Will Win 10 support a 3.5 floppy drive?

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  1. Posts : 13,924
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #21

    I have a clean install of Win10 Pro on a Custom computer built 6+ years ago and I have a Dell external USB 3.5" floppy drive [made by TEAC]. I plug it into a USB 2.0 port and it is identified in Device Manager. I put in a floppy disk and it gets seen in File Explorer under This PC. The same occurs with separate USB 3.0 ports provided through an add-in card.

    I bought a new Win10 Home computer about 6 weeks ago that has front combination USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports and the floppy drive is not seen by anything. However it does work when plugged into a USB 2.0 port on the rear of the computer.

    Bottom line: I've found there are USB 2.0 things that simply don't always work with USB 3.0 ports even though the ports are supposed to be backward-compatible such as older Thumb drives and printers.
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 4,201
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Latest RP
       #22

    USB3 do not have a legacy support setting, so will not work without drivers loaded, which means you cannot use them for booting from a plug in drive. Not sure if a floppy drive is supported on USB3 without specific device drivers

    That being said there should be support at all times of the boot process and after as long as the Legacy USB Support Mode switch in the bios is available and turned on, though some modern devices and special use PCs (Servers / Workstations), do not have this in the BIOS or have it switched off by default

    I have in the past seen OEM systems where the front USB ports are not correctly connected so do not work at all or work intermittently
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  3. Posts : 268
    Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2
       #23

    Barman58 said:
    USB3 do not have a legacy support setting, so will not work without drivers loaded, which means you cannot use them for booting from a plug in drive. Not sure if a floppy drive is supported on USB3 without specific device drivers
    Not sure what you're saying
    > There's no such thing as USB3 legacy setting for USB2. USB3 supports USB2 by design
    > Of course, USB3 will not work without drivers loaded
    > Special drivers aren't needed for a USB2 floppy drive - if your USB3 works to spec

    As to booting a USB floppy from a USB3 port, I just did it

    • Dell Optiplex 9020 running Win 10 Pro x64 with legacy boot mode enabled in BIOS and secure boot turned off.
    • And only running with Windows generic USB3 drivers as well (see pic below)


    My first suspect is still Class filters. Will see what fireberd reports

    /* EDIT */
    Although, it just occurred to me. The USB3 driver isn't relevant to the discussion! It's all about BIOS. When booting from floppy device, Windows never gets loaded or starts
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Will Win 10 support a 3.5 floppy drive?-2017-01-12_111633.jpg  
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  4. Posts : 2,585
    Win 11
    Thread Starter
       #24

    The filter entries that ComputerGeek highlighted are not shown on my systems. Either the Win 10 Home laptop where the drive works or my desktop with Win 10 Pro that it does not work.

    The laptop, where the floppy drive works only has USB 3.0 ports. Same with my new Desktop, only USB 3.0 ports.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 268
    Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2
       #25

    fireberd said:
    The only place I found a "supposed" driver is one of the pay for driver sites and I refuse to use them.
    Yea, that's a scam. It should work with the Windows driver.

    Let's look at a couple other things
    1. You said you get a Code 10. Do you see the floppy in device manager with a yellow icon? Or how does it appear?
    2. To double check, you checked the floppy device for class filters? (not the usb3 controllers)
    3. Assuming you see the floppy in device manager, use the Details tab again to find Inf Name. What's the inf name?
    4. Let's also check Storage Volumes. Click View->Show hidden devices to see Storage Volumes. You only need check any one of them for Class Upper/Lower Filters (they'll all show the same result). Several MS filters will probably be listed, Class Upper: volsnap Lower: fvevol, rdyboost, iorate. Is there anything other then those MS filters listed?
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  6. Posts : 2,585
    Win 11
    Thread Starter
       #26

    inf Name : usbstor.inf

    Upper and Lower filters have what you list.

    Here are a couple of screenshots.

    Will Win 10 support a 3.5 floppy drive?-dev-mgr-2.jpgWill Win 10 support a 3.5 floppy drive?-dev-mgr-1.jpg
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 2,585
    Win 11
    Thread Starter
       #27

    Update, I tried my Insider Preview version (dual boot on the same desktop system as Win 10 Pro). I get the same error with the Insider version.
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  8. Posts : 268
    Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2
       #28

    Code 10 on device where INF name= usbstor.inf means problem with installing/starting the USB Mass Storage driver. We already checked filters. The next steps I'd take would be looking at driver corruption but as the same problem occurs on other OS install (even if an Insider Preview) don't think it's worth the trouble.

    Connecting a USB Floppy should be nothing more then plug and play. I think the simplest solution is $15-$20 bucks for a new one.

    /* EDIT */
    Forgot. Both OS with the problem are on the same machine. (and it works on another) Have you checked you have the latest BIOS?
    Last edited by ComputerGeek; 12 Jan 2017 at 18:21.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 13,924
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       #29

    Two OSes on one computer with the same problem? Could be a hardware issue. Another test I use is to boot to a Linux LiveDVD [Linux Mint 17 or 18] with the problem hardware plugged in, see if it works that way.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 268
    Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2
       #30

    Berton said:
    Two OSes on one computer with the same problem? Could be a hardware issue. Another test I use is to boot to a Linux LiveDVD [Linux Mint 17 or 18] with the problem hardware plugged in, see if it works that way.
    yea, I had added an edit to last post as forgot that fact. Check BIOS. Booting from LiveDVD good suggestion as well
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