14 Nov
1997
14 Nov
'97
8:45 a.m.
Since some of the software for my "old"
(first generation PC) computers
is on 5 1/4" disks of dubious condition, I would like to make copies
onto new disks. Since HD disks are still readily available and cheap, I
thought this would be an ideal way to do so.
Try asking for used DSDD disks...I have boxes of 'em that I get free.
'Course, you might get a dirty one...
I also seem to have fried the 5 1/4" HD drive in my PC while sorting
through some old software. It seems a couple of disks had some dirt on
them which caused horrible screeching sounds when the disk was spinning,
and also deposited a very hard black coating on the heads. The only way
I could remove the deposits was to scratch it off with my fingernails
(alcohol would not touch it). However, I must have bumped the heads out
of alignment, because the drive won't read disks any longer.
My question is: can I plug a Double Density drive into the same
connector in my modern PC and use it for my old disks? I know I will
have to change my BIOS setting, but is there anything else I need to
consider?
No. Just specify it as a 5 1/4", 360K. You might want to test the drive you
install (Norton, for example), to make sure it does a good job.
For greatest archive longevity, I'm told that tape (pick something common,
such as QIC-80) *if recorded on a new tape and then not read often* will
outlast anything -- even CD-ROM's.
manney(a)nwohio.com
14 Nov
14 Nov
9:01 a.m.
For greatest archive longevity, I'm told that tape
(pick something common,
such as QIC-80) *if recorded on a new tape and then not read often* will
outlast anything -- even CD-ROM's.
I would really doubt this. The oxide coating on just about any tape,
digital or analog, flakes off even if never used. As for CD-ROMs, I would
say that the stamped ones (normal ones) will probably last for a very
long time - the plastic and aluminum have so far proved to be stable, and
the data is recorded with a massive amount of error correcting code.
Writable CD-ROMs, however, I am a bit skeptical about, but my gut feeling
says that they will last at least ten years. The best solution (other than
mylar punched tape) is probably the older WORM drives (not MOs!), as they
actually punch holes in the inner layers of the disk. The problem with
them is the "standard" they follow (not much!).
William Donzelli
william(a)ans.net
15 Nov
15 Nov
11:53 a.m.
William Donzelli wrote:
says that they will last at least ten years. The best
solution (other than
mylar punched tape) is probably the older WORM drives (not MOs!), as they
Purely out of morbid curiosity, has anybody ever considered making Tyvek
tape? The stuff is damned near impossible to tear and difficult even to
stretch enough to lose data.
--
Ward Griffiths
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails
of the last priest." [Denis Diderot, "Dithyrambe sur la fete de rois"]
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gram＠cnct.com -
manney＠nwohio.com -
william＠ans.net