Best Floppy & Tape Drives in 2022

Last update: December 15, 2022

Are 2.5 or 3.5 inch drives faster?

3.5 inch drives are faster than 2.5 inch drives. They have a higher data transfer rate and can spin at a higher speed. This allows for faster access to data and shorter loading times.

Are tape drives faster?

Tape drives are not faster than hard drives. In fact, they are much slower.

Are tape drives secure?

Most tape drives used for backup purposes are very secure. They usually come with encryption capabilities that make it difficult for anyone to access the data without the proper key or password.

Are tape drives slow?

There's no simple answer to this question since it depends on a variety of factors, such as the type of tape drive, the speed of the tape, the amount of data being backed up, and more. In general, however, tape drives are slower than other backup methods, such as disk-based backups.


Floppy & Tape Drives-3.5” 1.44MB Sfr1m44-u100k Updated Version USB Flash Disk Floppy Drive Emulator + CD Screws Black Review:


There are only four screws included in the package; there are no other accessories like instructions or a CD. It was put to use in a Roland 90S organ to replace a worn-out floppy disk drive. Similar to the floppy drive it replaced, the device includes a standard 34-pin data connector and 5vdc power connector. When inserted, the form factor resembles that of a floppy disk and appears to have been created for an organ. Prior to installation, I made no configuration changes to the drive—no fiddling with jumpers or partitioning options. It was flawless right out of the box. Other Roland organs, such as the 80 Series, ought to function properly. For those of you who want to experiment with the gadget, there are a ton of YouTube videos and a rather pitiful set of instructions online for the GoTek.



Floppy Drive to USB Flash Stick 3.5“Emulator SFR1M44-U100K Floppy Drive Emulator Floppy to USB Converter with 1.44MB Format Review:


There is a ton of conflicting information regarding installing this device on Win98 online. I think the accompanying CD is essentially useless. Simply install a USB stick, swap out your floppy drive for this one, hold down both front buttons, and turn on your Win98 computer. Hold down both front buttons until Win98 begins to boot up on your computer. Tap the buttons until "000" appears on the screen as soon as your computer starts up. Your Win98 computer will then recognize it as drive A. Whether you need to format 000 is up to you. Then, repeat as necessary by going to 001, 002, and so forth. One USB drive can replace hundreds of virtual floppies. I have just tried Win98, but it may work with other operating systems as well.



USB Floppy Drive, Mougerk 3.5" USB External Floppy Diskette Drive 1.44 MB FDD Portable USB Drive Plug and Play for Laptops Desktops and Notebooks (Black) Review:


This Teac Model No. FD-05PUB Floppy 3.5 USB 3.0 External Floppy Disk Drive (Plug and Play) was upgraded by Mougerk utilizing the same Model No. to work with our contemporary computers and Operating Systems (OS). According to the lettering on the box, the CD-ROM containing a driver (or drivers?) and a user manual is included with the floppy disk drive. It's untrue! Only the Floppy Disk Drive was in the box. I have three computers with Windows OS. One desktop running Windows XP, one desktop running Windows 7, and one laptop running Windows 8.1 are what they are. I'm delighted to report that the external floppy drive works flawlessly with all three of my PCs' installed operating systems and that it is "Plug and Play" and USB 3.0 compatible. I purchased another since I enjoyed it so much. New? In my opinion, no. Updated? I think so. Because so many of these external floppy disk drives require the CD-ROM containing the drivers, be cautious when using the Internet. The driver update businesses are taking advantage of this issue.



RAAYOO USB Floppy Disk Reader Drive, 3.5” External Portable 1.44 MB FDD Diskette Drive for Mac Windows 10/7/8/XP/Vista PC Laptop Desktop Notebook Computer Plug and Play No Extra Drivers– Black Review:


I purchased this in order to FINALLY get rid of all of the old 3.5" floppies I had stashed away in a closet corner. Because I wasn't sure what was in each one, I was afraid to toss them all away. My issues were resolved by Raayoo's fantastically functional floppy disk reader, which cost a mere $11. It read the floppies and connected easily to my laptop's USB port, allowing me to transfer any old files I wanted to keep to my laptop. The only very tiny issue I had was that after a couple of hours of idle time, MS Explorer stopped reading the drive. Other than that, it performed perfectly. I tried connecting it to different USB ports on my computer without success, but the remedy turned out to be pretty easy: I simply restarted the computer, and the drive began to function normally once more. Therefore, the drive was in perfect working order. My laptop's operating system was the problem. I heartily advise doing this. What do I do with this floppy reader that I've barely used and will never use again?



