Share this article

Latest news

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Windows 11 Floppy Disk: It is Still Supported?

2 min. read

Updated onMarch 7, 2023

updated onMarch 7, 2023

Share this article

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

Key notes

You would think that with all the new Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements of Windows 11, Microsoft is moving its OS to a new era.

That might be perfectly true but asa user on Reddit recently showed us, the Redmond giant is not abandoning the obsolete technology.

We’re talking about the old 5.25-inch Floppy Disk Drives and their media and some of the commenters from the aforementioned post say that they still got some data on the soft disks.

In fact, we have a great guide onhow to Use a Floppy Disk on Windows 10. You will find it useful on Windows 11 too because the indications are very similar.

Quick info about the Floppy Disk Drive

The first floppy disks, invented and made by IBM, had a disk diameter of 8 inches. In 1976, Shugart Associates introduced the 5.25-inch FDD.

After IBM introduced the 3.5-inch FDD, it became the most popular data storage and transfer in the first years of the 21st century.

It’s no surprise that 3.5-inch floppy disks can still be used with a Floppy Disk Drive but we wouldn’t expect that the 5.25-inch one would still be supported.

That’s because the old disks are obviously not manufactured anymore and those who are still catching dust in some collector’s stashes are probably demagnetized by now.

Still, as this finding clearly suggests, some users continue to use older equipment to read or transfer data from floppy disks.

The 5.25″ Floppy Disk drive still works in Windows 11

The 5.25″ Floppy Disk drive still works in Windows 11

In the YouTube clip posted by the Reddit user, he clearly shows how he inserts the disk onto the Floppy drive and can access a photo stored on it.

Not only that File Explorer from Windows 11 is able to recognize the drive, but it also accesses the data pretty quickly.

However, it’s only an image with a few Kb of data so there is no real surprise there. A real challenge would be to see an early Windows kit installed with the help of those soft disks.

If you’re interested in exploring this idea even more,find out what other useful features W11 has in store for you.

What do you think about this amazing stunt? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

More about the topics:Windows 11

Claudiu Andone

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Oldtimer in the tech and science press, Claudiu is focused on whatever comes new from Microsoft.

His abrupt interest in computers started when he saw the first Home Computer as a kid. However, his passion for Windows and everything related became obvious when he became a sys admin in a computer science high school.

With 14 years of experience in writing about everything there is to know about science and technology, Claudiu also likes rock music, chilling in the garden, and Star Wars. May the force be with you, always!

User forum

0 messages

Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes

Comment*

Name*

Email*

Commenting as.Not you?

Save information for future comments

Comment

Δ

Claudiu Andone

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Oldtimer in the tech and science press, with 14 years of experience in writing on everything there is to know about science, technology, and Microsoft