[Tfug] Help to read data from 5.25 HD diskette?

[John Karns]

On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 9:34 AM, erich <erich1 at copper.net> wrote:
> Good luck,
>                  Floppy disk media lose integrity with the passage of time,
> and
> may not be readable, (been there done that)

Yes, I've seen it happen too.  I think the chances for success are
greatly increased if the media has been sitting out exposed to ambient
conditions - i.e., contaminants in the air.

I'm hopeful that since these were inside paper sleeves and contained
in a closed cardboard box, that I'll be OK.  The premium 3.5 diskettes
of yore used to be packaged in plastic sleeves inside their box.  I
usually put them in the sleeve before setting the diskette aside for
any period of time.  I think that the appearance of the 3.5 diskette
can give one a false sense of security in that the magnetic media
surface doesn't appear to be exposed.  However, as most readers here
are no doubt aware, there's an opening on one edge of the shell where
contaminants can enter.

It will be interesting to see how it all comes out, as the data was
written some 20+ years ago.

-- 
John