Inspiron suddenly won't recognise floppy

I am suffering what appears to be a Dell issue (I have only had it on Dell
computers, - and too often on various different Dells), which is that
suddenly this computer wont recognise its floppy drive. It spins and spins
and however many times I try to check the BIOS and boot off it, the computer
wont boot off the floppy. So I cant get it to see whatever CD I put in the
drive.

The unit wont see its floppy whether I put it into the bay or at the end of
the cable. I don't think it is a BIOS revision issue OR is there some way of
reinstalling the same BIOS as is in the unit already? Can an attempted
install of an OS screw up the BIOS? I haven't unplugged the Unit since all
this arose so I can't see this as a BIOS battery issue

The full problem is that I have changed the hard drive and put one off a
ThinkPad in with Win 95 on it. It works. I tried to install 98SE off the
original install discs but, booting off the CD, the unit won't do a clean
install. I discovered that it also obviously won't install with the 95
win.com in place. Then suddenly after this failed install, the OS stopped
seeing the floppy (and, later, the CD as well)! Now I don't dare format
the hard drive and try to install 98 SE from the CD for fear that the unit
won't see its CD when I try this. I kinda presume that the not seeing the CD
is not a hardware fault but is something to do with the OS although it wont
see its CD on boot either. It booted off the CD when it was doing this
install but wont boot off it any more now after restarting the unit.

Anyone know what causes this Dell floppy issue or is it simply a poor
quality hardware issue?


.

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