Brad ) writes:
Hi,

I have three computers that developed problems with reading floppy disks.
Note: This problem occurred at a different time for each computer.

What is the most common problem with floppy disk drives?

I paid hundreds of dollars for my first 5.25" drive in 1984, and the last
time I bought a floppy drive it would have been twenty dollars. Nevermind
that I can have all the floppy drives I want (and actually far more) out of
scrapped computers for free.

That likely impacts on things, since they had to do quite a bit
in the design to get those prices so low.

But also, that 1984 floppy drive was being used. I had no other means of
saving things. Hence it didn't sit around for months waiting for some
use, it got used every time I used the computer. The last time I used the
floppy drive on this computer, it was months ago.

That likely means they don't get lubricated well, because the lubricant
on the moving parts isn't getting moved around a lot.

And while useage may get things "dirty", I suspect the lack of useage
makes it worse. The dirt piles up, and rather than getting distributed
it just sits there.

Years ago, I got an old Mac drive, and immediately it was clear that
the lubricant had dried out.

I was later given an old Mac, and they even said the floppy drive
didn't work. But, once I opened it, it was clear there was no way
it could work, even if it had at some point, because it was just to
clogged up with dirt that had been sucked through. And likely beyond
a certain point, that dirt caused other problems besides lack of movement;
if the dirt jammed things, then other parts would try to compensate and
burn out.

That said, unlike the old days floppy drives are generally cheap, which
is what we said the last time this question (or something like it) was
asked here. WHen they cost hundreds of dollars, repair and clearning
and alignment were worth the effort. But, now you can buy a floppy
drive for next to nothing, and you might as well start fresh.

Michael