• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
  • From now on we will require that a prefix is set for any items in the sales area. We have created regions and locations for this. We also require that you select a delivery option before posting your listing. This will hopefully help us streamline the things that get listed for sales here and help local people better advertise their items, especially for local only sales. New sales rules are also coming, so stay tuned.

Looking for a 720KB 3.5" floppy drive

O

Old Thrashbarg

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
661
Location
Central FL
As the title says, anyone have a spare they'd be willing to part with for a low price? I know the things aren't exactly common, but I figured I'd ask anyway.

I've given up hope trying to get an HD drive to work in my particular XT machine, it just doesn't get along with add-in floppy controllers and the onboard controller only supports DD drives. I currently have a 1.44MB drive rigged up just to use with 720KB disks, but I'd like to get a proper drive for it.

My preference would be one with a black 5.25" faceplate, but I'm not going to be picky, I have drive-bay adapters and spray paint if worse comes to worst.
 
Floppy Subsitute?

Floppy Subsitute?

Check out the thread on "The Vintage Computer Forum", "Vintage Computer Hardware", "8-bit IDE Controller". You troubles are over and it should be available to you now.
 
I've seen that IDE controller before, and I've been watching the project rather closely.

But unless I'm missing something, I fail to see how that has any relation to getting an appropriate floppy drive for my machine. I'm not looking for a hard drive controller, I've already got other plans for that.

But since the thread has been bumped anyhow, I'm still on the lookout for a 720K floppy drive, if anyone has a spare to part with.
 
How would I go about identifying one? I have a small collection of older desktops that I am going to be parting out soon. I'd be happy to check for you to see if I have one

-Lance
 
Unfortunately I don't know of a sure-fire way to identify them, other than looking up the model numbers. FWIW, though, it would be very unlikely to find one in anything later than a 286.
 
Any 3.5" drive in a PC manufactured in 1986 will be 720kB. Nearly all of the 3.5" drives from 1987 and 1988 would also be 720kB. After that, 1.44MB was much more common as other companies followed IBM's lead.

By the time I bought my first 1.44MB drive (1989 or 1990), 1.44MB drives were actually cheaper than 720kB drives. I expect most of the last 720kB drives sold were 1.44MB drives with pins broken off to prevent older BIOSes from getting confused.
 
I have had a 100% sucess rate using an HD 3.5" drive in XT class machines. They just work as 720k (DD drives). Make sure to cover the media sense hole in any disk you use (or bypass the switch) so the drive doesn't end up in some weird state. I have one in my 1000sx and replaced one (with some cable surgery) in my 1000sx.

Kelly
 
Yeah, I have a 1.44MB drive in there now, and it works OK. I could even modify it to bypass that sensor switch, not a big deal.

I just wanted to put out a feeler for a proper 720KB drive, for purposes of 'correctness'. It's certainly not a necessity, and since it seems they are indeed as difficult to find as I thought, I'll probably just keep using what I have now until I happen to chance upon one at a swap meet or something.
 
Old Thrashbarg said:
Yeah, I have a 1.44MB drive in there now, and it works OK. I could even modify it to bypass that sensor switch, not a big deal.

I just wanted to put out a feeler for a proper 720KB drive, for purposes of 'correctness'. It's certainly not a necessity, and since it seems they are indeed as difficult to find as I thought, I'll probably just keep using what I have now until I happen to chance upon one at a swap meet or something.
Click to expand...

hi,
I have one that only reads 720k 3.5" floppies, it refuses to read the 1.44 type disks, so it must be a 720K, right? But it is from a 1993 computer, so they must have made them until well after 1988.

If you want to buy it, send me a pm.

Jose
 
Old Thrashbarg said:
Yeah, I have a 1.44MB drive in there now, and it works OK. I could even modify it to bypass that sensor switch, not a big deal.

I just wanted to put out a feeler for a proper 720KB drive, for purposes of 'correctness'. It's certainly not a necessity, and since it seems they are indeed as difficult to find as I thought, I'll probably just keep using what I have now until I happen to chance upon one at a swap meet or something.
Click to expand...

I hope you can find enough good working 720K disks...
 
I have one that only reads 720k 3.5" floppies, it refuses to read the 1.44 type disks, so it must be a 720K, right?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, it could just be broken. What's the model number on it?

@Jorg,

Yeah, I've got boxes full of 720KB disks, I've been collecting them for awhile since I need 'em for my Amiga.
 
720k floppy

720k floppy

I would have to dismantle the computer to get that number, but I will check the bios setup to see what it says about floppy drive A.

If it says 720k, then it's a 720k. :mrgreen:
 
720k or 1.44mb ?

720k or 1.44mb ?

the disk defaults at 720k 3.5" at the Standard CMOS Setup. I changed the setting to 1.44mb 3.5" but it still will not read 1.44mb disks no matter if I "save to cmos" and exit. When I come back it is back to 720k. Also It will only read an old Tandy 3.5" disk which I assume is 720k.

I give up.

Jose
 
So, do you want a 3.5" HD drive to try in HD mode? $5 plus shipping from NJ and I'll send you 2.
 
nyet

nyet

:lolsign: its not for me its for old thrashbarg who's looking for a 720k floppy.
 
Not to hijack the thread too much, but are you or are you not having problems getting a machine to recognize a 1.44mb drive? I was offering a couple to you so you can expand YOUR testing. I know what old thrashbarg is looking for.
 
oh I see

oh I see

got it, yes, I am the one having the trouble, but I have a few extra 3.5" 1.44mb floppies for replacements, so I don't need any more, but thanks for the offer.

Again, I'm not sure I have any trouble with the one floppy, it appears to be a 720k, runs fine as long as I use 720K disks, but it does not read 1.44meg disks. Also the machine itself detects it as a 720k, even though I tried to change it in the bios to 1.44, as soon as I restart and go back to the bios, it shows a 720k 3.5" floppy again, so it must be a 720k floppy.
When I said "I give up", I meant I gave up trying to make the machine recognize it as a 1.44mb floppy.

Jose
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top