I have several floppy discs with Word Processing files from old windows 98
(2d). I bought a new computer. I can't open the floppies. Please help!
Polly
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I have several floppy discs with Word Processing files from old windows 98
(2d). I bought a new computer. I can't open the floppies. Please help!
Polly
Welcome to VirtualDr;)
What happens/doesn't happen when you try to open the floppies?
Floppy drives can collect alot of dust. Should try and blow the dust out.
(Note first that "el cheap'o" floppy drives are not very precise).
Some of the reasons a floppy drive can malfunction are: Azimuth skew, Hub Centering (Clamping), Hysteresis, Radial Alignment, Rotational Speed and Sensitivity.
For example, as floppy drives get older, wear and tear can move the heads a bit off center of the tracks. If you write to a diskette using a drive with the heads a bit off to the left and then try to read that same diskette using a drive with heads a bit off to the right, the magnetic signal isn't strong enough on the right side of the track for the drive to be able to read the file(s) on your diskette. In this case, the solution would be to try to retrieve your files using the same floppy drive that created them. (Copy them to a hard drive). Now use the new floppy drive (and new diskettes) to recreate your floppy diskettes.
Another problem is magnetic signals weaken with age. (Especially on low quality floppy diskettes with thin oxide coating).
Floppy drives/diskettes: The list and examples of problems would be near never-ending ... :(
I realize my floppies are rather old. (Jeesh - I am "rather" old):) I thought surely I could transfer the information from those discs onto a CD. Originally when I tried to open the disc to do some work on the files (I am a procrastinator - haven't worked on these for three years) - my new computer Word would not recognize the info. I downloaded Works632 and then tried wp2Krtf conversion programs. Nothing has worked. It is the program (old W982d Word) that does not convert over to MS Word 2002. Am I making sense?
Marty
What file extension do the old files have - .wks, .doc, .wps, etc.?
Can you see and touch the files on the floppy? Or are you having problems After you see the files?
I posted a reply just a few seconds ago - did it arrive?
Marty
May need a older 98 machine to read the floppies, if you are lucky, then burn them to cd.
Now go to office updates and get the update that allows for reading of the older files.
Read here: http://www.velocityreviews.com/forum...pen-in-xp.html, post #9
I went to "accessories" and then to "system information" It shows that I have Office 10 that came installed on my computer. All programs "Word" "Excel" "Powerpoint" etc., are listed but not installed. The only discs I rec'd when I purchased my computer were MS Works Suite 2006Dreading that I am sounding dumb as a stump - do I get an office update for that?
Marty
Did you read my link?
Hi Broni - (finally caught on that you were addressing me). I went to your link and was pleased I wasn't the only person that had this problem. I read the numerous steps to download the 3 driver gizmo. I am going to print off the instructions and give it a try. What are the odds of a 78-year-old granny accomplishing the task?:)
Thanks for the info.
Marty
Oh yes - downloading this driver on my XP will not cause any problems - correct? In other words - there isn't any way that I can get in trouble?
I have a very strong faith in you :)Quote:
What are the odds of a 78-year-old granny accomplishing the task?
No.Quote:
there isn't any way that I can get in trouble?
Your faith failed you.:)
I have done this three times. Did not work.
Go back to step 1 (download driver) Do I "run" or "save" to a folder?
Do not take for granted that I have a smidgen of smarts on this stuff.
Dummie 101
We're not done, yet, aren't we? :DQuote:
Your faith failed you
Let's see...
That means, you click on "Save" to save the file to your computer in order to uzip it.Quote:
1. Download driver.
2. Unzip the driver somewhere (I keep all of my drivers in
C:\Drivers\<Driver>, so I extracted it to C:\Drivers\3mode).
3. Open Windows XP's Device Manager, expand the "Floppy disk controllers"
heading, and double-click the listing for "Standard floppy disk controller".
4. Click the "Driver" tab, then click the "Update Driver" button.
5. Select the "Install from a list or specific location" radio button and
click the "Next" button.
6. Select the "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install." radio
button and click the "Next" button.
7. Click the "Have Disk" button; then, click the "Browse" button. Browse to
the location that you extracted the files to in step 2 and double click the
"VIA3MFPY.INF" file. Then, click the "OK" button.
8. You should now have "VIA 3-mode floppy controller" highlighted in the
drivers list. Click the "Next" button to begin the driver file copy. Once
the file copy is complete, your floppy disk drive will access 3 times
(checking all 3 "modes"). This is normal. Click the "Finish" button when
the driver installation is complete.
