Problem to read data from 5.25 floppy disk.

[Mew]

Hi everyone,

this weekend I try to plug my old 5.25 flopppy disk to read my old
data that I used on my 80286

My recent PC doesn't support two floppy, so I plug it instead of the
3.5 floppy and setup in the bios to 3.5 720k because in that bios I
have only choice of 1.44 or 720k

under windows xp, I could read some disk, but somes not.

Then I decided to plug it onto an older pc that support 5.25 in the
bios, in this one I have choice between 5.25 360k and 1.22

I successfully setup it in the bios, I can still boot on the floppy
drive 3.5 A: and it detect floppy drive B:

I boot first with a win98se boot disk, but I cannot read disk, I just
get error message: General failure reading drive B

so I decide to make another boot disk of dos 3.3 maybe its because the
file system on the floppy is different than the one that win98se used.
and I get the same error.

Now I am out of ideas, any suggestions ? In the bios I try both 360k
and 1.22

thanks.

 

[Rod Speed]

this weekend I try to plug my old 5.25 flopppy disk to read my old
data that I used on my 80286

My recent PC doesn't support two floppy, so I plug it instead of the
3.5 floppy and setup in the bios to 3.5 720k because in that bios I
have only choice of 1.44 or 720k

under windows xp, I could read some disk, but somes not.

Then I decided to plug it onto an older pc that support 5.25 in the
bios, in this one I have choice between 5.25 360k and 1.22

I successfully setup it in the bios, I can still boot on the floppy
drive 3.5 A: and it detect floppy drive B:

I boot first with a win98se boot disk, but I cannot read disk, I just
get error message: General failure reading drive B

so I decide to make another boot disk of dos 3.3 maybe its because the
file system on the floppy is different than the one that win98se used.
and I get the same error.

Now I am out of ideas, any suggestions ? In the bios I try both 360k
and 1.22

What is the 5.25 drive, 360K or 1.2MB ?

The first variable result could just be dirty heads in the drive,
or because some of the floppys you were trying to read were
written in a 1.2MB drive and you are using a 360K drive etc.

The effect in the older PC may just be due to not using the
correct media for the drive, the 360K/1.2MB format problem.

 

[Mew]

What is the 5.25 drive, 360K or 1.2MB ?

The first variable result could just be dirty heads in the drive,
or because some of the floppys you were trying to read were
written in a 1.2MB drive and you are using a 360K drive etc.

The effect in the older PC may just be due to not using the
correct media for the drive, the 360K/1.2MB format problem.- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -

- Afficher le texte des messages précédents -

Ok, but I read somewhere there exist a 720k 5.25 floppy is that true ?
I am a little confused between the numbers of trakcs, sectors, 360k
720k 1.22 low density, high density, double side, etc ^^

There is a way to verify on the device if it is a 360, 720 or 1.22
floppy ?

And for the disk, there is a way to verify if they are 360, 720 or
1.22 ?

But does 1.22 floppy drive can read the two other type below ?

And I read somewhere on the web that we can play with the rpm 300 or
360 and jumper settings on the device..

Thanks you for your help

 

[Rod Speed]

Ok, but I read somewhere there exist a 720k 5.25 floppy is that true ?

It is possible to format one, so in that sense it is true.

I am a little confused between the numbers of trakcs, sectors,
360k 720k 1.22 low density, high density, double side, etc ^^

Yeah, it gets surprisingly complicated, particularly if you try to use
more than one 5.25 floppy drive. Its possible to write the floppy in
a 1.2MB drive and for it not to be readable in a 360K drive, because
the 1.2MB drive has half the head width of the 360K drive, so when
you format the media in the 1.2MB drive, it just writes a narrow track
down the middle of the old track and when you put the media back
in a 360K drive, the wider head read the newly written track and
the fragments of the old track on either side of that and fails.

There is a way to verify on the device if it is a 360, 720 or 1.22 floppy ?

The best way to do that is to use the model number on the physical drive.

And for the disk, there is a way to verify if they are 360, 720 or 1.22 ?

Thats usually marked on the media.

But does 1.22 floppy drive can read the two other type below ?
Yes.

And I read somewhere on the web that we can play with
the rpm 300 or 360 and jumper settings on the device..

Yeah, that gets messy too. Usually isnt the problem tho.

 

[Mew]

It is possible to format one, so in that sense it is true.


Yeah, it gets surprisingly complicated, particularly if you try to use
more than one 5.25 floppy drive. Its possible to write the floppy in
a 1.2MB drive and for it not to be readable in a 360K drive, because
the 1.2MB drive has half the head width of the 360K drive, so when
you format the media in the 1.2MB drive, it just writes a narrow track
down the middle of the old track and when you put the media back
in a 360K drive, the wider head read the newly written track and
the fragments of the old track on either side of that and fails.


The best way to do that is to use the model number on the physical drive.


Thats usually marked on the media.


Yeah, that gets messy too. Usually isnt the problem tho.




- Afficher le texte des messages précédents -- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -

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Ok, I will try to clean the head of the device when I will be back to
home later, I read somewhere too the problem maybe come from
format.com of dos, for some reason it can't read track 0 so it return
the error that the disk is unusable. maybe if I try a boot disk of pc-
dos ?

