Protecting your Data

There are two ways to avoid losing data you store on disk: you can make backup copies and you tan write-protect your diskettes.

You need to format new diskettes before you can use them with an operating system. Formatting erases all the data on a diskette and prepares it to receive new data, so be sure to format only new blank diskettes or diskettes that contain data you want to erase. Refer to your MS-DOS (or other operating system) manual for instructions on how to format diskettes.

Making backup copies

It is a good idea to make copies of all your data and system diskettes. Copy all diskettes that contain programs, such as the master system diskettes that come with the Equity II+, and use only the copies. Store your original system diskettes in a safe place away from your working diskettes. Copy your data diskettes regularly (preferably every day) to keep them up-to-date, and store them away from your originals.

Your MS-DOS manual describes how to make a backup copy of your MS-DOS startup and operating diskettes. To make backups of other MS-DOS diskettes, use the DISKCOPY command or the DU (Disk Utility) program.

If you have a hard disk, keep backup copies of all your program files on floppy disks, and regularly copy important data files to floppy disks as well. For more information on backing up a hard disk, see “Using a Hard Disk” in this chapter and your MS-DOS manual.

Write-protecting diskettes

You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered. When a diskette is write-protected, you can copy data from it, but you cannot store new data on the diskette or delete any files it contains. If you try to change data stored on a write-protected diskette, an error message displays.

To write-protect a S%inch diskette, cover the small, rectangular notch shown in Figure 3-1 with an adhesive write-protect tab. Write-protect tabs usually come with new 5%inch diskettes when you buy them. To write to a 5%nch diskette, remove the write-protect tab.

User’s Guide

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