A Floppy disk is a disk storage type.
Disk storage . Notable types are the hard disk drive ( HDD ) containing a non-removable disk , the floppy disk drive ( FDD ) and its removable floppy disk , and various optical disc drives and associated optical disc media . A floppy disk , also called a floppy , diskette or just disk , is a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium , sealed in a rectangular plastic enclosure lined with fabric that removes dust particles . Floppy disks , initially as 8 inch media and later in 5 1/4 - inch ( 133 mm ) and 3 1/2 - inch ( 90 mm ) sizes , were a ubiquitous form of data storage and exchange from the mid-1970s into the mid-2000s . A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a rectangular plastic carrier .