Reference number: CH000324

Floppy drive reading as B and not A.

Issue:

Floppy drive reading as B and not A.

Cause:

This issue can be caused by any of the below causes.

1. Floppy drive improperly configured in CMOS.
2. Floppy drive cable not correctly connected.
3. Windows issue
4. Computer has LS120 / BIOS issue.

Solution:

Floppy drive improperly configured in CMOS

Verify that the floppy drive is correctly configured in CMOS. If the floppy drive is setup as Floppy Drive B: Windows will detect the Drive as B: and not A:

Note: With some earlier release of MS-DOS users can type B: and it would switch automatically to the A: drive.

Additional information about entering CMOS can be found on our CMOS page.

Floppy drive cable not correctly connected

If hardware has been recently added within the computer or you have recently installed a new floppy drive, verify that the cable connected to the floppy drive is connected properly.

As illustrated above, the floppy drive A: should be connected to the end of the cable after the twist. If your floppy drive cable does not have two connections this is not the issue.  

Windows issue

If you are running Windows 9x, Windows 2000 or Windows ME verify that Windows Device Manager does not have any conflicts or other devices. If conflicts or other devices are present, attempt to resolve those issues.

Additional information about the Windows Device Manager can be found here.

Computer has LS120 / BIOS issue

If the computer has an LS120 drive it is likely that you may be experiencing any of the below situations.

1. The drive is not correctly configured in CMOS. Some computers may require that the Floppy drive be disabled as the LS120 drive is an IDE device.
2. If software is required for the LS120 drive, verify that it is installed on the computer.
3. Verify that there are no BIOS updates related to this issue. Additional information about BIOS updates can be found on document CH000236.