Need help with old Austin Laptop

Hi Jaeco,

for your information, as it was cheaper for manufacturers to use a 25 pin RS232 connector as opposed to a Centronics one, gradually these connectors took over.

If you look at the back of a older pc, generally there are two serial ports and one parallel port for the printer.

The gender differs between serial (9 and 25) pin ports and 25 pin parallel ports.

A Centronics connector is very different, see:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_ribbon

On no account should a parallel device be connected to a serial port (and vice versa) as voltages differ and the result can be serious toast!

If only you were in London, we would have had it fixed by now!

Good Luck - Mike

Hi Jaeco,

if you look at the plug on an external floppy drive, you should be able to tell which pc port it connects with.

Am still concerned if you require a power supply and/or driver(you cannot install).

You advise your problem is caused by a broken floppy drive. Are you sure this is the case? Unless very heavily used, it is rare for one to fail completely. I think in many years I have only had one, maybe two that have failed, such they must be binned.

To re*f*u*r*bish a desktop floppy:-

a) remove from pc, carefully disconnecting power and interface cables

b) if there is a top cover, remove, then blowout any muck with a hairdryer set to cold and maximum blast.

c) gently clean the head(s) with a bent cotton bud/Q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol (fluid supplied with cd/dvd cleaning kits)

d) carefully reconnect power and interface cables when replacing drive.

It cannot be that different for a laptop, once drive is removed.

----
Googling:- dismantling laptop

produces many hits, such as:-
http://www.laptop-repair.info/take_laptop_apart.html

As a matter of interest, where in the US of A are you located? I am in Hammersmith, West London.

Good Luck - Mike

Edited by Mike Newcomb - 21 January 2012 at 11:19am

Depending on how urgent your need is, a competent tech should be able to extend the wires from inside the computer chassis to a .3.5" disk drive.
That said, your comment about the drive sounding like "revving the engine", could imply that the Floppy drive controller is at fault. This would be a serious "bummer".
Alternatively there are services that specialize in recovering harddrive data.
good luck.

Edited by Qwaxalot - 22 January 2012 at 11:28am