format a:\

[Guest]

Help. I have a diskette that's been used numerous times over the past few weeks and contains some rather important data. It has been used on a computer running XP, and most of the diskette's files were written in Microsoft Word. Everything about this diskette was appropriate up till yesterday. Today, however, I cannot get the computer to read it. In fact, I've tried three computers and none can read it.
I get an error message saying the diskette is not formatted or is formatted for a Mac. Is there any way I can retrieve the data from that diskette, or is it lost for good?

 

[John Vogel]

Help. I have a diskette that's been used numerous times over the past few

weeks and contains some rather important data. It has been used on a
computer running XP, and most of the diskette's files were written in
Microsoft Word. Everything about this diskette was appropriate up till
yesterday. Today, however, I cannot get the computer to read it. In fact,
I've tried three computers and none can read it.

I get an error message saying the diskette is not formatted or is

formatted for a Mac. Is there any way I can retrieve the data from that
diskette, or is it lost for good?

First: You should always make an extra backup when working with floppies,
they are notorious for suddenly becoming unreadable at the worst possible
times

Second: You could try running XP's chkdsk on it and see if it can recover
anything.

To do this.. from the desktop do the following:
1.) Double click on my computer
2.) Right-click on A:
3.) Click on "Properties"
4.) Click on the "Tools" Tab
5.) Click the button labeled "Check now" (under error checking)
6.) Make sure both checkboxes are checked
7.) Click "Start"

 

[Hilary Karp]

Probably gone for good. Floppies commonly die suddenly.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Joe,

Try placing it a system not running XP, pull it up. Then try it again in an
XP system.

 

[Plato]

Probably gone for good. Floppies commonly die suddenly.

Sometimes they have a lifetime as short as a Mayfly.