Re: OT: Can modern PCs run 5-1/4" floppy drives?



Joerg wrote:

Eeyore wrote:
Joerg wrote:
Joel Kolstad wrote:
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
Roger Hamlett wrote:

On all 'older' chipsets, the floppy port implemented the extra lines for
two devices. A little while ago, chipsets started to appear, that didn't
implement the second lines.

Good Lord, what an astonishing example of short-term thinking. It must save
all of 0.001c.

I suspect it's more a case of, "we could use that pin for some cool *new*
feature that's worth *dollars*" rather than "we could remove that pin and save
a fraction of a penny."

Actually I found that the bridge chip (IT8718F) does have support for
two floppies in pretty much any of the legacy formats. But the BIOS
doesn't :-(


Theoretically at least you could patch the BIOS.

Yep, that may need to be done but I am not an expert at all in that respect.

From what others have said however it seems likely that XP on may well pretty much
ignore the BIOS anyway.

Have you tried just hooking up a suitable cable and a 5-1/4"drive. It won't break
anything.

Graham

.

Relevant Pages