Page 1 of 1
What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2026 3:33 pm
by branpurn
Would I be able to buy a dead ThinkPad 700 FDD module and extract an IBM proprietary to standard FDD connector...?
...similar to if I buy a dead ThinkPad 700 HDD, I can extract an IBM proprietary to standard 2.5'' IDE laptop HDD connector?
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 5:00 am
by solidpro
I have both, but why are you trying to?
The hard drive isn't IDE in a 700C, it's an ESDI drive because the machine is MCA architecture.
btw Imgur doesn't work in the EU/UK. Blocked. Maybe use imgbb or similar?
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 7:12 am
by RealBlackStuff
Imgur works fine for me in Ireland.
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 9:10 am
by branpurn
solidpro wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 5:00 am
I have both, but why are you trying to?
The hard drive isn't IDE in a 700C, it's an ESDI drive because the machine is MCA architecture.
btw Imgur doesn't work in the EU/UK. Blocked. Maybe use imgbb or similar?
Maybe some wackiness with a FDD ribbon extension out the front of my 755C to connect to an FDD emulator
My 755C accepts 2.5'' laptop PATA/IDE drives with the connector extracted from a dead drive
Image is essentially illustrating the FDD module in mind, and an OEM HDD, not very important
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 9:29 am
by axur-delmeria
I see two possibilities:
* The proprietary connector is soldered to the floppy drive's main circuit board
* It's a separate board with a 26-pin flex cable most laptop floppy drives have at the other end.
Question:
Does the Thinkpad 700 have a connector for an external floppy drive? If yes, you can hopefully make use of that.
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 1:08 pm
by solidpro
RealBlackStuff wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 7:12 am
Imgur works fine for me in Ireland.
https://help.imgur.com/hc/en-us/article ... ed-Kingdom
RBS EDIT: (no) thank you, Brexit...
Re: What's inside a ThinkPad 700, et. al., FDD module?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 1:09 pm
by solidpro
branpurn wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 9:10 am
solidpro wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 5:00 am
I have both, but why are you trying to?
The hard drive isn't IDE in a 700C, it's an ESDI drive because the machine is MCA architecture.
btw Imgur doesn't work in the EU/UK. Blocked. Maybe use imgbb or similar?
Maybe some wackiness with a FDD ribbon extension out the front of my 755C to connect to an FDD emulator
My 755C accepts 2.5'' laptop PATA/IDE drives with the connector extracted from a dead drive
Image is essentially illustrating the FDD module in mind, and an OEM HDD, not very important
755 is IDE. 700C is not.