FLOPPY DISK ARCHIVE SOFTWARE

In addition, we can use the KryoFlux to recover data from damaged disks, including one from the American Folklife Center that was partially melted. This makes it possible to create multiple formatted disk images from the stream file while saving wear and tear on our equipment and the original disk. While the KryoFlux can create formatted disk images directly from the disk if we know the correct format, sometimes it makes sense to create these magnetic flux images (called preservation streams) and work from them instead of the original item. Since floppy disks were used so widely for a very long time, the creator may have gone through several different computers and used several disk formats to store their data. Why go through this process? It is sometimes hard to tell from the disk itself what the format will be. This floppy controller can create an image of the magnetic fluctuations on the disk which can then be used to create a formatted disk image. PSD uses a KryoFlux to create disk images from floppy disks. The data can be preserved in our digital repository under the best practices for digital preservation.įigure 2 The KryoFlux (in a red case, right) at work. Once transferred off of the disk, we remove the reliance on aging and difficult to acquire hardware. Lorenz (1917-2008) created one-of-a-kind simulation programs demonstrating complex mathematical problems that we can view through use of emulators ( ///thesignal/2021/02/born-digital-history/). Some content creators like Rhoda Métraux (1914-2003) used their computers like typewriters, so we find text files, correspondence, or drafts of published works ( ///thesignal/2020/08/metaphors-for-understanding-born-digital-collection-access-part-iii/). The Preservation Services Division (PSD) maintains several tools for transferring data off of floppy disks, even items that are damaged or are in uncommon formats.Ĭollections found on floppy disks can be as mundane as practice files for a particular coding language, found tucked in the back of a textbook.

FLOPPY DISK ARCHIVE SOFTWARE

While optical disks are still in wide use and are very easy to transfer data from, floppy disks are older and finding hardware and software for recovering data is a more specialized skill. Of the hundreds of thousands of removable media items in the Library’s collections, the vast majority are optical disks and floppy disks. Her work includes recovering data from removable media in Library collections and providing consultation and services for born-digital collections data. This is a guest post written by Amanda May, Digital Conversion Specialist in the Preservation Services Division.

Floppy disk archive