# 3.5" floppy / USB adaptor **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933 "2010-10-12T23:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/1 "2010-10-12T23:32:35Z")
I’m looking for an adaptor that can connect a USB flash drive to a 3.5" floppy disk drive - like a [tape adaptor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape_adaptor). Basically, [this](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_create_an_adapter_that_plugs_into_a_floppy_drive_and_is_linked_to_a_usb_cable). The legacy system I want to access (connected to a hematology analyzer) only runs DOS. [FlashPath](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlashPath) adaptors and similar products (by Sony or JVC, for example) are not an option, because they require Windows. I am aware of replacement drives ([USB floppy emulators](http://www.ipcas.com/products/usb-floppy-emulator-fdd-to-udd.html)), but I cannot make any physical changes to the system. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/2 "2010-10-13T00:44:35Z")
Doubt you’re going to find anything. What about plugging something into the parallel port? There’s this, for instance: [http://azsurplus.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=86&products\_id=2462](http://azsurplus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86&products_id=2462) Same thing on ebay: [http://cgi.ebay.com/Datafab-MDCFE-SR-Parallel-Port-Compact-Flash-Reader-/370300299174](http://cgi.ebay.com/Datafab-MDCFE-SR-Parallel-Port-Compact-Flash-Reader-/370300299174) It’s got DOS drivers available: [http://www.norsystems.net/drivers/Mdcfe-sr.zip](http://www.norsystems.net/drivers/Mdcfe-sr.zip) ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/3 "2010-10-13T00:57:18Z")
I missed the edit window, but just wanted to add that if you do go with something similar to the above device, remember that it is Compact Flash Type I. Almost all of the CF to SD/MMC adapters are for CF type II, which will not fit. Best bet would be to get a USB reader that can read a CF type I card. Of course there may be other solutions out there! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/4 "2010-10-13T01:08:14Z")
That thing looks pretty neat. But how would one get the DOS driver to the computer, though? Would a computer old enough that you want a floppy to USB adapter have a CD drive? And can you still find floppies? ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/5 "2010-10-13T03:46:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That thing looks pretty neat. But how would one get the DOS driver to the computer, though? Would a computer old enough that you want a floppy to USB adapter have a CD drive? And can you still find floppies? Absolutely you can still find 3.5" floppy media. [http://www.officemax.com/technology/memory-storage/cds-dvds-and-data-storage/35inch-floppy-disks/product-ARS21610?cm\_mmc=GBase-\_-Technology-\_-Drives,%20Memory%20and%20Storage-\_-CDs,%20DVDs,%20and%20Data%20Storage&ci\_src=14110944&ci\_sku=20354607](http://www.officemax.com/technology/memory-storage/cds-dvds-and-data-storage/35inch-floppy-disks/product-ARS21610?cm_mmc=GBase-_-Technology-_-Drives,%20Memory%20and%20Storage-_-CDs,%20DVDs,%20and%20Data%20Storage&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=20354607) And you could use that to get a driver over to a DOS machine. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/6 "2010-10-13T05:12:13Z")
Thank you, **teletype**! That looks promising. **BigT** , I have floppies and a networked computer with a floppy drive - that’s how I currently transfer data from the old machine. It’s a pain, though. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/7 "2010-10-13T11:24:39Z")
[Here’s what NewEgg has.](http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007543&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&SrchInDesc=usb&Page=1&PageSize=20) Maybe I misunderstood, but if you are going to try to run this under DOS (which doesn’t have native support for anything), you’ll still need drivers and I doubt those will come in the box with the drive so you will want to contact the manufacturers to see what your options might be. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/8 "2010-10-13T12:18:27Z")
I think the OP is looking for something that works the other way around - something that fits in a floppy disk drive, but writes to USB storage via a trailing cable. I’d kinda like something like that myself - as I have a Sony Mavica that has a fantastic lens on it, but writes the 2 megapixel images it takes to floppies via a built in drive. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/9 "2010-10-13T12:33:08Z")
