[game_preservation] Kotaku: Videogame History Museum Kickstarter short on funds

[Martin Goldberg]

On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 8:56 AM, Pugh, Richard <rpugh at loc.gov> wrote:

>

> Retaining the outdated computer hardware for things like 5.25" floppy drives

> isn't something we can do with any consistency.  Our IT people are spread

> thin as it is.  We have been looking into using disc "images" in conjunction

> with emulation software to keep the old games as least partially useable.

> We haven't been able to do much research into this option, but initial

> findings were very encouraging.

>


Richard, feel free to contact my research partner Curt Vendel - he
does what you're talking about professionally, and maintains a wide
range of vintage drives and storage mediums (mainframe, mini, and
personal computer) specifically for that.  Being that he's in southern
New York, he's at least in the general neighborhood (just under 7 hour
drive).

I can put the two of you in touch if you like, email me off list.

As far as the option for digital archiving and emulation, those
efforts have been around since at least the mid 90's.  Is there
anything I can assist you with so you don't need to duplicate
research?



>

>

> Still, I don't think there is an easy answer for this one.  The magnetic

> film on floppy disks deteriorates over time, and nothing can stop that.  The

> process can be slowed down by using cold storage (q.v.), but it can't be

> stopped.


Another option (which requires the original hardware) is creating a
disc image and restoring the image to the disc once deterioration
occurs, which is another common practice.





-- 
Marty