Floppy Drive Keeps Chattering

[Harold MacDavid]

My A:\ floppy drive keeps chattering even when empty.

Seems like a recent development, although I can't imagine which
software would/could/should cause these symptoms.

It seems insistent upon searching the floppy drive upon launch
of any application even once the OS, WinXPpro, is up and running.

During boot up there was always a searching-clatter on the A:\
floppy drive [as I recall on this old 'puter - it's an 802
mega/hurts PIII now running WinXPpro - used to be 9x].

In my BIOS, 'seek new floppy drive' is disabled because I never
use a removable floppy drive - just always keep the same basic
boot-up configuration.

Also, I have patrolled both the Start Menu settings > Clear
Recent Documents as well as the My Computer > Tools >
Folder Options > View tab > Automatically search...
contingencies. Changing these settings does not resolve
the ongoing issue.

Now the A:\ floppy drive has taken to doing that clatter-dance
quite frequently. Of course, I have made sure that it's clear of
obstructions, etc., to the best of my abilities, that is. It sounds
like it's searching for a floppy disk when I launch my
newsreaders, launch my mail reader, sometimes when I launch
my firewall GUI, etc. Also, it clatters momentarily whenever I'm
multi-tasking - like when I'm downloading a file in the
background, and then when I click a link from a news-article,
the floopy will go to just a'clattering for a moment.
The little light flashes, and then it and the noise stops.

Can't seem to run down the perp. AV, AntiTroj, Spy and Adware
checks come up all clean. All other operations seem normal and
stable.


Hoping someone with a couple of daze in 'puter years has come
across this similar and been able to resolve it and can pass on the
cure or the procedure?

Many thanks, and happy holidays to all.


The H-Mac
--
(wit a floppy dat go "clickedy-clack")



<sorry, i just couldn't resist>

<and I can't find anyone hiding around here with one of those
spinning-clacker-thangies that you use for parties and New Year
celebrations - 'Made in China' technology, I believe>

 

[George Bashore]

Did you try another floppy drive in the computer to see if that one
chatters?

 

[Harold MacDavid]

Of course. Also tried each of plugs on the cable that goes
from
the mobo to the floppy drive.

Did you try another floppy drive in the computer to see if that
one chatters?

My A:\ floppy drive keeps chattering even when empty.

Seems like a recent development, although I can't imagine which
software would/could/should cause these symptoms.

It seems insistent upon searching the floppy drive upon launch
of any application even once the OS, WinXPpro, is up and
running.

During boot up there was always a searching-clatter on the A:\
floppy drive [as I recall on this old 'puter - it's an 802
mega/hurts PIII now running WinXPpro - used to be 9x].

In my BIOS, 'seek new floppy drive' is disabled because I never
use a removable floppy drive - just always keep the same basic
boot-up configuration.

Also, I have patrolled both the Start Menu settings > Clear
Recent Documents as well as the My Computer > Tools >
Folder Options > View tab > Automatically search...
contingencies. Changing these settings does not resolve
the ongoing issue.

Now the A:\ floppy drive has taken to doing that clatter-dance
quite frequently. Of course, I have made sure that it's clear
of obstructions, etc., to the best of my abilities, that is. It
sounds like it's searching for a floppy disk when I launch my
newsreaders, launch my mail reader, sometimes when I launch
my firewall GUI, etc. Also, it clatters momentarily whenever
I'm multi-tasking - like when I'm downloading a file in the
background, and then when I click a link from a news- article,
the floopy will go to just a'clattering for a moment.
The little light flashes, and then it and the noise stops.

Can't seem to run down the perp. AV, AntiTroj, Spy and Adware
checks come up all clean. All other operations seem normal and
stable.


Hoping someone with a couple of daze in 'puter years has come
across this similar and been able to resolve it and can pass on
the cure or the procedure?

Many thanks, and happy holidays to all.


The H-Mac
--
(wit a floppy dat go "clickedy-clack")



<sorry, i just couldn't resist>

<and I can't find anyone hiding around here with one of those
spinning-clacker-thangies that you use for parties and New Year
celebrations - 'Made in China' technology, I believe>

 

[Harold MacDavid]

Yep. Tried kicking it too. Didn't kick it twice though. Just in
case old Santa is watching, don't want him to catch me being
naughty at the old beige box. Who knows, I might get a nice
replacement if the sled can hold another package and the reindeer
can pull the extra load?

Did you try another floppy drive in the computer
to see if that one chatters?

My A:\ floppy drive keeps chattering even when empty.

Seems like a recent development, although I can't imagine which
software would/could/should cause these symptoms.

It seems insistent upon searching the floppy drive upon launch
of any application even once the OS, WinXPpro, is up and
running.

During boot up there was always a searching-clatter on the A:\
floppy drive [as I recall on this old 'puter - it's an 802
mega/hurts PIII now running WinXPpro - used to be 9x].

In my BIOS, 'seek new floppy drive' is disabled because I never
use a removable floppy drive - just always keep the same basic
boot-up configuration.

Also, I have patrolled both the Start Menu settings > Clear
Recent Documents as well as the My Computer > Tools >
Folder Options > View tab > Automatically search...
contingencies. Changing these settings does not resolve
the ongoing issue.

