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can i attach a floppy to HDD cable?

  • 18-05-2004 9:39pm
    #1
    silverside
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭


    after hours of fun attempting to install WinXP on a SATA drive without using a floppy, I have decided I will have to borrow a floppy drive to load the SATA drivers.

    My question is:

    The floppy data cable isnt long enough to reach outside the machine, but the HDD data cable is. Will it work if I just connect the floppy to the HDD data cable?

    obviously the floppy power will be connected. I am booting from the CD but WinXP will only accept the SATA drivers from a floppy, not from another HD :mad:

    If I need to get a floppy extension data cable, I will, as I dont want to take my machine apart again, it is fiddly enough as it is.


Comments

  • #2
    CombatCow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,317 ✭✭✭CombatCow


    No you can't, there is a smaller ammount of pins at the back of a floppy drive ( 36 iirc ) then a hard drive,the 40 pin hard drive cable physically wouldn't fit the floppy disk drive.


    CombatCow


  • #3
    KdjaCL
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,346 ✭✭✭✭KdjaCL


    Not load the drivers onto an IDE drive and point the setup to them?

    kdjac


  • #4
    silverside
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭silverside


    Thanks.

    No, I tried that. The XP installation only looks on floppy drives.


  • #5
    KdjaCL
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,346 ✭✭✭✭KdjaCL


    Buggered (not sure if you have an OS on an IDE or not ) but maybe you could extract a floppy boot.exe onto your IDE with the SATA driver loaded into it.
    Can be done with USB and unless the drivers are large (i dunno guessing here) you could squeeze em in and load from that.


    need editing fo Autoexec and config.bat but maybe possible if you all out of ideas.

    kdjac


  • #6
    Inspector Gadget
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,393 ✭✭✭Inspector Gadget


    If the floppy cable isn't long enough to reach the front of the case, but you only intend to use the floppy drive to install XP, then why not leave the side of the case open, plug in the FDD, dangle it wherever it'll stay put with both cables, and use away temporarily? As long as you don't short out anything, you'll be fine... I've done this often, where necessary (or where I couldn't be bothered...)

    Gadget


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  • #7
    silverside
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭silverside


    I do have an external firewire HD which I can access, I could even install to it and boot from it if I wanted, but XP is written so that it will only pick up the driver from a floppy. I tried to slipstream the SATA drivers onto the XP installation CD using a guide I found on the net, but that didnt work.

    I will get a floppy data cable and drive somewhere tomorrow and do as InspectorGadget suggested.

    Thanks for all your help.


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