Data on a 3.5 diskette
in [Windows XP]
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From: Unknown on 9 Mar 2010 09:41 No idea where you get your specs. I have floppies over ten years old and still working great. Magnetic media? Disks can retain their data for many years. Tapes? I have 8 tracks and cassettes over 25 years old and still working. "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message news:OIzNkRyvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Unknown, you may already know, but ... floppies lose their magnetic > properties over time (thus they become unusable or the data corrupts). It > starts at about two month point depending on the quality and age of the > floppy, usually being closer to 6 months for el-cheapos and around a year > for higher quality with good care. Before data corrupts, I mean. > > To prevent that, it's best to copy them to CD/DVD for long term storage. > It's quick & easy to make a new floppy. > > The way to keep the floppy "refreshed" is to copy all the data off it to > your hard drive and then simply copy all the data back to the floppy. In > business, we used to do that monthly. I'd still do it monthly if I wanted > a floppy to persist for the long term. But don't let the floppy be the > only copy of the files; back them up too so you can always make another > floppy. > In the real world, I discovered a cache of about 100 floppies, some with > some interesting files on them, and after over 5 years, still managed to > get the data off over 55% of them. I was astonished! The software I used > was a 100-pass program: It would try to read the data 100 times and then > pick the sequence with the same identical data per try, and if it was over > a certain number, call that the "data". It was surprisingly accurate for > some of the "iffy" floppies. Now I have them on CD-R for long term > storage - fun to play with sometimes. > > HTH, > > Twayne` > > > n news:ueN8VdvvKHA.3564(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl, > Unknown <unknown(a)unknown.kom> typed: >> The manufacturer of my computer updates my BIOS by me >> downloading the update which is >> written to a floppy. I then boot with the floppy inserted >> and my BIOS is updated. >> Should something happen to my BIOS, I have a copy of it on >> a floppy. This is why I use a floppy in the 21st century. >> "Gordon" <gordonbparker(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message >> news:OKB2gGkvKHA.5008(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>> >>> "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message >>> news:Oi8QeCkvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>>> >>>> But off topic and irrelevant since it has nothing to do >>>> with the OPs query. >>> >>> Not at all. The question is - why would anyone want to use >>> 1.44 MB floppy discs anyway in the 21st century? > > > > -- > -- > Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered > through personal experience does not become a > part of the moral tissue.
From: John John - MVP on 9 Mar 2010 10:24 Floppies are known to be rather fragile and they can fail for no apparent reason but Twayne is making up stories again. Like you I have floppies from the DOS/Windows 95 era (Chips Challenge, anyone?) and they are still good. Of course, knowing that they are prone to fail at any given time, if the floppies contain anything of value they should be backed up to a more reliable media. Bottom line is yes, floppies are fragile and they can fail in 15 minutes or in 15 years, there is no 1 year expiry date on them. John Unknown wrote: > No idea where you get your specs. I have floppies over ten years old and > still working great. > Magnetic media? Disks can retain their data for many years. Tapes? I have 8 > tracks and cassettes > over 25 years old and still working. > "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message > news:OIzNkRyvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >> Unknown, you may already know, but ... floppies lose their magnetic >> properties over time (thus they become unusable or the data corrupts). It >> starts at about two month point depending on the quality and age of the >> floppy, usually being closer to 6 months for el-cheapos and around a year >> for higher quality with good care. Before data corrupts, I mean. >> >> To prevent that, it's best to copy them to CD/DVD for long term storage. >> It's quick & easy to make a new floppy. >> >> The way to keep the floppy "refreshed" is to copy all the data off it to >> your hard drive and then simply copy all the data back to the floppy. In >> business, we used to do that monthly. I'd still do it monthly if I wanted >> a floppy to persist for the long term. But don't let the floppy be the >> only copy of the files; back them up too so you can always make another >> floppy. >> In the real world, I discovered a cache of about 100 floppies, some with >> some interesting files on them, and after over 5 years, still managed to >> get the data off over 55% of them. I was astonished! The software I used >> was a 100-pass program: It would try to read the data 100 times and then >> pick the sequence with the same identical data per try, and if it was over >> a certain number, call that the "data". It was surprisingly accurate for >> some of the "iffy" floppies. Now I have them on CD-R for long term >> storage - fun to play with sometimes. >> >> HTH, >> >> Twayne` >> >> >> n news:ueN8VdvvKHA.3564(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl, >> Unknown <unknown(a)unknown.kom> typed: >>> The manufacturer of my computer updates my BIOS by me >>> downloading the update which is >>> written to a floppy. I then boot with the floppy inserted >>> and my BIOS is updated. >>> Should something happen to my BIOS, I have a copy of it on >>> a floppy. This is why I use a floppy in the 21st century. >>> "Gordon" <gordonbparker(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message >>> news:OKB2gGkvKHA.5008(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>>> "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message >>>> news:Oi8QeCkvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>>>> But off topic and irrelevant since it has nothing to do >>>>> with the OPs query. >>>> Not at all. The question is - why would anyone want to use >>>> 1.44 MB floppy discs anyway in the 21st century? >> >> >> -- >> -- >> Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered >> through personal experience does not become a >> part of the moral tissue. > >
From: Gordon on 9 Mar 2010 11:04 "Unknown" <unknown(a)unknown.kom> wrote in message news:Oyzzca5vKHA.1692(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > No idea where you get your specs. I have floppies over ten years old and > still working great. Then you a) don't use them much and b) you have been EXTREMELY lucky. > Magnetic media? Disks can retain their data for many years. Tapes? I have > 8 tracks and cassettes > over 25 years old and still working. See above. Every time you use a cassette and 8 track a little bit of the surface is worn away. So you obviously hardly use them at all.
