[tyler4402]

Hi all
I need some information off one of my floppy disks, but when I put it into the Floppy Disk Drive (A) I get the message that the disk wants formatting before I can use it, if I OK that, it will wipe my important info.
The A drive will read other floppy disks without problem, it is just this one with the important information which cannot be opened.
This is a floppy disk I have used with XP and Win7 but I am now wondering if the FAT or NTFS has got mixed up or corrupted in some way? is there a way to reset the format, so that I can transfer the information to a folder.
Regards Robert.

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There is no way to reset the format without wiping out the data. One thing to check is to make sure that nothing is in the floppy, so if you carefully slide open the floppy and look to see, but DO NOT TOUCH, if there is anything in there, like paper, or if the floppy looks damaged or anything.

This is a program I have used to read a complete floppy:

rawwrite

You could try that to see if it can read the floppy at all. This bypassed the filesystem on the floppy and just reads the data. It if works without any errors, then there might be a chance to get the data off, or at least some of it.

You can also try copying the floppy to another floppy, which will basically do the same thing, just make sure that you write protect the floppy before copying to avoid making a mistake and wiping out the floppy that you want to keep the data from.

[Kemasa]

There is no way to reset the format without wiping out the data. One thing to check is to make sure that nothing is in the floppy, so if you carefully slide open the floppy and look to see, but DO NOT TOUCH, if there is anything in there, like paper, or if the floppy looks damaged or anything.

This is a program I have used to read a complete floppy:

rawwrite

You could try that to see if it can read the floppy at all. This bypassed the filesystem on the floppy and just reads the data. It if works without any errors, then there might be a chance to get the data off, or at least some of it.

You can also try copying the floppy to another floppy, which will basically do the same thing, just make sure that you write protect the floppy before copying to avoid making a mistake and wiping out the floppy that you want to keep the data from.

[tyler4402]

Hi Kemasa
Thanks for your quick reply and help, the floppy may be damaged as it makes a noise when I start it, and after the Format message, I get (A) is not accessible, "it does not have a recognized file system"
I won't be able to copy the disk to another, as that requires the disk with the info to be read first before rewriting the info to another disk.
I had a look at the suggested Rawwrite and downloaded 0.7 zip and 0.7src zip, but the read me txt did not mention my Op-System of Win7 Pro, and unfortunately I could not understand what I should do with it, as it seemed a bit advanced for my experience, anyway my thanks for your help, Regards Robert.

[Kemasa]

If it makes noise and if there is not something obvious in it, then most likely it is toast. Sorry.

I am not sure that copy requires that it be able to understand the filesystem (it has been a while), it might just do a straight data copy, but I would not count on that working and extended use could cause problems with the drive itself, depending on what is wrong with that floppy.

Did you carefully open it and see if you can see anything in it? I recently saw a floppy that got a small piece of paper in it somehow.

[rshaffer61]

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[tyler4402]

Hi again Kamesa, yes I looked inside and there was nothing obvious but for two scores on the outside edge of the disk, so it does look like it's naff, I will throw it away, and in future have a backup somewhere else.
My thanks for your help, best regards Robert.

[Kemasa]

Well, glad to hear that you figured it out, sorry to hear that it is damaged.

You are welcome.

[tyler4402]

Hi Flora62, I am always willing to try something new, but there was no link in your message, just a square with colours in it which did nothing at all when I clicked on it.
Thanks anyway, regards Robert.