Computer geeks, I am at my wits end

Site Notices

TNVC Partners With Envision Technology - MARS Rangefinder & RAIL Family, MARS-Lc In-Stock!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Computer geeks, I am at my wits end

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:14:18 AM EDT

My hard drive blew a gasket yesterday and had to be completely re-configured from scratch. Techs from Sony helped me do this. I lost a bunch of work-related stuff (spreadsheets), but the most vital of which I had backed up to a floppy. Problem is, I now cannot get the computer to read the floppy, to copy the material on it to my hard-drive, or to copy it to a CD. I put a CD in the CD drive and attempt to copy the floppy data to the CD and the computer keeps telling me to insert a CD into the drive (it's in there already).

If what I am posting makes any sense, any help in resolving this matter would be much appreciated, as I cannot do sheeit without that spreadsheet.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:16:50 AM EDT

[#1]

Have you tried another blank CD.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:17:48 AM EDT

[#2]

Save the file to your hard drive.
e-mail it to your work account.
re-install the drivers for your cd burner.
As a backup burn the file to the cd from the hard drive.
The disk may have partially burned and closed the session making it a frisbee.
Try another disk but trust me you should save it to the hard drive first, much faster to burn to a CD.
Good luck.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:17:50 AM EDT

[#3]

Why are you copying from the floppy to the CD?

Many computers can't handle writing directly to a CD.

Copy the files to the hard drive 1st, then burn to CD if you need to.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:19:53 AM EDT

[#4]

Guys, I can't even read the floppy. The computer won't let me. I can't get it to copy from the floppy to the HD either.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:21:38 AM EDT

[#5]

I put the floppy in the drive, it shows the spreadsheet exists, but when I click on it to either read it or copy it to HD, it won't do it.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:21:49 AM EDT

[#6]

The floppy disk is toast.

They don't make `em like they used to.

Scott

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:23:43 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Guys, I can't even read the floppy. The computer won't let me. I can't get it to copy from the floppy to the HD either.

Did you reinstall your Office program?
Like Outlook, MS Word, Excel, and Power Point?
Have you rebooted since working with the techs to restore your PC?
Did you format the hard drive or do a repair install of you OS?
If you just did a repair you may be able to recover you documents.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:24:08 AM EDT

[#8]

Tried copying it again. It says the computer cannot read the source file or disc.

I'm sure the floppy is fine. It's what I've used all summer.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:24:23 AM EDT

[#9]

Try to save something else to a different blank floppy to see if it's the drive itself or your "backup disk".

If you still can't even save to a different floppy, something is wrong with your drive. (Take it to work and email it to your home address)

If you can save to a different floppy, something is wrong with your backup floppy and you are likely out of luck.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:26:09 AM EDT

[#10]

The floppy disk may be bad. Can you read it in another computer?

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:26:32 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Tried copying it again. It says the computer cannot read the source file or disc.

I'm sure the floppy is fine. It's what I've used all summer.

Floppies wear, and they are made pretty cheaply now.

Get a memory stick.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:27:37 AM EDT

[#12]

I'll never use a floppy disk again.

I didn't even install a floppy drive in my pc when I built it.

Blank cds are cheaper, faster to read, faster to write, and more reliable.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:28:33 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Tried copying it again. It says the computer cannot read the source file or disc.

I'm sure the floppy is fine. It's what I've used all summer.

Disk is toast.
If you use XP and did a repair installation or a restoration then:
go to start>search>all files/folders>advanced search options select hidden files and foleders/subfolders/system folders>type ".xls" without the quotes in the search field and search your hard drive for all Excel files.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:30:02 AM EDT

[#14]

I would take your floppy to another computer, and see if you can read it, if you can't read from the 2nd computer, then your floppy is bad. Floppies are so cheaply made today, that it won't take too many R/Ws before they develop an IO error.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:30:50 AM EDT

[#15]

Are there people out there (mom and pop computer stores) who can retrieve data from "bad" floppies?

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:31:46 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Are there people out there (mom and pop computer stores) who can retrieve data from "bad" floppies?

$$$

you could try getting Norton utilities and do it yourself

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:32:06 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Tried copying it again. It says the computer cannot read the source file or disc.

I'm sure the floppy is fine. It's what I've used all summer.

That "cannot read the source file or disc" doesn't sound good. Confirm your floppy is good on another machine.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:33:36 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Are there people out there (mom and pop computer stores) who can retrieve data from "bad" floppies?

There is a decent program out there called "Easy Recovery Proffesional." I've used it to recover data from bad floppies.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:34:58 AM EDT

[#19]

The floppy disk is toast.
Get one of these:

"Jump Drive."

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:36:54 AM EDT

[#20]

Never mind... it only prevent from writing to disk

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:37:00 AM EDT

[#21]

try removing the floppy and reinstalling it from device manger?

by no means am i a computer expert so do this at your own risk.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:38:37 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Is the floppy disk locked? There is a little plastic piece that would prevent you from writing or retrieving data from it if it is locked. Should be in the upper left hand corner, looking at the back of the floppy.

WRONG.

The lock only prevents writing to the disk, not reading.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:38:57 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
There is a little plastic piece that would prevent you from writing or retrieving data from it if it is locked.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:40:25 AM EDT

[#24]

Try the floppy on ANOTHER computer.

Posted: 9/7/2004 8:57:58 AM EDT

[#25]

I just got back from a computer wiz store. The guy confirms that the floppy is bad. He said I was out of luck. After pressing the issue, he said he would try to retrieve the spreadsheet with a special program or something.

I am so fucking upset right now you guys have no idea.

Posted: 9/7/2004 9:51:38 AM EDT

[#26]

Don't use floppies to store important data from now on. I've seen to many floppies go bad.

Posted: 9/7/2004 9:57:51 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
I just got back from a computer wiz store. The guy confirms that the floppy is bad. He said I was out of luck. After pressing the issue, he said he would try to retrieve the spreadsheet with a special program or something.

I am so fucking upset right now you guys have no idea.

I have gotten files off of a bad floppy before, and I've had one or two that you couldn't get it back.
It's a guessing game as to whether this guy can get it back for you or not.
Keep your fingers crossed and good luck.

Try not to get too upset, it could have been worse. At least you didn't have to replace any expensive parts.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Computer geeks, I am at my wits end

General » General Discussion

Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us