Problem with Floppy!

atro1

been using the same floppy disc for a while, today it asks to be formatted, do not know why!. If I format it it will lose everything on it, is that correct?
Just tells me,'you need to format the disc in A drive'
Any help appreciated.

Jaffa.

Try going to the Command Prompt and typing a:/dir

Does it read the floppy and give you a list of files?

kwikbreaks

It sounds like it could be corrupted. The dir mentioned above will show if there is any data that may be retrieved.

Floppie disks don't last forever and if you've been using the same one for ages that could be why it has expired (assuming it has).

Most of the world gave up on floppies five years or more ago. Modern machines don't usually even have a floppy drive. If your machine has a USB port and you are tunning Win98 or later splash out a fiver or so on a USB pen drive.

atro1

Is this the same as a usb pen drive.USB 4GB Flash drive. It is for a Excell work sheet that is changed monthly.

missile

Last time I saw a floppy disk was in a museum.

jojo2004

missile wrote: »

Last time I saw a floppy disk was in a museum.

The library at my University used to sell floppies in a vending machine until a year ago....
I remember seeing my first new computer that didn't have a floppy drive. Ah, the good old days...

kwikbreaks

USB pen drive / Flash dive / call it what you will they are the same beastie. If you shop around about £10 will get you an 8GB one although you can pay a lot more. They had some in WH Smith at that price if you don't fancy eBay and the like. If you like chucking money down the drain you could even get one from PC World. They don't last forever either and can be lost too but I'd pick one over a floppy every time. AS LONG AS the PC and OPSYS will support one - a PC with a floppy drive might not - you need the port and win98 or later as I said above (although some late win95 systems might work too)

spakkker

Well , yes ,a usb pen drive, or memory stick, fits into a usb connector on your pc.
See - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/default.php?cat=6&type=6070&man=0&filterwords=%23clearance&go=SEARCH&comp=
As a floppy disc is 1.4MB ,a 4GB pen drive is kind of 2500 times the capacity of 1 floppy disc SO EVEN A 1GB or 512MB drive would be ok.

atro1

I remember reel to reel tape recorders coming in let alone all this stuff. We are struggling but we keep going. One day I will know the difference between feet and inches to centimeters and as for the new money --Well!

missile

jojo2004 wrote: »

The library at my University used to sell floppies in a vending machine until a year ago....
I remember seeing my first new computer that didn't have a floppy drive. Ah, the good old days...

When I was at university, the only thing they sold in vending machines was a pack of three :rotfl:

jojo2004

missile wrote: »

When I was at university, the only thing they sold in vending machines was a pack of three :rotfl:

No, they sold them individually.....;):A

At least that vending machine wasn't always empty.