[55] in Humor
HUMOR: Floppy Care
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (abennett@MIT.EDU)
Fri Feb 4 12:04:19 1994
From: abennett@MIT.EDU
To: humor@MIT.EDU
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 94 10:43:37 EST
From: olegman@MIT.EDU
From: mariadf@MIT.EDU
From: Weyrwoman of Benden <lessa@MIT.EDU>
Please circulate this as broadly as possible to the user community. This is
important information that everybody can use.
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 the
diskettes, make sure the surface is even. This will allow the
diskette to spin faster, resulting in better access time.
3. Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit into the drive.
"Big" diskettes may be folded and used in "little" disk drives.
4. 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.
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 into the drive. Whenever you update a
document, the data will be written on both diskettes.
6. 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.
7. 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.
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 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)
10. 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.
11. Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system
bugs from spreading.
