Floppy Disk Guide

I know most of you people already used pc's and know how to use a floppy. But, this guide is for newbe's who don't know how to use or handle floppy.

Usually, floppies come in two varieties. One a big 5.25 inch size 1.2 Mega byte capacity old style floppy. And the other smaller sized ( 3.5 inch ) larger capacity (1.44 Mega byte) floppy. The first type of floppies are almost already extinguished. Almost no pc's are currently equipped with them. The latter is more common to see.

Floppies are manufactured using flexible plastic and their surface is quoted with magnetic oxides to store data. Floppies are very fragile and needs to be handled carefully. Generally while using a floppy keep the following points in mind..

1. Floppy should not be bent.

2. Floppies are susceptible to heat and cold. Keep them in normal room temperature.

3. Floppies should be kept away from dust. Use a plastic floppy container.

4. Dont open the floppies from the plastic cover.

5. Dont put pressure on them For example putting them under a heavy book etc.

6. If floppy should be sent thru snail mail, use an extra thick floppy disk protector and package properly.

7. Dont throw them roughly, it may damage the data inside.

8. Keep them away from magnetic devices like telephones, speakers etc.

I really feel that today's floppy's are less reliable. This may be due to poor quality of manufacturing or some other reason.

In the current age of Read and Writable CD's and DVD's, floppy's may be counting their days. But still they are invaluable for an average user for quick data storage and transit.