Epson Equity II - Manual (Page 38)

Caring for Disks and Disk Drives
To avoid damaging floppy and hard disks, you need to care for them
properly. Take these precautions to avoid losing data:
Never remove a diskette from a drive or turn off
the
computer while
a disk drive’s LED lamp is on. The red light indicates the computer is
copying data to or from a disk. If you interrupt this process, you
can
lose data.
Remove all inserted diskettes before you turn off the computer.
Never touch a diskette’s magnetic surface. The oil on your fingertips
can damage
the
diskette. Always hold a diskette by its protective
jacket.
Store diskettes properly. When they are
not
in use, keep diskettes in
their protective envelopes and store them in a diskette container.
Do not place anything on top of your diskettes and be sure
they
do
not bend or sag. They do not rotate properly in a drive if damaged.
Be careful when you label your diskettes. Attach labels firmly but
gently, and only along
the
top of a diskette (next to the manufactur-
er’s label). Do not place several labels on top of one another-too
many labels can prevent a diskette from spinning freely in a disk
drive.
It is best to write
on
a label before
you attach
it to a diskette. Use only
soft-tip pens (not ballpoint pens or pencils) to write on a label that is
already on a diskette.
Keep disks away from dust and dirt. Small particles of dust and dirt
can scratch the magnetic surface and destroy data. Dust can also ruin
the read/write heads in a disk drive.
Never wipe, brush, or try to clean your disks in any way.
Keep disks away from magnetic fields. (Remember that disks store
data magnetically.) There are many sources of magnetism in your
home or office, such
as
electrical appliances, telephones, and
especially loudspeakers.
Keep disks in a moderate environment. They work best at room-
temperature and in normal humidity. Never leave disks sitting in the
sun or in extreme cold or heat. The temperature in a car in the
middle of summer or in
the
dead of winter can cause severe damage.
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