9a. You may, or may not, have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in the
"Other Devices" heading in Device Manager. If so, continue with step 9a.
If not, skip to step 9b. If you have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in
the "Other Devices" heading in Device Manager, right-click on it and select
"Update Driver". Follow steps 5 through 8 to complete the installation of
"Floppy disk drive" (note that the naming of the driver in the drivers list
in step 8 may be different during this step - this is normal). Once you've
clicked the "Finish" button, continue on to step 10.
9b. If you do not have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in the "Other
Devices" heading in Device Manager, expand the "Floppy disk drives" heading
in Device Manager and double-click the listing for "Floppy disk drive".
Follow steps 4 through 8 to complete the installation of "Floppy disk drive"
(note that the naming of the driver in the drivers list in step 8 may be
different during this step - this is normal). Once you've clicked the
"Finish" button, continue on to step 10.
10. Reboot your PC. This should let you know if all of your hard work
REALLY paid off. Check the Device Manager one last time to be sure that you
now have the "VIA 3-mode floppy controller listed under the "Floppy disk
controllers" heading. Put a file on a floppy in Win98 (or another non-XP
OS) and you should now be able to access it in Windows XP (and vice-versa)
without issue. You made it!
To unzip it, simply double click on XPe_3mflp132_v10.zip file
Alrighty - My problem is with step 2. I saved the downloaded zip file to "My documents" then I clicked on the XPE thing and all the files came up. But when I went to "Browse" I did not see XPE. What am I doing wrong?
:p
Marty
"Browse" in step 7?
Quote:
1. Download driver.
2. Unzip the driver somewhere (I keep all of my drivers in
C:\Drivers\<Driver>, so I extracted it to C:\Drivers\3mode).
3. Open Windows XP's Device Manager, expand the "Floppy disk controllers"
heading, and double-click the listing for "Standard floppy disk controller".
4. Click the "Driver" tab, then click the "Update Driver" button.
5. Select the "Install from a list or specific location" radio button and
click the "Next" button.
6. Select the "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install." radio
button and click the "Next" button.
7. Click the "Have Disk" button; then, click the "Browse" button. Browse to
the location that you extracted the files to in step 2 and double click the
"VIA3MFPY.INF" file. Then, click the "OK" button.
8. You should now have "VIA 3-mode floppy controller" highlighted in the
drivers list. Click the "Next" button to begin the driver file copy. Once
the file copy is complete, your floppy disk drive will access 3 times
(checking all 3 "modes"). This is normal. Click the "Finish" button when
the driver installation is complete.
9a. You may, or may not, have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in the
"Other Devices" heading in Device Manager. If so, continue with step 9a.
If not, skip to step 9b. If you have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in
the "Other Devices" heading in Device Manager, right-click on it and select
"Update Driver". Follow steps 5 through 8 to complete the installation of
"Floppy disk drive" (note that the naming of the driver in the drivers list
in step 8 may be different during this step - this is normal). Once you've
clicked the "Finish" button, continue on to step 10.
9b. If you do not have a device labeled "Unknown Device" in the "Other
Devices" heading in Device Manager, expand the "Floppy disk drives" heading
in Device Manager and double-click the listing for "Floppy disk drive".
Follow steps 4 through 8 to complete the installation of "Floppy disk drive"
(note that the naming of the driver in the drivers list in step 8 may be
different during this step - this is normal). Once you've clicked the
"Finish" button, continue on to step 10.
10. Reboot your PC. This should let you know if all of your hard work
REALLY paid off. Check the Device Manager one last time to be sure that you
now have the "VIA 3-mode floppy controller listed under the "Floppy disk
controllers" heading. Put a file on a floppy in Win98 (or another non-XP
OS) and you should now be able to access it in Windows XP (and vice-versa)
without issue. You made it!
Okay - In "Device Manager" I now have VIA 3-Mode floppy controller listed.
How do I get to VIA3MFPY.INF???? If I click on the VIA 3-Mode floppy controller - I am back to steps 4, 5, 6. I AM trying to "seize the moment"!!
M
Well, I'm not sure though what steps you went through, already.
I am removing all traces of the file and starting over. I now have the zipped file on desktop.
I extracted the the file to C:/drivers/3mode.
Am I okay so far?
M
Very good. Just take your time.