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Date:      Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:09:37 +0000
From:      "Thomas Mueller" <mueller6724@bellsouth.net>
To:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: click-click in floppy disk drive
Message-ID:  <62.47.19454.11B38625@cdptpa-oedge03>
References:  <20131021135605.DSZ95987@ms5.mc.surewest.net> <20131022230000.9bfa7add.freebsd@edvax.de> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1310221953550.89571@wonkity.com> <20131023134628.d91267ab.freebsd@edvax.de> <20131023084125.626098b2@scorpio>

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> This whole thread brings back memories. Personally, I have not had a PC
> with a Floppy drive of any kind since 2004. I do have an ancient unit
> sitting in my basement that I might be able to resurrect if need;
> however, I don't know why I would. I have an old portable "floppy drive
> -1.44" somewhere, I would have to find it, that I could plug into the
> serial port if required. It use to work on Windows. I never even
> attempted to try it on FreeBSD. I wonder if anyone is still using the
> old ZIP drives. There was a serious problem with them and the "Click of
> Death" situation.
> --
> Jerry ♔

I had two Iomega Zip drives, first 100 MB, later 250 MB, both went bad or partly bad.

Iomega Zip 250 couldn't take a change of cartridges without intervening reboot, true for DOS, OS/2 and Linux, though it was good at first.

Directory of previous cartridge would always show up until reboot, which prevented me from using the second cartridge until the next reboot.

I came onto personal computers in 1990, when 8" floppy disks and drives were no longer commercially available.

I noticed in recent years that 3.5" floppies became no longer writable and sometimes also no longer readable.

5.25" diskettes seemed to have better shelf life.

Now I have given up on all floppies and old computer, recycled.

New computer motherboard has no floppy headers.

In more recent years, FreeDOS was better than Linux, and Linux was better than FreeBSD and NetBSD for dealing with floppies.

Tom




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