Is there any chance it may work?

[aimeeandbeatles]

I got a free floppy disk drive from the school, but the teacher said he didn't know if it works. When I got home, I noticed that on the back, where you'd plug it in, one of the tiny pins is missing. Should I bother trying to install it?

 

[Turner]

If it's missing parts, probably not a good idea to plug it in.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Thanks. I'll see if there's a way to get another plug cheaper than the cost of a new floppy drive. (This can be locked if a moderator feels like it.)

 

[Zelig]

Floppy drives aren't worth using.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

There's a few programs I have that I'd like to transfer to CD, and mom doesn't want me to do it on her computer for some reason.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Then ask her why not. Burning a cd isnt dangerous. ( Sure there is a risk, but you're more likely to get struck by lightning on a clear Friday the 13th night under a full moon)

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I asked her. She said, "Because I say so!"

 

[Zelig]

There's a few programs I have that I'd like to transfer to CD, and mom doesn't want me to do it on her computer for some reason.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that those programs probably aren't worth using.

 

[Souron]

Just buy a CD-R drive. You can get one for $10 these days.

 

[GoodGame]

The last floppy drive I bought was like $8 about 2 years ago.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

I asked her. She said, "Because I say so!"

Well, I think I found yer problem!

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

LOL.

The only thing physically wrong (at least to the eye) is the one missing pin. Is there a way to take a thin piece of copper wire and try sticking it in the hole, or will I ruin it?

EDIT: Wait a second... I was doing some googling, and I saw pics of other (WORKING) floppy disk drives with the missing pin in the EXACT SAME LOCATION!!!

 

[Maniacal]

Are you sure the pin is actually missing? A number of pin sets are like (similar) this;

PPPPP
PPPXP

With X being an empty spot.

 

[[KC]Bantams]

floppy drives do actually have a pin missing on the socket

 

[Mise]

Can't you use a friend's floppy drive?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I don't have friends.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

And here's the first three columns of my floppy:
PPP
PXP

Second row, second column.

 

[Mise]

Do your school computers have floppy drives?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Some of them do, but we can't use them for that purpose.

 

[Till]

The second and third pin (from the left) of the bottom row are not used. Your drive should be fine.

135...
***...
*xx...
246...

Pin 4 and 6 are redundant.