Re: Using 1.2M floppy disks

[bpvh@shell1.msn.fullfeed.com (Bradley VonHaden)]

h9104374@hkuxa.hku.hk wrote:

>Bradley VonHaden (bpvh@shell1.msn.fullfeed.com) wrote:
>>I know that the magnetic signal (or whatever) on the floppy disks
>>degrades over time, but do the disks themselves degrade over time
>>(in storage, not use)?
>>
>It is sad to learn that my ]['s stuff on the 5.25" disks are
>damaged after a storage of years without using them. So I think
>that the disks do degrade over time even in storage.

There seems to be some confusion in what I meant and what William
thought I meant.  I know that the magnetic signal (or whatever)
degrades over time: if I store a program on a disk, overtime,
eventually that disk will become unusuable because of errors caused
by a loss of signal.

My question should have been, how long does the media itself last? 
If I keep working copies and archive copies of all disks and recopy
the archive copies BEFORE signal loss occurs (either A to A or B to
A, C to B, etc) how long will the media itself last?  Writing to it
once every few years or so?  Or am I just wasting my time and causing
needless stress on my disk drives?

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