3.5" USB Floppy Disk Drive External Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7/8/10 +Dustproof Scratch-Resistant External Bag Case,No External Driver,Plug and Play Review:


I didn't want or need anything too pricey because I was only going to utilize this item once or twice. I decided to buy this because it had favorable ratings and was one of the more affordable options.Overall, it performs flawlessly. It was easy to connect it to my laptop using a USB hub, though I did use a powered USB port just in case. Everything went smoothly and it read the floppies I needed it to.It's not immediately obvious when you connect it. It is recognized by Windows (Windows 10 Pro 64 bit). Nothing occurs. Windows Explorer does not show a new drive letter. Even inserting a floppy doesn't cause the drive to react in any discernible way. I clicked on the "Safely remove hardware and eject media" button in the task bar and chose Open Devices and Printers to get things moving. The Devices section lists the floppy drive as TEACV0.0. The drive started when I performed a right click on this icon. I started out by choosing Browse Files -> Floppy Disk Drive (A:) from the pop-up menu. I inserted a floppy disc, and a window similar to Windows Explorer with a directory listing of what was on it emerged. From there, copying and pasting to another CD was all that was required. Easy.In a box someplace, I have a number of vintage 3.5" IDE floppy disc drives. I might have been able to integrate one of those into my current setup, but for $11.95, it was a better use of my time to get this USB solution.It's a shame because it works well and has no flaws that I'll probably never use it again. It's an easy, plug-and-play solution that was reasonably priced to make buying it a no-brainer. Recommended.



USB Floppy Drive,Chuanganzhuo 3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD USB Drive Plug and Play for PC Windows 10/7/8, Windows XP, Vista,for Mac (White) Review:


Fantastic Product! For a long, I had problems finding this kind of goods because it was "obsolete" and the prices were too exorbitant.I have thousands of family photos of my children growing up on 3.5" CDs that fill shoe boxes full. I believed they would remain in those boxes indefinitely. I had nothing to lose by using this Floppy Drive because it is SO inexpensive, making the slight risk worthwhile.Very simple plug-and-play product; my laptop recognized it as just another drive right away!I can now easily drag and drop 20-year-old photos into my hard disk and external hard drive thanks to this product (for even more protected storage).Additionally, this item was delivered quite quickly.I adore this item!To be safe, I'm going to get a backup in case these end up being "obsolete"



3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10,for Mac,No Extra Driver Required,Plug and Play,Black Review:


Fantastic Product! For a long, I had problems finding this kind of goods because it was "obsolete" and the prices were too exorbitant.I have thousands of family photos of my children growing up on 3.5" CDs that fill shoe boxes full. I believed they would remain in those boxes indefinitely. I had nothing to lose by using this Floppy Drive because it is SO inexpensive, making the slight risk worthwhile.Very simple plug-and-play product; my laptop recognized it as just another drive right away!I can now easily drag and drop 20-year-old photos into my hard disk and external hard drive thanks to this product (for even more protected storage).Additionally, this item was delivered quite quickly.I adore this item!To be safe, I'm going to get a backup in case these end up being "obsolete"



USB External Floppy Disk Reader Drive, 3.5" Portable 1.44 MB FDD Diskette Drive for Mac Windows 10/7/8/XP PC Laptop Desktop Notebook Computer and 5pcs Adhesive Black Hook and Loop Tape-(Black) Review:


