Reading same floppy on win xp and win 98

[TC49010]

I have corel draw 9 on this pc and win xp (I had win 98 on and upgraded to win xp) my shop pc that I have the cutter hooked up to has win 98 on it.
I use to design on this one, save to a floppy and take it to the shop pc and run the design. I just tried saving a design on a floppy on this pc (winxp) and it says disk not formated and I know it is, it has other designs on it. I can open this disk on win 98 no problem.

The pc's are not networked together. Does anyone know the work around solution to this. I heard it was a xp/98 issue about one not being able to read the floppy from the other version. Is that true?

Trixie

 

[gvgraphics]

Win 98 used a Fat32 file system. Windows XP gives you the option of using NTFS or Fat32 while installing. The Win XP machine can read NTFS and Fat32 while 98 only can read Fat32. That is probably your issue. Anything you save in NTFS can only be read by a machine that has NTFS capability's. Hope I didn't loose you.

Sean

 

[TC49010]

When I got to format a floppy on XP Fat 32 is the only options that shows up and it acts like it is going to start the format then says it cannot complete the format.
Trixie

 

[Fred Weiss]

You best solution is to get a flash memory stick. They're very reasonably priced now. Just plug into a USB port and copy, copy, copy. The Win 98 machine will need a driver (which is on the memory stick) and the XP machine will see it without adding one.

 

[gvgraphics]

I agree with Fred for the simplicity of it. The other option that would make your life allot easier would be to upgrade the 98 machine to xp as well. This would allow you to use the floppies or the flash stick.

Sean

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Yep, time to ugrade and get the flash stick My PC doesn't even have a floppy ... disk drive, that is

 

[Techman]

There is a recognised problem with old floppies and XP reading them. Especially from floppies recorded on an older win 98 machine. IT has to do with something called head drift.

Or the main problem is>> this problem occurs on disks that do not contain a media descriptor byte in the BIOS parameter block (BPB) of the boot sector. Some older preformatted floppy disks do not contain a media descriptor byte. Older product disks may also not have the media descriptor byte. Sometimes a reformat will work.. many times it will not..

There is not much you can do about it as an average user. but,,,This workaround is for advanced users only. This workaround involves using a disk sector editor to modify the media descriptor.

So, as Fred mentions, the best way around it is to use a usb disk key. In XP they work without adding in a driver.. IN 98 you will install a driver..

 

[TC49010]

agrrrrrr...lol... no usb in older 98 pc!!!! Just my luck!

Guess I am forced to upgrade!!!

Thanks everyone!
Trixie

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

Before you go off the wall, verify that the XP's floppy IS working. Get a couple of other floppies (disks, not drives) that you know can be read in other machines, and see if you have the "format message". Or for that matter see if a friend with an XP machine can read it.

I just went through that with my own machine, and ironically my brothers just went through that also.

 

[iSign]

you can buy a USB port to put in the W98 machine.

 

[Techman]

and see if you have the "format message".

If there is a format message in XP then...

this problem occurs on disks that do not contain a media descriptor byte in the BIOS parameter block (BPB) of the boot sector.

..

A better work around is to use a CD writer.. They realy cheap.. aroudn $15 bux for a good new one.. No need for upgrade.. No need for USB

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

That is true, there are many ways that he could transfer files. The only point that I was making was that the floppy may have actually died, causing he read errors, which would not require any changes, upgrades, etc. etc. - especially on an old machine.