From: Unknown on 9 Mar 2010 11:53 I agree 100%. I don't use them for any backup simply because they don't hold enough data. There is usually a good reason why a floppy failed. "John John - MVP" <audetweld(a)nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message news:e9D2Iy5vKHA.4752(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Floppies are known to be rather fragile and they can fail for no apparent > reason but Twayne is making up stories again. Like you I have floppies > from the DOS/Windows 95 era (Chips Challenge, anyone?) and they are still > good. Of course, knowing that they are prone to fail at any given time, > if the floppies contain anything of value they should be backed up to a > more reliable media. Bottom line is yes, floppies are fragile and they > can fail in 15 minutes or in 15 years, there is no 1 year expiry date on > them. > > John > > Unknown wrote: >> No idea where you get your specs. I have floppies over ten years old and >> still working great. >> Magnetic media? Disks can retain their data for many years. Tapes? I have >> 8 tracks and cassettes >> over 25 years old and still working. >> "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message >> news:OIzNkRyvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>> Unknown, you may already know, but ... floppies lose their magnetic >>> properties over time (thus they become unusable or the data corrupts). >>> It starts at about two month point depending on the quality and age of >>> the floppy, usually being closer to 6 months for el-cheapos and around a >>> year for higher quality with good care. Before data corrupts, I mean. >>> >>> To prevent that, it's best to copy them to CD/DVD for long term storage. >>> It's quick & easy to make a new floppy. >>> >>> The way to keep the floppy "refreshed" is to copy all the data off it to >>> your hard drive and then simply copy all the data back to the floppy. In >>> business, we used to do that monthly. I'd still do it monthly if I >>> wanted a floppy to persist for the long term. But don't let the floppy >>> be the only copy of the files; back them up too so you can always make >>> another floppy. >>> In the real world, I discovered a cache of about 100 floppies, some >>> with some interesting files on them, and after over 5 years, still >>> managed to get the data off over 55% of them. I was astonished! The >>> software I used was a 100-pass program: It would try to read the data >>> 100 times and then pick the sequence with the same identical data per >>> try, and if it was over a certain number, call that the "data". It was >>> surprisingly accurate for some of the "iffy" floppies. Now I have them >>> on CD-R for long term storage - fun to play with sometimes. >>> >>> HTH, >>> >>> Twayne` >>> >>> >>> n news:ueN8VdvvKHA.3564(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl, >>> Unknown <unknown(a)unknown.kom> typed: >>>> The manufacturer of my computer updates my BIOS by me >>>> downloading the update which is >>>> written to a floppy. I then boot with the floppy inserted >>>> and my BIOS is updated. >>>> Should something happen to my BIOS, I have a copy of it on >>>> a floppy. This is why I use a floppy in the 21st century. >>>> "Gordon" <gordonbparker(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message >>>> news:OKB2gGkvKHA.5008(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>>>> "Twayne" <nobody(a)spamcop.net> wrote in message >>>>> news:Oi8QeCkvKHA.732(a)TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>>>>> But off topic and irrelevant since it has nothing to do >>>>>> with the OPs query. >>>>> Not at all. The question is - why would anyone want to use >>>>> 1.44 MB floppy discs anyway in the 21st century? >>> >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered >>> through personal experience does not become a >>> part of the moral tissue. >>
From: Unknown on 9 Mar 2010 11:56
Quote specs not emotional gibberish. An 8 track or cassette has a definite specification as to life expectancy. "Gordon" <gordonbparker(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message news:%23aOSuI6vKHA.1692(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > > "Unknown" <unknown(a)unknown.kom> wrote in message > news:Oyzzca5vKHA.1692(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> No idea where you get your specs. I have floppies over ten years old and >> still working great. > > Then you a) don't use them much and b) you have been EXTREMELY lucky. > > > >> Magnetic media? Disks can retain their data for many years. Tapes? I have >> 8 tracks and cassettes >> over 25 years old and still working. > > See above. > > Every time you use a cassette and 8 track a little bit of the surface is > worn away. So you obviously hardly use them at all. > > |