Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!

On 2021-05-14 6:54 p.m., Michael Trew wrote:
> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
> current desktop Windows 7 computer.  It was one of the last motherboards
> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011.  Whenever Web-Root
> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
> annoying sound at the worst times.  Is there a way to prevent this?  I
> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
> or to disable the anti-virus scan.  Maybe there is a way to remove drive
> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan?  Many thanks!

Does it do this with a valid disk installed?
1: Try it with or without a disk.

2: you can disable it in device manager and re-enable it just when you
need it.

HTH.

Rene

On Fri, 14 May 2021 19:54:17 -0400, Michael Trew <mt999999@ymail.com>
wrote:

>Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
>current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
>to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
>secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
>least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
>annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
>occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
>or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
>A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!

I stopped using all those damn intrusive - EXPENSIVE- AV and "Internet
Security" programs a long time ago. I now use a freebie sandbox which
protects my C: totally. Any bad stuff happens, reboot and the bad
stuff is gone. Those other 'security" programs are always a pain in
the arse.

http://toolwiz.com/lead/toolwiz_time_freeze/

Michael Trew wrote:
> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
> current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
> annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
> or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!

Disable the SuperIO floppy port, in the BIOS peripheral section.

You can enable it and boot up, when you need to use it.

The alternative, is to use a USB floppy, as they don't make
a sound until media is actually present. I have a Mitsui 2X
("double speed") floppy drive that has nice table manners. Both
the silicon to make those, and the drive mechanism, were
discontinued years ago. You could only get one of those
now, by stealing one from the Smithsonian.

Removing the drive letter A: might achieve some result, but
then again, there's probably another identifier or two that
programs could use and still "squeeze a seek noise" out of the
damn thing. The "mountvol" command shows that A: is in the
mountvol table. But A: is not in Disk Management, so you
can't "un-letter" it there.

Another thing you can try, is some AVs have "exclusion lists",
for keeping the scanner out of folders where you don't want
them. For example, some people prevent their AV from
scanning an email folder.

But if it was me, I've heard that seek noise enough times
to know only the Mitsui can really fix the problem. And you
also don't even need to leave the Mitsui plugged in, and
you can just plug it in when you need it.

Paul

On Fri, 14 May 2021 19:54:17 -0400, Michael Trew wrote:
> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
> current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
> annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
> or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!

Try below batch file (requires elevation). Name it as e.g.
`DisableFloppy.bat`.

It will try to detect the presence of drive A: (which is assumed to be a
floppy drive). If it exists, remove the drive letter then pause with a user
prompt. After the user have dismissed the prompt, the batch file will readd
the drive letter.

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
if not exist %windir%\system32\config\* (
echo This batch file requires elevated privileges.
pause
goto :eof
) set mp=
set p=
for /f %%A in ('mountvol') do (
set a=%%A
if "!a:~0,4!" == "\\?\" (
set p=%%A
) else if "%%A" == "A:\" if "!p!" neq "" (
set mp=!p!
)
) if "%mp%" == "" (
echo Floppy drive A: is not found.
pause
goto :eof
) mountvol a: /d
if errorlevel 1 (
pause
goto :eof
) echo Floppy drive has been dismounted.
echo Press any key to remount it...
pause>nul
echo.
mountvol a: %mp%
if not errorlevel 1 echo Floppy drive has been remounted.
pause

On 5/14/21 5:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
> current desktop Windows 7 computer.  It was one of the last motherboards
> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011.  Whenever Web-Root
> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
> annoying sound at the worst times.  Is there a way to prevent this?  I
> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
> or to disable the anti-virus scan.  Maybe there is a way to remove drive
> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan?  Many thanks!

Throw the sucker out and use a USB floppy drive. Plug it in when you
need it.

On Sun, 16 May 2021 18:39:34 -0600, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:

>On 5/14/21 5:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
>> current desktop Windows 7 computer.  It was one of the last motherboards
>> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011.  Whenever Web-Root
>> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
>> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
>> annoying sound at the worst times.  Is there a way to prevent this?  I
>> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
>> or to disable the anti-virus scan.  Maybe there is a way to remove drive
>> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan?  Many thanks!
>
>Throw the sucker out and use a USB floppy drive. Plug it in when you
>need it.

The problem with getting rid of the A: drive is that an external
floppy won't boot your computer if need be.

