virtualbox, WinXP, floppy drive, SuSE 12.1

[unass]

Hi folks,

how can I access the floppy drive (/dev/fd0) under WinXP in virtualbox 4.1.x?

Thanks,

Uwe.

[caf4926]

I might be wrong
But there my not be any support for Floppy Drives
Does anyone still use them?
I guess they must...

[eng-int]

I suggest that you read the VirtualBox User Manual
http://download.virtualbox.org/virtu...UserManual.pdf
where section:
12.6.4 Linux host floppy not found
suggests

export VBOX_FLOPPY='/dev/fd0'

if your floppy is actually at /dev/fd0.
Do you have an /etc/fstab entry for /dev/fd0 ?

[please_try_again]

• In VirtualBox Manager, for your XP vm, click on "Storage" and select "empty" below the Floppy Controller.
• Click on the floppy icon at the top right corner next to the combo box labeled "Floppy" and select "Host drive 3.5" 1440 K (fd0)"
• Click OK.
• Boot the vm and the floppy will appear as drive A: in Windows.

* It should not be mounted under Linux ... or it won't work.
* Please use the virtualization subforum if you have other questions related to VirtualBox.

[unass]

Hi folks,

thanks for your suggestions. YES, I would like to mount a floppy drive!
This can be done with vmware.

In WinXP as a guest, using the explorer, I see the floppy drive A:, but
trying to mount it I get the following messages:

Unable to mount the floppy Host Drive FDD 1 (fd0) on the machine
Windows_XP

Could not mount the media/drive '/dev/fd0'
(VERR_ACCESS_DENIED)

Details

Result Code:
NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005)
Component:
Console
Interface:
IConsole {1968b7d3-e3bf-4ceb-99e0-cb7c913317bb}
Callee:
IMachine {5eaa9319-62fc-4b0a-843c-0cb1940f8a91}

Any hints?

Thanks again,

Uwe.

[please_try_again]

In WinXP as a guest, using the explorer, I see the floppy drive A:, but
trying to mount it I get the following messages:

Apply the steps I described *before* booting the vm. I tried and it worked. You have to attach the floppy to the vm first (as well as detach it when you don't need it anymore).

[unass]

Hi all,

first: I hab to add the "floppy" group to my <username>! Then I could apply the steps
"please_try_again" mentioned, and it worked. But.... I cannot see the floppy disk. The
drive is there and the light goes on (and stays on!) at the disk drive, but a WindowsXP
/ DOS dir gives: "The device is not ready". Trying to format a new disk gives: "Cannot
open volume for direct access". So VirtualBox v4.1.8 seems to have an error (?!?!). What
do you think? Which (working) version do you use?

Thanks again and Merry X-mas,

Uwe.

[please_try_again]

The drive is there and the light goes on (and stays on!) at the disk drive, but a WindowsXP
/ DOS dir gives: "The device is not ready".

If the light stays on, it's not good. It usually means that it cannot read the floppy and keeps trying.

Trying to format a new disk gives: "Cannot
open volume for direct access".

Make sure that it is not mounted (or automatically mounted) under Linux. Alternatively you can also use the mtools, a set of commands to read, write, format DOS floppies - without mounting them (!) - unless you need to access them in Windows.

So VirtualBox v4.1.8 seems to have an error (?!?!). What
do you think? Which (working) version do you use?

Same version, from Oracle. I don't know how old are your floppies. But I usually have to try a couple ones before I find a usable one.

Thanks again and Merry X-mas,

Nichts zu danken und frohe Weihnachten!

[jdmcdaniel3]

Hi all,

first: I hab to add the "floppy" group to my <username>! Then I could apply the steps
"please_try_again" mentioned, and it worked. But.... I cannot see the floppy disk. The
drive is there and the light goes on (and stays on!) at the disk drive, but a WindowsXP
/ DOS dir gives: "The device is not ready". Trying to format a new disk gives: "Cannot
open volume for direct access". So VirtualBox v4.1.8 seems to have an error (?!?!). What
do you think? Which (working) version do you use?

Thanks again and Merry X-mas,

Uwe.

Most often, if this is an FDC type floppy drive with a one of two drive floppy cable, the cable is plugged in backwards as in the pin one stripe is on the wrong side OR, the cable is off by a pair of pins OR of course the floppy or cable are just bad. When the light is on, one can say that it does have power, which is a good sign. I never found an FDC floppy drives to work very well in openSUSE and highly recommend you switch to a USB floppy drive type (while you can still find one to buy) and I even have a USB Floppy script you can use to format a disk, but only for USB.

S.U.F.F. - SuSE USB Floppy Formatter - Version 1.28 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

Thank You,

[please_try_again]

Most often, if this is an FDC type floppy drive with a one of two drive floppy cable, the cable is plugged in backwards as in the pin one stripe is on the wrong side.

The light would be on all the time even is there is no floppy inserted, as soon as you power on the computer... and the drive would probably die after a couple hours.

* Btw, Merry Christmas to you and your beloved, James!