I have a ton of floppy disks, a ton of pictures I'd like to have, and some documents that, over the years, I've forgotten about but should be nice to see what's there given that some of the pictures were only on floppy. I've had it for around a week. Because of all the negative reviews—not just this one, but all of them—I was dubious. So I made the decision to take a chance on the less expensive item since I could always return it. Windows 10 is installed on the main PC I built myself a few years back. I have recently purchased a Lenovo Flex 14 inch 2 in 1 Ryzen 3500 SSD 256 Windows 10 laptop, which I am currently configuring for travel. Three distinct brands of my floppies range in age from 18 to 25 years.The Raayoo $11.99 arrived in fantastic shape and was packaged beautifully in 2 days via Prime. without a CD or instructions. (Really, plugging in your USB is so simple that you need instructions.) I had intended to plug it in and conduct a frantic search for it, as other people had mentioned doing. I plugged it in, and a tiny yellow light appeared. I then checked my PC drives (I have 2 SSDs 500 and 256 and 2 large Hard Drives. ) To my utter surprise, drive A should easily float to the top. My disks all functioned. My photos were in PDD format, an outdated format that Adobe long since abandoned. This was the largest issue I faced. After some investigation, I learned that Adobe Photoshop could open it. When I realized I already had an older version of Adobe Photoshop in my applications that I hadn't used in a while, I decided against spending so much money. After installing it, I was able to open and edit the photos as I pleased—in this case, I changed them all to jpeg. If I wish to, I can also remove and add files. I don't have to worry about erasing them, so that's excellent. I am enjoying using the outdated floppy. I also reasoned that perhaps my computer desk top was a stroke of luck. I then brought the drive to my brand-new Lenovo Flex 14 and plugged it in. Drive A immediately appeared next to my SSD. Everything is played there, and it functions as my desk top. I couldn't be happier; I'm having a blast with this. It runs flawlessly on both Windows 10 PCs. This drive is fantastic value for $11.99, in my opinion. Also strong is the quality.



Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive - 3.5" Portable USB External 1.44MB FDD Diskette Drive for PC Windows 7/8, Windows XP, Vista,for Mac Plug and Play (Black) Review:


My Windows 10 Home computer needed data from floppies that I was trying to restore. I tried five different devices in the end, and I'm sharing my review to let you know how it went.First of all, on my Windows 7 Pro laptop, ALL FIVE DEVICES WORKED PERFECTLY. Nevertheless, even though Windows 10 recognized them as drives, three of them would simply sit and spin when plugged into my Windows 10 computer.After some investigation, I discovered that the devices that operated on my Windows 10 computer identified themselves and utilized the Y-E Data USB floppy drive driver, whereas the devices that idled and spun identified themselves and utilized the TEAC floppy drive driver. Therefore, the problem must be caused by a little variation in the drive's internal architecture.I tested 5 devices, and the Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive and the Esynic USB Floppy Drive both performed flawlessly. Both were identified as USB floppy drives from Y-E Data. They operated easily and soundlessly when they were plugged in. It was difficult to decide which one to keep, but I ultimately opted with the Tendak since it seemed a little bit quieter and faster, but that was purely a matter of opinion. Additionally, the Tendak had more information than the Esynic box did, including a warranty card and instructions on how to contact support. They appeared to be the same in terms of drive quality. I would have maintained both drives if I had need more than one.The Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) initially caught my eye as being the prettiest. The packaging was beautiful and covered in information; one would anticipate seeing it on a shelf in a big-box retailer. (The boxes for the other drives were all plain brown.) The drive was packaged with high-quality touches; the box was specifically designed for it, with space for the cord and a dust cover over the USB end to keep it clean. It came with a lovely instruction manual on how to use the disk that included knowledge that newer users might not be familiar with, such as the write-protect switch and the importance of not removing a floppy while the drive light is on. Additionally, they provided a phone number for help, and the person who answered appeared to be American. Sadly, this was one of the gadgets that wouldn't function on my Windows 10 computer. When plugged in, it only had the drive light turn on and continuously seek for data, identifying itself as a TEAC USB Floppy drive. It was incredibly quick and fluid on my Windows 7 computer and worked properly. I would have retained this one in a heartbeat if I hadn't needed it to function on Windows 10 as well. You should at least attempt it because other reviews indicate that it appears to function on Windows 10 computers.The final two gadgets came from Chuanganzhuo.The 3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10, for Mac, No Additional Driver Needed, Plug and Play, Black, and the 3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7/8/10 Dustproof Scratch-Resistant External Bag Case, No Additional Driver, Plug and Play Both devices functioned properly under Windows 7 Pro, but under Windows 10 Home, the drive lit up right away and a noisy seek procedure began, which never ended. Despite being noisier than any other disk I tried, these gadgets functioned flawlessly under Windows 7. Both made use of the TEAC USB Floppy driver.My recommendation is to purchase the Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) if you are one of the fortunate people whose computer will support it. It is excellent. If you can't, you'll probably be happy with either the Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive or the Esynic USB Floppy Drive.



Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2X Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) Review:


My Windows 10 Home computer needed data from floppies that I was trying to restore. I tried five different devices in the end, and I'm sharing my review to let you know how it went.First of all, on my Windows 7 Pro laptop, ALL FIVE DEVICES WORKED PERFECTLY. Nevertheless, even though Windows 10 recognized them as drives, three of them would simply sit and spin when plugged into my Windows 10 computer.After some investigation, I discovered that the devices that operated on my Windows 10 computer identified themselves and utilized the Y-E Data USB floppy drive driver, whereas the devices that idled and spun identified themselves and utilized the TEAC floppy drive driver. Therefore, the problem must be caused by a little variation in the drive's internal architecture.I tested 5 devices, and the Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive and the Esynic USB Floppy Drive both performed flawlessly. Both were identified as USB floppy drives from Y-E Data. They operated easily and soundlessly when they were plugged in. It was difficult to decide which one to keep, but I ultimately opted with the Tendak since it seemed a little bit quieter and faster, but that was purely a matter of opinion. Additionally, the Tendak had more information than the Esynic box did, including a warranty card and instructions on how to contact support. They appeared to be the same in terms of drive quality. I would have maintained both drives if I had need more than one.The Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) initially caught my eye as being the prettiest. The packaging was beautiful and covered in information; one would anticipate seeing it on a shelf in a big-box retailer. (The boxes for the other drives were all plain brown.) The drive was packaged with high-quality touches; the box was specifically designed for it, with space for the cord and a dust cover over the USB end to keep it clean. It came with a lovely instruction manual on how to use the disk that included knowledge that newer users might not be familiar with, such as the write-protect switch and the importance of not removing a floppy while the drive light is on. Additionally, they provided a phone number for help, and the person who answered appeared to be American. Sadly, this was one of the gadgets that wouldn't function on my Windows 10 computer. When plugged in, it only had the drive light turn on and continuously seek for data, identifying itself as a TEAC USB Floppy drive. It was incredibly quick and fluid on my Windows 7 computer and worked properly. It does work on other people's Windows 10 computers, and the support agent was not aware of any problem that would prohibit it from operating on my laptop. I would have kept this one in a heartbeat if I hadn't needed it to function on my Windows 10 computer as well. You should at least attempt it because other reviews indicate that it appears to function on Windows 10 computers.The final two gadgets came from Chuanganzhuo.The 3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10, for Mac, No Additional Driver Needed, Plug and Play, Black, and the 3.5" USB External Floppy Disk Drive Portable 1.44 MB FDD for PC Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Windows 7/8/10 Dustproof Scratch-Resistant External Bag Case, No Additional Driver, Plug and Play Both devices functioned properly under Windows 7 Pro, but under Windows 10 Home, the drive lit up right away and a noisy seek procedure began, which never ended. Despite being noisier than any other disk I tried, these gadgets functioned flawlessly under Windows 7. Both made use of the TEAC USB Floppy driver.My recommendation is to purchase the Sabrent External USB 1.44 MB 2x Floppy Disk Drive (FL-UDRV) if you are one of the fortunate people whose computer will support it. It is excellent. If you can't, you'll probably be happy with either the Tendak USB Floppy Disk Drive or the Esynic USB Floppy Drive.


Are tape drives still used for backup?

Tape drives are a type of data storage device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape. Tape drives are still used for backup and archival purposes because they are relatively inexpensive and can store a large amount of data in a small amount of space.

Do tape drives still exist?

Yes, tape drives still exist. They are not as popular as they once were, but they are still used by some businesses. Tape drives offer a reliable and cost-effective way to store data.

How fast are tape drives?

Tape drives are becoming increasingly popular as a means of storing data. They are very fast and can store large amounts of data.

How long do tape drives last?

Tape drives have been around for a long time, and their popularity has only increased in recent years. Thanks to their portability and affordability, they are now commonly used to store data. But how long do tape drives last? The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including how often the drive is used, what type of drive it is, and how well it is cared for. Generally speaking, a tape drive can last for many years if it is properly maintained. However, there are a few things that can shorten the lifespan of a tape drive

How much data can a tape drive hold?

A tape drive is a data storage device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape. Tape drives are used for backup and archival purposes. Tape drives can hold a lot of data, but the amount of data that can be stored on a tape drive depends on the size of the tape and the capacity of the drive. For example, a tape drive with a capacity of 1TB can store up to 1TB of data.

How reliable are tape drives?

Tape drives are an important part of any backup solution, but just how reliable are they? According to a study by the University of Texas at Austin, tape drives have a mean time between failures (MTBF) of over 300,000 hours. This means that, on average, a tape drive will continue to work for over 300,000 hours before it fails. Of course, this doesn't mean that your tape drive will never fail. But it does mean that, when used as part of a backup solution, tape drives are a very reliable way to store your