Disk Care Tips
Every so often people come down to the Help Desk with disks that don't work. Often times we can recover some or all of the files using Norton Disk Doctor but there are many times when we are unable to. If this happens you can lose your papers, finals, thesis or whatever you have on that disk with no way to recover it. 
While there always may be a chance that you can lose your files, there are many things you can do to lessen the chance of that happening. The first is basic floppy disk care. There are many people who use the same disk all through college or from high school and into college. The reasoning often is that, "I've had this disk for so long and this is the first time anything has happened to it." Well, that usually is the problem right there. People like floppies because they are cheap. But not many people know why they are cheap. They're cheap because they are meant to be disposable. A floppy disk should really only be used three or four times. What happens is that the small black disk inside gets worn down every time you use it. This won't be a problem if you've only used it a few times, but if you are using it a lot then there is a higher chance of you losing your data. Also if you keep your disks in a case of some kind or in a cool dry place and not under your Biology book, you will also lessen the chance of data loss.
There are other mediums that work better than floppies. One choice is the zip disk. The zip disk is nice due to the large amount of data that one can hold, however zip disks tend to die after approximately one year of life - sometimes sooner. A common problems with zip disks is the "Click of Death". If this occurs your data will probably be unrecoverable unless you take it to a recovery specialist, and prices for that tend to be very expensive ($500-1000+).
Another common medium is recordable CDs. Depending on the quality of the CD, once burned it can last for at least 50 years. If you are able to keep it in good condition by keeping your CDs in a sensible range of temperature and humidity levels, away from direct sunlight, dust, dirt and chemicals, and always handle them by the edges and never touch the reflective surface. The problem with CDs is that some are better quality than others, yet CDs are generally more reliable than simple floppy disks and can be used on most any computer. If you use a CD-R you are only able to burn on it once but if you use a CD-RW then you can use the same disk multiple times. CD-RWs are more expensive than the average CD-R but if you are going to be doing constant work on a file then a CD-RW would be a better option.
Another option is to use a USB drive for your data storage. These are also called USB Keys because they look like very small boxes that could fit on your keychain (which some do). On one end there is a USB plug and on the other is what's called flash memory. This device works on almost any system that has USB ports and is very reliable. The USB key comes in many memory sizes starting at around 32mb and some exceeding 1gb. Most USB drives can last for about 10 years without problems, and since they work in almost any computer they are an excellent solution.
The most important thing to remember when saving files is that you should always make multiple backups. If you have a computer of your own you should save a copy on the hard drive. If you lose a copy of a file it will not be a problem if you have 2 or 3 backups previously saved on your computers hard drive. Most people won't want to make backups, but if what you're saving is important then having an extra copy is a very good idea. Hopefully with these tips and options you will keep you from losing that final paper the week before you graduate!
Last Updated: 10/15/2008