Library is Rescuing Historical Treasures Trapped on Old Floppy Disks from the ‘Digital Dark Ages’

Rescuing Historical Treasures from Old Floppy Disks

Cambridge University archivists are leading a project to extract and conserve valuable information from floppy disks before they become unusable due to corrosion or loss of magnetism.

The initiative began with a box of 5.25-inch floppy disks from physicist Steven Hawking's DOS-formatted computer, highlighting the challenges of preserving data from outdated technology.

The challenges of reading the disks helped them realize how vulnerable this technology is to the ravages of time.

The Project: Future Nostalgia

The project aims to rescue important information from floppy disks before they become unusable, preserving historical treasures from the "Digital Dark Ages".

Author's summary: Archivists rescue data from old floppy disks.

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Good News Network Good News Network — 2025-10-16

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