Bigboy......Here is what you need to do:
Buy a new 3.5" drive. Find a local computer store, or go to
www.pricewatch.com and order one online. Expect to pay 15-25 bucks. They are all the same, so if you ask for a 3.5" floppy drive, you will get exactly what you need.
Unplug the computer.
Remove your computer case cover.
Grab on to a metal frame of the the computer chassis with one hand to ground yourself. If there were any static in your body, it would be spread out across the whole metal frame and be discharged, rather than possibly toasting a semiconductor somewhere.
Locate the drive. Some are held into the chassis with small screws, and others are on tracks that slide into grooves in the channel. Whatever the case, remove the small four wire power cable, and the grey ribbon cable first, then pull the old drive out.
Be careful that you don't break the power wire. The plastic connector where it hooks to the drive often has a little locking tab in the center that you need to press to release the harness from the connector. The wires can pull out of the connector very easily, especially on older machines, where the plastic gets brittle. The connector is grooved, so it will only attach one way.
Install the new drive. Plug in the small four wire power cable, until it clicks, with the litttle locking tab engaging.
Take hold of the grey ribbon cable, and look at it. There is a red stripe on the first wire on one side. That is wire number 1, and slides into the connector on the drive, with the red stripe facing towards the power cable. Some connectors are notched and will only go in one way, but not all are.
Mechanically reattach the drive as necessary.
Replace the cover, and plug the puter' back in.
Fire it up, and check to make sure it lights up and has some activity when you power on. If not, the ribbon cable could be backwards, or not fully engaged.
Any problems, email me with your phone number, and I can walk you thru it, but I think you'll do just fine.