Floppy needs to be formatted?

You are most likely using the xp box to format using ntfs, a win 98 machine cannot read ntfs. Try using fat to format the disk.

A floppy disk can only be formatted in FAT so it's not the formatting that goes wrong but my guess would be that you're sending file to your floppy that were formated NTFS from XP and it's not working on the 98. Try to just create your files from the 98 PC.

Uninstall floppy driver in Device Manager and reboot.

If this doesn?t correct the problem (and it can read its own disks), check for spyware. If it can?t read any disks, purchase a new one.

It's not an uncommon problem that has more to do with the individual floppy drive than anything else. The two drives just aren't working well together. I'd suggest a different method of transfering data such as CD ROM, thumb drive or over a network.

AG

You probably have an alignment issue with one of the disk drives. 2000/XP is much pickier than W9X when reading/writing floppy disks. Determining if drive and/or disks are bad can take some simple testing.

Don't neglect the possibility of viruses, spyware, etc.

XP formated (newer machine), Win 98 (older machine) can not read. When was the last time you cleaned the floppy ? Also head alignment may be going bad on the older machine. Is possible even the mechanical portion is not properly seating the floppy in the drive ! Ejecting and popping it back in may be all it takes to have it seat correctly and be able to be read !

Only 2 fixes for that, 1 - live with it and eject and reinsert until it reads it or 2 - get a new floppy drive.

It is most likely more to do with the floppy drives themselves rather than anything else, particularly if you don't have a problem in the drive that created the floppy.

If the Win 98 machine has a bit of age on it the most likely thing that is happening is that the drive itself is full of crud and other rubbish which is preventing the drive from tracking properly. A quick hit it compressed air generally cures the problem quite quickly.

Col

If HAL's air doesn't do it, try one of the floppy cleaner kits. Get one that includes alcohol.

Chances are the win 98 machine floppy is getting old.

Try formatting the floppy on the win98 machine.

Or if it is a standard floppy buy a new one for $9 and get $9 worth of gratification by beating the crap out of the old floppy.

http://www.pricewatch.com

Search for floppy.

Lee

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