[Web4lib] floppy disk issues

[Dan Lester]

Since our library IS a computer lab, we get tons of students, many of whom still use floppies.  Last semester had a young man with three papers on a floppy.  He wanted to print them.  The floppy 
was totally unreadable on any computer, on any OS.  For all I know he put it on his fridge with magnets, though it did look old and bedraggled.  I told him he could try another lab, but I couldn't help him.  I suggested he go home and get another floppy, copy the files to that disk, then bring to print.  He said that was his ONLY copy.  I just said sorry.  Guess you'll have to redo them.  He cried.

My standard rap to students with floppies is:

Next time you're thinking about buying a pizza and a sixpack, don't.  Take the money and go to the campus bookstore or BestBuy or somewhere and buy a flash drive.  Even the cheapest will hold all your papers for years.   You'll be much happier in the long run than the short term enjoyment of the food and drink.  

Many have said they'd do that.

Our newer computers don't even have floppy drives.....

dan

 
Show Up, Suit Up, Shut Up, and Follow Directions
dan at riverofdata.com
Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA

   ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
   From: "Vernell Ward" <Vernell.Ward at okbu.edu>
   To: "Ed Erjavek" <erjaveked at sbpl.org>, web4lib at webjunction.org
   Received: 5/7/2007 3:29:38 PM
   Subject: Re: [Web4lib] floppy disk issues


   >Ed, 
   > 
   >The only way that I know for floppies to be read is to format them
   >first on an xp machine. They are missing a snippet of information that
   >xp supplies and the older windows versions do not. The older ones can
   >still read it (in my experience).  This was the fix I found by scouring
   >the Internet.
   > 
   >We started having trouble with Windows 2000 and using a floppy that we
   >transferred from one operating system to another. XP said it was
   >corrupted.
   > 
   >I retreived the data, put it on the network, and all was fine.
   >Not exactly the answer you were looking for--but many people have gone
   >away from floppies. I rather like them, but not all computers still have
   >those drives. The newer drives don't seem to be very good, either.
   > 
   >Hope this helps.
   > 
   >Vernell
   > 
   > 
   >Vernell Ward
   >Library Serials
   >OBU Box 61309
   >500 W. University
   >Shawnee, OK 74804
   >405-878-2255

   >>>> "Erjavek, Ed" <erjaveked at sbpl.org> 04/27/07 1:12 PM >>>

   >We were curious if anyone has had any success dealing with a growing
   >problem
   >for us with patrons trying to have info read on their floppy disks.



   >It isn't a question of the hardware on the floppy drive being bad as
   >the
   >sectors on the floppy disk not lining up.



   >The issue is likely that was the original computer that the patron's
   >document was saved on. The chances are best that the document will be
   >able
   >to read on the machine that it was originally created on.



   >When the patron tries to open that document on another machine, it may
   >or
   >may not be able to read that document because the heads on the floppy
   >disk
   >drive may or may not be able to read the sectors on the floppy disk
   >because
   >they don't line up properly.



   >Does anyone out there have any ideas how to alleviate this problem?



   >Thanks, Ed







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