I have an HP notebook PC, Windows Vista and I plugged in my Toshiba black floppy disk drive a into the usb port (model # PA3109U-3FDD) and it tells me I need to format the floppy disk and I can't do that because I will lose the info I downloaded onto the floppy disk. Is there a solution?

It is a "plug-and-play" USB-device, and *should* be recognized, if the hardware inside the case is in working order. So, exercise that "warranty" to get it replaced.

Try connecting it to a Windows PC (XP/Vista/7/8), to see if Windows will recognize it.

possible driver error? try going to the site itself and look for the drivers if you dont have a disk

Best thing to do is,try to get a Windows 98 cd from a friend who has some computer skills and ask them to temporarily put in a cdrom drive in order to begin the process of repair.You will also need them to hook up a floppy drive in your computer,as you will need the floppy disk,containing the files to load the cdrom drivers and setup files to do the repairs to your windows 98 operating system....if not,you may need to upgrade to windows xp or Vista.Good luck:)

Tricky one, ive you have a external usb cdrom drive , maybe, or if you can take hardrive out and set it up on another laptop install your xp and also place copy of all drivers required onto it, then put back into the toshiba., dont know what else could help you here. hope this helps in some way.

ooh FLOPPY the only person on earth using one.
only 1% of users in USA still use XP, (and less every day)
why:? omg , oh my gosh XP, why use XP the VIRUS magnet.
see UK hospitals go dead from XP cyber-attack last month.??

I can see you type on an ASR33 teletype writer, plugged in to XP
cool... how cool is that, I love it. love legacy stuff.
we had those in Vietnam too, and later on very crude micros in the 70s , CAPS ONLY, )

The old PC with XP can not run right without HP install disks
the CDs install there are no Driver to load, nor F6 needed
so let me guess, you have Microsoft CDs not HP CDS
so sure Microsoft fails, as they all did then. and now.
F6 is FLOPPY ONLY .
why not at least go to VISTA, (supported end 2 months ago)
but VISTA dont need no stinking FLoppies.
bty HP sold a HP USB floppy box, but the installer may not work with XP setup.exe. (< this is the big pain this)
that driver is at Intel.com

The trick is to put that file where, setup.exe can find it.
no easy task with USB ports dead in XP.
no usb memory sticks work at install time. zero
XP is so old I an not go back in my mind to 2001.
17 long years ago, and what i tired then, (i can tell you I tried all possible waYs) (we had 50 techs then, vast knowledge base)
one trick is 2nd CD drive with the file there, from HP.
the super good trick was slipstreaming my own custom XP
install CD-r (but the CD must read CD-r, oops)
but i did that then, put the intel driver there.

why not just end the horrors of XP, now.
be like the last person to upgrade XP.

its dead put a sword through its bad heart....







if XP is a LOVE thing, why?
then here it is
https://restore.solutions/en/hpcompaqpresariocq40144tu/

or>?
http://www.computersurgeons.com/m-34-compaq-presario-notebook-pc.aspx
OR?

https://www.restoredisks.com/search/?q=CQ40+



learn that real HP disks are preload with the correct drivers.
and NO F6 is needed,

Its true. the Bios or HDD driver wont allow you to install Win XP on it.. This BIOS is compatible with only Win Vista. The only easy way to do it is by creating 2 partitions while installing vista. once vista is installed- install XP with Dual boot and than format the vista partition.

I contacted HP the other day for a problem while trying to load XP on a VISTA box. They sent me to this site.. and gave me instructions for resoluation or at least an attempt.. Hope this helps
Thanks David
Let me know it if works for your problem




Solution: The reason for this error message is that notebook has been shipped with SATA hard drive i.e SATA hard drive controllers. But Windows XP does not have built in SATA controller drivers.
To solve this problem we need to install SATA Controller drivers before we install Windows XP using a USB floppy drive.
Many customers are not ready to buy USB floppy drive and installation of XP is so complicated using USB Floppy drive.

We have found the driver for the SATA controller on Intel Website. Customer has used it and installed retail Microsoft Windows XP with SP2 successfully on his dv6500 notebook.
The same can be achieved in all the dv2500, dv6500 and dv9500 also DV2600, DV6600 and dv9600 notebooks.

Here is the link for the SATA drivers:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericSoftwareDownloadIndex?cc=us&lc=en&softwareitem=ob-39535-1&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

1. The file contains the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Floppy Configuration Utility.
2. This utility will create a floppy disk containing the RAID driver files for installation on a 32-bit operating system.
3. This floppy can be used to pre-install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver during the F6 portion of Windows setup.
4. You needs Microsoft Windows XP with SP2 Operating System disc and the USB Floppy drive.
5. After downloading the SATA driver in another notebook, you needs to extract and execute the file. It will help in creating the floppy disk that has the SATA drivers.
6. Boot with the Microsoft Windows XP disc and make sure the USB floppy drive with floppy disc is connected to the notebook.
7. At the F6 prompt, select F6 to install additional drivers which are not in-built in the retail Microsoft Windows XP Operating System disc.
8. When the prompt comes up to install additional drivers, insert the floppy and select the correct SATA Driver. It is Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller.
9. Once that is done, the rest of the installation runs as normal. There are only 2 drivers in the floppy disc that would work.
10. After the Operating System is installed in this manner you can install the chipset drivers for the notebook.
11. However for the other device drivers once Microsoft Windows XP is installed you may not have them from HP as these series are not released with a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System. The drivers like audio, ethernet and media card reader drivers etc.
12. Please be sure with EU that he might not have the other drivers from HP after installing the retail Microsoft Windows XP.

Note: Do not click on the link. Copy and the paste the link into the address bar of the web browser.
If the above solution does not resolve the issue, please login to chat support with the results of the above troubleshooting steps. Also, please use the same email ID.

dynex puts out a usb to serial adapter can be bought at best buy for somewhere around 15.00 you will need the drivers from the cd to make it work and then will probably have to set the port it is looking for that should be all you need

This often happens when the Floppy Disk drive head is faulty or out of azimuth. Usually when this happens you need to replace the froppy disk drive unit, which is not an expensive part.
If you do not want to take apart your PC to change the internal FDD, you can also buy an external USB floppy drive, in this case ensure you have a free USB port on your computer.
Here is USB external FDD:
External Floppy Disk Drive - Black
Here is internal one:
1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive

I found it!!!>>>
Just go to Toshiba support web site Download the Storage Manager Driver for XP 32 then have an External floppy drive with formatted Disk ,install the drivers Files in the floppy connect the floppy drive put the XP sys CD Boot from the CD as in Solution #1 or by press on F12 tell choices boot screen popup select the CD then after that when the third party appear press F6 to chose the Driver for HDD to get recognized by the system. J