Proper Care of Floppy Diskettes
Follow all of these instructions carefully for
error-free floppies!!
- Never leave diskettes in the disk drive, as data can leak
out of the disk and corrode the inner mechanics of the drive.
Diskettes should be rolled up and stored in pencil holders.
- Diskettes should be cleaned and waxed once a week. Microscopic
metal particles can be removed by waving a powerful magnet over
the surface of the disk. Any stubborn metallic shavings can be
removed with scouring powder and soap. When waxing the diskettes,
make sure the surface is even. This will allow the diskette to
spin faster, resulting in better access time.
- Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit into the drive.
"Big" diskettes may be folded and used in "little"
disk drives.
- Never insert a diskette into the drive upside down. The data
can fall off the surface of the disk and jam the intricate mechanics
of the drive.
- Diskettes cannot be backed up by running them through the
xerox machine. If your data is going to need to be backed up,
simply insert two diskettes into the drive. Whenever you update
a document, the data will be written on both diskettes.
- Diskettes should not be inserted or removed from the drive
while the red light is flashing. Doing so could result in smeared
or possibly unreadable text. Occasionally the red light remains
flashing in what is known as a "hung" or "hooked"
state. If your system is "hooking" you will probably
need to insert a few coins before being allowed access to the
slot.
- If your diskette is full and you need more storage space,
remove the disk from the drive and shake vigorously for 2 minutes.
This will pack the data enough (Data Compression) to allow for
more storage. Be sure to cover all the openings with scotch tape
to prevent loss data.
- Access time can be greatly improved by cutting more holes
in the diskette jacket. This will provide more simultaneous access
points to the disk.
- Diskettes may be used as coasters for beverage glasses, provided
that they are properly waxed beforehand. Be sure to wipe the
diskettes dry before using. (see item 2 above)
- Never use scissors and glue to manually edit documents. The
data is stored much too small for the naked eye, and you may
end up with data from some other document stuck in the middle
of your document. Razor blades and scotch tape may be used, however,
provided the user is equipped with an electron microscope.
- Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent
system bugs from spreading.
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