[Mesquite]

I am running Windows XP Pro and until recently had no problems with reading or formatting a floppy disk. Now when I insert a floppy disk into the drive, I get an error message that the disk is not formatted, do I want to format it. The disk is formatted and has data on it, this is verifiable in another computer. When I click on quick format, I get an immediate error message that the formatting cannot be completed. If I try to do a full format, it shows progress until the last moment, then I get the same error message about not being able to complete the formatting.
I then tried to read the same information off of a San Disk Mini Cruzer Flash Drive connected to a USB port and got the same error message about it not being formatted. I can take the Mini Cruzer to another computer and it is read with no problem.
I suspect that one of the latest Microsoft Updates may have caused the problem. What do you think?

Thanks,
Mesquite

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I suspect that one of the latest Microsoft Updates may have caused the problem. What do you think?

Hmmm.... possibly. Maybe one of the updates hosed your USB driver.

This is the reason why I NEVER run updates.

You may want to start uninstalling updates until your problem disappears. This can be done in Control Panel>Add Remove Programs

[makai]

I suspect that one of the latest Microsoft Updates may have caused the problem. What do you think?

Hmmm.... possibly. Maybe one of the updates hosed your USB driver.

This is the reason why I NEVER run updates.

You may want to start uninstalling updates until your problem disappears. This can be done in Control Panel>Add Remove Programs

[Johanna]

I would look in the device manager for any errors or question marks before I started trying to uninstall MS updates. Any recently installed hardware or software? It is possible that you could roll back a driver or two and return things to ordinary.

Makai- I'm with you! If the hardware is working fine, and I don't see a compelling reason to install an update, I don't apply them either. Too many times software and hardware updates cause more problems, or problems where none existed. But, I prefer to let the MS updates do what they want (mostly) by default. The few times MS updates have disabled the syste, using a good SR point has resolved the problem.

Since Mesquite doesn't know specifically which update might have caused the problem, and MS Updates are so notorious for cranky uninstalls, I would try to solve the problem less invasively at first.

Johanna

[Mesquite]

Makai & Johanna,

Thanks for the responses. I decided to uninstall the Microsoft Updates, starting with the latest. I uninstalled one and still could not read a floppy disk, then I uninstalled KB896688 and now my computer will read and format floppies and the Mini Cruzer Flash Drive.

Thanks again,
Mesquite

[Johanna]

Thanks for posting back how you resolved your problem. Glad to hear you got your floppy & flash back!

Johanna

[makai]

Yes thanks for letting us know!

As Johanna said, unless there are compelling reasons to install updates, I don't!!! Isn't it just amazing that something meant to fix will actually break Windows!!! How sad!