Personal Computer User Manual

This section explains how disks work and tells you how to do

the following:

Use different types of diskettes and diskette drives

Care for your diskettes and diskette drives

Insert and remove diskettes

Write-protect diskettes

Make backup copies of your diskettes

Use a single diskette drive

Use two diskette drives

Use a hard disk drive.

How Disks Store Data

The diskette you insert in your computer’s diskette drive is

made of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material. It is

enclosed in a square jacket that is either hard (3

‘/z-inch

diskettes) or slightly flexible (5

‘/+-inch

diskettes).

Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place. It is

sealed in a protective case to keep it free of dust and dirt. A

hard disk stores data the same way that a diskette does, but it

works much faster and has a much larger storage capacity.

All disks are divided into data storage compartments by sides,

tracks, and sectors. Double-sided diskettes store data on both

sides. On each side, there are concentric rings, called tracks

(or cylinders), on which a disk can store data. Double-density

diskettes have either 40 or 80 tracks on each side, and high-

density diskettes have 80 tracks on each side.

3-10

Using the Equity 386SX