I just thought I would update the list on some "discoveries" I have made on this task of recovering data from really old storage. The older the disk i.e. the longer ago it was written to the higher the probability that the data and format was still intact.If the disk was originally a cheap early bulk purchase the higher the probability that the data and format was still intact.Being able to recover the data does not insure you will be able to actually Use/View said data, but I am sure no one would be surprise by that! I got lucky in the many of the oldest programs were also archived so we might still be able to get to the information and put it in a more archive friendly format but that will be another task. The take away is newer floppies seem to have more issues than earlier diskettes, with the length of time that 3.5" floppies can be read (if you still have the drive) can easily be more than 3 decades. The oldest files date back to late 79 early 80 with the diskettes dating from about then as well and possibly even earlier. Now if I have as much luck with the 5.25" diskettes I will have it made. Once this is all done I will be physically destroying these disks! Oh, and it is so nice to be a Pack Rat that has a hard time disposing of old utility software! I found multiple versions of Norton software all of the diskettes appear to be usable and intact! Now to build up a system that understands and functions with Windows 98 SE at the latest/earliest. Jon From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [NTSysADM] Floppy disk recovery tool Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:57:33 +0000
Unless you’re using a commercial grade burner and disks, at best DVDs have a life of about 25 years (Most of what consumers buy is much less). From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jon Harris Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 6:50 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [NTSysADM] Floppy disk recovery tool Disks in question are reporting they need to be formatted so I am guessing they have lost(?) the correct bit/byte at the head of the disk and I don't have my old tools to look at the bit and byte level of a drive. I was so glad when things moved to DVD's guess I should have figured I would get bit by old disks at some point. Jon > From: [email protected] > Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:13:58 -0400 > Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] Floppy disk recovery tool > To: [email protected] > > On Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 10:31 PM, Jon Harris <[email protected]> wrote: > > Anyone have a favorite recovery tool for getting to 3.5 and maybe even 5.25 > > floppies. I know they are old but sometimes we don't keep all of the > > archives on current media this is one of those times. > > I presume you're getting read errors on the disk? > > I'd prolly try dd_rhelp (Linux tool). > > Floppy tech is old enough that the snake oil in SpinRite might > actually apply. (Or not. I don't know, I'm just saying that Gibson's > claims aren't obviously bogus for floppies, the way they are for > modern hard disks.) > > -- Ben > >