Now the A:\ floppy drive has taken to doing that clatter-dance
quite frequently. Of course, I have made sure that it's clear
of obstructions, etc., to the best of my abilities, that is. It
sounds like it's searching for a floppy disk when I launch my
newsreaders, launch my mail reader, sometimes when I launch
my firewall GUI, etc. Also, it clatters momentarily whenever
I'm multi-tasking - like when I'm downloading a file in the
background, and then when I click a link from a news-article,
the floopy will go to just a'clattering for a moment.
The little light flashes, and then it and the noise stops.

Can't seem to run down the perp. AV, AntiTroj, Spy and Adware
checks come up all clean. All other operations seem normal and
stable.


Hoping someone with a couple of daze in 'puter years has come
across this similar and been able to resolve it and can pass on
the cure or the procedure?

Many thanks, and happy holidays to all.


The H-Mac
--
(wit a floppy dat go "clickedy-clack")



<sorry, i just couldn't resist>

<and I can't find anyone hiding around here with one of those
spinning-clacker-thangies that you use for parties and New Year
celebrations - 'Made in China' technology, I believe>

 

[William Blair]

Since you don't use it why not try unplugging it?

 

[Fly Bye Nite]

Who said he didn't use it? Floppy drives are good for emergency
access, certain recovery operations, and on and on. He could simply
uninstall it via device manager every boot or every time the noise
gets annoying. At least that way he'd have access to it the very
next time he booted.

But that's NOT what he asked. Now, is it?

Since you don't use it why not try unplugging it?

My A:\ floppy drive keeps chattering even when empty.

Seems like a recent development, although I can't imagine which
software would/could/should cause these symptoms.

It seems insistent upon searching the floppy drive upon launch
of any application even once the OS, WinXPpro, is up and
running.

During boot up there was always a searching-clatter on the A:\
floppy drive [as I recall on this old 'puter - it's an 802
mega/hurts PIII now running WinXPpro - used to be 9x].

In my BIOS, 'seek new floppy drive' is disabled because I never
use a removable floppy drive - just always keep the same basic
boot-up configuration.

Also, I have patrolled both the Start Menu settings > Clear
Recent Documents as well as the My Computer > Tools >
Folder Options > View tab > Automatically search...
contingencies. Changing these settings does not resolve
the ongoing issue.

Now the A:\ floppy drive has taken to doing that clatter-dance
quite frequently. Of course, I have made sure that it's clear
of obstructions, etc., to the best of my abilities, that is. It
sounds like it's searching for a floppy disk when I launch my
newsreaders, launch my mail reader, sometimes when I launch
my firewall GUI, etc. Also, it clatters momentarily whenever
I'm multi-tasking - like when I'm downloading a file in the
background, and then when I click a link from a news-article,
the floopy will go to just a'clattering for a moment.
The little light flashes, and then it and the noise stops.

Can't seem to run down the perp. AV, AntiTroj, Spy and Adware
checks come up all clean. All other operations seem normal and
stable.


Hoping someone with a couple of daze in 'puter years has come
across this similar and been able to resolve it and can pass on
the cure or the procedure?

Many thanks, and happy holidays to all.


The H-Mac
--
(wit a floppy dat go "clickedy-clack")



<sorry, i just couldn't resist>

<and I can't find anyone hiding around here with one of those
spinning-clacker-thangies that you use for parties and New Year
celebrations - 'Made in China' technology, I believe>

 

[Murray McNeill]

I believe this is the disk indexing service of XP, which is looking for new
material to add to its index for faster retrieval. It's the same reason you
sometimes see your hard drive accessed even when the machine is sitting at
the desktop.
If the noise is all that's bothering you, replace the drive with a new one.
They're only $15 or so, and a new one won't be as noisy.

 

[trever1t]

OK---I had the exact same problem. Running XPPro on a 2.4Ghz Pentium IV
Seems that the system was trying to access the floppy drive more an
more. Situation got so bad that the floppy would chatter for a goo
minute whenever i would do any task, ie; web surf or photo edititing
anythying.
The solution to my problem was to go to device manager and disable th
floppy drive and re-start windows a couple of times before re-enablin
it. I had also tried removing the drivers in device manager an
reinstalling

trever1

 

[trever1t]

OK---I had the exact same problem. Running XPPro on a 2.4Ghz Pentium IV
Seems that the system was trying to access the floppy drive more an
more. Situation got so bad that the floppy would chatter for a goo
minute whenever i would do any task, ie; web surf or photo edititing
anythying.
The solution to my problem was to go to device manager and disable th
floppy drive and re-start windows a couple of times before re-enablin
it. I had also tried removing the drivers in device manager an
reinstalling

trever1

 

[trever1t]

OK---I had the exact same problem. Running XPPro on a 2.4Ghz Pentium IV
Seems that the system was trying to access the floppy drive more an
more. Situation got so bad that the floppy would chatter for a goo
minute whenever i would do any task, ie; web surf or photo edititing
anythying.
The solution to my problem was to go to device manager and disable th
floppy drive and re-start windows a couple of times before re-enablin
it. I had also tried removing the drivers in device manager an
reinstalling.
If you haven't already disasembeled your computer give it a try

trever1

 

[Guest]

I had this problem with several diferent instances and OS's before. I found the problem to be some software installed that had something in the registry pointing to A:\ Try searching registry or better yet looking the the Knowledge based articles for Microsoft to see if theres anything in there about this. In several of the instances that I had it was an older type game or one downloaded from online that was looking for A:\ for some reason. I either deleted the entry or unistalled the game after finding the culprit. Good luck!