recover data from a bad floppy disk

[techidave]

I know floppies are fading away like dinosaurs and occasionally Windows XP has issues with them.  So is there a tried and true method for recovering the data when XP tells you "the disk isn't formatted and needs to be formatted before using it"?

Our school no longer uses Win98.  And since I am needing to install Vista on a spare computer  , I do not wish to have another one setting around with 98 on it.

So what software (preferably free) has anyone used with good success or what method have you found that works ok??

Dave

[scancode]

I personally make an image of the broken floppy and try to rip the pieces out of it using Hex Workshop

[techidave]

i was hoping for something easier and did I mention free?

[scancode]

Ooohkay, replace Hex Workshop with XVI32 (http://www.chmaas.handshake.de/delphi/freeware/xvi32/xvi32.htm), and make the image with Roadkil's Disk Imge (http://www.roadkil.net/DiskImg.html).

As for difficulty... it's not so hard, if you know what files are you looking for

[Mark0]

Much time ago ('94!) I coded a DOS tool to copy some copy-protected floppy disks.
It later proved useful for recovering at least part of the data for some bad/damage/mostly unreadable disks too.
In try to read a track at once; if any error surface, it then try to re-read sector x sector, various times. It can be used to copy a disk to another (fresh formatted) one, or to a disk image.

Feel free to try and see if it can be of any help: http://mark0.net/soft-twin-e.html

Bye!