Floppy disk

See also Filesystems, which are contained on Floppy Disks.

Formats for images of floppy disk data can be found at Disk Image Formats.

2 Inch

• LT-1
• Video Floppy

2 1/2 Inch

• Sharp 2.5-inch floppy disk

3 Inch

• CF-2 Compact Floppy Disk
• MCD-1 Micro Cassette

3 1/2 Inch

• Acorn
  • Acorn double density 3 1/2" disk
  • Acorn high density 3 1/2" disk
• Akai Disk Format
• Amiga
  • Amiga double density disk
  • Amiga high density disk
• Apple
  • Apple double-density 3 1/2" disk
  • Apple high-density 3 1/2" disk
• Brother
  • Brother 120k
  • Brother 240k
  • Brother HD
• Commodore
  • Commodore 1581 disk
• IBM PC and compatibles
  • PC-DOS 720K format
  • PC-DOS 1.44M format
  • PC-DOS 2.88M format
• SAM Coupé
  • SAM Coupé disk
• ZX Spectrum
  • ZX Spectrum Beta Disc 3.5" floppy (see TR-DOS filesystem)

4 Inch

• IBM DemiDiskette

5 1/4 Inch

• Acorn
  • Acorn single density 5 1/4" disk
  • Acorn double density 5 1/4" disk
• APF
  • APF Imagination Machine floppy disk
• Apple
  • Apple II 13 sector disk (Apple DOS 3.2)
  • Apple II 16 sector disk (Apple DOS 3.3, ProDOS, Apple III SOS)
  • Twiggy floppy (Apple Lisa)
• Atari
  • Atari 810
• CalComp
  • CalComp Vistagraphic 4500 floppy disk
• Commodore
  • Commodore 2040 disk (and 4040; for PET computers; preceded 1541 despite higher number)
  • Commodore 1541 disk (used with VIC-20 and C-64)
  • Commodore 1571 disk (used with C-128)
• Compucolor
  • Compucolor II disk
• IBM PC and compatible
  • PC-DOS 160K format
  • PC-DOS 180K format
  • PC-DOS 320K format
  • PC-DOS 360K format
  • PC-DOS 1.2M format
• Kaypro
  • Kaypro 2 CP/M 2.2
  • Kaypro 4 CP/M 2.2
• North Star
  • North Star MDS-A-D
• PMC
  • PMC MicroMate floppy disk
• Tandy
  • TRS-80 Model I, III, 4
    • TRS-80 single density 5.25" disk
    • TRS-80 double density 5.25" disk
  • TRS-80 Color Computer
    • TRS-80 Color Computer single sided 5.25" disk
    • TRS-80 Color Computer double sided 5.25" disk
• Texas Instruments
  • TI-99/4A 90K
  • TI-99/4A 180K
  • TI-99/4A 360K
• ZX Spectrum
  • ZX Spectrum Beta Disc 5.25" floppy (see TR-DOS filesystem)

8 Inch

Some 8" floppy disks

• DEC
  • DEC RX01
  • DEC RX02
• IBM
  • IBM Type 1 (33FD)
  • IBM Type 2 (43FD)
  • IBM Type 2D (53FD)
  • IBM 23FD
  • IBM 3740 format

Data encoding formats

• FM encoding
• GCR encoding
• MFM encoding
• RLL encoding

Devices to read floppy disks

• Device Side Data FC5025 USB 5.25" floppy controller
• KryoFlux
• DiskFerret
• Catweasel
• SuperCard Pro
• FluxEngine

Disk transfer info

• Info on disk transfers between Apple II and PC/Mac
• XFER STN (New Museum) (available to artists for converting old-format works)
• PC-Lect, program to read old disk formats (for PC/MS-DOS; doesn't work in Windows past Win98)

Utilities

• disktype: detect format of disk or disk image
• Floppy Disk Format Identifer Tool

Other links and references

• List of Floppy Disk Formats, Wikipedia.
• Digitize the Planet: Floppy Disks
• Michael Haardt et al's Floppy User Guide has some information on physical, magnetic, etc formats.
• Floppy drive tech info
• Commodore copy protection books and manuals
• Rescuing Floppy Disks (Archive Team)
• Care of diskettes
• Floppy disk archaeology lecture (video)
• Dealing with difficult disks and drives
• New, Improved Obamacare Program Released On 35 Floppy Disks (The Onion; humor)
• What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?
• The Flippy Disk Thing
• Imaging 5.25" floppies
• This could take a while...
• Previously Unknown Warhol Works Discovered on Floppy Disks from 1985
• Detailed report on the Warhol graphic recovery (PDF)
• One of the computers that would receive a nuclear launch order from the President still uses 8" floppy disks.
• Library of Congress Recommended Format Specifications: Software/Gaming
• What settings should be used when imaging floppy disks using a Kryoflux device?
• Spreadsheet of floppy formats and Kryoflux settings
• Kryoflux Disk ID software; tries to identify disk types in image
• Bulk disk imaging and disk-format identification with KryoFlux
• Zip Disks & Floppies: musical piece by artist who formerly used those media for storing beats
• Notes on copy protection of Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back for Atari ST and Amiga
• Windows 10 Preview Removes Floppy Disk Drive Support
• Some discussion of Shugart 801 8" drive
• How Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s words were freed from old floppy disks
• An 8″ Floppy Disk Challenge
• Digital Obsolescence: Reproducing Floppy Data Cables
• The 8-Bit Guy: How Old School Floppy Drives Worked (video)
• Working with Floppy Disks from the 1980s

See also Disk Imaging Software & Systems.