On Sun, 16 May 2021 19:45:15 -0500, Casey@Leave.Me.Alone.Org wrote:

>On Sun, 16 May 2021 18:39:34 -0600, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:
>
>>On 5/14/21 5:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
>>> current desktop Windows 7 computer.  It was one of the last motherboards
>>> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011.  Whenever Web-Root
>>> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
>>> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
>>> annoying sound at the worst times.  Is there a way to prevent this?  I
>>> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
>>> or to disable the anti-virus scan.  Maybe there is a way to remove drive
>>> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan?  Many thanks!
>>
>>Throw the sucker out and use a USB floppy drive. Plug it in when you
>>need it.
>
>The problem with getting rid of the A: drive is that an external
>floppy won't boot your computer if need be.

I guess I should have added this....

Use a simple freebie sandbox like Time Freeze instead of all that
expensive and intrusive AV/security suite junk which drives you nuts
with "ALERTS", insisting that you spend even more $$$ for the next
new Super-Duper update.

In almost any case, malware crap that you catch when sandboxed goes
bye-bye with a reboot. The crap that will get through your sandbox is
rare. The crap which can get through those other 'security' measures
is common.

Support OS:WinXP/Win2003/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10(32/64bit)

http://toolwiz.com/lead/toolwiz_time_freeze/

Casey@Leave.Me.Alone.Org wrote:
> On Sun, 16 May 2021 18:39:34 -0600, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:
>
>> On 5/14/21 5:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
>>> current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
>>> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
>>> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
>>> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
>>> annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
>>> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
>>> or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
>>> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!
>> Throw the sucker out and use a USB floppy drive. Plug it in when you
>> need it.
>
> The problem with getting rid of the A: drive is that an external
> floppy won't boot your computer if need be.

The USB floppy does boot.

That's how I run the memtest floppy on the newest computer
(which doesn't have a floppy drive).

It doesn't mind booting off it.

Paul

Casey@Leave.Me.Alone.Org graced us with on 5/16/2021 5:49 PM:
> On Sun, 16 May 2021 19:45:15 -0500, Casey@Leave.Me.Alone.Org wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 16 May 2021 18:39:34 -0600, ray <ray@zianet.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 5/14/21 5:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
>>>> current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
>>>> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
>>>> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
>>>> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
>>>> annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
>>>> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
>>>> or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
>>>> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!
>>> Throw the sucker out and use a USB floppy drive. Plug it in when you
>>> need it.
>> The problem with getting rid of the A: drive is that an external
>> floppy won't boot your computer if need be.
>
> I guess I should have added this....
>
> Use a simple freebie sandbox like Time Freeze instead of all that
> expensive and intrusive AV/security suite junk which drives you nuts
> with "ALERTS", insisting that you spend even more $$$ for the next
> new Super-Duper update.
>
> In almost any case, malware crap that you catch when sandboxed goes
> bye-bye with a reboot. The crap that will get through your sandbox is
> rare. The crap which can get through those other 'security' measures
> is common.
>
> Support OS:WinXP/Win2003/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10(32/64bit)
>
> http://toolwiz.com/lead/toolwiz_time_freeze/

What resources does it use, i.e., virtual memory, RAM and what the
performance costs; especially on gaming frame rates?

Note: general understanding is fine, I realize that a lot depends on
system; especially performance costs.

--
Sailfish
CDC Covid19 Trends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624208354841034
Rare Mozilla Stuff: http://tinyurl.com/z86x3sg

On 5/14/2021 7:54 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> Laugh if you will, but I still have an internal 3.5 floppy drive in my
> current desktop Windows 7 computer. It was one of the last motherboards
> to have floppy support, an Intel board circa 2011. Whenever Web-Root
> secure does a system scan, it randomly attempts to access the drive - at
> least 2 times during each scan, which tends to make a loud startling and
> annoying sound at the worst times. Is there a way to prevent this? I
> occasionally use the floppy drive, so please don't tell me to unhook it
> or to disable the anti-virus scan. Maybe there is a way to remove drive
> A: from the "system scan" when doing a system scan? Many thanks!

Thanks all! I'll be looking into adding an exception into webroot. If
not, then I'll explore other avenues or temporarily disabling A: as
mentioned. Webroot is a very light-weight A/V, and it found multiple
malware/viruses on my PC for years that somehow Malwarebytes and Norton
have been missing for years... I was quite impressed for the very low
price point.