FAT 3.5floppy...HELP!

[bound4h]

I have a 3.5" floppy disk that I believe is formatted using the FAT32 file system. I originally used it on an old computer (33Mhz, ya I know f'in old) and now I want to view it on my NFTS desktop computer. Is there a program or utility that I can use to salvage these files and view them on my desktop without reformatting my whole harddrive or the disk and losing the information?

When I insert the disk into my computer it says "This disk needs to be reformatted. Reformat now?"

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Floppy disks' contents have a finite lifetime. There is enough ordinary magnetic radiation present in the average home to "erase" the floppy in less than ten years. Original distribution media disks last much longer than user-made disks, but eventually also deteriorate.

 

[pcgeek11]

Originally posted by: bound4h
I have a 3.5" floppy disk that I believe is formatted using the FAT32 file system. I originally used it on an old computer (33Mhz, ya I know f'in old) and now I want to view it on my NFTS desktop computer. Is there a program or utility that I can use to salvage these files and view them on my desktop without reformatting my whole harddrive or the disk and losing the information?

When I insert the disk into my computer it says "This disk needs to be reformatted. Reformat now?"

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike it doesn't matter that the floppy was formatted FAT16, FAT32 Windows should be able to read either without doing anything. It sounds like the disk has been corrupted. Do a google search for file recovery programs. It may be toast either way.

On the bright side it could be the head alignment of the disk drive you are trying to read it with... They do vary from drive to drive. Try the disk in another floppy drive, you may get lucky.

pcgeek11

 

[bound4h]

So suppose the memory is still intact. Is there a way to convert?

 

[bound4h]

Can you suggest some file recovery tools? I will try the disk in another drive as well. Thank you guys.

 

[corkyg]

3.5 floppies do incur what we used to call "bit rot." As Kiwi said, they do degrade over time. Also, even at their prime, some floppies could only be read properly by the drive that wrote them. Can you you remove the drive from the antique machine and install it (at least temporarily, i.e., electrically, but not mechanically) in your newer machine?

 

[bendixG15]

Here's a trick that worked for me about half the time.
(Works when the head alignment goes off a bit.)

If the drive won't read that floppy, try a diferent floppy until you find one that the drive can read.
Then read that floppy 3 or 4 times.....stick it in and remove 3-4 times. If you got the patience, format any floppy. The idea is to get the head moving around and the drive heated up.

Then stick in your floppy and see if it can be read....
Good Luck

 

[Paperdoc]

The SCANDISK utility that comes with Windows can check out any disk (including floppy) for some types of errors. Problem is, it is not real smart at fixing things.

Norton Utilities in many recent versions has had a Disk Doctor program that can diagnose problems, including on floppies, and fix many well. Some even had a powerful DOS utility called DISKEDIT that can do a LOT, including opening and reading a disk sector by sector without resorting to the Directory and FAT systems if they are corrupt. BUT (BIG BUT) this utility is dangerous if you don't understand disk structures because it allows you to do damn near anything you want, including destroying the data and structures. So to use it, you or someone needs to know or learn how. But it can let you do a lot, like recover data from a corrupted disk.