Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!princeton!njsmu!mccc!dworkin!jtravis From: jtravis@dworkin.Amber.COM (Jim, Sysop) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: Avg lifetime for a 3.5" floppy? Message-ID: Date: 15 Feb 91 15:07:47 GMT References: <1991Feb08.044012.7972@disk.uucp> Sender: bbs@dworkin.UUCP Organization: Labyrinth II BBS Lines: 74 sparks@disk.uucp (John Sparks) writes: > cpc@czaeap.UUCP (Chris Cebelenski) writes: > > > > I have been experiencing some strange problems with some older > > 3.5" floppies. I have noticed that for some reason my Amiga floppies > > (Ie: 3.5") go bad faster than my old 5.25" C-64 floppies did. The > > average lifetime I have noticed for Amiga formatted 3.5" disks seem > > to be under 2 years! > > I would have to say that it all depends on the quality of your 3.5" disks. > Other factors that can affect the life of a floppy can be storage conditions, > how much writing you do to the disk. I have had my Amiga 1000 since 1985 and > I still have some floppies from when I first bought it, and they still work > fine. That's over 5 years now. But then I have had some floppies fail on > me within a month of their first format. > > On the whole I find that the 3.5" disks are much sturdier and longer lasting > than 5.25" disks. The 5.25" disks are more likely to fail do to mishandling > long before a 3.5" one will. It's easy to spill things on the 5.25" disks, > or to crease them, etc. > > Oh, and before someone comes out and says that the bad floppies are the > bulk buys and that you should stick with brand names, let me say this: > > My best disks have been the bulk disks from MEI (39 cents) and the worst have > been Sony brand, with Maxell almost as bad. The Maxells seem to start getting > hard format errors after a moderate ammount of rewriting, and the Sony's seem > to have more trouble with the mechanics of the disks (sticking shutters, warp > cases, cases coming apart.) > > > > -- > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > John Sparks |"Help Fight Continental Drift!"| (502)968-DISK 2400 BPS > D.I.S.K. Management| Email: sparks@disk.UUCP | 7 lines, public access u > *Online Games*Usenet*Email*Chatting*Downloads*Supporting all computers* I agree. I've got disks that work from the very first days of my Amiga 1000 (bought back, 4 months after the Byte mag rollout), including VERY old versions of Kickstart that still work on a friends 1000 (pre v1.0) It REALLY depends upon the disks - I've found these to be the most reliable, in proper order of importance: 1. Sony 2. Maxell 3. Fuji NEVER had a problem with any of those brands. I HAVE found MAJOR problems with: 4. BASF 5. KAO (should read KAOS, as far as I'm concerned) 6. VERBATIM If I'd have to suggets anything, use the first 3 brands - and get Quarterback Tools. It's GREAT! Saved my harddrive and floppies a number of times. For floppies, you're lost without DiskSalv I might add. -------///----------------------------------------------------------- /// Jim Trascapoulos * CSAccess BBS * 609-584-8774 /// "You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever \\\/// count on having both at once." - Lazerus Long --\XX/--------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh-HO! So you're hiding him in the oven, are you?" "If I was, would I throw a lighted match in there.." >>BLAM!<< "You might rabbit, you might.."