floppy disks Archives

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Running Factorio from over 1,000 floppy disks is a masochistically manual process that surely sets a new record for game load times

YouTuber DocJade is running the game Factorio on 1,000 3.5-inch floppy disks instead of a conventional hard drive. He developed a custom file system called Fluster using the RUST programming language, which divides each floppy disk into 512-byte blocks, allowing for a total of 2,880 blocks per disk and approximately 90 GB of storage. Fluster is open-sourced and available on DocJade's GitHub. Factorio's design allows it to load most content before the title screen, making it suitable for this unconventional method.

Winsage

November 2, 2025

Yes, You Can Run Windows 95 In Your Browser, And It’s Glorious

A developer has created a browser-based version of the Windows 95 operating system, allowing users to experience it without installation. Windows 95 originally required at least 4 MB of RAM, a 386DX processor, and 50-55 MB of free hard drive space, with recommended specifications of 8 MB of RAM and a 486 processor. The browser version enables users to install software packages, including classic games like Zork and utilities like Norton Utilities 2.0. Users can interact with the interface, simulate floppy disk insertion, and explore files through a familiar layout. The experience may have bugs and limitations but offers a nostalgic engagement with early personal computing.

Winsage

October 26, 2025

“Emergency Windows Update Declared a ‘Total Disaster’—Is Your PC at Risk?”

A new Windows 11 update, KB5066835, is causing significant issues by breaking localhost connections, preventing locally hosted apps from communicating with the network. Users are experiencing installation failures and problems with peripherals and accessories. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and is rolling out an emergency patch, which may take over 48 hours to reach affected PCs. The update disrupts the kernel-mode HTTP server (HTTP.sys), leading to connection failures for apps trying to access localhost. Additionally, the update renders the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) unusable, as mice and keyboards do not function within it. Users attempting to reinstall the patch or upgrade to newer builds have reported inconsistent results, with fresh installs of Windows 11 24H2 not experiencing the same issues. Caution is advised against attempting unofficial fixes, as they may destabilize the system. Windows 10 users should ensure their systems are updated with the final security patches or consider purchasing Extended Security Updates for continued support.

AppWizard

October 17, 2025

If you regret not living through the floppy disk era why not try this 3D printed Linux project that uses the cartridges to launch games

RFIDisk is an open-source project that allows users to insert a floppy disk into a device functioning as an RFID scanner, which scans an RFID code to boot applications on a connected PC. The project requires a 3D printer to create components and is designed for Linux users. It represents a trend of merging vintage computing with modern technology.

Winsage

September 29, 2025

Windows 95 was too fat to install itself so slim 3.1 helped

Microsoft chose to use a miniature version of Windows 3.1 for the installation of Windows 95 instead of a compact version of Windows 95 due to engineering practicality and user experience considerations. The 16-bit application of Windows 3.1 facilitated file copying and settings migration during the setup process initiated from MS-DOS. Developing a miniaturized Windows 95 would have been challenging due to delays in its development and would have required more resources. Additionally, using Windows 3.1 allowed the installation to be completed with only one floppy disk and minimized the number of reboots required, adhering to user experience priorities at the time.

Winsage

September 14, 2025

Millennium edition of Windows is 25 years old

On September 14, 2000, Microsoft released Windows ME, the last version of Windows to rely on MS-DOS. It was intended as a successor to Windows 95, 98, and 98 SE, offering discounted updates and compatibility with existing software. Windows ME obscured DOS, making it less accessible for users, and eliminated the ability to create bootable DOS copies from formatted floppy disks. It inherited system file protection from Windows 2000 to prevent "DLL hell," where application software replaced system libraries, causing other programs to fail. Windows ME aimed to bridge the gap between Windows 98 and Windows XP, but users faced compatibility issues with programs not designed for the new version. The control panel adopted a web-like appearance, and documentation transitioned to HTML format. Windows ME had minimal system requirements of a 150 MHz Pentium and 32 MB of RAM, and performance tests showed negligible differences compared to Windows 2000. Windows XP was released a year later, marking the end of DOS's relevance in Microsoft's operating systems.

Winsage

September 11, 2025

Windows 95 could’ve extended your laptop battery… but it didn’t

Microsoft's Windows 95 was released on August 24, 1995, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still uses it along with floppy disks for daily operations. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2000. The operating system lacked a power-saving feature for idle laptops because Microsoft intentionally excluded the HLT instruction due to concerns that it would cause many laptops to become unresponsive. Raymond Chen, a Microsoft engineer, noted that the risk of creating unusable systems was too high, leading to the decision to remove the HLT instruction as a precaution against widespread failures.