Apple 145B manual Preparing a new disk for use, Initializing a hard disk

Chapter 8

Using Disks

In this chapter

mPreparing a new disk for use

mErasing a disk

mChoosing a startup disk

mProtecting the information on a disk

mRestoring the information on your hard disk

mIf you can’t save files on a floppy disk

mEjecting a disk

mCaring for disks

mTesting and repairing disks

Preparing a new disk for use

Before you can use a new disk, you need to prepare it so the computer knows where to store information on the disk. This preparation is called initializing (or formatting) the disk.

vNote: You don’t need to initialize the floppy disks that are used for backing up your system. The PowerBook 145B Backup program initializes them for you automatically. v

The hard disk inside your computer is initialized at the factory, but you need to initialize new 3.5-inch (89-millimeter) floppy disks that you want to use in a floppy disk drive.

Initializing a hard disk

Occasionally a hard disk may become damaged in such a way that you have to reinitialize it. (The key symptom of such damage is that the hard disk’s icon does not appear on the desktop when you start up the computer using another disk.) You lose all the information on a damaged disk when you reinitialize it.

If your hard disk’s icon does not appear on the desktop, first try to repair it as described later in this chapter. If you can’t repair the disk, use the Apple HD SC Setup program to reinitialize the disk. The program is on the Disk Tools disk that came with your computer.

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