[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Best way to transfer from floppy disks to Windows 10??

[Robert Primak]

 There are lots of these drives available. They are only about $20.00, and there are many vendors to choose from. 
Even if Windows 10 won't properly read an older 3.5" floppy disk, Linux probably can do that. Linux retains a lot more backward compatibility with old hardware than Windows 10 or 11.
But a lot of the issue in Windows or Linux is, what format are the original files in? You need not just a machine and an OS which can read the disks -- you also need a program which can display the contents in human-readable form.
Again, Linux has more programs which can handle old file formats than Windows has. And they are less likely to cost money to try and to use. 
-- Bob Primak 



    On Monday, August 21, 2023 at 05:51:26 PM EDT, Tracy Marks via LCTG <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:  
 
 Folks -
I'm somewhat of a lurker on this list, and am not very tech-savvy but
have taught Photoshop, Elements and Gmail for years.

ISSUE:
I have about a dozen floppy disks (3.5) with an unpublished book
manuscript that I want to transfer to Windows 10 to reformat and
submit (maybe) to a publisher. Granted,I don't know if the disks
are still readable.

There seem to be two options:
a) Send disks to a service that transfers floppy disk material
to a cd (or makes it downloadable). That makes me nervous
because of the cost and the trust involved.
b) Purchase a floppy disk external drive.

The latter makes the most sense but I see dozens of posts online about
people running into technical difficulties with external disk drives
  readable by Windows 10 and I don't have the technical savvy, or time/
health/energy to deal with more stress right now.

Does anyone who has done this have a recommendation for:
--service to use  and/or
--external floppy disk drives (granted, many are being sold used but
    Amazon does sell some
    
https://www.amazon.com/usb-floppy-drive-windows-10/s?k=usb+floppy+drive+windows+10
This looks like a good bet
https://www.amazon.com/Chuanganzhuo-Floppy-External-Desktop-Windows/dp/B0C33XQYQ8

Tracy Marks
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