Q.
I have a number of files on old 5 1/4-inch diskettes that I'd like to retrieve, but I no longer have a computer with a floppy drive that will read them. Is there any way I can get these files onto my new computer?
A.
Even though the 5 1/4-inch floppy disk -- the most common size for PC disks made before 1987 -- has pretty much gone the way of the eight-track tape, it might still be possible to get your files back. But if the documents were created in an old program
that has also fallen by the wayside, you may also have to get your old files converted to a format that will work on your new computer. Data conversion companies can take many types of obsolete storage media and transfer
the material onto the modern 3 1/2-inch floppies or CD-ROM's or Zip disks. In addition to 5 1/4-inch disks, conversions can also be done for more obscure storage media, like 8-inch floppy disks (the ones that were
actually floppy), magnetic data tapes, optical disks and Syquest cartridges.
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