Got Part of a Floppy Stuck in My Drive...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-17 05:08am

I just put a 3.5 disk into my floppy drive just now and ejected it, but the slider got stuck and came off. It's still inside the drive right now.

I don't know what was on it, but fortunately I didn't put anything new onto it.

So what do I do now? Wait until I can turn Sarah off and take the cover off to get it out?

Man, this sucks. I feel like the condom came off while with a girl...

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2004-04-17 06:02am

If you're lucky you might be able to fish the plate out through the slot, but I'd turn it off and strip it down, otherwise you might damage the heads. I've seen people just slide the broken disk back in then pull the disk out, with plate reattached, tho.

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-04-17 08:41am

I forgot the number of times I've had to fix this particular problem in the computer labs...when that happened we used a screw grabber (the syringe-like devices) to get it out.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2004-04-17 08:58am

Dalton wrote:I forgot the number of times I've had to fix this particular problem in the computer labs...when that happened we used a screw grabber (the syringe-like devices) to get it out.

*THATS* what those things are for?

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-04-17 12:31pm

Stark wrote:
Dalton wrote:I forgot the number of times I've had to fix this particular problem in the computer labs...when that happened we used a screw grabber (the syringe-like devices) to get it out.
*THATS* what those things are for?

Well, that's mainly what we USED it for...but it's designed to grab screws where fingers can't go.

Pretty nifty device though

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2004-04-17 06:56pm

You can sometimes get the cover back out with a pair of needle nose pliers or some tweezers. I've had this happen to me before.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2004-04-17 07:54pm

Dalton wrote:but it's designed to grab screws where fingers can't go.

What the?!?!?... oh, you mean threaded nails.

Oh, okay.

Shadowhawk · Post by **Shadowhawk** » 2004-04-17 08:27pm

I've done this too many times. Unless the drive itself is damaged (eg, it didn't eject the disk properly and the heads are still lowered, pinching the shutter), it should be a pretty simple operation to get it out. Stick a pencil in the drive to keep the door open, and use a flashlight and some long tweezers to work it out. Unless the shutter itself got badly bent before it came off the disk, you shouldn't have any trouble.

Just try removing a fucking gum wrapper deep inside CD drive, or worse, gum that's, well, gummed up the entire goddamn mechanism!

Hethrir · Post by **Hethrir** » 2004-04-18 01:58am

I use a pair two pair of pointy nose plyers, one with an angled end. One holds the flap and the other takes the tab out. Watch you don't hit the heads.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-04-18 04:17am

I had the misfortune of having a crappy TDK floppy disk come apart in my old laptop's floppy drive. The slider door came out, but the spring unfortunately got lodged inside. Given how compact the floppy drive is (plus the fact that it wasn't designed to be disassembled) I didn't even try, opting instead to get another drive.

I might pull it apart one of these days, but it looks like a pain in the ass of a job.

Equinox2003 · Post by **Equinox2003** » 2004-04-19 03:06am

Ha Ha Ha!

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-04-21 07:31pm

Needle-nose pliars + flashlight did the job after several painstaking minutes (TURN THE POWER OFF FIRST, heh).

Dang cheap floppies and people who mis-handle them. : P

The Aliens · Post by **The Aliens** » 2004-04-21 08:09pm

Stick a magnet u to the slot and pull it out

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-04-21 09:49pm

Smash it with a sledgehammer then remove the offending part from the resulting pile of rubble?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-04-21 11:44pm

Now that this thread has degraded...