5" 1/4 inch diskette and drive

[†BULLET† 3]

well i finally got my hands on a 5 1/4" inch diskette drive. i have some really old diskettes at home (like 15 years or more) that belonged to my father but when i insert them it says "Please insert a disk into drive A:".

now what i'm thinking is the data might have been erased from all the years they were in a box. so i'm wondering if anyone knows how to get that data back? or could it be something else other than the age?

Edited March 13, 2010 by †BULLET†

[♠Grim♂ Reaper 1666◙ 17]

is it magentic tape and if it is has it had any contact with anything tha produces are magnetic field if so then it will most like be perma erased

[†BULLET† 3]

yeah, it is. and no, it hasnt had any contact with any magnets or anything like that. they've been sitting in a box for years.

[♠Grim♂ Reaper 1666◙ 17]

has it been anywhere near a mobile phone (the microwave energy can erase data on magnetic tape)

[archer9234 20]

Could be formatted in a much older way that newer PCs don't understand. And read it as blank.

[†BULLET† 3]

nope, it was actually locked away in a room with no electric or magnetic devices of any kind (there's no power in that room).

hmmm...archer might be right...but how would i be able to find out what the format is?

[†BULLET† 3]

success, it was only a matter of a dirty drive i now have a working 5 1/4" diskette reader

hehehe, found an old graphic card, still in it's original packaging

[♠Grim♂ Reaper 1666◙ 17]

dont take it out it will be worth alot

[†BULLET† 3]

i (unfortunately) did take it out, but just to check it out and i put it back immediately.

i found 2 pictures of it on the web:

http://hardware.najd.cz/foto/grafiky/isa/28a.jpg

http://hardware.najd.cz/foto/grafiky/isa/28b.jpg

the one i have in my hand is in a bit better condition.