"Reviving" a 130XE system

[machf]

So... yesterday I got my late cousin-in-law's 130XE system (130XE computer, XC12 cassette recorder, 1050 disk drive, and several diskettes, plus a couple of booklets) from my cousin. Everything had been in storage for quite some time, the shielding in the 130XE shows some signs of rust, but I already tested it last night and it's working fine, apparently. Haven't tried the XC12 or the 1050 yet, the XC12 is in better shape than my XG12, the 1050 looks like it's OK although it power supply has a crack on one side, and it's not the usual "brick" I remembered, but instead appears to be (from what I can see through the crack) just a trafo with a plastic shell tight around it (code CO 60592-11, made in the UK but with German labeling). But what worries me is that the sleeves of the diskettes showed signs of heavy humidity, to the point that some of them had stuck together. I'm wondering what I could do to them before attempting to read them. How about blowing hot air with a hair dryer from a safe distance? (Yes, I know what heat can do to the plastic - long story involving my very first diskette, glue for PVC piping and a flatiron... and incredibly, the diskette itself still works)

 

There are 3 disks labeled "BASIC TUTORIAL", numbered from 1 to 3, and one of the booklets possibly came with them; IIRC, back then, he also had one or more cassettes belonging to the same set (the cassettes included audio that would play while the program was executing, describing what was going on, controlling the recorder's motor by software). The rest is mostly games, with a few utils too.

[+Larry]

So... yesterday I got my late cousin-in-law's 130XE system (130XE computer, XC12 cassette recorder, 1050 disk drive, and several diskettes, plus a couple of booklets) from my cousin. Everything had been in storage for quite some time, the shielding in the 130XE shows some signs of rust, but I already tested it last night and it's working fine, apparently. Haven't tried the XC12 or the 1050 yet, the XC12 is in better shape than my XG12, the 1050 looks like it's OK although it power supply has a crack on one side, and it's not the usual "brick" I remembered, but instead appears to be (from what I can see through the crack) just a trafo with a plastic shell tight around it (code CO 60592-11, made in the UK but with German labeling). But what worries me is that the sleeves of the diskettes showed signs of heavy humidity, to the point that some of them had stuck together. I'm wondering what I could do to them before attempting to read them. How about blowing hot air with a hair dryer from a safe distance? (Yes, I know what heat can do to the plastic - long story involving my very first diskette, glue for PVC piping and a flatiron... and incredibly, the diskette itself still works)

 

There are 3 disks labeled "BASIC TUTORIAL", numbered from 1 to 3, and one of the booklets possibly came with them; IIRC, back then, he also had one or more cassettes belonging to the same set (the cassettes included audio that would play while the program was executing, describing what was going on, controlling the recorder's motor by software). The rest is mostly games, with a few utils too.

 

Hi Marco-

 

Sorry about the loss of your cousin-in-law.

 

Yes, those disks can be a problem. Since no one else has offered a suggestion thus far, here is what I'd do if faced with this situation...

 

First, assess what kind of condition the oxide/binder is in. To do this, use a piece of soft cotton cloth and rub gently on the diskette in several spots through the opening. If the binder and oxide are still well bonded, you should find virtually no oxide on the cloth. If this is the case, the disk will likely not self-destruct when you attempt to read/copy it. If the binder comes off badly, then reading the disk will likely clog the head on your drive with oxide, requiring cleaning. (I always use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, available at most drug stores.) I use instrument cleaning swabs, since "Q-Tips" usually contain "binder" to hold the cotton on the cardboard applicator. After cleaning, make sure the head is absolutely dry or it will easily clog again.

 

For a disk that you decide to try to read, see if the disk will spin easily in its shell. If not, gently but firmly stroke the edges of the diskette across the edge of a table, desk, etc. The objective is to slightly deform the edges to decrease the friction between the sleeve and the diskette. In really bad cases, you can carefully cut one edge off the jacket and gently remove the diskette from its sleeve and then insert the diskette into a good "new" sleeve.

 

Hair dryer? Probably shouldn't be necessary, but cautiously done shouldn't hurt anything.

 

Good Luck! How about letting us know how you come out with the salvage attempt.

 

-Larry