I am having trouble reading files on a 1.44meg 3.5 floppy that was originally formated at 720kb. I have tried to read it in a couple of computers running xp, but it always gives a "not formated" response. I can read it on an old 286 machine that has the 720kb 3.5 drive in it.
The problem is that the old 286 machine only has a 3.5 floppy and a 5.25 floppy drive. The 5.25 is useless since it is the only one I have and the 3.5 only has the capability of 720kb. This is what started the problem in the first place. that is the only access it has.
I would like to get the files off the floppy and into one of the xp machines so I can use them. Is their a way that the xp machines can be told to read these disks?
If not, how can I go about getting the info onto a newer machine?
thanks in advance
Rex

I would take the floppy drive out of that machine and put it in the one with xp to get info i needed

To both of you: Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

This is what MS claims about reading floppy drives...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309623

If that still doesn't work, I would look at whether you can create any other removable media on that computer... For example, do you have a CD burner?? Do you have USB capability?? If you do, there are a number of options... If you don't, are you comfortable swapping drives?? If you are, I would pull the hard drive and hook it up to the newer computer as a slave drive and transfer whatever files you want in that way...

Both 1.44 and 0.72 floppy diskettes (commonly those that came originally pre-formatted) may be missing the media descriptor byte and thus often are not "readable" by various versions of Windows but particularly by the NT OSes such as WinXP - this can result in the infamous "not formatted" reaction. You may find that the same floppy is readable under DOS or say Win98. If you find a machine that can read them then copy the contents to the hard drive and, having formatted a new diskette with WinXP copy the contents to that floppy (or any other medium that is accessible) and bring it to your WinXP PC.

There are other direct workarounds (if this is the nature of the problem) that involve using a hex editor and reinstating the byte or of making a raw image file of the floppy and then mounting that image in a utility such as WinImage (http://www.winimage.com/). If WinXP wont format a 0.72 then WinImage should be able to do this on another diskette for you.

Thanks everyone for the info.
I'll start with the easiest fix first and format a new disk with xp as a 720kb, then using the old 286 machine, try rewriting it onto that new disk from the old disk.
If that doesn't work, Ill take out the floppy drive from the 286 and install it in the xp. then try reading the disk at the xp.
If that doesn't work, i'll have to get some further help. I am not at all familur with the program utilities you have mentioned.
thaks again
Rex

I don't think WinXP can directly format a 720 - for that you might well need WinImage.

:) God news.
after trying all your suggestions, I finally got a combination that worked and was able to retrieve the files. It was the 3.5 drive of the second xp computer placed in the first xp computer that fianaly read the disk. why it wouldn't read it in the first xp computer is beyond me. the drive from the 286 machine wouldn't read it in either xp computer but it would in the 286 computer..
thanks for your help.