Questions tagged [data-preservation]
For questions related to data preservation, archiving, and backups.
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Memory requirements for undelete command
During MS-DOS days, an Undelete command existed and provided three levels of protection. Sentry is pretty much the same as the Recycle Bin, it moves deleted files to a directory called Sentry. Tracker ...
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Purpose of Recover command in MS-DOS
Continuing my reading of Dan Gookin's MS-DOS 6 pour les nuls (More DOS for Dummies ?), I've discovered in an otherwise light and funny (at least the French translation is) book about DOS a section ...
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Were there any filesystems support tag based key-value pairs before the 90s?
Attribute–value pair is quite common in programming languages, databases, URL query-strings, and Email/HTTP headers, which could also be used to organize, classify and version files.
Extended file ...
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Does a source exist for high-resolution PAL (not NTSC) video game cover scans? [closed]
I have created a database table of PAL games that I once owned for these platforms: Amiga, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, Mega Drive, Master System, Nintendo 64, Nintendo ...
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How do I find out the REAL title of a given video game?
The Wave Race game for Nintendo 64 is called "Wave Race 64 - Kawasaki Jet Ski" in a ROM set.
On Wikipedia, which I've previously considered authoritative for titles of commercial products, ...
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Every single ROM in my collection has the wrong SHA1 hash according to No-Intros
I have a collection of ROM files for the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and others. These ROMs match exactly those games that I own or owned growing up.
Recently, I found out about the "No-Intros" ...
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Can special tools recover data from floppy disks when Windows Explorer fails to do so?
I have many 1.44MB floppies 20 years old or older. My FDD, which I just bought online and received recently, cannot read them. The FDD can often display the contents of a floppy, but not successfully ...
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How to backup/dump Atari 520st floppy disks on modern hardware
I know the real answer is to download cracked games but from the era before internet got afordable, I have a lot of community games which never reached the Internet and that I would like to rescue as ...
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What should be the waveform for ZX Spectrum tapes?
I am digitizing about 40 tapes with programs for the ZX Spectrum.
I am somewhat puzzled by the waveform after digitization.
The signal of most cassettes is meander-shaped.
One of the cassettes can ...
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Exact tape recording format for SVI-318/328 computers
I'm looking for the exact tape data format of old SVI-318/328 computers, some kind of whitepapers explaining it.
I've obtained several information from a real tape, but I don't known if the infered ...
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Is there any way today to recover/dump 2M disks?
2M disks where formatted using 2MGUI to increase 3"1/2 & 5"1/4 DD/HD/ED disks' capacity.
Is there any way today to recover/dump these disks to a file with modern hardware? Specially the 5"1/4 ...
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Old Conner IDE hard drives that are mistakenly detected as being 2TB, how do I connect to and image them?
I have connected two old Conner Peripheral IDE HDDs to a modern computer using Deltaco USB to SATA/IDE adaptors.
The drives in question are:
Conner CP30121 (120 MB)
Conner CFA2161A (210 MB)
Both ...
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Data retrieval from 5.25 floppy disks [closed]
Can anyone direct one toward a service which can retrieve data stored on 5.25 single-sided dual-density floppy disks (MS-DOS 1.25, written using EasyWriter, on a Sanyo MBC-550)?
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Where can I donate my old Computer Shopper Magazines to make sure they get scanned and shared?
I am sure many of you remember the gigantic Computer Shopper magazines of the 1990's; but Computer Shopper actually dates back to sometime in 1979, and still exists in electronic form today.
In my ...
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FDD data dropouts after changing disks
I'm building a FDD controller out of a $10 microcontroller. It's mostly working pretty well, and I can read both 720kB and 1440kB PC MFM disks (the only ones I have to test with).
However... if I ...
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Finding byte boundaries in floppy disk MFM bitstreams
I'm building myself a floppy disk interface based on a microcontroller. I'm successfully reading the bitstream off the disk and (probably) decoding the MFM bitstream into actual bits, based on the ...
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What is the optimal way to store retro computing paraphernalia (games, consoles, accessories, books) on display at home?
When collecting retro computing related items you'll undoubtedly end up with a variety of different items, made from different materials and in a range of conditions.
Here is a recent snap of my ...
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Is my opened floppy disk useless now?
I was wondering if floppy disks are ruined if, say, a 3 year old rips them apart...
I had important pictures of my 12 year old son on a floppy disk. I was doing some spring cleaning and came across ...
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Unexpected UL error / List problems Epson HX-20
I have an Epson HX-20 which has been in storage since I last used it in 2013.
To my surprise the program I wrote back then is still stored in RAM, and by LISTing it (and checking it against the ...
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Make a BASIC TAP file readable on Linux
I am trying to convert my own BASIC TAP files (containing BASIC programs) to text so that they are readable on my Debian GNU/Linux machine.
If I open them as is, I get this, which gives me some hope, ...
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How can I recover the contents from an Amiga HDD using modern Linux?
I have two Amiga 1200's in pieces. One of them has a 52mb HDD in it and on it is my dissertation from 1995 and all my essays. I want to retrieve the dissertation because it's the only surviving copy. ...
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Is there a database of the box contents for different versions of NES games?
I've recently become interested in collecting old NES games. I'm trying to find an original NES Legend of Zelda game CIB. However, I'm having trouble distinguishing different versions of the game. All ...
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How can I copy files from a Compaq Deskpro?
I have a Compaq Deskpro EN 6266 Deskpro EN PII 266 Computer, pictured below.
When I try to insert a 4.7 GB optical disk, the PC stops. When I use a 720MB optical disk it says that I don't have ...
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What is the history of data compression tools on personal computers?
On UNIX, the progression of the most widespread data compression programs was as follows:
(AFAIR: Pre System V) compact (suffix .C), dynamic Huffman coding
(AFAIR: introduced in System V) pack (...
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How can I convert Epson escape codes to a more usable format?
I have many GWBasic programs peppered with Epson-specific escape sequences (ESC/P). Unfortunately I no longer have any printers that support these escape sequences.
Is there any way I can convert ...
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Rescuing data from old audio cassettes
In my recent expeditions to the darkest corners of my garage, I've found a load (there's a pun in there somewhere) of old audio tapes containing Sinclair Spectrum code. These aren't commercial titles, ...
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Magnetic tape data preservation format
What 'virtual tape' image format is most suited for data preservation i.e. can store metadata like density and media type of original tape, presence of data past EOT marker, parity/ECC bits etc.?
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How long will floppy disks maintain data integrity?
This was on CNN today:
The U.S. is still using floppy disks to run its nuclear program
Which led me to read through this article:
Think the floppy disk is dead? Think again! Here’s why it still ...
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How can I take an image of a 50-pin SCSI hard-drive
I have two 50-pin SCSI hard-drives that I need to image. However, after spending quite a while searching across the Internet, I cannot find any adapters to convert the 50-pin connector to something ...
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