Q: My dad's (old old) computer has a 3.5 inch floppy drive. He wants to use his 5.25 inch floppies, too. We took out the cd drive and changed the bios. It wouldn't work, so I took it to a computer shop and they put in a floppy ribbon cable for the 5.25 inch drive. They didn't charge for the labor, just for the cable, so there was no warranty. It still won't work. We have changed the little plastic switch to where the switch was on the cd drive. What else could be wrong? thnx.
A: The floppy is generally controlled by a chip on the mother board. It uses a ribbon cable to connect the drive to the motherboard. Typically the cable has a connector which is keyed. But if the connector is not keyed, look for the side of the ribbon cable which is colored, that is the pin 1 side of the connector. Usually the connectors on the motherboard are labeled, as well is the connector on the floppy drive. - Make sure that you have power running to the drive. - Make sure that the data cable is connected correctly. - Make sure that you have the correct drivers installed for the brand and model of the hardware that you are installing. If all else fails, look on an auction site for an external 5 1/4" drive. That would be a lot easier to connect, and it would still allow you to use your CD drive as well. Good luck!