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From: gwe@cbosgd.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Hygiene for Disk Drives (or Dos Floss ?)
Message-ID: <3489@cbosgd.ATT.COM>
Date: Fri, 27-Mar-87 13:10:32 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.3489
Posted: Fri Mar 27 13:10:32 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Mar-87 16:42:06 EST
Reply-To: gwe@cbosgd.UUCP (Bill Thacker)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Network Systems , Columbus, OH
Lines: 62
Summary: Brush after every boot

References:

Before I bought my Amiga (last November) I owned an Apple //e. I still have
it, some 4 years after purchase. 

I have over 150 disks for my Apple; the 5.25" floppy sort. I use all kinds of
disks; Sony, Verbatim, etc, etc, everything from the best to the worst.
Most of these have been punched so I can use the (uncertified) back side. I use
single-sided, double-sided, and single- or double-density. In short, if
it's about the right size and black, I've used it in my Apple drive.

I've left them in the sun, let them gather dust without their sleeves on, 
spilled pop on them, written on them with ballpoint pens, and even
rolled my chair over one.

Not one has failed.

Not a single bad disk. No lost data, corrupted files, ruined programs. 

Never has the Apple itself ruined one, either.


Last night, I was impressing my friends (and myself) with the realistic
sound effects on Microprose's Silent Service. Then, I gave them a quick
demo of DPaint II. After the oohs and ahhs, we left the box on while we got
dinner.

A couple hours later, I returned and flipped on the monitor. Everything was OK.
As I wanted to play Silent Service again, I put in the disk and did a warm boot.
After a while, the Silent Service intro picture came up; but mangled, and in the
wrong colors. The Amiga then froze, keyboard locked, and drive "In Use" light
blazing. I could hear the drive spinning.

I gave the machine a minute to come down, then reconciled myself to 
(yet another) pointless crash. I rebooted. The Silent Service picture 
loaded normally, but quickly disappeared leaving a blank Workbench screen.
The mouse worked, and I could "roll down" the screen, but that was it.

My disk is screwed. One of these neat new 3.5" wonders, with a hard cover and 
spring-loaded metal protector. Guaranteed to protect your valuable data from
the harshest environments.

Except that nothing can protect you from a hungry DOS.

This sounds like a bad movie:
Amigados 1.2: It came from Hell, to feast on the software of the living !
See it in a computer near you !

Oh, well, I'm sure the nice folks at Microprose will replace my disk for me,
and in a few short weeks, I'll be able to play Silent Service again.
Meanwhile, I guess I'll just have to fire up the ol' Apple, which is sitting
there with a condescending smirk on its face.



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	Bill Thacker    	cbatt!cbosgd!gwe
		
DISCLAIMER: Farg 'em if they can't take a joke !

"The two most common things in the Universe are hydrogen and stupidity"
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