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New 5 1/4” Floppy Disks

SteveG

SteveG

Experienced Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
151
Location
Millmeece Near Stafford UK
Does anyone manufacture new 5 1/4” Floppy Disks?

If so where can I purchase them from a reliable source?

I think it’s more than an ”Urban Myth” that magnetic media degrades over time.

Based on that assumption I am planning to use the dual floppy’s on my 5150 to copy some of the interesting software I have stored on floppy disk (Windows 1.01, Microsoft Flight Somulator etc. etc…).

The current plan is to re-format some old original unused floppy’s and then copy the software I want to save onto them.
Do you think it will be worth buying some brand new 5 1/2” floppy disks first (assuming they are still being manufactured) or do you think my plan to use the old unused reformatted floppy’s should be OK?
 
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Not sure about this 'Urban Myth' thing.

I have large numbers of floppy disks, going back to 1980s, various different types and manufacturers, all seem to be still working fine. The ones that had files saved on them back in the 1980s still read fine, disks have been reused OK recently. Disks still format without problem.

Certainly, you CAN have problems. This depends on how the disks have been stored over the years, how they've been handled, the manufacturer, the type (I've had some occasional problems wih HD disks, both 3.5" and 5.25", specifically TDK, some of which seem even more transparant than other HD types). Obviously, the drives you have will play a part too.

I've had more problems with CD-r, and especially CD-rw, than with ANY floppy disks.

If you reformat some disks, I'd recommend that you use a magnet to totally WIPE the disk first, then apply the new format. This will make sure!

Geoff
 
daver2 said:
Try these guys: https://www.athana.com/html/diskette.html.

Although I did hear that they may have sold their disk outfit to someone else a while ago?

If they have, I am sure they can point you to the appropriate website.

Dave
Click to expand...
Thanks Dave,

It does not actually state on the Web Site that these disks are new !

I assume they are however as that is the business they are in.
 
GeoffB17 said:
Not sure about this 'Urban Myth' thing.

I have large numbers of floppy disks, going back to 1980s, various different types and manufacturers, all seem to be still working fine. The ones that had files saved on them back in the 1980s still read fine, disks have been reused OK recently. Disks still format without problem.

Certainly, you CAN have problems. This depends on how the disks have been stored over the years, how they've been handled, the manufacturer, the type (I've had some occasional problems wih HD disks, both 3.5" and 5.25", specifically TDK, some of which seem even more transparant than other HD types). Obviously, the drives you have will play a part too.

I've had more problems with CD-r, and especially CD-rw, than with ANY floppy disks.

If you reformat some disks, I'd recommend that you use a magnet to totally WIPE the disk first, then apply the new format. This will make sure!

Geoff
Click to expand...
Thanks Geoff,

The fact that I can read a lot of these old disks in order to copy them backs up what you are saying.

I think I will try my New Old Stock disks and hope their shelf life is the 40 - 50 years since they were manufactured.

I suspect that formatting them on the drive to be used to read them on is also a good idea!


Steve
 
Does magnetic media degrade over time? Absolutely--some more than others. Binder formulations differed among manufacturers--and that's what usually is the culprit on aging disks.

Try reading some 30-year old Wabash floppies and see if it's an urban myth.

The same even applies to half-inch open-reel tape.
 
daver2 said:
Try these guys: https://www.athana.com/html/diskette.html.

Although I did hear that they may have sold their disk outfit to someone else a while ago?

If they have, I am sure they can point you to the appropriate website.

Dave
Click to expand...
I think @glitch bought all of the 5 1/4" stuff. I'm not sure if they have any left or not.

If they don't have any, I seem to have really good luck with sealed boxes of 3m branded floppies from ebay. If you're patient you can usually find them for $10 or so. Just be careful, for some reason there are a lot more HD floppies these days, and you cannot substitute those for DD disks.
 
That’s Lucky.

I have found a 3M box of DD disks still in its wrapper (see photo)
 

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The biggest problem I have with floppy disks is not degradation of the magnetic media, but rather mold/fungus growing on it, even when I put them in storage cases containing desiccant packs.
 
People often call it "mold", but it is not always something living. Often it is residue from the air, sometimes combined with condensation inside the jacket. Find a piece of flat glass that has been stored away for 30+ years and see if it dosn't have residue on it.

I've archived lots of poorly stored and low quality disks from random sources. The key is to always inspect the disk surface and clean if needed. Just plop a dirty disk in the drive and it may rip itself up. Very carefully clean it, and it may be readable, or even re-usable. Once and a while a disk may have been high-quality and well stored, but never make that assumption.

"Normal" people didn't take good care of their disks when they were new. They might have kept disk in their purses, or used the same program disk as their data disk constantly for months on end. Back in the day, I regularly encountered 3.5" disks that had sand pouring out of them (concrete materials plants!).
 
If I look back in my 5.25" files, I used to have a lot of budget floppies (e.g. Elephant, Brown, etc.) They all have failed and wandered off to the wastebasket over the years. Dysan, 3M, etc. still are plugging away after more than 40 years.
 
I purchased a bunch of bulk DD 5.25" floppies back in my early days of collecting. The floppies were shrinkwrapped in stacks of 25 I think, green colored and came from duplicators stock that was being liquidated at the time. Some very good deals back then and perfect for making working C64 floppies. The quality seems better than the generic white boxed ones I used to get back in the day.

Never really had any issues with 5.25" floppies DD or HD being reliable. I did get a bunch of C64 disks from a collector that seem to be moldy so I tossed those. 3.5" disks are the ones that are not the best long term.
 
disks stored in hot and cold attics or damp dirty basements ARE bad. disks stored in your temp regulated home and clean have a good chance of being fine. ive thrown away at least 100 to 150 bad disks since covid stsrted from lots i bought up with badly stored disks.

i can tell you MOST of the cds i have burned in the late 90s and early 00s dont read anymore even though they have little to no scratches. and alot of the dvds i burned 10 yeara ago are giving me trouble.
 
Chuck

Interesting that you mention Wabash. This is the one and only brand that I know I've had a problem with. Way way back, prob 1983, I bought a box of 10 Wabash disks. Got all varieties of cheaper, incl unlabelled ones, over the years since. Just a few years ago now I tried to use one of the Wabash ones, and the normal reading of the disk scraped the magnetic coating off the disk, making the disk unreadable and damaging the drive. I quickly checked the other Wabash disk and found that the magnetic coating came off them all. No other disk had any similar problem. I'd say that is no 'urban myth' but a specific problem with a specific manufacturer's product. I think I've seen other complaints about Wabash disks. May be a variant of the same problem affecting recording tape, again as produced by some makers, where the binder breaks down over the years?

Geoff
 
I can say categorically that in my experience all 2400' reels of Wabash tape have been nothing but problems, baking notwithstanding. I've had occasional issues with 70's Scotch 777CP tape shedding, but lubrication usually holds that to a nuisance.
I've never run into an old 5.25' or 8" Wabash floppy that has warmed the cockles of my heart, either.
 
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