Computer Question!

[christa]

I have a "damaged" floppy disk - It is missing it's little metal sliding door that covers the inside disk part.

Anyway, I was wondering if I could still put it in my floppy drive? Anyone know?

I don't want it to get stuck or anything!

[Lady's Human]

It should be fine, but I would transfer the data to something else ASAP.

[christa]

It should be fine, but I would transfer the data to something else ASAP.

I plan to . . . so it shouldn't get stuck or anything?

Shew . . . that takes a load off!

[christa]

Good, it worked.

THANKS!

[Karen]

Whew! Glad you got the data off of it without incident!

[lizbud]

It should be fine, but I would transfer the data to something else ASAP.

I'll bet LH is breathing a big sigh of relief right now.

[Lady's Human]

The little metal cover is there to protect the media on the disc, nothing else. It greatly increased the life of discs over the 8 and 5 1/4 inch discs, which had no protection other than a soft cloth liner which actually trapped the dirt and made the discs life much shorter.

[Vette]

Ugh.. i hate floppy disks. i used to save a lot of my stuff on them. but i had
3 or 4 go bad on me. so i dont trust them at all anyore and avoide using them.

but i also had a disk that was in the same shape as yours. i just threw it away
despite what was on the disk. i didnt want to chance it getting stuck in my A:

[Laura's Babies]

Better transfer that data or whatever to something else.. Most computers you buy don't have a-drives on them anymore... I think you can order one with it though.. Neither of my computers have a a-drive now.

[christa]

Any ideas how to get that little metal thing OUT of the A drive?

I knew that the disk was screwed up so I thought I'd try it out in my *older than dirt* computer. I was right. I popped the disk back out and the little metal door thingy didn't come out with the disk. Now it's stuck in my drive. And that's why my disk was missing it's metal door.

I have no clue how to get it out. Other than having to take my computer completely apart, is there any other way?

[Lady's Human]

Two options. One is to go to staples and buy a USB drive for $15 or so, the other is to go to staples and buy a new A drive for $20. A USB drive is far more useful.

[christa]

Do I need to take that old A drive out though? I worry about that piece being stuck in there. Does it matter? Would it hurt anything? Do I have to take that drive out? I had considered getting a USB floppy drive but then I wondered about that broken piece. If it won't hurt anything, I won't worry about it. What do you think LH?

[Lady's Human]

If you aren't going to use that floppy drive anymore, I would just take it out of the computer. If you want a floppy drive in the computer, a replacement drive is about $15. The USB drives I was referring to are thumb drives, which hold many times more info than a floppy drive, and can be had for $15-100, depending on how bug a drive you get.

[christa]

If you aren't going to use that floppy drive anymore, I would just take it out of the computer. If you want a floppy drive in the computer, a replacement drive is about $15. The USB drives I was referring to are thumb drives, which hold many times more info than a floppy drive, and can be had for $15-100, depending on how bug a drive you get.

I understand that a thumb drive or a jump drive would be more reasonable for ME . . . I have several. The business that I provide services for is still in the stoneage however and they still use floppy disks. So I have to have the drive in order to provide services for them. Know what I mean?

I'll probably just take it out of that computer though . . . I have one in my newer computer, as long as nothing happens to it too.

[Lady's Human]

Christa,

putting a new floppy drive in is a fairly simple operation. If you can get the old one out, you can put the new one in. The nice thing about floppy drives is that the drivers for the drive are in BIOS, and you shouldn't have to load a new driver. Just swap in a new drive, and you're good to go. A normal floppy drive is probably cheaper than a USB attached drive.

I know exactly what you're saying about companies keeping dinosaur tech, I deal with it every day.