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Israel, Jerusalem
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490 Review
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Review on ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive - Portable External 3.5" USB FDD Diskette Drive - 1.44MB for PC Windows 7/8, XP, Vista and Mac - Plug and Play - Black by Jessica Lopez

Revainrating 5 out of 5

History of five floppy disks

I was trying to recover data from floppy disks on my Windows 10 Home computer. I ended up trying five different devices and posting my review to let you know my results. First, all five devices worked GREAT on my Windows 7 Pro laptop. However, when connected to my Windows 10 computer, three of them are sitting and spinning when only the drive light is on, even though Win10 recognizes them as drives. 10 self-identified and used YE Data's USB floppy driver, while devices that just sat and spun self-identified and used the TEAC floppy driver. So there must be a slight difference in the drive's internal configuration that is causing the problem. I tried 5 devices and found that the Tendak Floppy Disk USB works great, as does the Esynic USB Floppy Drive. Both are identified as YE Data USB floppy drives. Once plugged in, they ran smoothly and quietly. It was hard to decide which to keep, but in the end I went with the Tendak because it seemed a bit quieter and faster to me, but that was really subjective. Tendak also had additional information such as a warranty card and how to contact support while the Esynic box was empty. In terms of drive quality, they appeared to be the same. If I needed more than one drive I would keep both. For me, Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) initially seemed best to me. The box was brilliantly covered with information one would expect to see on a shelf in a large box store. (All other drives came in plain brown boxes). There was an air of quality in the way the drive was packaged, the box was made to fit in, with room for a cable and a dust cover on the USB end to keep it clean. It came with excellent instructions on how to use the floppy disk, including information such as the write-protect switch and preventing floppy ejection when the floppy drive LED is on, which new users will not be familiar with. They also had a support phone number and the person who answered appeared to be an American. Unfortunately, this was one of the devices that didn't work on my Windows 10 machine. It identified itself as a TEAC USB floppy drive, and when plugged in, the drive light just lit up and continually looked for data. It worked great on my Windows 7 machine and was very fast and smooth. If I didn't need it on Windows 10 as well, I'd happily keep it. From other reviews it seems to work on other people's Windows 10 computers, so I'd recommend that you at least try it. Both of the newer devices were from Chuanganzhuo. 3.5 Inch 1.44MB FDD USB Portable Floppy Disk Drive for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10 for Mac, No Additional Driver Required, Plug and Play, Black and 3.5 Inch Portable 1, 44MB FDD USB Floppy Disk Drive for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7/8/10 + Dustproof Anti-Scratch Outer Shell, No External Driver, Plug and Play. Both devices worked fine in Windows 7 Pro, but in Windows 10 Home they immediately flashed the hard drive and started a very noisy seek that never completed. These devices were noisier than any of the other drives I tested, but worked great on Windows 7. Both also used the TEAC USB floppy driver. My conclusion: If you are one of those people whose computers use a USB 1.44MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV), you should get this drive. That's quality. If you can't, Tendak USB floppy drive or Esynic USB floppy drive will probably make you happy.

Pros
  • Weight
Cons
  • Long time