Are you looking for something that’s the size and shape of a 3.5" floppy that fits into the existing floppy drive, but has a USB cable coming out of it? [Just like a cassette tape adapter] Because I’m not sure that’s possible. Cassette tapes are easy to imitate: they have only two wide tracks that move at a constant slow speed in one direction, with the read head fixed in place. So to fake that you only need to stick a couple electromagnets over the read head. But a floppy drive head moves back and forth, reading tiny tiny spots, while the disc spins very quickly. And there’s only a tiny slot to fit the fake floppy into, unlike the relatively large size of a cassette. So, I’m not saying it’s absolutely impossible, but if you haven’t found something by now, I’d wager that it doesn’t exist. Especially since the size/shape and internal connections to floppy drives are so standardized that it’s easy to make a replacement for the drive (rather than replacing the disc). Rather than looking for what you describe, I’d look at either another port, or invest my time in convincing someone to grant me physical access to the computer so I can put in a replacement drive. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/10 "2010-10-13T13:04:15Z")
That old hardware certainly is ornery, especially when it refuses to do you a favor and die. 😃 I think you’re doomed to pulling data off the hematology machine on floppies. Anything that’s so old that it runs on DOS will probably have no idea what USB is - I’d wager that the unit is so old that it doesn’t even have USB hardware, much less the firmware and drivers to support it. At least you still have the opportunity to use some sort of portable medium with this - I’ve run across things so old that printing then OCR scanning was the only viable means to move data out. Come to think of it, this was also a medical device. Seems to be a pattern here. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/11 "2010-10-13T13:08:41Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Are you looking for something that’s the size and shape of a 3.5" floppy that fits into the existing floppy drive, but has a USB cable coming out of it? [Just like a cassette tape adapter] > > Because I’m not sure that’s possible. Cassette tapes are easy to imitate: they have only two wide tracks that move at a constant slow speed in one direction, with the read head fixed in place. So to fake that you only need to stick a couple electromagnets over the read head. But a floppy drive head moves back and forth, reading tiny tiny spots, while the disc spins very quickly. … It looks like the flashpath devices linked upthread demonstrate that it would have been technically feasible - but I think the reason it has never been developed is that floppy drives dropped very quickly out of common use a while before pocket flash media became commonplace - and during a period in which consumers were replacing old kit fairly frequently - so there wasn’t a legacy market that was either big or sustained enough to demand it. ---
**Author:** ![Dcypher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Dcypher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dcypher)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/12 "2010-10-13T13:41:28Z")
I have one of these. It is a 3.5 floppy drive that ports to USB. I got it years ago in order to support legacy software from my employer. It was also helpful for a Sony Mavica camera that used floppies. I will look and see if I can find it. If I still have it, you can have it. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/13 "2010-10-13T13:55:51Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think the OP is looking for something that works the other way around - something that fits in a floppy disk drive, but writes to USB storage via a trailing cable. > > I’d kinda like something like that myself - as I have a Sony Mavica that has a fantastic lens on it, but writes the 2 megapixel images it takes to floppies via a built in drive. Ah. Thank you. And the 3 remaining pieces of my 4 piece jigsaw puzzle finally fall into place. 🙂 :smack: The optics must be Zeiss. I bought my first Sony camera because of that. Prints from the old Zeiss Ikon Contessa still look better though. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-5-floppy-usb-adaptor/556933/14 "2010-10-13T18:42:01Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Are you looking for something that’s the size and shape of a 3.5" floppy that fits into the existing floppy drive, but has a USB cable coming out of it? [Just like a cassette tape adapter] Exactly. But you’re probably right. If there was such a thing, I’d have heard of one by now. > [@](#): > > Rather than looking for what you describe, I’d look at either another port, or invest my time in convincing someone to grant me physical access to the computer so I can put in a replacement drive. Will do. > [@gotpasswords](#): > > At least you still have the opportunity to use some sort of portable medium with this - I’ve run across things so old that printing then OCR scanning was the only viable means to move data out. I’ll consider myself lucky then. 🙂