Anyone have any Double Density Floppy Disks?

L

Lope

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Not HD (high density)
Looking for DOUBLE density. 720K.
I've got an old machine that can only read DBL density.

If you have any such disks, that can complete a full format, and would like a few bucks for them, please let me know.
 
You could try putting tape over the hole opposite the the write protect tab on a high density disk.
It might need to be reformatted afterwards.
 
xumwun said:
You could try putting tape over the hole opposite the the write protect tab on a high density disk.
It might need to be reformatted afterwards.
Click to expand...

This should work, I remember drilling holes in 720 to convert them to 1.44. So the reverse sould be true
 
Never tried the reverse, but I'd love to know if it works - even if just for old time's sake.. :)
 
You may have to try something like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk_hardware_emulator

if the data is important enough.

Alternatively, a serial connection may be a simpler solution, assuming you have some sort of programming language on the machine to start with. ISTR that debug might be an option, if you can direct its input from the serial console . . . Of course, all this is assuming that the machine is a PC running DOS, which, given the age and fussiness of the system, may not be correct.

FWIW, I got a whole lot of data off a Data General minicomputer (which used tapes and disk cartridges) via a serial port back in the day. 9600 baud, but it worked!
 
Haha, very cool. Actually the guy I was trying to help remembered that "taping over the density hole" trick before I came back here and read this.
Thats so cool that you can convert DD to HD by drilling a hole.
Pity we can't upgrade our hard drives these days with a similar method :)
I'm a little concerned about tape wearing off with wear and tear in the factory and glue glue gumming up stuff inside the proprietary-floppy-drive-from-hell.
Perhaps glue/epoxy will be a better medium-term solution.

So 1337.
Okay, all good for now then.

Rogan: yes those USB floppy emulators are the way to go.
 
Last edited:
Lope said:
Rogan: yes those USB floppy emulators are the way to go.
Click to expand...
Yes.
In addition, formatting HD media to low density will work only on HD drives. Problem starts when attemting to write anything on these media on DD drives!
Besides, using 20 years old media (which is steel perfectly readable) and attempting to write on it is not a good idea. Most of diskettes will fail during formatting.

Solution as above, or replace the drive with HD and use only fresh media. I have number of working 3.5" drives from the scrap, you can get one for free.
 
I believe you were looking for "stiffies", iirc DD "floppies" were 512k.
 
Speedster said:
I believe you were looking for "stiffies", iirc DD "floppies" were 512k.
Click to expand...

360. The DD's were smaller capacity wise than the HD's. I think. I remember my 8086 could only do DD's and not the bigger HD's. Or I'm confused and it's the other way around. :/

RIP BASF.
 
The "floppy" disks were 5.25" and held 360K or 1.2M high density (still have a box of each of these, but dare not try to use them after 20+ years...still got the drive too!)
The "stiffy" diskettes were 3.5" and held 720K or 1.44MB high density (still use these every so often on older machines pre USB and pre-CD-rom)
 
Wow! Memories !
My first pc only had a floppy drive, no hdd and ran MS or DR Dos.

You were very bling-bling if you had to 2 floppy drives. Then did not have to swap out disks so frequently.
:D
 
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