I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?

<Bill>

Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
> documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?
>
> <Bill>

You could copy from the 5.25 to a computer and then copy to usb.

On Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:56:45 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

>I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
>documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?
>
><Bill>
>
Assuming you have a 5-1/4 floppy reader of some sort, and just want to get it transferred via USB,
will this help:

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-floppy-disk-adapter-pcb

On 4/24/2024 6:56 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
> documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?
>
> <Bill>
>
>

I have a 5.25" enclosure with USB external connector.
It has an IDE ribbon cable inside and a Molex power connector.
The wall adapter for the unit, is a 12V @ 2A power adapter.
The 12V is converted to +5V, on the enclosure circuit
board, and that makes the +5/+12 the drive would need.

5.25" is the size of an optical drive. Most of the time,
mine has an optical drive. But I sometimes install a
3.5" hard drive in the enclosure too (different screw holes).

They also make IDE/SATA adapters with multiple interfaces
on them, and while the adapter kit does not include a "housing",
it has all the electrical bits needed for connecting a drive
to a USB connector. A 12V @ 2A adapter is included with the kit.

For SSDs, a USB3 to SSD adapter exists. Since the SSD only
needs +5V, that voltage comes over the USB power cable. This
allows a 2.5" SSD to be run from a "pigtail cable" that has
a one-piece SATA connector. This works as long as the
SSD does not have excessive consumption. A Sandforce SSD
controller peaks at 7 watts, and that is a bit iffy as a
candidate. USB3 is nominally 4.5W, but goes higher (until
the fuse opens).

SATA enclosures can also run SSD drives, and again, that's
the 12V @ 2A adapter, followed by a regulator onboard to make
the 5V an SSD might use.

But really old, full height 5.25" hard drives, I don't
think there is anything USB for those. That could be SASI
or SCSI or the like. A "computer from the era" is the best
candidate for the crusty olde drives.

(ST506/ST412)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/5.25_inch_MFM_hard_disk_drive.JPG

A "document from 1993" sounds like it is past that point in time.

You can see some crusty drive examples here. Many of these had
IDE interface. A file from 1993, might be on an early IDE.

Some IDE controllers, had a few of the older "modes" removed.
On occasion, even though the connector mates, the computer end
may not have the capability to communicate successfully with it.
You might use your year 2000 computer for a try (the 440BX might
have the modes).

http://www.alexandrugroza.ro/olddiscdrives/historical-ide-hdd/index.html

Paul

Paul wrote on 4/24/24 6:16 PM:
> On 4/24/2024 6:56 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
>> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
>> documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?
>>
>> <Bill>
>>
>>
>
> I have a 5.25" enclosure with USB external connector.
> It has an IDE ribbon cable inside and a Molex power connector.
> The wall adapter for the unit, is a 12V @ 2A power adapter.
> The 12V is converted to +5V, on the enclosure circuit
> board, and that makes the +5/+12 the drive would need.
>
> 5.25" is the size of an optical drive. Most of the time,
> mine has an optical drive. But I sometimes install a
> 3.5" hard drive in the enclosure too (different screw holes).
>
> They also make IDE/SATA adapters with multiple interfaces
> on them, and while the adapter kit does not include a "housing",
> it has all the electrical bits needed for connecting a drive
> to a USB connector. A 12V @ 2A adapter is included with the kit.
>
> For SSDs, a USB3 to SSD adapter exists. Since the SSD only
> needs +5V, that voltage comes over the USB power cable. This
> allows a 2.5" SSD to be run from a "pigtail cable" that has
> a one-piece SATA connector. This works as long as the
> SSD does not have excessive consumption. A Sandforce SSD
> controller peaks at 7 watts, and that is a bit iffy as a
> candidate. USB3 is nominally 4.5W, but goes higher (until
> the fuse opens).
>
> SATA enclosures can also run SSD drives, and again, that's
> the 12V @ 2A adapter, followed by a regulator onboard to make
> the 5V an SSD might use.
>
> But really old, full height 5.25" hard drives, I don't
> think there is anything USB for those. That could be SASI
> or SCSI or the like. A "computer from the era" is the best
> candidate for the crusty olde drives.
>
> (ST506/ST412)
>
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/5.25_inch_MFM_hard_disk_drive.JPG
>
> A "document from 1993" sounds like it is past that point in time.
>
> You can see some crusty drive examples here. Many of these had
> IDE interface. A file from 1993, might be on an early IDE.
>
> Some IDE controllers, had a few of the older "modes" removed.
> On occasion, even though the connector mates, the computer end
> may not have the capability to communicate successfully with it.
> You might use your year 2000 computer for a try (the 440BX might
> have the modes).
>
> http://www.alexandrugroza.ro/olddiscdrives/historical-ide-hdd/index.html
>
> Paul
>

