WTF!?!? my floppy drive won't read a disk if i have a screw in it?

[Stiler]

Ok, for some reason if i put the mounting screws on my floppy drive to hold it in place, it won't read the diskette, but when i have no screws screwed in it, it reads them just fine, what the heck can i do to make it stay in place without using screws then?

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Gaffer's tape? Wooden dowels? Shorter/different screws?

 

[Stiler]

i have tried smallest screws i have about maybe --- that long and it still does it.

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

I would be interested in finding out why it is doing this.

Maybe the floppy drive's construction is poor, and when you screw it in place you are pressing the metal down on something and therefore causing it to malfunction.-- Just a possibility.

How about super glue/hot glue?

 

[Stiler]

it is a rather old floppy drive, out of my old ibm 233mhz computer. It has no back plate or nothing on it, i can see no obstructions in it or anything, hopefully tape won't hurt it, electrical tape is all i have though. Also about my psu , will it hurt if i use electrical tape to like hold the wires together? so they won't be all dangling around everywhere.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

It is electrical tape. No, it won't hurt things, though you might want to go with a cable tie (velcro, for example) that won't be all sticky if you want to redo it.

 

[JAXSCAD]

Why don't you just replace the drive? It aint like they are expensive.

 

[stonecold3169]

Do the lights come on the drive at all? It sounds as though the drive is shorting out, kinda like can happen with standoff pins on mobos, although I've never heard of it with a floppy...

Do you have any plastic mobo mounts kicking around? The ends should be the same size as those mounting screws, and if that works you'll be all set and know what the problem is. Otherwise, guess you'll have to belly up th sub-$10 to geta new one😉

 

[scottrico]

you can also try non-metal washers.
also great for burners, hard drives and dvd players to reduce shaking.
They cost 50 cent at most mom and pop stores.
hope that helps.