Best way to ensure DD floppies survive another 20 years

[paul1981]

I don't think demagnetisation would happen, but one other thing I would advise is to store them upright...as in don't pressurise the disks. The few floppies I've had issues with are the ones that were getting squashed in a disk box because I tried to cram too many disks in. The fabric layer on these disks seemed to end up sticking to parts of the disk due to prolonged pressure and time, possibly some humidity contributed to this event, but in any case I'm quite sure it was because they were physically getting squashed.

Keep them dry (lower humidity rather than higher), don't stack the piles more than 5 inches if you have to stack them, and don't try and squeeze more in a diskbox than what it was designed for (no pressure at all between disks).

If stacking, be extra careful with the shutters as they tend to slide onto each other which obviously damages the shutters. It's a bit like how wires seem to get mangled up without you even touching them...

[paul1981]

Those storage bags you attach to the vacuum cleaner would remove the environmental factors of where they are stored.  If bundle them together, in stacks, with elastic bands it will help you to keep them in nice shape that will minimize air pockets in the bags.

That's good advice except for the elastic bands, as elastic bands decay and can turn to goo which would get stuck all over the disks. Real elastic perhaps, or even string...

HaHa, yeah...put the elastic band on the bag LOL. I had a blonde moment, what can I say?

But, the elastic band would still decay so still not the best choice.

[paul1981]

I think your not knowing what he's talking about. The bags he refers to are already sealed, no elastic needed. The elastic just bunches the disks upright. No air to get in and turn them into goo!

Nice idea actually.

Chris

LOL I read it as freezer bags. Yes, I have no idea! :laugh1:

[paul1981]

@ Xnyle

If you're trying to preserve the disk, then don't rewrite it until it develops errors, and of course first confirm the error by trying at least two other working drives first.

As soon as you write over the disk with your (uncalibrated) floppy drive, it will not be exactly the same as when leaving the duplication plant or whatever, so it would be the last resort in my mind.

The last last resort incase the disk is u/s would be to split open the diskette case and replace the actual disk inside. This preserves the diskette case and label, so there is nothing to worry about really.

To demagnetise a tape or disk requires a powerful alternating magnetic field, so there's nothing to worry about there either. Just look after them the best you can, you can do no more.