recovering lost file

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access it, I
get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it, I will lose
all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Did you save the file using WinXP?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

Chefmark wrote:
> I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access it,
> I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it, I will
> lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"PA Bear" wrote:

> Did you save the file using WinXP?
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)
>
> Chefmark wrote:
> > I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access it,
> > I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it, I will
> > lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?
> file was saved on win2000

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Chefmark wrote:
> > Did you save the file using WinXP?
> > --
> > Chefmark wrote:
> > > I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access
> > > it, I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it,
> > > I will lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?
>>
> file was saved on win2000

CrystalBall© sez you're using NTFS format in WinXP while FAT32 was in use in
Win2K, hence WinXP can't use the data and wants to format the floppy as NTFS
which will overwrite the data.
--
~PA Bear

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"PA Bear" wrote:

> Chefmark wrote:
> > > Did you save the file using WinXP?
> > > --
> > > Chefmark wrote:
> > > > I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access
> > > > it, I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it,
> > > > I will lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?
> >>
> > file was saved on win2000
>
> CrystalBall© sez you're using NTFS format in WinXP while FAT32 was in use in
> Win2K, hence WinXP can't use the data and wants to format the floppy as NTFS
> which will overwrite the data.
> --
> ~PA Bear
>
> but disk will not open on either computer now?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Chefmark wrote:
> > > > Did you save the file using WinXP?
> > > > --
> > > > Chefmark wrote:
> > > > > I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to
> > > > > access it, I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I
> > > > > format it, I will lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid
> > > > > this problem?
> > > >
> > > file was saved on win2000
> >
> > CrystalBall© sez you're using NTFS format in WinXP while FAT32 was in
> > use in Win2K, hence WinXP can't use the data and wants to format the
> > floppy as NTFS which will overwrite the data.
> > --
> > ~PA Bear
> >
> > but disk will not open on either computer now?

Did you allow WinXP to format it? If not, it sounds like a problem with the
floppy.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"PA Bear" wrote:

> Chefmark wrote:
> > > > > Did you save the file using WinXP?
> > > > > --
> > > > > Chefmark wrote:
> > > > > > I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to
> > > > > > access it, I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I
> > > > > > format it, I will lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid
> > > > > > this problem?
> > > > >
> > > > file was saved on win2000
> > >
> > > CrystalBall© sez you're using NTFS format in WinXP while FAT32 was in
> > > use in Win2K, hence WinXP can't use the data and wants to format the
> > > floppy as NTFS which will overwrite the data.
> > > --
> > > ~PA Bear
> > >
> > > but disk will not open on either computer now?
>
> Did you allow WinXP to format it? If not, it sounds like a problem with the
> floppy.
>
> When XP would format disc, it still said all data would be lost. Is there any way I can recover this data even if there is a problem with the floppy?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Chefmark wrote:
<snip>
> > > > but disk will not open on either computer now?
> >
> > Did you allow WinXP to format it? If not, it sounds like a problem
> > with the
> > floppy.
> >
> > When XP would format disc, it still said all data would be lost. Is
> > there any way I can recover this data even if there is a problem with
> > the floppy?

None that I know of, unless you can access the data on another machine,
Chef. It could have been caused by something as inane as having the floppy
too near some electronics (e.g., a monitor or a magnetic field) such that it
was corrupted.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE)

 

[GTS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Firstly, disregard the nonsense about NTFS vs FAT32. 3.5 floppies always
use FAT12.

The likelihood of recovering your data is not good. If you do a google
search on floppy disk data recovery you will find a variety of utilities
that can try to recover data from a problem diskette.
--

"Chefmark" <Chefmark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C5CD3D19-54B4-4E02-8AD3-E818AB1C4D08@microsoft.com...
>I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access it, I
> get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it, I will
> lose
> all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Chefmark wrote:
> I have an excel file saved to a 3.5 disk but now when i try to access it,
> I get a message saying the disk is not formatted. If I format it, I will
> lose all data on disk. Is there a way to avoid this problem?

Hi;

A wild stab but perhaps worth a try to salvage that file:

1. Boot the computer with a bootable floppy. If you don't have one, insert
a blank 3.5" diskette into the WinXP machine; then from Explorer highlight
that floppy and select Format..., then select "Create an MS-DOS startup
disk." Leave that new floppy in the computer and Restart.
2. After the boot from the floppy is complete, at the A:\> prompt type this:
DIR B: and press Enter.
3. You will be prompted to insert a diskette. Remove the bootable floppy
and insert the one containing your Excel file.
4. If you can read the directory of that floppy, then Copy the Excel file to
your C:\ drive (COPY B:\*.XLS C:\)
5. Remove the floppy and boot back into XP Normal mode.

If that doesn't work (or the file you copied to your C:\ drive is corrupt)
then I'd recommend the floppy recovery software that GTS mentioned.

--

....Sky

================