Need help retrieving blocks

[skippy]

I have about 4000 blocks setting on a computer at work. I cannot get the blocks off the computer.
I have to run a sneakernet in order to use the clients since these computers are the displays on a retail showroom. And every time I try to copy the files on a floppy, the drive destroy the sectors on a floppy wherever it writes. Formatting the floppy on the computer results in a destroyed FAT. Now, I can't just replace the floppy since I am fighting with IBM to send me one. It doesn't have zip, cd-r or any other media to use either.
I don't have serial cables laying around to pull it to another computer, or a hub for USB.
Anyone have any ideas to let me get those blocks?

[cwizard]

Give us some details about the machine's i/o, and os and we'll see what we can do to help.

[skippy]

The computer is an IBM Aptiva with a PIII 450 running windows98.
The only removable media is the 3.5" floppy
It has 1 serial port, and 2 USB ports.
It is a very typical prefabbed computer.\

The only computers that are close enough to transfer the data to without using the floopy are prefabbed win98 computers.

If I am missing the details you are looking for, let me know.

[cwizard]

If you can't replace the floppy, which would be the simplest solution, a usb zip drive would work or any other usb storage device. Since the floppy is out, the device would have to be supported by the cd-rom.

Since this is a store, do you have access to accessories?

Another possiblity, although more complicated is a null modem cable between the serial ports of that machine and another one that the floppy works. Or if the machine has a modem, just call up a machine via telephone and do a file transfer.

Simpliest is just to pop in a working floppy though. 3.5 Floppys should be standard, even for IBMs.

[This message has been edited by cwizard (edited 09-29-99).]

[skippy]

I don't have easy access to accessories. I would take my zip from home to the computer, but the drivers are on floppy, and I don't want to ruin my disk. I guess I'll just let it run random blocks until I get IBM to send a new floppy drive to me.

I was also told that a bent pin or a bad connection on the dongle can make the drive destroy disks. I'll have to check that out too.

[cwizard]

That's too bad. Random blocks, for the most part, seem to be done already and thus don't count. CMENT turned in a bunch in the last couple of weeks and only got credit for about 50% of them.

I don't know how much access you have to the machine or technical skill, but a simple solution is to pull a drive out of another, identical machine that works, get the info, and then put it back like it was. Since it is a floppy, it is a purely mechanical procedure and simple, as long as you plug everything in like it is suppose to go.

Whatever course of action, best of luck with retrieving your blocks.

[izzzy12k]

Have you "cracked" the case open, yet? If so, get an old hard drive and set it up and copy the file over and also place a new batch of blocks on the machine and close things back up when your done. Reboot the PC and fix the bios error for the now "missing" Hard drive. A little harder, but yet another option.

-izzzy12k