do i need a floppy drive?

[broadwayblue]

i'm about to build a new pc and i was wondering if there was any way i could just skip the floppy drive. i installed one on the pc i built 8 months ago and i don't believe i have used it once. any chance i could get by without one?

 

[littletemple]

yes, if you have a bootable OS on a cd. Make sure you don't need drivers that are on a floppy.

 

[Zim Hosein]

broadwayblue, just to add my $0.02, if it's been 8 months and you haven't used a floppy, don't bother. On my next rig, I don't plan on using one either, but as littletemple points out, make sure the OS you are installing is bootable. As for needing a floppy for drivers, it might depend on the OS you are using. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[GregMal]

For me personally I'd be lost without a floppy. It's a very cheap backup
for data and very easy to transport data on.......Greg

 

[stukincalifornia]

I tried having a Windows 98 system without a floppy. The OS was just not happy about it at all. I think it forced the hard disk to DOS-compatibility mode (aka Dog-slow mode). I added a broken floppy drive and it was happy. Dumb, if you ask me.

 

[broadwayblue]

i'm planning on breaking out my $40 full copy of win xp pro. is this os bootable? and i can always install any drivers i need from the net or worst case scenario through the floppy from another pc on my network.

 

[broadwayblue]

does anyone know if win xp pro is bootable? thanks!

 

[poppasp1ce]

<< and i can always install any drivers i need from the net or worst case scenario through the floppy from another pc on my network. >>



did you consider the fact that you may not be able to get on the internet or lan because your network card doesn't have drivers? xp has a lot of out-of-the-box drivers, but it doesn't have all of them, doublecheck.

yes, xp is bootable.

 

[Zim Hosein]

broadwayblue, just to add to poppasp1ce's response, I recently built a new rig for a friend using XP Pro Full, and didn't use the floppy once. Just booted XP setup from the CD-Rom, and continued to install all the necessary drivers for his h/w from either XP or supplied CD-Rom's.

 

[theplanb]

For me, yes.
I would need floppy for..
Running scanning utility for my Baraccuda HDD..
Updating Motherboard Bios
Removable device when network is not working...

 

[TssTech2]

In fact, I read somewhere that the next gen of motherboard will not even have fdd connectors, Microsoft is trying to axe them as well

 

[RazeOrc]

Just got one question, do you flash your bios alot? I've had experience with certain mobos that have required multiple flashes in their lifetime (1-2 years) and a floppy is faster and easier than a bootable CDROM using CDRs. Besides, it is always helpful if you have rescue disks that you 'bothered' to make in case of an unforseen event. Just my opinion

 

[BadThad]

IMHO floppy drives are awesome. They are cheap ($10) and the disks cost almost nothing. For the convenience and ease for which they work, it would be foolish not to install one.

 

[Saltin]

FDD's are on the way out, no question. I built a new rig (P4) and didnt put one in. I havent missed it.
If you are using 2k or XP you don't need it. It helps to have a burner though, to back things up.
Personally, I dont find 1.4 mb disks very useful for backing anything up. If I have a word document I need to get somewhere, I just email it to one of my Web based email accounts and pick it up when I need it.

 

[Mikendi]

Tell you what as much as I tweek with my systems I need a floppy drive for flashing BIOS, or trouble shooting. Good, cheap, investment IMHO. As for MS and channel builders axing the fdd port you can guess they are on the road to disposable components and service charges up the wazoo. In a nut shell no you don't need a floppy drive and it may seem obsolete, but then someone said that about SCSI recently and I laughed my bahooty off. When he asked what I thought was so funny I showed him some benches I ran on my lvd 10k raid setup. That quieted the Marks 🙂