How to install 3rd party drivers when no floppy?

[RegEdit]

When doing a fresh Windows install how do you install 3rd party drivers (if necessary) when there's no floppy drive? I have an external USB floppy but it is never recognized.

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'm thinking you mean the hard drive controller drivers during Windows XP setup/install? The F-6 prompt? Usually connect an external USB floppy...if it's not recognized..check your BIOS settings, look for legacy USB support or Floppy USB support.

[TLE]

If that doesn't work, you will have to rebuild the ISO and include the drivers. You can use nlite to slipstream the drivers in I think.

[RegEdit]

check your BIOS settings, look for legacy USB support or Floppy USB support.

I didn't see anything like that but I'll look harder. If that doesn't work then I'm thinking that temporarily physically installing a floppy drive might be the fastest work around!!! I don't enjoy slip streaming. Too slow.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Check your external USB floppy drive on another computer to ensure it's working. Perhaps it's a bum unit.

And of course...if you're working on a motherboard old enough to have an onboard floppy port...you can always connect one of those up quickly..if you have some floppy drive spares kicking around in a drawer of old stuff.

I've also had units where I've had to do an install and didn't have my external USB floppy around. In the BIOS..I set the SATA bus to run in IDE/PATA/legacy mode.....(which makes it an old ATA-100 type)....do the XP install. Once done....install the SATA controller drivers. Then before you reboot after installing the SATA controller drivers, go into the registry and change the controller mode, reboot..go into the BIOS...flip SATA controller back to native mode...and boot up.