Can't read USB floppy drive

[krishna64]

Acquired a used external USB floppy drive (TEAC FD05PUW). I'm running a PC under XP (Home). Plugged it in and it was recognised by my computer and driver automatically installed. But I get no icon for it under My Computer or in Explorer. Device manager states it is running properly. What next?

[pcdoc4christ]

Hmmm

Krishna:

Have you tried restarting? (Better yet, shut down & wait about 30 seconds, then power up again).

Did you read the manual that came with the device?  (Sometimes the manufacturer recommends that you install their software *before* you plug the device into the USB port.)

Have you tried unplugging the USB connector & plugging it back in?  (I have a USB mouse that requires me to do this sometimes before Windows will detect it. You may safely unplug & replug a USB connector while the computer is on.)

Did you check to see if the USB floppy is USB-2 & if your motherboard only supports USB?  

Did you enter your BIOS setup to see whether the USB port is enabled?

Let us know if you need help trying any of these suggestions out.

Doc

PS are you a follower of that Krishna guy, or do you just dig that John Lennon song?  (Learning about other religions is a hobby of mine.)  

[krishna64]

Have you tried shut down waited 40 seconds, then power up again, but system seems to hang if the FDD is plugged in.

I bought the device off Ebay (can return it if stuck). Didn't come with any software. WinXP recognises it correctly by name when plugging it in. This model not on the TEAC website, but the model that is (v similar name) states doesn't need anything additional for XP.

Have tried unplugging the USB connector & plugging it back in. As I say it is detected and device manager says it is working properly. I just can't access it because it doesn't appear in My Computer or Explorer.

PC supports both USB and USB-2. I have both types of socket (for some bizarre reason Dell give you USB on front of box and USB-2 only on back). I've plugged the drive into both. Same problem.

USB ports are enabled. Other devices work fine in same port and in any case the drive is detected correctly when plugged in.

  >PS are you a follower of that Krishna guy, or do you
  >just dig that John Lennon song?  (Learning about other
  >religions is a hobby of mine.)  

It's just my name. Always has been

Thanks

[phlatop]

In my expeerience, limited as it is, a USB floppy drive will not show an icon until a disk is installed.

You are indicating that the system recognizes the drive and that the driver installed upon connection. The next step is to put a disk in the drive and then tell us if it was recognized.

Internal floppy drives and CD drives and hard drives all seem to display an icon just by being connected and recognized. External floppy dirves are a little different.

Did you ask customer service at the drive manufacturer?

[pcdoc4christ]

krishna:

OK, thanks.

PHlatop has a good suggestion.  Try putting a floppy disk in the drive, opening up a document, choosing File, then Save As..., then selecting drive A (or try drive B) as the location to save the file.

Doc