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Re: How about your 5.25" disks?

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D Finnigan <dog_cow@macgui.com> wrote:
> I was driving on the highway last weekend, and as I turned one way, my
> thoughts turned to my Apple II disks. I don't know why. But I was wondering
> about how long my 5.25" disks will remain readable. It seems to me that if
> they're stored in an agreeable environment, they ought to last another
> generation. After all, magnetic tapes from NASA missions and The Beatles in
> the 1960s can still be played back. But it probably depends on how well they
> were manufactured to begin with.
> 
> The oldest 5.25" disks I have are from at least the year 1980 or 1981. So on
> average, between 40 to 45 years old. I probably have a few late 70s disks in
> 13-sector format too. Late 70s disks are not too far away from 50 years old.
> (By the way, the FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY of the Apple II is coming in just 2
> years! :-0 Yowza.)
> 
> Here's the point of this discussion: does anyone have any disks in his
> collection that he knows were readable, say, 10 or more years ago; but today
> are no longer readable? And I don't mean just completely unreadable, but
> maybe with a few sector errors. And if so, how were these disks stored? Were
> they in a bad environment like an attic or a garage, or were they always
> kept within the conditioned living spaces of a home or office?
> 
> Speculation and anecdotes are of course welcome here. :-)
> 

Your thoughts about the importance of the environment floppies are stored
in are quite accurate. A well-made floppy should have a very long useful
life if properly stored (cool, dry, preferably vertical). 

Early in the game, say late 70s to early 80s, there were some sketchy
manufacturers who sold less reliable diskettes—some simply wouldn’t format,
some would only work on one side, and some had defective binders, so that
after a while the magnetic coating would begin to flake off. 

By the mid- to late-80s most floppies were quite reliable. 

Of course, floppies are read by a head in contact with the magnetic media,
so wear and dirty heads can shorten the useful life.  In cases of dirt
pollution, I’ve often found that carefully slitting the jacket, removing
the disk, and gently wiping the media with tissue dampened with isopropyl
alcohol will allow the disk to be read after slipping it back into a clean
jacket. (This read should preferably be to copy it to a good diskette!)

Diskettes are more reliable than many expect if treated and stored
properly. 

-- 
-michael - NadaNet 3.1 and AppleCrate II:  http://michaeljmahon.com

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Thread

How about your 5.25" disks? D Finnigan <dog_cow@macgui.com> - 2025-05-15 21:07 +0000
  Re: How about your 5.25" disks? Michael J. Mahon <mjmahon@aol.com> - 2025-05-24 23:03 +0000
    Re: How about your 5.25" disks? Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-05-25 13:03 +1200
      Re: How about your 5.25" disks? phigan <phigan@bbs.penisys.online> - 2025-06-12 21:25 +0000
        Re: How about your 5.25" disks? Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-06-13 11:07 +1200
          Re: How about your 5.25" disks? scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2025-06-13 16:04 +0000
            Re: How about your 5.25" disks? Your Name <YourName@YourISP.com> - 2025-06-14 11:12 +1200

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