Help with a floppy disk please?

Question

I have two documents on a floppy disk, one works and one doesn't. I haven't done anything different with the two documents. When I click on the one that doesn't work, the disk drive makes a weird noise but won't go to it. Can anyone help me with this?

I have Windows XP.
If the floppy is screwy, is there a way to move the document so I can access it without the disk?

Answer 1

Just try reinserting the floppy until it opens both documents..Those floppy disk tend to go bad at times. If and when you get those open you need to back them onto a new disk.

Answer 2

This is a common problem, since floppies are not used very much lately... I have answered this question a couple of times...

here is a typical answer...:

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How can i retrieve files in a floppy disk that require to be formatt?

I am using a floppy disk to do my home work. But just now when i want to get files from that floopy disk, there display a message ask me to format my floppy disk. How can i retrieve all files in that floopy disk without format it? why this could happen?
5 answers


robin_graves
2 months ago



Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

FIRST, WRITE PROTECT THE FLOPPY !!
If this is the disk that you were using all along, then
you have just worn it out --- I know someone who did one years worth of work on a single floppy ( VERY BAD IDEA ). If you do work in the future on a floppy, use about 7 floppies, and
change the floppy each day - update the NEXT floppy, each time you use it, so that you only loose one days worth of work at the most. ALSO, I do not know what program you are using, but if you take EXCEL and some other programs, there is NO SAVE,
-- it is a hidden feature that you have to go into the menu and turn on, and then activate. Some colleges, believe it or not, tell the students to use the same floppy over and over, NEVER tell the students to save anything, and never suggest using different floppies.... Some accounting programs have no save whatsoever !! ON THE HARDDRIVE, SO THAT YOU ARE fubar -- THE PROGRAM ONLY "SAVES" WHEN YOU exit the program or switch input modes etc. and then, only if you ask...

SO....

Make absolutely certain that no " FORMAT" or REPAIR in Scandisk " etc. can take place...

Then, 1 / As someone suggested, try the floppy in another computer.... if it will not read, then you have worn out the
BOOT RECORD where the head of the floppy reads what the floppy is, and what is on it... IF it DOES work, save to harddrive, and make another floppy with the information copied from the harddrive to the new floppy...

2/ Someone suggested that you use a program to try to gather the data from... As well I would suggest searching the web for FLOPPY FIX, or FILE REPAIR etc. There are dozens of programs that read CD's, FLoppies, and HARDDRIVES that are corrupt, and these programs show you whatever the raw data is, --- sometimes this data can be copied into a " RESTORED" file, such as in EXCEL, which has a couple of programs that will re-Structure the corrupt data, into a working file - the bad data bits will be missing, but most of your work will be there.... FLOPPY COPY and FLOPPY FIX were 2 programs that I have used in the past... Search the web to see what is currently available...
Once you "have" the data, you may have to go another step and use a specific program to re-structure the file in the same format as the program that you were using... for example, you might be using ZARKADSoft, and then you would need a program that took the raw data, and re-sturctured working ZARKADSoft files - just " Repairing " the files may not be enough to get you going again... your program ( whatever you were using to create the floppy information ), may not understand the " Repaired " files if just raw data is used, and EXCEL, and Accounting software will do a CRC check or file length check, and discover that the file is missing data, or has data changed within the file, and refuse to open the document... Even if it is " Mostly " there...

The most important thing to do is to NOT TOUCH the floppy with any software - scandisk " repair" and other " FIX" software that re-writes the disk itself will usually destroy the information on the floppy. Only programs that " READ " the floppy, and make " COPIES " on the harddrive or on another floppy, should be used...

As a last resort, there are dozens of computer repair centers around the world that will take a floppy or harddrive, and read the information for you. These companies are in the phone books, and are used by LARGE Corporations, when invaluable data is lost, and millions of dollars of work are at stake... They will not even give you quote as to how much it will cost, over the phone.... ( That alone should give you a hint as to how expensive it is )...
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Other related information may be on my ANSWER list, if you
click on my name you will see these other answers..
hope this helps..

Good Luck

robin

Answer 3

I've encountered similar problems with floppy disks. I think a lot of people have. Problems have occurred for me after erasing or reformatting them more than once, or even updating files stored on them. You might try opening them on a different computer. Sometimes that works. Floppy disks work on the same principle as an audio cassette. This means that they have a limited life-span & can only be altered so many times. This might explain why they're falling out of favor & why the newer PCs don't come with floppy drives. Finally, let me suggest something that has worked for me. If you can somehow open your floppy disk files, try attaching them to an e-mail, send it to yourself, then download & save the files in a different format.

Answer 4

I suspect the unworkable document was altered in its transference to the floppy or was opened in such a way that negates subsequent access.

Floppies can be unpredictable too, so I suggest getting a new floppy diskette and reloading your documents onto it. Trash the old one.

Answer 5

Your floppy disk is no good. Try this.

shake your floppy, hopeful the no good is really dusty

Answer 6

What operating system do you have?