Are you using Windows’ built-in Powershell? If so, are you allowed to install the newer Powershell Core (based on .NET Core)? The latter has a lot of fixes and improvements compared to the built-in Powershell.
The complicated number encoding scheme you mentioned is a hexfloat: C has them too.
Hexfloat can be really useful when you need precise/exact floating-point constants for numerical methods. Without them, you end up having to do more-complicated hacks to preserve exact constant values when code gets compiled, or you have to live with compilers (sometimes) subtly altering constants.
They’re special DVD and Blu-ray discs designed for long-term storage. DVD and Blu-ray are so widely used, it seems likely you’d be able to find some equipment in 30 years that could still read them.