🚀 go-pugleaf

Here's another data point to add to this discussion of floppy disk
problems.

I've noticed on my Mac II that I sometimes get "bad sector" errors
on the *first* diskette that I insert and use if I haven't used the
floppy drive for a long time (often more than a week).  This
strongly suggests that dust builds up on the heads or other parts of
the drive over time, and the first diskette I put in after that is
acting as a cleaning diskette, whether it wants to or not!

Of course, it might be that the *diskette* has gone bad over time,
but I've noticed that the errors seem to correlate with the "first
disk used after a long time" event.  I don't normally have problems
with other diskettes after I replace that first one.

That might partly explain why some people have fewer problems than
others; if they use their floppy drives more heavily, there may be
less diskette damage due to dirt buildup (although oxide from the
floppies can build up on the heads with heavy use, too).

Anyway, it seems like a wise strategy would be to run a commercial
head cleaning diskette through the drive after each long period of
*disuse* (not just after heavy use).

BTW, why hasn't anyone designed a self-cleaning floppy drive?

   Tony
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| EMAIL:  tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu  | 
| Disclaimer:  I speak only for myself. |
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