Diskette Problems

If you have trouble accessing data on a diskette, follow these steps to identify the problem:

1.Is the diskette properly inserted in the drive? Remove the diskette from the drive and make sure it is inserted with the label facing up.

2.Are you using the right type of diskette for your drive? The 3½-inch drive in your computer can read either 720KB or 1.44MB diskettes.

3.Is the diskette write-protected? If you want to copy to a diskette, it must not be write-protected. If the write-protect switch is set, first make sure the diskette does not contain files you do not want to change or lose. Then move the switch to remove the write protection. Ordinarily, it’s a good idea to leave program diskettes write-protected, but some programs don’t work properly using write-protected diskettes.

4.Is the diskette formatted? A new diskette must be formatted before you can store data on it. See your operating system manual for instructions.

5.Is the diskette damaged? Use your backup copy of the diskette and repeat the operation that caused the problem. If the operation works using the copy, the original diskette is probably damaged. Discard it and use the copy.

If you need to save the files on the original diskette, try using the COPY command to copy one file at a time.

6.Try formatting a blank diskette to determine if the diskette drive is operating properly. If you cannot format a diskette, see the following section.

Troubleshooting A-9