Floppy Disk Drive Facts
Here are some interesting things to note about FDDs:
- Two floppy disks do not get corrupted if they are stored together, due to the low level of magnetism in each one.
- In your PC, there is a twist in the FDD data-ribbon cable -- this twist tells the computer whether the drive is an A-drive or a B-drive.
- Like many household appliances, there are really no serviceable parts in today's FDDs. This is because the cost of a new drive is considerably less than the hourly rate typically charged to disassemble and repair a drive.
- If you wish to redisplay the data on a diskette drive after changing a diskette, you can simply tap the F5 key (in most Windows applications).
- In the corner of every 3.5-inch diskette, there is a small slider. If you uncover the hole by moving the slider, you have protected the data on the diskette from being written over or erased.
- Floppy disks, while rarely used to distribute software (as in the past), are still used in these applications:
- in some Sony digital cameras
- for software recovery after a system crash or a virus attack
- when data from one computer is needed on a second computer and the two computers are not networked
- in bootable diskettes used for updating the BIOS on a personal computer
- in high-density form, used in the popular Zip drive.
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