Date:    Sat, 27 Oct 2001 11:02:46 +1000
From:    Alan Eugene Davis <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Can I rescue old 1.44 floppies?

I've asked this question before, but never received a satisfactory
answer.  Please bear in mind I live in the tropics, and cannot keep my
diskette collections under any kind of standard conditions.

Almost invariably, it seems,  diskettes more than a year old are
unreadable.  Is there anything I can do to save them?  What physically
is happening to the media that makes it (apparently) impossible for
the fdd to read the disks?

Alan, I found from bitter experience that some brands of diskettes are
sensitive to high humidity.  I've had the media actually rub off of the disc
and deposit on the drive head.  In addition to keeping the floppies cool,
seal them away from the high tropical humidity.

James Baird
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