Floppy/Media Reader Combo compatibility

[liguhy]

Are there any Floppy/media reader combos that are completly USB? All the ones I'm finding on Newegg have USB (port or internal mobo header) for the media reader and a standard IDE slot for the old-fashoned floppy cable.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_FHHx2dWqYJk/SkiS4ZrLzBI/AAAAAAAAAZo/OUMXOSaxZEc/floppy%20back.JPG

I really Like the Sabrent CRW-FLP2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820300009) cause it has media slots that show up individually and labeled, an extra USB port (also why it has a double USB header unlike some other combos), accepts SDHC, and has good reviews on Newegg. I'd rather not have to route an antiquated floppy cable (even a rounded one), but I'm mostly worried about loosing functionality if I ever get a mobo without a floppy header.

What would you do if you don't have a mobo header for the floppy cable anymore (like Zotac 9300 iTX mobo or just a newer one since floopy's on the way out)? I'm building a computer for a friend using the Zotac iTX motherboard and it doesn't have floppy/ide headers, but she absolutely needs both a media reader and a floppy drive.

Here's all the ones I found on Newegg and none of them seem to lack a floppy header. Not sure if this means it's the only way to connect the floppy or not, but I suspect so.
Koutech IO-FPM220 3.5" Floppy Drive & Multi Card Reader Front Panel (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813998514)
SABRENT CRW-FLP2 All-in-one USB 2.0 Floppy Drive and 68in1 Internal Memory Card Reader & Writer - SDHC/VISTA (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820300009)
Rosewill RCR-FD400 74-in-1 3.5" Internal USB 2.0 Card Reader w/ Floppy Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223111)
SIIG JU-91RW12-S4 9-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader/Write + Floppy (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815150058)

Lastly, for the life of me, I can't remember what that little 4-pin header is for - floppy power? If so, I wonder how many PSU's still have those as stock.

[zanzabar]

the floppy is dead, the only time ive used it in the last 5 or 6 years is for installing raid drivers on XP

all of those have a floppy header for the floppy but they plug into the USB its 1 cord for data and power on the card reader. i would skip it and use an nlited disk for drivers or get a usb external there is no real reason to have it

and u know that the 9300 is one of the chipsets that most OEMs dropped due to high failures and would get a jw minx and go phenom2, and this one can do full HD playback without the 2.2ghz cpu that u need for cpu only were the 9300 IGP will fail hard
http://www.jwele.com/motherboard_detail.php?419#_view

[MikeB12]

a little personal opinion here:

I quit using floppy drives a long time ago..

if you ever need a dos boot scenario.
you can use a thumb drive - instructions here http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197
or burn a bootable dos cd - instructions here http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=227440

and on the card readers, I'd much rather just have an external usb reader. that way you can move it around, or even store it in your camera bag.
plus if you install XP with the card reader plugged into the internal mobo header, XP is stupid and it tries to create the active os partition as D:, because the card reader automatically takes C when posting. so you have to unplug the dam thing from the mobo header when installing XP. having your active os partition on D creates all kinds of windows headaches with driver installs that want to goto C:\windows...

an external is so much easier, versatile and convenient.
I've been using this one for 2 yrs and it has never not worked on any of my pc's or laptops. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820401019
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3921/51193045.jpg



and I either use a bootable cd for bios flashing, or a usb thumb drive. (instructions above).


I had a internal card reader about 2 yrs ago on a amd x2 6000 build, and after the headaches it caused me, I swore never again unless it was on a notebook that came preinstalled with one. the internal ones you manually install in a desktop and plug into the mobo header are imo a waste of money and invitation for headaches.
just go pick out a usb external card reader.. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000010069%201319721987%201179712244&name=USB%202.0
they even have some with free shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000010069%204808%201319721987%201179712244&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE

[MikeB12]

actually, now you have me looking at these. LOL! I'm thinking about buying this one, it'll fit in my camera fanny pack and small bag easier than the one I have now, and it's free ship. and the usb dongle is permanently attached.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820283010

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/174/14682618.jpg

[MikeB12]

and here's your bootable drive if you need to flash a bios.. http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148153
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3181/93254154.jpg

[liguhy]

Thanks for all the advice, but I said I'm not building this for me, so more contemporary solutions like bootable thumbdrives/CDs are not what I need. I know all about those and that's what I use personally (whenever I rarely need to do so). This is for a friend who is rather old and needs simplicity. I knew about the drive letter hijacking, but she'd never install an OS anyways, so that single problem can be avoided easily. Is there no media reader/floppy combo that utilizes USB for the floppy as well? Seems absurd there isn't with all these external USB floppy drives around. Wonder if you could mod two together - seems an interesting project. I'm really looking for specific answers to THIS specific question, not alternative solutions (thanks for the effort & info htough).

Now on to the motherboard. I created a separate thread (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=228359) in this sub-forum about the Zotac and other iTX motherboards so we don't put two topics in one thread. If you could chime in there with your info on the Zotac 9300 problems and alternatives. Briefly, though, let me ask one question since it's related to the origina purpose of this thread - are there any iTX motherboards with floppy and IDE connectors on board?

[3Z3VH]

This should just be a matter of buying an external USB Floppy drive, mounting it inside the case, and snipping the USB cable and soldering on your own internal USB connector.

[liguhy]

This should just be a matter of buying an external USB Floppy drive, mounting it inside the case, and snipping the USB cable and soldering on your own internal USB connector.

Anyone done this and/or have links to such? Seems like a nice little DIY mod: buy a FDD+media reader, remove the standard FDD and install the USB-based one. I'd have to get a different reader than the Sabrent CRW-FLP2 since it uses the whole mobo header (one for media reader, one for USB port). Is there a way to modd a USB FDD into the Sabrent CRW-FLP2 without sacrificing the USB port but only using the one motherboard header pictured with the product?