A 5.25 drive connected to 1993 era devices could also be a 5.25 floppy
drive using 5.25 diskettes.

The Op has yet to state the source of the media.
- hopefully the op will clarify adding a bit more detail

Windows 3.1 was released in April 1992 and was available on seven(7) 5.25
floppy diskettes. Word and Excel also available on 5.25 floppy diskettes.
1993 isn't too far in the future for devices still running Windows on
devices with 5.25 diskette drives.

--
....w¡ñ§±¤ñ

Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some
> saved documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could
> recommend?
> <Bill>

I was hoping I could buy an external drive like my DVD and 3-1/2 drive. I
think somewhere in the crawl space I still have the original computer these
files where created on. I believe that computer has a 720 meg 3-1/2 inch
drive and I may have in my surplus boxes a diskette that will work. The
files will be Wordstar and I did locate a Wordstar windows version that
should run in one of my vms. I will need to find a conversion program to
change the files to another format. I should of been mean and told them I
could not locate the files. Of course the final clincher will be the 360
meg diskettes will not be readable.

<Bill>

On 4/25/2024 1:10 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> Bill Bradshaw wrote:
>> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some
>> saved documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could
>> recommend?
>> <Bill>
>
> I was hoping I could buy an external drive like my DVD and 3-1/2 drive. I
> think somewhere in the crawl space I still have the original computer these
> files where created on. I believe that computer has a 720 meg 3-1/2 inch
> drive and I may have in my surplus boxes a diskette that will work. The
> files will be Wordstar and I did locate a Wordstar windows version that
> should run in one of my vms. I will need to find a conversion program to
> change the files to another format. I should of been mean and told them I
> could not locate the files. Of course the final clincher will be the 360
> meg diskettes will not be readable.
>
> <Bill>

"diskettes will not be readable" <=== some things always work in your favor :-/

At least with hard drive storage from the era, you have a fighting chance.
Perhaps better than the odds on some random floppies.

But, no landing ramps on those drives. Heads stay on the platter
(for better, or for worse).

The shock rating on some of those drives was "2G, running" which
means your drive is in danger just from you walking past the table.

The original drives were intended for single axis (flat on the table) operation.
Later, heads were loaded in pairs, with symmetric loading on both sides
of the platter, and platters "certified both sides good". And those drives
operated in six axis.

Paul

On Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:10:45 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net>
wrote:

>Bill Bradshaw wrote:

> Of course the final clincher will be the 360 meg diskettes will not be readable.

SpinRite 5.0 saved (made readable) a few resistant floppies for me, back in
the day. I've read that 5.0 was better on floppies than 6.0, and I found
that to be true.

--
croy

On 2024-04-25 03:16, Paul wrote:
> On 4/24/2024 6:56 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
>> I find myself in need of something like this. I have to pull some saved
>> documents from 1993. Anybody have something they could recommend?
>>
>> <Bill>
>>
>>
>
> I have a 5.25" enclosure with USB external connector.
> It has an IDE ribbon cable inside and a Molex power connector.

It seems from his second post that he means floppies, not hard disks.
That's not an IDE interface.

I see them on Amazon, at least for 3.5"

--
Cheers, Carlos.