Apple Duo 270C manual Preparing a new disk for use, Initializing a hard disk, 105

Chapter 7

Using Disks

In this chapter

nPreparing a new disk for use

nErasing a disk

nChoosing a startup disk

nProtecting the information on a disk

nIf you can’t save files on a floppy disk

nEjecting a disk

nCaring for disks

nTesting 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.

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 system software disk called Disk Tools.

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