Solved Windows 11 unable to detect external floppy drive reader

I came across some old floppy disks a few weeks ago and decided to buy an external floppy drive to see what was on them. When I plug it into MULTIPLE USB ports, I hear it trying to read the floppy disk.

When I go to Explorer, it doesn't show up there (not as A: or any other drive letter).

Device Manager does show the floppy drive under "Floppy disk drives" (with no type of "error icon"), but Disk Management does NOT show anything beyond the drive letters I know are valid and in use already.

I tried running a DOS command (can't find that command now, but think it was something like mtcd.exe???) with no change.

Went into power settings and under USB settings, I disabled "USB selective suspend setting."

As stated earlier, I have tried 3 different USB ports on my PC.

I plugged this into my wife's Win10 PC and it detected it the first time (as Drive A:). But then after unplugging and plugging it back in multiple times, it no longer detects it.

Any ideas what else I can try? I'm running Windows 11 Pro .

Win11 version 24H2

I have a Teac FD-05PUW USB floppy drive. I rarely use it.

I just tried it. I inserted a floppy before connecting it. The first time I plugged it into one of the front USB 2.0 ports, it wasn't recognized. I tried a 3.2 port, and it worked. Tried a 2.0 port, and it was OK.

I don't know what to suggest, but it seems that there is no fundamental issue in using a USB floppy drive on a Windows 11 PC.

I can see a USB Floppy Disk drive in File Explorer but usually have to have a disk in it.

MS-DOS 6.21 boot disk:

I have a floppy disk in the drive when I try to use it. Have tried two different disks with no luck (as as I noted, my wife's PC could initially see and read the data on that disk on her Win10 PC).

After doing more digging, it appears the floppy (Sony model# MPF82E ) is only compatible with
Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Me, or Windows XP

So, never mind. I'll have to buy a more up-to-date external floppy drive reader (I know....the irony of saying "up-to-date" when referring to anything floppy-related lol).

Just out of curiousity, since it's showing in Device Manager, what happens if you open a Run box and type "A:\"?

The manual for the MPF82E is dated 2002.

Maybe it is time to replace the reader.