Is there any way to install floppy disk drivers?

[xpyrate]

I don't know why, but I misguidedly removed floppy disk support in nlites config and now I need to use a floppy. I knew I needed it when I made my nlited disc, so it's stupid on my part but what's done is done.

I tried copying the FLPYDISK.IN_ and FLPYDISK.SY_ over to my computer from my original disc, then expand -r them and installed them via the devmgmt.msc right clicked on "unknown device" > install drivers and went through the wizard. This resulted in a floppy drive with a yellow exclamation on it and a code 31. I even tried in safe mode, obviously that didn't work either.

Is there a way to install the floppy drivers without reinstalling windows?

[TranceEnergy]

I know you must also get SFLOPPY.sys and its ini file. I recently did a bit of looksee into that. thats the only 2 .sys files needed anyway. Should work.

[xpyrate]

Thanks for the reply, but I tried that driver and it still gave me that yellow exclamation mark. I can't seem to find any ini file on my disk that relates to floppies.

I'm thinking it has to register the floppy drivers with a dll or something in order to work properly and this only occurs when you don't remove it with nlite?

[TranceEnergy]

I think floppy should also run as a system boot service. Therein might be the problem. Doesnt it say anything in the inf files?

Im on xp x64.

[xpyrate]

Looking through the inf file all I can really decipher is it adding some registry entries, then setting some variables. It does have a "floppy_install.NT.Services" section and a "floppy_serviceinstallsection" section, but I'm not sure exactly what it's doing there.

I'll read up on inf files tomorrow and see if I can tell where it's messing up, if I can... otherwise I'll just have to reinstall. oh well...

I'm on plain old 32bit XP. Though after playing around with 64bit linux vs 32 bit, I wouldn't think there would be any difference other than the binaries being compiled for 64bit.

Edited May 27, 2008 by xpyrate

[TranceEnergy]

Well lets not go there tho i love x64 bit topic =)

I think at least we can say that driver setup seems about the same. As in same amount of files needed and so on.

OT 1: Nice sound card, shame they stopped making it? and 2: i use a usb floppy, it also works to boot from, but i rarely use it, it does however require just sfloppy.sys installed seemingly.

I searched my own registry, as i have floppy support in, and from currentcontrolset i found:

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\minimal\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk drive,

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\minimal\{4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Standard floppy disk controller

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\network\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk drive

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\network\{4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Standard floppy disk controller

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\class\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, Class, FloppyDisk

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\class\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk drives

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\class\{4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk controllers

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\sfloppy\, {KEY}, {KEY}

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\sfloppy\Enum\, {KEY}, {KEY}

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\eventlog\system\, Sources, Workstation ...

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\eventlog\system\sfloppy\, {KEY}, {KEY}

I used JV16 to generate list, awesome tool.

Edited May 27, 2008 by TranceEnergy

[xpyrate]

I don't have either of these keys:

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\minimal\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk drive,

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\minimal\{4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Standard floppy disk controller

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\network\{4d36e980-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Floppy disk drive

HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\control\safeboot\network\{4d36e969-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\, @, Standard floppy disk controller

I suppose if I had finished that registry book I have I would know how to insert these manually. lol Though looking at them it just seems they only apply to safe mode. I'm still thinking it's just not registering with the kernel. Although I don't know why that process wouldn't be in the inf file. Isn't that what the registry if for?

I know it works because I can boot an msdos boot disk I had lying around. Too bad I'm too cheap to buy a usb floppy and flash my bios with my laptop... lol

That is pretty cool tool though.

I never really use my sound cards full potential as you have to have a very good amp. I wanted it because it had a special headphone booster but only one output port? So, I could either connect my headphones or my amp... and the 192KHz I can only experience if I have a source that can utilize it and my headphones are connected directly to it. Though maybe one of these days I'll get a descent(decent?) amp. It's still a great audio card. I think they stopped making them because it was 200$ and it didn't have f@t4l1ty written on the box

Edited May 28, 2008 by xpyrate

[TranceEnergy]

It shouldnt be any problem applying them registry things while in normal mode as opposed to safemode, but maybe you need to take permissions of some folders inside regedit. I only searched for the word floppy, there could be more, but i actually doubt there would be much more, being there seems to be just 2 .sys files anyway.

Buying a usb floppy drive is more of an investement, and saving me the trouble of ever having to install a internal floppy drive again, on any computer i have. It might cost a bit, but its more then worth its coin in the long run.

[Swarvey]

just a quick question... did you install the drivers for the floppy disk only? or did you set up the Floppy Disk Controller(s) as well?

[xpyrate]

Floppy disk controller drivers? Wouldn't they be part of flpydisk.inf/sys?

Well, what do you know. I would have never guessed.. you install fdc.inf and fdc.sys and it works!

Thanks for all your help.

Edited May 29, 2008 by xpyrate