Floppy disk


 * See also Filesystems, which are contained on Floppy Disks.

Formats for images of floppy disk data can be found at Disk Image Formats.

2 Inch

 * LT-1
 * Video Floppy

2 1/2 Inch

 * Sharp 2.5-inch floppy disk

3 Inch

 * CF-2 Compact Floppy Disk
 * MCD-1 Micro Cassette

3 1/2 Inch

 * Acorn
 * Acorn double density 3 1/2" disk
 * Acorn high density 3 1/2" disk
 * Akai Disk Format
 * Amiga
 * Amiga double density disk
 * Amiga high density disk
 * Apple
 * Apple double-density 3 1/2" disk
 * Apple high-density 3 1/2" disk
 * Brother
 * Brother 120k
 * Brother 240k
 * Brother HD
 * Commodore
 * Commodore 1581 disk
 * IBM PC and compatibles
 * PC-DOS 720K format
 * PC-DOS 1.44M format
 * PC-DOS 2.88M format
 * SAM Coupé
 * SAM Coupé disk
 * ZX Spectrum
 * ZX Spectrum Beta Disc 3.5" floppy (see TR-DOS filesystem)

4 Inch

 * IBM DemiDiskette

5 1/4 Inch

 * Acorn
 * Acorn single density 5 1/4" disk
 * Acorn double density 5 1/4" disk
 * APF
 * APF Imagination Machine floppy disk
 * Apple
 * Apple II 13 sector disk (Apple DOS 3.2)
 * Apple II 16 sector disk (Apple DOS 3.3, ProDOS, Apple III SOS)
 * Twiggy floppy (Apple Lisa)
 * Atari
 * Atari 810
 * CalComp
 * CalComp Vistagraphic 4500 floppy disk
 * Commodore
 * Commodore 2040 disk (and 4040; for PET computers; preceded 1541 despite higher number)
 * Commodore 1541 disk (used with VIC-20 and C-64)
 * Commodore 1571 disk (used with C-128)
 * Compucolor
 * Compucolor II disk
 * IBM PC and compatible
 * PC-DOS 160K format
 * PC-DOS 180K format
 * PC-DOS 320K format
 * PC-DOS 360K format
 * PC-DOS 1.2M format
 * Kaypro
 * Kaypro 2 CP/M 2.2
 * Kaypro 4 CP/M 2.2
 * North Star
 * North Star MDS-A-D
 * PMC
 * PMC MicroMate floppy disk
 * Tandy
 * TRS-80 Model I, III, 4
 * TRS-80 single density 5.25" disk
 * TRS-80 double density 5.25" disk
 * TRS-80 Color Computer
 * TRS-80 Color Computer single sided 5.25" disk
 * TRS-80 Color Computer double sided 5.25" disk
 * Texas Instruments
 * TI-99/4A 90K
 * TI-99/4A 180K
 * TI-99/4A 360K
 * ZX Spectrum
 * ZX Spectrum Beta Disc 5.25" floppy (see TR-DOS filesystem)

8 Inch

 * DEC
 * DEC RX01
 * DEC RX02
 * IBM
 * IBM Type 1 (33FD)
 * IBM Type 2 (43FD)
 * IBM Type 2D (53FD)
 * IBM 23FD
 * IBM 3740 format

Data encoding formats

 * FM encoding
 * GCR encoding
 * MFM encoding
 * RLL encoding

Devices to read floppy disks

 * Device Side Data FC5025 USB 5.25" floppy controller
 * KryoFlux
 * DiskFerret
 * Catweasel
 * SuperCard Pro
 * FluxEngine

Disk transfer info

 * Info on disk transfers between Apple II and PC/Mac
 * XFER STN (New Museum) (available to artists for converting old-format works)
 * PC-Lect, program to read old disk formats (for PC/MS-DOS; doesn't work in Windows past Win98)

Utilities

 * disktype: detect format of disk or disk image
 * Floppy Disk Format Identifer Tool

Other links and references

 * List of Floppy Disk Formats, Wikipedia.
 * Digitize the Planet: Floppy Disks
 * Michael Haardt et al's Floppy User Guide has some information on physical, magnetic, etc formats.
 * Floppy drive tech info
 * Commodore copy protection books and manuals
 * Rescuing Floppy Disks (Archive Team)
 * Care of diskettes
 * Floppy disk archaeology lecture (video)
 * Dealing with difficult disks and drives
 * New, Improved Obamacare Program Released On 35 Floppy Disks (The Onion; humor)
 * What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?
 * The Flippy Disk Thing
 * Imaging 5.25" floppies
 * This could take a while...
 * Previously Unknown Warhol Works Discovered on Floppy Disks from 1985
 * Detailed report on the Warhol graphic recovery (PDF)
 * One of the computers that would receive a nuclear launch order from the President still uses 8" floppy disks.
 * Library of Congress Recommended Format Specifications: Software/Gaming
 * What settings should be used when imaging floppy disks using a Kryoflux device?
 * Spreadsheet of floppy formats and Kryoflux settings
 * Kryoflux Disk ID software; tries to identify disk types in image
 * Bulk disk imaging and disk-format identification with KryoFlux
 * Zip Disks & Floppies: musical piece by artist who formerly used those media for storing beats
 * Notes on copy protection of Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back for Atari ST and Amiga
 * Windows 10 Preview Removes Floppy Disk Drive Support
 * Some discussion of Shugart 801 8" drive
 * How Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s words were freed from old floppy disks
 * An 8″ Floppy Disk Challenge
 * Digital Obsolescence: Reproducing Floppy Data Cables
 * The 8-Bit Guy: How Old School Floppy Drives Worked (video)
 * Working with Floppy Disks from the 1980s

See also Disk Imaging Software & Systems.