Data Recovery and Investigation from 8-inch Floppy Disk Media: Three Use Cases

Walker Sampson, Abby Adams, Austin Roche Three Collections

● Woody and Steina Vasulka collection, University of Colorado Boulder: 13 disks

● Warren Skaaren papers, Harry Ransom Center: 137 disks

● Datapoint 1800 system disks collection, Austin Roche: 30 disks Woody and Steina Vasulka (1937-, 1940-)

➢ 1977 - 1989 ➢ Likely PDP-11 ➢ GRASS language with other data Warren Skaaren (1946 - 1990) ➢ 1979 - 1986 ➢ RadioShack TRS-80 Model II ➢ Scripsit Austin Roche collection of Datapoint records

➢ 1979 - 1985 ➢ Datapoint 1800 ➢ Pre-formatted disks Recovery Setups

Hardware: Software: ● Shugart 851/Y-E Data YD-180 ● BitCurator ● KryoFlux forensic floppy controller ● HxC floppy ● Hex editor Cables/adapters: ● Text editor ● D-Bit FDADAP floppy disk adapter ● D-Bit FDDC DC-DC converter ● AC power cable(s) ● Floppy cables ● USB cable Key Hardware Components Device layout for connecting 8-inch floppy drive to host computer Acquisition Process

● Vasulkas/CU Boulder ○ Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) RX01 image profile

● Skaaren/Ransom Center ○ AC power (spindle drive motor) ○ Faulty index sensor ○ Image profile - 77 tracks ○ HxC floppy emulator

● Datapoint/Roche ○ Write precompensation not supported Results from Data Recovery

● Securing raw data stream via KryoFlux a crucial step

● Resolving raw data stream to a sector image not always straightforward

● Raw data views via a hex editor key to confirming positive transfer of data

● Much work remains in emulation and discrete file generation for the data Woody and Steina Vasulka

Hex editor view of one of the Vasulka “grass” floppies displaying programming code Warren Skaaren KryoFlux preservation stream files →→→ Raw sector images Raw sector images →→→ Text editor (ANSI encoding)

➢ Top Gun (1986) ➢ Fire with Fire (1986) ➢ Beetlejuice (1988) ➢ The Freddie Steinmark Story ➢ Of East and West ➢ Lillie and Beck ➢ The Stolen Steers ➢ Little Things Conclusion

● Challenges: ○ Drive selection ○ Encoding and format analysis ○ File extraction ○ Emulation software

● Diversify solutions! THANK YOU! ● Contacts ○ Walker Sampson - [email protected] ○ Abby Adams - [email protected] ○ Austin Roche - [email protected]

● Acknowledgements ○ Woody and Steina Vasulka ○ Skaaren family ○ Dr. Patricia Galloway ○ Virginia Dempsey ○ KryoFlux Support Forums ○ SimH (History Simulator) ○ TRS-80 retrocomputing communities