Hi, I'm trying to copy some excel spreadsheets onto a floppy disk. It keeps telling me to format the disk even though the disks I bought are formatted already. I go into the file I want and hit copy and it just comes up with must format disk, so I try that and then it comes up disk cannot be formatted. Can someone help me with this? Thanks.

If at all feasible, and it usually is if you are using Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows Vista, forget about using floppies and use a flash drive, a dock containing a digital camera memory cards or external USB hard drive. Many Windows 98 computers are equipped with drives capable of saving data on CD-Rs and CD-RWs. There are even external floppy drives that connect through USB. Check the product requirements on the Flash Drive or External Hard Drive for applicable Operating systems.

Possible there is either a hardware failure associated with the floppy derive OR the read/write heads have gotten dirty from the computer's cooling fan circulating air through the floppy drive. Since floppy drives have been substantially replaced by external hard drives and flash (thumb) drives I'm not sure if floppy drive cleaning kits are still easily available at computer and office supply retailers near you. If you manage to use a cleaning kit and the floppies work in another computer there's probably some hardware problem associated with the drive. I don't see any mention if your floppy drive's light comes on OR if you can hear it spinning the disk and moving the drive heads, lack of either could indicate a hardware failure or loose cable.

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Originally Posted by micwilliamsjm

Hi, I'm trying to copy some excel spreadsheets onto a floppy disk. It keeps telling me to format the disk even though the disks i bought are formatted already. I go into the file I want and hit copy and it just comes up with must format disk, so I try that and then it comes up disk cannot be formatted. Can someone help me with this? Thanks.

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Yes the light does come on, and you can hear the disk running in the machine. It's Windows 98.

Why are you using floppy?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by micwilliamsjm

Hi, I'm trying to copy some excel spreadsheets onto a floppy disk. It keeps telling me to format the disk even though the disks i bought are formatted already. I go into the file I want and hit copy and it just comes up with must format disk, so I try that and then it comes up disk cannot be formatted. Can someone help me with this? Thanks.

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I don't have a scanner and am not real good with computers, so I figured floppy would be the best way to go.

Floppies have mostly disappeared, and it sounds like your drive has died. I think its time for a new PC.