Proper Care of Floppies

1. 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.


2. 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 diskettes, make sure application is even.
This will allow the diskettes to spin faster, resulting in better access
time.


3. Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit in the drive. "Big"
diskettes may be folded and used in "little" disk drives.


4. Never insert a disk into the drive upside down. The data can fall off
the surface of the disk and jam the intricate mechanics of the drive.


5. 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 together into the drive. Whenever you update a document, the
data will be recorded on both diskettes.


6. Diskettes should not be inserted into 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 continues to flash in what is
known as a "hung" or "hooked" state. If your system is "hooking" you, you
will probably need to insert a few coins before being allowed to access
the disk drive.


7. If your diskette is full and you need more storage space, remove the
disk from the drive and shake vigorously for two 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 of data.


8. 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.


9.Diskettes can be used as coasters for beverage glasses, provided they
have been properly waxed beforehand. Be sure to wipe the diskettes dry
before inserting into drive. (see item #2 above.)


10. Never use scissors and glue to manually edit documents. The data
stored is much too small to be seen with 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, provided the user is equipped
with an electron microscope.


11. Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs
from spreading.