Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive?
By saradarath
@saradarath (467)
India
December 25, 2006 2:36pm CST
The answer goes back to the glory days of floppy discs and DOS. The early DOS operating system designated two drives, A and B, strictly for floppy drives. Why? Because many early computers didn't have native hard drives -- they booted from Drive A, and ran applications from Drive B.
for me..
Later, as computers came with hard drives, the second floppy drive became a useless appendage -- the computer equivalent of an appendix. To avoid confusion during the evolutionary window when computers with new hard drives coexisted beside computers with two floppies, the hard drives were given the "C" slot.
Technically speaking, the "computer" isn't missing the B drive, it's just that later Microsoft operating systems have omitted it as unnecessary.
6 people like this
79 responses
@viking888 (390)
• Philippines
26 Dec 06
I agree, you just answered your question and no doubt you have the experience to tell others because you seem to have the background knowledge of the older DOS based computer operating systems in the years before the XT was born. (I see some frowning faces, wondering what it is! XT's, AT's, etc.... those are dinasaurs of the early computer era.
@uniquecomputers (110)
• India
26 Dec 06
In olden days when DOS was used, 'B' Floppy drive was used to make a diskcopy of floppy 'A'. through Diskcopy command. Now a days nobody is using DOS but many people use Floppy still.
@kodeshkodashim (925)
• United States
25 Dec 06
why do you care so much ?? I hope your not loosing sleep over this HUGE probem in your life.
@djshocker (400)
• United States
26 Dec 06
Quit being such a rude person. My gosh, why don't you quit posting stuff if you can't say something nice. People like you don't deserve to be on MyLot
@freesoul (3021)
• Egypt
25 Dec 06
The only good usage for floppies now is as a startup disk to access DOS, format hard disk and reinstall Windows or to initiate a new hard disk (partitioning and formatting it) although some people still don't have CD or DVD writers nor a flash memories floppy is very limited in space and not good at transferring files, also it's no good for backups as they tend to get defective after a short period.
@myheartbeat4u (149)
• India
26 Dec 06
Hi Saradarath,
I could not find any query in your post. By the way, now a days we do not require B drive on our computer as we no longer need a second floppy drive. Those were the old days when two Floppy drives existed on the system and hard drive is named as 'C' drive. Now we have Pen drives to share the date and we no longer need A drive too. Pen drives replaced Floppies and Compact Dik's (CD's) too. Now no one remembers 'B' drive
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
26 Dec 06
Computers still use B drive, it is simply a lot less common now. The same principle still applies where B is the second floppy drive. For a while computers would have a 3.5 inch and a 5.25 inch drive, then the popularity of the LS120 drive gave the option of 2 floppies. You can even run 2 floppies on the computer for ease of copying.
@keminem001 (779)
• Saint Lucia
26 Dec 06
why'd you ask this question anyway? you already gave the answer to it. what was the point of this discussion?
anyway your answer is right. just to let you know.
@faisal86 (471)
• Pakistan
26 Dec 06
actuallty before 1.44 floppy, there was another floppy , so when there were two floppy drives, so there are two name, Driva "A", and Drive "B". Now only 1.44 floppy are in use , so Drive "A" & Drive "B" both use as a 1.44' floppy
@cyberwizcash (668)
• India
26 Dec 06
theydid have disk drives called a and b hard disk started from c network from k
@bond_007 (7)
• India
26 Dec 06
well dear..use system mechanic...any version and enable drive letter b: from it.....then if ever u plug in a pendrive ..it will be shown as b drive...all done..
...yup its true that its disabled by default...but it can be enabled also....
"where there is a will there is a way"
@stvenvoon (254)
• Malaysia
26 Dec 06
Ya u r right. Many years ago i have seen the computer with B drive but that time i still a kids that dont know anything.
After i know how to use a computer the B rive already dissapper from all the computer.
I think because it was alreadfy old so the computer didnt use it.
After ur explaination i have understand it.
10s for ur information.
