Recovering data from corrupt floppy??

[redgtxdi]

Cliffs........

Sister is stenographer.

Uses floppies sometimes recovering old data (old steno software stuff from old depositions, cases, etc.)

Trying to recover data from a disk that says "disk not formatted" yet it is/was formatted long ago & does have data on it. (STeno machine identifies 41% free of 1.44mb).

Any suggestions for getting data off??

(I posted here thinking this will be software related but she's desperate so up to any suggestions)

TIA!!!

 

[lxskllr]

I'd try imaging the disk, then work on the image. Use something like PartedMagic to image it with dd, then try some of the utilities to recover the data(assuming it can't read it directly.

 

[vailr]

SpinRite should probably work, but it's expensive: $89:
www.grc.com
Then there's Zero Assumption Recovery:
http://www.z-a-recovery.com/download.aspx

 

[TheELF]

(STeno machine identifies 41% free of 1.44mb).

If the disk has a custom formatting than its gonna get tough.
Does the steno machine see the files/text?
You should try and find out the model it was written on(stenoed on? ) and then search on google for
"model" + pc transfer

 

[corkyg]

Old floppies (I have many - even 5.25-in) do degrade over time. They are subject to magnetic corruption. My sense is, that data is lost. For archiving, floppies should be imaged onto opticals when they are still fresh. If magnetic "bit-rot" has occurred, the disk can't be imaged.

Salvation might exist in hard copies of the material, then scan them.

 

[Lorne]

Photorescue could work as well.

 

[redgtxdi]

Sorry so long to reply gang.....thanks VERY much!!!!!!!!

I've forwarded all info to her & offered my help if needed. She's fairly savvy but we'll see. I've got an NIB laptop FD drive if she needs. (not sure what she's reading with except, obviously, the Steno but definitely know that Steno at least knows there's *something* on the disk).

Will update as progress happens!!!

Thanks again very much guys!!! :thumbsup: