89RegalBuick Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I bought an 1989 Buick Dimensions 3.5 Floppy Disk off eBay. The problem is the disk is already formatted but won’t play on my Windows XP. If I were to format this disk on my computer it would delete all data for good. Could my floppy disk be bad or the disk is bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I would try a different 3.5 floppy disc drive. It sounds like either the disc is bad or your disc drive is bad. If you don't have another one to try, I have a number of different 3.5 floppy disc drives available on some older computers that I actually use to run engraving machines. I would be happy to help test it out for you if you don't have access to another floppy drive. If you need my help, send me a PM and I will give you my address so you can mail it to me. If I can open it, I can copy the data onto a usb drive for you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 I have Macs, PCs, and even Commodores, which were all popular machines back in '89 (just hope it's not Atari). I'd be willing to give it a go, too. Can we see some pix of it? Does it say which system it was for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 I should probably be embarassed to admit this, but I even have a working Windows 3.1 or 3.11 laptop. Most of my engraving equipment is run off of XP machines but some of it requires a module that was originally operated in DOS and that old laptop is an easy way to reload software if that module's memory gets corrupted. They are sort of fun to play with occasionally but I really like Windows 7 better. I can't stand Windows 10 so I plan to stick with Windows 7 as long as possible for my primary computer. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 4 minutes ago, MCHinson said: I should probably be embarassed to admit this, but I even have a working Windows 3.1 or 3.11 laptop. Most of my engraving equipment is run off of XP machines but some of it requires a module that was originally operated in DOS and that old laptop is an easy way to reload software if that module's memory gets corrupted. They are sort of fun to play with occasionally but I really like Windows 7 better. I can't stand Windows 10 so I plan to stick with Windows 7 as long as possible for my primary computer. I run mostly Macs, but I've got specialized equipment that I have to keep XP around for. The Commodores are just for fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Yes here is a picture of the disk. It is for a DOS files Edited July 3, 2018 by 89RegalBuick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 That appears to be operate in DOS, not Windows. That is your problem. I could probably open it on the Windows 3.1 laptop running in DOS mode and I might be able to save it in another format so that you could read it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Wow, a 720k! lol One less hole than a 1.44M ? Win95 *might* run it, but the 3.1 machine for sure will. Please note: It says to “Feel free to copy and pass on to friends!” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Most doctors, dentists, and many government offices are still running DOS. They would have a compatible machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Here’s the files some guy on YouTube shared. But I can’t open them on my windows 7. My XP doesn’t really operate good with the internet since I don’t have spy wear on there anymore. Some guy told me to use DOSbox. Not sure if they will open the files on 7. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QxOZKwV6lrA. maybe someone here can open the files for me and send them to me so I can play on windows 7 i want to somehow convert these files to a cd so it can be playable anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Well... since I have an '89 and a '90, this interests me as well. What I'd actually do is pull screen grabs (none of this video camera on a CRT business), and convert it into an interactive slide deck. For universal access, I'd probably convert it all to PDFs. If someone can get me the data off the floppy, I'd be glad to give it a go. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 OK, I just impulse bought a Mac version of the same disk. I'll report back later... lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89RegalBuick Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 The MAC version of the disk I posted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 1 hour ago, 89RegalBuick said: The MAC version of the disk I posted? Yeah, I’m thinking it might be fun to display with Ruby at the nationals in Oklahoma City next year! Now I’ll be on the lookout for a 1990 version to go with Pepper... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you want to see what the contents look like, you can go to Youtube, where a couple of people have videos of the disk's contents. Here is one: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 When you click on this video and then click on one of the other titles on the bottom, you'll find a YouTube video on the "sales training" for the '92 Buicks, which leads to a lot more dealership sales training/information videos up into the 2000s. LOTS of interesting information! Thanks for posting! NTX54567 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Look at those graphics! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 1 hour ago, avgwarhawk said: Look at those graphics! ? Amazing how primitive the graphics were in 1989-90! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Remember, the greater detail in more modern graphics (including "movement"!) takes more memory to store AND faster processors to make happen. When I got my WebTV terminal in the later 1990s, the 33.3 modem was mid-line in speed and the 97hz processor was toward the bottom side of things. When more moving graphics became more normal, it was more than it could handle. The "download" red light would flash for hours before one of those "expanded" images would even start to appear. And things are much more complex now! Even a picture with a lot of "black" in it would take longer to download! Things that are now a "distant memory" of sorts. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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