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Hi everyone,

this weekend I try to plug my old 5.25 flopppy disk to read my old
data that I used on my 80286

My recent PC doesn't support two floppy, so I plug it instead of the
3.5 floppy and setup in the bios to 3.5 720k because in that bios I
have only choice of 1.44 or 720k

under windows xp, I could read some disk, but somes not.

Then I decided to plug it onto an older pc that support 5.25 in the
bios, in this one I have choice between 5.25 360k and 1.22

I successfully setup it in the bios, I can still boot on the floppy
drive 3.5 A: and it detect floppy drive B:

I boot first with a win98se boot disk, but I cannot read disk, I just
get error message: General failure reading drive B

so I decide to make another boot disk of dos 3.3 maybe its because the
file system on the floppy is different than the one that win98se used.
and I get the same error.

Now I am out of ideas, any suggestions ? In the bios I try both 360k
and 1.22

thanks.

What is the brand and model number of your 5.25" drive?

Do you have any blank 5.25" diskettes? If so, try to format them.

Check your diskettes for scratch marks or mould by spinning them
manually inside the jacket.

Use DOS Debug to view the diskette's boot sector as follows:

debug
-L 100 1 0 1
-D 100 2FF
-Q


- Franc Zabkar

 

[Mew]

What is the brand and model number of your 5.25" drive?

Do you have any blank 5.25" diskettes? If so, try to format them.

Check your diskettes for scratch marks or mould by spinning them
manually inside the jacket.

Use DOS Debug to view the diskette's boot sector as follows:

 debug
 -L 100 1 0 1
 -D 100 2FF
 -Q

- Franc Zabkar

I just check the model and it is panasonic ju-475-4

I try to format a disk but I got error: Invalid media or Track 0 bad -
disk unusable

 

[Rod Speed]

Mew wrote

I just check the model and it is panasonic ju-475-4

Thats a 1.2MB drive, so if you're trying to format 360K disks in it, that would explain the result you are getting.
http://insight.actapricot.org/insight/common/drives/floppy/pa475-4f.htm

I try to format a disk but I got error: Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable

What does the label on the media say ?

 

[Andrew Hamilton]

Mew wrote


Thats a 1.2MB drive, so if you're trying to format 360K disks in it, that would explain the result you are getting.
http://insight.actapricot.org/insight/common/drives/floppy/pa475-4f.htm

Aside from the differences between 1.2 MB and 360KB floppy disks,
there is the issue of the AGE of the media. Magnetic media that old
may actually "shed" the magnetic coating during a read-write
operation, contaminating the read-write head.

-AH

 

[Mew]

Mew wrote




Thats a 1.2MB drive, so if you're trying to format 360K disks in it, thatwould explain the result you are getting.http://insight.actapricot.org/insight/common/drives/floppy/pa475-4f.htm


What does the label on the media say ?

Double Side and Double Density

I just try with format of win98se with /F:360 and /4 and another time
with /F:1.22 and it is formatting until the end it say: Unable to
write BOOT

 

[Rod Speed]

Double Side and Double Density

Thats the problem, you need High Density to format them 1.2MB.

Those are 360K media.

I just try with format of win98se with /F:360 and /4 and another time
with /F:1.22 and it is formatting until the end it say: Unable to write BOOT

Thats normal, it doesnt check whats working during the format
phase, just when it tries writing the boot sector to the floppy.

 

[Mew]

Thats the problem, you need High Density to format them 1.2MB.

Those are 360K media.


Thats normal, it doesnt check whats working during the format
phase, just when it tries writing the boot sector to the floppy.

Ok, si if I understand right, 1.22 floppy cannot read/write low
density media ?

but I just try to read a high density media, old microsoft windows 3.0
disk that is labeled as high density disk 1.22 and it doesnt read, I
think the head is dirty. I will try to clean it

 

[Rod Speed]

Ok, si if I understand right, 1.22 floppy cannot read/write low density media ?

Yes it can do both.

but I just try to read a high density media, old microsoft windows 3.0
disk that is labeled as high density disk 1.22 and it doesnt read, I
think the head is dirty. I will try to clean it

Yeah, that likely is the problem. Or the drive has died.

 

[Mew]

Yes it can do both.


Yeah, that likely is the problem. Or the drive has died.- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -

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Ok, I think I will just buy a new one, anyone have a suggestion of
brand or place to purchase ? I have found this one that look great:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SAFRONIC-DS-53N...240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:200#ebayphotohosting

 

[Mew]

Yes it can do both.


Yeah, that likely is the problem. Or the drive has died.- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -

- Afficher le texte des messages précédents -

Hi ^^ I just try to clean the head and now it can read some disk, so I
try to use disk2fdi with apple II disk to make an image and it read
fine, but for some disk, the floppy have made a strange noise while
reading and when I check on the disk the floppy have made a white grey
line on the disk, I think the drive have scratch the disc, I don't
know what happened exactly, sometime the device still spin when I get
out the disc. Do you think I should buy another floppy ?

 

[Rod Speed]

Hi ^^ I just try to clean the head and now it can read some disk, so I
try to use disk2fdi with apple II disk to make an image and it read
fine, but for some disk, the floppy have made a strange noise while
reading and when I check on the disk the floppy have made a white grey
line on the disk, I think the drive have scratch the disc,

Yep, thats what that means.

I don't know what happened exactly,

Maybe the heads are defective and thats whats scratching the media.

sometime the device still spin when I get out the disc.
Do you think I should buy another floppy ?

Depends on how much you want that old data.