<P5A> XP can't format a floppy w/system files (i/o) error

[Kdiver58]

I can't format a floppy with system files without getting a " unexpected I/O error " using window xp home . I can quick format and full format but it stops every time I try and add system files during a format.

Amd K6 2/450
XP home and NT 4.0
768 megs of ram
40 gig HD
bois 1011.005

 

[pape]

did you try another disk?

 

[stevewm]

I notice your using BIOS 1011.005. 1011.004 and above are known to have issues with some floppy disk drives. The problem manifests itself in the form of various error messages or lockups when writing to any device on the floppy disk controller.. The problem seems to only occur with some devices.

The fix: Get into your BIOS , under the Advanced Chipset features section disable the "Delayed Transaction" option. If its already disabled, enable it. Exit and Save your changes. Does it work correctly now? My P5a is so bad it refuses to write to a disk at all without some sort of error or hardlocking the machine. Disabling Delayed Transaction solves the problem entirely.

So far changing this setting is the only thing thats known to fix it. Although this setting should have nothing to do with the floppy drive it does solve the problem nonetheless. I learned of this particular fix by reading some posts in the k6-x fourms at www.amdzone.com about a year ago. And I've seen in mentioned in the forums at www.ocworkbench.com as well.

While this may not be the cause of your problem. Its a good place to start

 

[Kdiver58]

I even bought a new floppy and installed it ..no luck .. I will try your fix in the morning .. Thanks

 

[Kdiver58]

No luck thanks for trying it was worse after I changed it .. K

 

[Iron Woode]

That's very strange!

I have that same board running Win98se and the same BIOS and I have never had that problem.

Infact that BIOS is what gave my system the stability I had been looking for.

It still say it is one of the worst boards ever made.

 

[techfuzz]

Tried using a different floppy drive cable yet? Could be a bad cable.

techfuzz

 

[Kdiver58]

yes I put a brand new floppy cable in , I nice round blue one , Thanks for the input . So far I've tried , new floppy , new cable and a new bios . I normaly ran NT which doesn't format a boot floppy drive . Tommorrow I'm going to put an extra HD in and load 98 or Linix on it and see if I can format a floppy with either of those OS ..