I have a commodore 128 with a 1571disk drive, I'm trying to gain access to an item I put on there. It is a seq, any ideas??

The seq file (sequential) should be readable. Speedscript 128 or 64 should be able to read seq files. Quite a number of the other word processing programs could also access seq file and write them. These word processing programs could list the directory on a disk. You should be able to find directions to some of them on the web. Some were even cartridge based.

Look at the little programs that can read and write seq files and print them to screen as well. That little test programs could be modified to display the seq file record if you can find the name of the file on the disk.

If you are having trouble reading the disk, you may have to use a head cleaning disk (with a little isoproply) in the drive. It you do, be sure to let it dry before trying to read a disc.

Speedscript has the ability to "print to disc" sequential files or to send the print job to the printer. I think the commodore key plus letters such as s for save and l for load and p for print were amond keyboard commands. Possibly d accessed the directory. The directions were published in the magazine that published the entire code which could be typed it! I think it was hex code for use in a special entry program. Speedscript was actually in machine code. I think the magazine was Compute's Gazette. The program was sold on discs as well but easily found in libraries of user groups at the time.

The 1571 could read and write to double density, double sided floppies. Avoid using the 1541 emulation mode as it may introduce corruptions.

http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/gazette/198705-speedscript.html