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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">There are lots of these drives available. They are only about $20.00, and there are many vendors to choose from. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">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.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">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.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">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. </div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">-- Bob Primak <br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div><br></div>
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On Monday, August 21, 2023 at 05:51:26 PM EDT, Tracy Marks via LCTG <lctg@lists.toku.us> wrote:
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<div><div dir="ltr">Folks -<br></div><div dir="ltr">I'm somewhat of a lurker on this list, and am not very tech-savvy but<br></div><div dir="ltr">have taught Photoshop, Elements and Gmail for years.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">ISSUE:<br></div><div dir="ltr">I have about a dozen floppy disks (3.5) with an unpublished book<br></div><div dir="ltr">manuscript that I want to transfer to Windows 10 to reformat and<br></div><div dir="ltr">submit (maybe) to a publisher. Granted,I don't know if the disks<br></div><div dir="ltr">are still readable.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">There seem to be two options:<br></div><div dir="ltr">a) Send disks to a service that transfers floppy disk material<br></div><div dir="ltr">to a cd (or makes it downloadable). That makes me nervous<br></div><div dir="ltr">because of the cost and the trust involved.<br></div><div dir="ltr">b) Purchase a floppy disk external drive.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">The latter makes the most sense but I see dozens of posts online about<br></div><div dir="ltr">people running into technical difficulties with external disk drives<br></div><div dir="ltr"> readable by Windows 10 and I don't have the technical savvy, or time/<br></div><div dir="ltr">health/energy to deal with more stress right now.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Does anyone who has done this have a recommendation for:<br></div><div dir="ltr">--service to use and/or<br></div><div dir="ltr">--external floppy disk drives (granted, many are being sold used but<br></div><div dir="ltr"> Amazon does sell some<br></div><div dir="ltr"> <br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/usb-floppy-drive-windows-10/s?k=usb+floppy+drive+windows+10" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/usb-floppy-drive-windows-10/s?k=usb+floppy+drive+windows+10</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">This looks like a good bet<br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chuanganzhuo-Floppy-External-Desktop-Windows/dp/B0C33XQYQ8" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Chuanganzhuo-Floppy-External-Desktop-Windows/dp/B0C33XQYQ8</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Tracy Marks<br></div><div dir="ltr">===============================================<br></div><div dir="ltr">::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::<br></div><div dir="ltr">Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.<br></div><div dir="ltr">Send to the list: <a ymailto="mailto:LCTG@lists.toku.us" href="mailto:LCTG@lists.toku.us">LCTG@lists.toku.us</a> Message archives: <a href="http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/" target="_blank">http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">To subscribe: email <a ymailto="mailto:lctg-subscribe@toku.us" href="mailto:lctg-subscribe@toku.us">lctg-subscribe@toku.us</a> To unsubscribe: email <a ymailto="mailto:lctg-unsubscribe@toku.us" href="mailto:lctg-unsubscribe@toku.us">lctg-unsubscribe@toku.us</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">Future and Past meeting information: <a href="http://LCTG.toku.us" target="_blank">http://LCTG.toku.us</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">List information: <a href="http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us" target="_blank">http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">This message was sent to <a ymailto="mailto:bobprimak@yahoo.com." href="mailto:bobprimak@yahoo.com.">bobprimak@yahoo.com.</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">Set your list options: <a href="http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/bobprimak@yahoo.com" target="_blank">http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/bobprimak@yahoo.com</a><br></div></div>
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