Date   : Fri, 05 Nov 1999 14:31:08 +0100
From   : "Mark Usher" <marku@...>
Subject: Re: Cleaning disc heads?

> Does anyone know where I can get a 5 1/4" head cleaning disc,
> or what I
> should use to clean the heads of my drives? I'm trying to
> upload all of my
> data from the BBC to a Linux box (*), but most of the discs
> are getting
> errors, possibly because they were in storage for a couple of
> years, and not
> much used for a couple of years before that.

I found that trying one or two different drives usually managed to read 90%
of the discs causing errors.
For head cleaning I usually use ethanol on cotton buds and have never
experienced any negative effects.

I used to use vodka on cassette decks when I was a kid - my father used to
get a little suspicious, but what can you do if he doesn't keep any ethanol
in the cupboard :-)

Mark