5 inch floppies

[Mike McCarty]

Amichai Rotman wrote:
> Just to answer the "why it reads directories and not the data?" - the 
> directory structure is on track 0, sector 19 (and has a backup somewhere). 

The *root* directory is near where you describe (depends on a number
of factors, the BPB in head 0, track 0, sector 1 tells where the
root starts). There is no "backup" copy of the root directory (or
any other directory). The FAT is 12 bits, with an unusual interleaved
structure. There are two copies of the FAT. This may be what you recall.

> it contains only pointers to the first track / sector where the respective 
> file is.
>  That brings us to the DSDD issue and the BIOS issue.
>  Good Luck ! 

A DSHD floppy needs different physical programming to read DSDD discs.
If he gets any data at all from the disc, then the drive programming
is correct.

My guess: domain migration. The magnetic domains have a tendency to
migrate, due to their attraction to each other. They can even be
influenced by bits recorded on the other side of the disc.

If the data are really important, I could give it a try. I have both
DSDD and DSHD disc drives I could try reading those discs on.

Mike
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