6.7 Salvaging Diskette Data
If a diskette is physically damaged, you may be able to salvage the
data by removing the actual diskette medium from its protective
sheath. For a 5.25" diskette, take the following steps, which
we've used successfully more than once:
Use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully trim about 1/8" (3 mm)
from the bottom edge of the protective sheath of another diskette
that you don't care about. The bottom edge is that
nearest the drive door when the diskette is inserted into the drive.
Gently squeeze the two edges adjoining the trimmed edge toward the
center to open a gap in the trimmed edge. Grasp the plastic medium
and gently slide it out of the sheath, leaving the Tyvek inner liner
in place. Discard the medium and save the sheath.
Repeat the first step on the damaged diskette, and then remove the
medium, touching it as little as possible. Put your finger in the
central hub hole and gently press the medium towards the trimmed
edge. If you must grasp the medium itself, do so only at the very
edge. Be very careful not to bend or deform the medium while you are
extracting it.
Gently slide the medium from the damaged diskette into the new sheath
that you previously prepared, making sure that the medium is
right-side up, fully inserted, and that the hub hole in the medium is
centered in the hub hole on the sheath. Rotate the medium gently by
using your finger in the hub hole to ensure that it turns easily.
Insert the patched diskette into the drive and attempt to access it.
It's not necessary to tape or otherwise secure the
trimmed edge. If you can access some or all of the data on the
patched diskette, immediately copy it elsewhere and then discard the
diskette.
Salvaging data from a 3.5" diskette is usually impossible. Any damage
that renders the hard plastic shell unusable normally also destroys
the medium that it contains. However, if recovering the data is
critical, you can attempt the following process, which
we've had much less luck with:
Locate a 3.5" diskette of the same type (DD, HD, or ED) as the
damaged diskette that you are willing to destroy. Using a nail file
or small screwdriver, gently pry the sliding metal shutter off the
diskette and discard the shutter.
Gently pry open the shell. Remove and discard the medium, leaving the
two Tyvek inner liners in place. Place the shell aside.
Repeat the first step on the damaged diskette, and then remove the
medium, touching it as little as possible. If the medium is visibly
damaged, as it probably will be, continuing is likely to be useless.
However, we did once succeed in recovering some files from a medium
that appeared to be severely damaged, so it may be worth the effort.
Place the medium from the damaged diskette into the new shell you
prepared, making sure to orient the medium as it was in the original
diskette, and snap the shell closed. Use your fingertip to make sure
that the medium turns freely within the shell. Insert the repaired
diskette into the drive (you need not replace the shutter first) and
attempt to read the diskette.
|
