Do you HAVE to have a floppy drive for 1st bootup?

[subgenius]

I'm building my first computer, and I decided not to waste my money on a floppy drive, but my manuals talk about installing the floppy as if you have to. Do I need to install one to bootup properly for the first time, or can I get away without it?

 

[kd7fhd]

there are numerous times when you might need a floppy drive but yes, you can set any bootable device (cd-rom, usb device, etc.) as the first boot device in your cmos.

and no, you do not need a floppy for the first boot as long as you have a operating system installed on your hard drive or a bootable medium (such as a bootable cd for a cd-rom or a bootable floppy in your floppy drive) in your first boot device.

 

[agampher]

You do not need one. They are assuming you are going to add one as they can't see why anyone wouldn't want one. No floppy?!?!?!? Teh horror!

 

[DannyBoy]

I dont even have a floppy drive in my pc.

I flash my bios from my HDD, and boot everything from the hard drive.

Floppy's are one of those daemons from the past that haunt us

 

[Duvie]

I don't and haven't had or needed a floppy drive in my home pc for over 1 year..Only thing is I usually install at beginning to flash my mobo but then take it off....

My new centrino laptop didin't even come with one...

 

[TheCorm]

You can disable the onboard floppy controller and then boot from CD to install 2000/XP as others have mentioned.

 

[PanzerIV]

I keep floppies in all my systems but I have the boot order as HDD first. Even if it only saves one millisecond of time during bootup that's one millisecond less I have to wait!

 

[Abhi]

Get a Bootable CD. (You can make one using Nero)

 

[Ionizer86]

If it boots with some kind of error 40 missing floppy, just disable the floppy Drive A in the bios, set first boot to CD to install OS, and you're all set

 

[StraightPipe]

usually a system will be set with the following boot order:
floppy
CD
HDD

the only reason is that the Hdd is last (even though it will be the primary boot drive) is so that when you need to boot from something else you wont have to change the settings in your bios. it just automatically checks them and then moves on to HDD

I like to move the floppy below my HDD though, that way if I leave a disk in it wont give me that invalid system disk err.

I'd considered trashing mine in order to get room for another HDD, but they really are useful for holding drivers or word docs.

 

[SilentZero]

I use my floppy about once every few months for documents. They are so cheap nowdays and doesn't hurt to have one.

 

[StraightPipe]

Originally posted by: SilentZero
I use my floppy about once every few months for documents. They are so cheap nowdays and doesn't hurt to have one.

$5-$7 bucks!

 

[jim1976]

eeehhh??? I think its pointless to discuss such an issue. You are discussing about something that costs less than a meal??? LOL
Cmon man a floppy drive is essential to every pc.