Floppy Disk Query

chezza262

Hi,
I have a freecom floppy disk drive that I bought to work with my laptop to use some old work disks. My sister has a disk that she saved some work on when she was younger and wants to know what files are on it. However I am now using a PC with vista and although it accepts the disk drive it says the actual disk needs formatting but cannot do it.

Does anyone have any ideas/advice.

Much appreciated

C x

albertross_2

if you format it, it will wipe the contents. It sounds like it thinks the floppy is blank or corrupt

bookduck

chezza262 wrote: »

Hi,
My sister has a disk that she saved some work on when she was younger and wants to know what files are on it.

Is the disk a 720k one or a 1.44M one (the 1.44 one had HD written on them). Starting with NT4 the support for the reading 720k disk was removed.

Secondly, with time disk loose their magnetism. Also they collect dust/dirt, get corrupt.

Thirdly, if the disk was recorded or is read by a drive whose alignment is out, then the disk will not be accessible unless you user the misaligned drive..

Paul_Herring

Another issue is that the drive heads on either the reading or writing drive may be slightly misaligned (or more frequently, not in precise alignment with the other drive.) The only recommendation I could make is to try it in different floppy drives and see if you have any success.

chezza262

Thank you for your answers, tbh I dont think it contains anything hugely important lol but I will give it a go in another drive.
C x