Resurrecting old disks

[+johnnywc]

Hello all,

 

When I moved a few years ago, I came across a 5 1/4 disk holder that had a bunch of disks with some programs I wrote (in BASIC) back in the 80's. Of course, I quickly dug out my 800xl (still worked!) with the 1050 disk drive and tried to load up some of the programs. I was able to get a DIR of each disk and when I load it beeps really quickly (normal), but as it almost finished loading the beeping became very slow and eventually an error showed up.

 

I verified that the disk drive still worked (played a few games of One-on-one and Realm of Impossibility) - does anybody have any idea how I can get this information off the disk? Is there a service I can send the disks to be examined and *hopefully* the data taken off of them (and possibly saved to a PC)?

 

Any help would be greatly apprecitated.

 

Thanks,

[classics]

I verified that the disk drive still worked (played a few games of One-on-one and Realm of Impossibility) - does anybody have any idea how I can get this information off the disk?  Is there a service I can send the disks to be examined and *hopefully* the data taken off of them (and possibly saved to a PC)?

 

Even though the drive works with other disks, I would try cleaning the read/write head and then trying to read the disk.

 

Here is a copy of post I made to usenet about a last ditch recovery method that often works.

 

  You may be suprised to find how durable Atari disks are in the fact

they can often be read after flooding, heating by sun, and many years

of total neglect.

 

  First, let all the disks dry out completely.  Then open up a disk

drive like a 1050 so you can get access to the read/write head.  Start

trying to read the newly dried disks one at a time and copy them to

disk images or new disks.

 

  Between each backup, clean the read/write head with a foam swab and

a little alcohol, letting it dry completely for a few seconds before

putting in the next disk.

 

  Should any disks be difficult to read do the following.

 

1. Cut the disk out of its old sleeve using a razor or sizzors, being

  careful not to damage the disk itself.

 

2. Cut open a brand new 5.25 disk along the edges so you can open it

  to remove the blank disk, yet still be able to get it into a disk

  drive.

 

3. Take the unreadable floppy insides and gently rub both sides with

  a clean damp cloth and allow to dry completely.

 

4. Put the newly cleaned disk innard into the new disk sleeve, close

  up and insert carefully into the drive for backup.

 

Many unreadable Atari disks can be recovered this way.  It works

expecially good on disks that have that scratchy adhesive rot that

gunks up the inner sleeve and disk with magnetic dust.  Some disks

you couldnt read a single sector off of in the old sleeve will read

perfetly fine in the new one.

[+johnnywc]

Even though the drive works with other disks, I would try cleaning the read/write head and then trying to read the disk.

 

Here is a copy of post I made to usenet about a last ditch recovery method that often works.

 

   You may be suprised to find how durable Atari disks are in the fact

they can often be read after flooding, heating by sun, and many years

of total neglect.

 

  First, let all the disks dry out completely.  Then open up a disk

drive like a 1050 so you can get access to the read/write head.  Start

trying to read the newly dried disks one at a time and copy them to

disk images or new disks.

 

  Between each backup, clean the read/write head with a foam swab and

a little alcohol, letting it dry completely for a few seconds before

putting in the next disk.

 

  Should any disks be difficult to read do the following.

 

1. Cut the disk out of its old sleeve using a razor or sizzors, being

   careful not to damage the disk itself.

 

2. Cut open a brand new 5.25 disk along the edges so you can open it

   to remove the blank disk, yet still be able to get it into a disk

   drive.

 

3. Take the unreadable floppy insides and gently rub both sides with

   a clean damp cloth and allow to dry completely.

 

4. Put the newly cleaned disk innard into the new disk sleeve, close

   up and insert carefully into the drive for backup.

 

Many unreadable Atari disks can be recovered this way.  It works

expecially good on disks that have that scratchy adhesive rot that

gunks up the inner sleeve and disk with magnetic dust.  Some disks

you couldnt read a single sector off of in the old sleeve will read

perfetly fine in the new one.

917884[/snapback]

 

Wow - thanks for the tips. I'm not sure if I'm coordinated enough to attempt something like this. I'll try to clean the drive head first and see what that gets me.

 

Thanks again!

[Bruce Tomlin]

Even though the drive works with other disks, I would try cleaning the read/write head and then trying to read the disk.

I don't know about the 1050, but older full-height 5 1/4" floppy drives and a few older half-height drives use belt drive, and may need their speed adjusted. If you see a drive belt and tach marks on a drive, it will probably need adjustment.