Getting Stuff Off Floppies and Stiffies

[mol-d]

Hi All,

I have the following disks that I need to get data off:

a) 6 x Dysan 100 5 1/4" floppies (late 80s I think)

b) 4 x stiffy disks (mid-90s)

I think that all of the content is text and I would like to retain the original formatting and for the data to be readable by a modern word
processor like Microsoft Word. I am told that stiffy disks were written in Word Perfect 8 but I am not sure what the floppies were
done in.

Any ideas of who would be the best company to do this, preferably in Cape Town? I have heard Imexgro, CSSI, Tecleo Data Recovery (datarecovery.co.za). Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks,

Grant

 

[ponder]

What computer were these used on?

If it was a normal IBM Compatible PC then it would most likely just be DOS formatted disks which you should be able to read on any PC.

If was some other computer that used MacOS, CP/M etc there are utils out there to read these disks on a PC.

The application the data was created in is kinda irrelevant as it has nothing to do with the underlying OS used to write the data to the disks.

Just get a 3.5" & 5.25" drive and get your own data off.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

I have nothing constructive to add, except: Godspeed, my friend

 

[Jola]

I still keep a few old drives in a cupboard just for this.

 

[Space_Chief]

LOL.

There are USB to 3.5 inch drives around. Look on Ebay.

For 5.25 you may first have to buy a USB based controller and then hook up a drive to that.

Or you could buy a cheapo 286/386/486 second hand PC on Gumtree and offload the data that way.

 

[mol-d]

Thanks guys. I am just managing a project that requires this data. It is likely that they are DOS Formatted disks but I can't guarantee. Will check out the availability of drives but if someone wants to do this for me, I am happy to receive quotes on grant.mcnulty@uct.ac.za. Cheers

 

[Space_Chief]

Thanks guys. I am just managing a project that requires this data. It is likely that they are DOS Formatted disks but I can't guarantee. Will check out the availability of drives but if someone wants to do this for me, I am happy to receive quotes on grant.mcnulty@uct.ac.za. Cheers

Speak to UCT IT. Or find a student who has a relative with an old functional PC in the garage somewhere. One from circa 1990-94. Getting the data off the PC will be tricky though, as those old machines did not have USB.

 

[Sonic2k]

I have a old P4 PC with XP and a 3.5in drive and a 5.25in drive for this purpose.
I uncovered a box in the garage (which I presumed was stolen) with all my stuff on it.
Those are all now in the cloud

 

[ponder]

Speak to UCT IT. Or find a student who has a relative with an old functional PC in the garage somewhere. One from circa 1990-94. Getting the data off the PC will be tricky though, as those old machines did not have USB.

PC's from 2006 still had 'floppy/stiffy' controllers & ports as well as usb2 & sata2 ports so it's a non issue.

If I had a 5.25" drive I would volunteer to pull the data off but I only have a 3.5" stiffy.

 

[Totempole]

I could help you out with the 3.5" disks, but you'll have a hard time finding a 5.25" Floppy drive these days. Retro enthusiasts are holding onto them.

 

[Space_Chief]

PC's from 2006 still had 'floppy/stiffy' controllers & ports as well as usb2 & sata2 ports so it's a non issue.

If I had a 5.25" drive I would volunteer to pull the data off but I only have a 3.5" stiffy.

OK, I do see now that some mobos still had FDCs even as late as that.

Windows 2000 ended 5.25 support though, or was it XP Sp1. I can't remember.

The connectors connecting the 5.25 and 3.5 inch drives were different, so you may still not be able to connect the 5.25 drive. It uses a card edged connector.

 

[Totempole]

OK, I do see now that some mobos still had FDCs even as late as that.

Windows 2000 ended 5.25 support though, or was it XP Sp1. I can't remember.

The connectors connecting the 5.25 and 3.5 inch drives were different, so you may still not be able to connect the 5.25 drive. It uses a card edged connector.

The connector to the board is the same, you just need a cable with a floppy connector.

 

[ponder]

Windows 2000 ended 5.25 support though, or was it XP Sp1. I can't remember.

The connectors connecting the 5.25 and 3.5 inch drives were different, so you may still not be able to connect the 5.25 drive. It uses a card edged connector.

You don't need windows, any linux distro will do the job.

5.25 and 3.5 inch drives used the same interface/connectors. Unless you are thinking off really old 360kB drives as opposed to later 1.2MB drives that could do 360kB-1.2MB

 

[Grant]

i have a picture of the op:

 

[ponder]

i have a picture of the op:

She should swipe it!

 

[Not_original]

Got a pc in the garage that can do just that