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Author Topic: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)  (Read 5022 times)

Offline Destructavator

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R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« on: April 27, 2010, 03:26:50 am »
http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20100426/tc_zd/250362

My old Dual-core Dell desktop only has a 3.5 one because I ripped it out of an old 486 computer so I could backup and get rid of my old floppies.

...That and it runs Windows 7, which actually recognizes the archaic piece of hardware.  Not only that, but because of that I get to see what the floppy drive icon looks like in Windows 7, something most people haven't seen and likely will never see.  (Actually, it's not that exciting, and you're not missing that much, so if you happen to never see it by the time you get to be gasping on your deathbed, you can go in peace.  Seriously, if you go out feeling your life was unfulfilled, it was something else - Trust me.)

Offline BTAxis

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2010, 09:08:29 am »
The icons are in C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll. You can browse them by changing any of your program's icons.

Offline MCR

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2010, 01:06:22 pm »
If you install a original Windows XP & you want modern AHCI support for your S-ATA drives from scratch you still need a diskdrive, because it is the only way to load the necessary drivers (with the Original ;))...

There are tricks to get AHCI running after the installation of course, so having XP & no diskdrive is no reason to kill yourself ;)  :D ;D

Offline Destructavator

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2010, 04:56:57 pm »
@BTAxis: Yeah, I know, I've browsed the icons in Windows before, I was just being dramatic (and silly, joking).

@MCR:  Yes, been there, done that...  Although there are now ways - with special utilities - that one can make a custom Windows install disc with all the needed drivers already on it (and slipstream service packs as well), I've seen a number of third-party programs that do such things.

What amazes me is how some people are really stick-in-the-mud and still use such old things today.  I remember the old days of "PRESS PLAY ON TAPE" as well as boxy, clunky cartridges, not to mention LOGO, Atari, Infocom, Pole Position, Yar's Revenge, Choose-your-own-adventure books, the ORIGINAL Transformers, those what-do-you-call-it-things that one would color then put in the oven and bake (but not eat), BetaMax VCR tapes, GI-JOE, days when Metallica were really considered kick-ass cool and everyone really respected them, governments were not so evil and intrusive, children had manners and actually gave a s*** about things they typically don't nowadays, etc., etc...

*sigh*

Oh well, at least I've got a little left before I really get old and musty...   :P

Offline Another Guy

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2010, 07:58:59 pm »
I do have a FDD installed on my PC. lol
I don't really use it but it looks great right above smart cards reader drive. Old and new   :P

Offline Winter

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2010, 08:32:40 am »
HAY GUYS, wanna buy some ZIP discs? Near mint condition, used maybe 3 times in the history of mankind! It's quite a bargain! No, really!

Regards,
Winter

Offline Destructavator

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2010, 08:37:26 am »
HAY GUYS, wanna buy some ZIP discs? Near mint condition, used maybe 3 times in the history of mankind! It's quite a bargain! No, really!

Regards,
Winter

If you have any that are still sealed in plastic (or whatever packaging), keep them that way - seriously, I know someone who did that with a box of the large, black 5 and something inch floppies and sold them on ebay several years ago for a nice profit.

Offline BTAxis

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2010, 09:35:57 am »
One difference is that 5.25" floppies are the exclusive medium for very old computers, while the zip disks are just an "upgrade" for the 3.5" floppies that nobody used.

Offline Another Guy

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2010, 04:38:48 am »
I did try that. Very slow read and write speed even for that time... But at that time an external HDD would be a rarity as well.
Still useless though. lol

Offline masssiveego

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Re: R.I.P. Floopy disc... (Finally)
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2010, 12:38:28 am »
I find this to a horrify moment to realize things get obsolete too quickly.  while modern computers will continue to use usb flash drives in place of the floppy.  the failure to maintain backward compatibility means data will be lost in the process.