Tips for Diskette Care

Never touch the shiny surface of a diskette. Oil and dirt from your hands can (and is likely to) ruin the surface of the diskette; fingerprints can cause problems when the computer tries to read from or write to the diskette.

Never subject diskettes to extreme hot or cold. For example, do not leave diskettes in your car during cold winter nights or hot summer days. Room temperature is best for your diskettes.

Avoid spilling anything on them.

Keep your diskettes protected from smoke, food, ashes, and pets.

Guard your diskette when near X-ray machines. The magnetic fields can erase all of its data.

Never clean a diskette with alcohol, thinner, Freon, or household cleaning products.

Never expose a diskette to a magnetic object. Some household products create magnetic fields such as speakers and electric motors.

Keep backups of all important information. If you don’t want to recreate, you should have a backup (on a different diskette). For extra security, a set of backups should be kept at an off-site location.

Devise a filing system for organizing your diskettes and files. Perhaps all memos are stored on one diskette or all information related to a specific project is kept on the same diskette.

Label your diskettes to make it easier to locate files; however, write on the label before you put it on the diskette. If you need to write on the label after it is placed on the diskette, use a felt-tip pen and write softly.

Keep your diskettes in a protective case (either plastic sleeves or a diskette case).