Cannot Read 3.5" High Density Diskette

[Jerry Ed]

I had the same problem with my new Dell PC.

It failed reading, writing and formatting.

(Each time I formatted the same diskette, the number of usable bytes were
different).

The floppy drive was defective.

I ordered another from tigerdirect.com - 19.99 + 6.99sh = 26.98

Diablotek INTFDDBK 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive (Black) (D15-3646).

(Doesn't come with a ribbon cable, so use the one you have).

Didn't call Dell because I didn't want to install another bad floppy
drive...

JE

 

[Lem]

I have a relatively new (6 months old) Dell PC with a built-in 3.5"
diskette.

About 6 years ago someone created several 2HD diskettes on a PC.
These diskettes can be read on a NT server (about 10 years old) but
not my new Dell PC.

Is there a setting that I have to adjust on my Dell?

Thank you in advance.

Floppy disks do degrade. If a floppy is currently readable on *some*
machine, then you can get the data off. However, if it is a "license"
disk, merely copying the data may not solve your problem. Back in the
days when floppies were common, some copy protect schemes required the
actual license disk to be used -- a copied floppy wouldn't work.

Here are 3 techniques, one or more of which may help:

1. Disable the write-protect feature on the floppy by blocking the hole
with a piece of tape, get a disk hex editor, and change the media
descriptor as described in the KB article cited by Ken Blake:
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=140060
This solution has the disadvantage of changing the license diskette,
which may or may not (probably not) cause a problem with the application
needing to use the "license diskette."

2. On the 10-year old NT server, copy the contents of the floppy to some
other medium that can be read on the XP box. Again, having the contents
of the floppy on a USB flash drive or a CD may or may not satisfy the
application's need for the original floppy.

3. Get the driver described in the following 4-year old post. I know
that there are good reasons why the description in the post doesn't make
technical sense, but I also know that it works. Not all the links are
still live, but the one for the driver still works.

 

[dadiOH]

Some bad news and also what I am trying to accomplish.
All of the diskettes are/were write protected.
The first diskette that I could read in NT, that could not be read on
XP sp3, can now *not be read* on the NT computer!
I really do not understand this and am quite worried that I have
rendered certain diskettes useless(see below).

There are about 10 diskettes and one can be read in XP and it can
still can be read on the NT.
I don't want to try (in XP) whatever I have not tried as of yet for
obvious reasons.
I have also seen this effect before, over the years, where randomly it
seems, a XP PC cannot read a diskette for absolutely no obvious
reason.
This is also true for formatting a new diskette (maybe it was
preformatted at the factory).

What I am trying to do is create a CD for my client with a backup of
these diskettes which are license diskettes for some older software.

Forgetting about the backup for the moment, how do I restore the
usability of the diskettes?

It has been my observation that both floppy disks and floppy drives have
become less and less reliable over the years. I think that is particularly
true when using a Windows OS to read/write to them.

If it were me, I'd try other programs such as Unstoppable Copier, YCopy,
Cobian Backup, etc. If they don't work, I'd look for something that can
read and transfer sector by sector.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Doum]

Lem <lemp40@unknownhost> écrivait

I'have just tried that procedure on my system and the
Floppy disk drive disappeared (Intel chipset, if that
matters).

I restored my system!

YMMV.

 

[allanc]

It has been my observation that both floppy disks and floppy drives have
become less and less reliable over the years.  I think that is particularly
true when using a Windows OS to read/write to them.

If it were me, I'd try other programs such as Unstoppable Copier, YCopy,
Cobian Backup, etc.  If they don't work, I'd look for something that can
read and transfer sector by sector.

I tried Unstoppable Copier - 0 files copied
YCopy indicates the volume does not contain a recognized file system.

 

[dadiOH]

I tried Unstoppable Copier - 0 files copied
YCopy indicates the volume does not contain a recognized file system.

Sorry it didn't work for you. I don't think a sector by sector program
would help you since you need the maintain the floppy data as files.

If you can still read any on your other computer, I'd suggest pulling off
the files before doing anything else.

If you can't read them on any computer, you might try one of these. I know
nothing about them but I *do* know that it is possible to read "unreadable"
floppys. If they were 5 1/4" floppys for a TRS-80 I could point you
somewhere but in this case all I can offer is...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=read+bad+floppy&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

BTW, one reason - a fairly common one IME - for floppys becoming unreadable
is a drive head that is a bit out of alignment; could be the writer, could
be the reader. The result is data that isn't where it should be for the
drive doing the reading (the drive that did the writing could still read
them just fine even if it was the one out of alignment). I used to have to
have mine (5 1/4) fixed about once a year, technician did so using an
oscilloscope, no idea how.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[allanc]

Floppy disks do degrade. If a floppy is currently readable on *some*
machine, then you can get the data off. However, if it is a "license"
disk, merely copying the data may not solve your problem. Back in the
days when floppies were common, some copy protect schemes required the
actual license disk to be used -- a copied floppy wouldn't work.

Here are 3 techniques, one or more of which may help:

1.  Disable the write-protect feature on the floppy by blocking the hole
with a piece of tape, get a disk hex editor, and change the media
descriptor as described in the KB article cited by Ken Blake:http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=140060
This solution has the disadvantage of changing the license diskette,
which may or may not (probably not) cause a problem with the application
needing to use the "license diskette."

2. On the 10-year old NT server, copy the contents of the floppy to some
other medium that can be read on the XP box. Again, having the contents
of the floppy on a USB flash drive or a CD may or may not satisfy the
application's need for the original floppy.

3. Get the driver described in the following 4-year old post. I know
that there are good reasons why the description in the post doesn't make
technical sense, but I also know that it works. Not all the links are
still live, but the one for the driver still works.



























...

read more »

Only two drives display in the DskProbe:
Physical drive 0 and Physical drive 1
I don't think that either is the diskette.
How do I access the floppy?

 

[HeyBub]

BTW, one reason - a fairly common one IME - for floppys becoming
unreadable is a drive head that is a bit out of alignment; could be
the writer, could be the reader. The result is data that isn't where
it should be for the drive doing the reading (the drive that did the
writing could still read them just fine even if it was the one out of
alignment). I used to have to have mine (5 1/4) fixed about once a
year, technician did so using an oscilloscope, no idea how.

True. But....

Floppy drive controllers long ago implemented a technology whereby the head
vibrates ever so slightly across the tracs looking for the strongest signal.
When found, this establishes a baseline for subsequent track-to-track
movement.

That said, modern floppy drives have become commodities. They're made of old
beer-can metal with wire salvaged from third-world telephone systems by
malnourished Bangladeshi children.

 

[Tim Slattery]

I have boxes of floppies that are more often than not unreadable. I assumed
it was age and humidity [Hawaii] and concluded that old floppies are
unreliable. If yours are 6 years old age might be a factor.

Very true, they don't last forever.