Mystery Laptop (Compaq Presario 1060) Problem

[Brad]

Hi,

Mystery problem with Compaq Presario 1060 Laptop.

Note: I service TVs, etc., rarely service a computer.

PROBLEM (Hard Disk Drive is fine):

On the same day (no storm and it wasn't dropped) this laptop
started to have read/write problems with the floppy disk drive
(several disks tried). Also, the CD rom drive no longer could read home
"burned" CDs, which it never had trouble reading before. However,
the CD rom drive has no trouble reading commercial CDs ("stronger
impressions").

Using a software diagnostic tool on the floppy disk drive, a series of
tests were performed and the only test that failed (error # 603-08) was
the Write/Read/Compare test.

Note: Sometimes a floppy disk can be read in part, then everything
"freezes" to the point that I have to turn off the computer (Ctrl, Alt, & Del
doesn't work). There never is a "Abort/Retry...." message as happens when you
have a faulty disk or no disk in the drive.

It's as though the read/write heads in the floppy drive and the read
"head" in the CD rom drive lost "sensitivity" at the same time!!
What do you think is causing this problem?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Did you take your laptop through a dust storm?

Try cleaning them both.

- Mike

 

[Art]

Since the CD drive and Floppy Drive are two independent electro-mechanical
devices. What specifically is in common with them?
Motherboard, BIOS, Operating System, Possible Dirt and Debris, plus many
other probabilities. As suggested, try cleaning them first then delve into
more through diagnostics. Try downloading a couple of diagnostics that will
run from the Hard Drive. Google is your friend in finding them.

 

[Dave]

Hi,

Mystery problem with Compaq Presario 1060 Laptop.

Note: I service TVs, etc., rarely service a computer.

PROBLEM (Hard Disk Drive is fine):

On the same day (no storm and it wasn't dropped) this laptop
started to have read/write problems with the floppy disk drive
(several disks tried). Also, the CD rom drive no longer could read home
"burned" CDs, which it never had trouble reading before. However,
the CD rom drive has no trouble reading commercial CDs ("stronger
impressions").

Using a software diagnostic tool on the floppy disk drive, a series of
tests were performed and the only test that failed (error # 603-08) was
the Write/Read/Compare test.

Note: Sometimes a floppy disk can be read in part, then everything
"freezes" to the point that I have to turn off the computer (Ctrl, Alt, & Del
doesn't work). There never is a "Abort/Retry...." message as happens when you
have a faulty disk or no disk in the drive.

It's as though the read/write heads in the floppy drive and the read
"head" in the CD rom drive lost "sensitivity" at the same time!!
What do you think is causing this problem?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

Uh, sorry to seem snarky, but just replace the freakin' floppy drive, it's
like $13. Same with the CD drive. One hour of labor costs more than both
of these hardware devices combined. Floppy drives are crap, nobody uses
them any more in fact there is not a single laptop on the <new> market today
which has an internal floppy drive. The reason nobody uses them is because
they are unreliable, both the hardware and the media are exposed to the
external environment at all times.

Replace the CD drive, and blow $59 for a USB flash drive instead of
replacing the floppy.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[James Sweet]

Uh, sorry to seem snarky, but just replace the freakin' floppy drive, it's
like $13. Same with the CD drive. One hour of labor costs more than both
of these hardware devices combined. Floppy drives are crap, nobody uses
them any more in fact there is not a single laptop on the <new> market today
which has an internal floppy drive. The reason nobody uses them is because
they are unreliable, both the hardware and the media are exposed to the
external environment at all times.

Replace the CD drive, and blow $59 for a USB flash drive instead of
replacing the floppy.

Just my 2 cents.

They're plenty reliable, I have some going on 15 years old that still
work fine. The reason nobody uses them anymore is that the amount of
data they store is tiny, I have a USB stick about 1/4 the size of a
stick of chewing gum on my keyring that holds about 700 1.44mb floppies
worth of data.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

Uh, sorry to seem snarky, but just replace the freakin' floppy drive, it's
like $13. Same with the CD drive. One hour of labor costs more than both
of these hardware devices combined. Floppy drives are crap, nobody uses
them any more in fact there is not a single laptop on the <new> market today
which has an internal floppy drive. The reason nobody uses them is because
they are unreliable, both the hardware and the media are exposed to the
external environment at all times.

Replace the CD drive, and blow $59 for a USB flash drive instead of
replacing the floppy.

Just my 2 cents.

Heck, and I thought this was a *repair* group. Well, OK, I guess replacing
drives to repair the laptop qualifies but the most likely explanation for his
problems are that they got dirty. And that's a few minutes and not of your
very valuable time. ;-)

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Heck, and I thought this was a *repair* group. Well, OK, I guess
replacing
drives to repair the laptop qualifies but the most likely explanation for
his
problems are that they got dirty. And that's a few minutes and not of
your
very valuable time. ;-)

If my popup toaster or other $8 appliance dies I may well poke around inside
of it. But even I - who once made a living fixing small appliances and the
like - don't bother now. When floppies were $200 - $300 each we fixed them.
At $10 it ain't going to happen.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Yeah, but don't laptop drives typically cost more than $10? I havn't priced
on in ages so I don't know..

If it were me I'd just clean them and lube them both and see what happens.

- Mike

 

[Michael Black]

Yeah, but don't laptop drives typically cost more than $10? I havn't priced
on in ages so I don't know..

If it were me I'd just clean them and lube them both and see what happens.

- Mike

Certainly they used to, as was the case with most laptop components.
They tended to not be standard in the past, so you paid more. I was
under the impression that it wasn't just laptop versus desktop, but
the parts tended to be specific to a manufacturer, so there was no
such thing as a "laptop floppy" but a floppy drive for Brand A and
a different floppy drive for Brand B. That tends to keep prices high.

I have no idea whether that's the case in more recent years or not.

Michael

 

[Meat Plow]

Hi,

Mystery problem with Compaq Presario 1060 Laptop.

Note: I service TVs, etc., rarely service a computer.

PROBLEM (Hard Disk Drive is fine):

On the same day (no storm and it wasn't dropped) this laptop
started to have read/write problems with the floppy disk drive (several
disks tried). Also, the CD rom drive no longer could read home "burned"
CDs, which it never had trouble reading before. However, the CD rom
drive has no trouble reading commercial CDs ("stronger impressions").

Using a software diagnostic tool on the floppy disk drive, a series of
tests were performed and the only test that failed (error # 603-08) was
the Write/Read/Compare test.

Note: Sometimes a floppy disk can be read in part, then everything
"freezes" to the point that I have to turn off the computer (Ctrl, Alt, &
Del doesn't work). There never is a "Abort/Retry...." message as happens
when you have a faulty disk or no disk in the drive.

It's as though the read/write heads in the floppy drive and the read
"head" in the CD rom drive lost "sensitivity" at the same time!! What do
you think is causing this problem?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Age of unit is what 7 or so years old? My guess is coincedental failure.