OFF: "Error Reading Disk" When Closing or Saving File on Floppy (134840)

SYMPTOMS

In the programs listed at the beginning of this article, when you close or save a file, you may receive the following error message

Error Reading Disk in Drive <A>:

Please Insert Disk
With Serial Number 0000-0000 in Drive <A>:

Press ENTER for OK or ESC to Cancel: OK

where <A> is one of the floppy disk drives in your computer.

Additionally, if you wait too long to respond to this error message, your computer stops responding (hangs), and you must turn it off and on again to return to Windows.

NOTE: This problem does not occur if you are running Windows NT.

CAUSE

This problem occurs with files that are saved to a floppy disk, when you do any of the following:

Remove the floppy disk while the file is still open, and then close the file or the program.
Save the file to a different floppy disk while the file is still open.
Remove the floppy disk while the file is still being saved.

NOTE: A file on a floppy disk is considered open as long as any program has the file open.

This problem occurs when the program attempts to access a file on a floppy disk when that floppy disk (and file) is no longer available. If program is attempting to close or save a file on a floppy disk, and the floppy disk is no longer in the drive, your receive the error message described earlier.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, close any files that are located on a floppy disk before you remove the disk from the floppy disk drive. Note that this means that you cannot save a file from one floppy disk to another floppy disk using the same floppy disk drive. You must first transfer the file to your hard disk or to a floppy disk in another drive.

To avoid having your computer stop responding if you receive this error message, use either of the following methods:

Quickly press ESC.

-or-
Quickly insert the floppy disk that contains the file back in the floppy disk drive and press ENTER.