just wonder what I am needing more. A CF-bay or a floppy?

My 486 has a floppy still.

But for a Pentium-mmx, I don't really see the need. And the machine is still spread on my desk,with a floppy connected. I haven't used it much. CF-cards do the job much faster. In case of a failure, I'll open the case anyway, so attaching a boot-floppy then isn't going to be an issue. But during normal operations, I really think a CF- or SSD-bay is preferable from 586 upwards for running games. Sure, if enough bays are present, why not?

OK, I do have several auto boot CD's for "stuff".

I try to avoid them as I don’t really use them for much. I find the combination of usb/cds/cf cards covers about 90% of my needs.

I do have a Gotek in my dos rig for that remaining 10%. Have never needed it for win98 upwards as I just boot off the cd drive.

I agree with shponglefan about that seek sound though! So maybe I will get some eventually. I also have a stack of floppies with drivers from 1996 on them that I’ve been meaning to image, but I’m planning to use a usb floppy drive for that.