Filter
Top Products
D-2
'HOO3UHFLVLRQ'HVNWRS6\VWHPV8VHU©V*XLGH
As a last resort, you can back up a hard-disk drive’s contents on diskettes, a method
that is both time-consuming and prone to human error. Also, backing up a full 540-MB
hard-disk drive requires approximately 375 diskettes (when using 1.44-MB diskettes).
Therefore, if it is absolutely necessary to use diskettes as backup devices, any
unwanted hard-disk drive files should be deleted before a backup procedure is
started.
5HFRYHULQJ'DWD
Some hard-disk drive failures are recoverable. In these cases you may be able to
recover all lost data if the proper utility software is available. Even losses such as acci-
dentally deleted files or accidental reformatting of a hard-disk drive can be reversed
with these utilities.
If the computer system is running MS-DOS, many apparent data loss problems are
due to corruption or erasure of the hard-disk drive’s master boot record (MBR),
MS-DOS boot sector, or file allocation table (FAT). That is, accidental deletion of files
or accidental reformatting of the hard-disk drive alters the MS-DOS boot sector, the
FAT, and the root directory.
However, such accidents do not actually erase the contents of the hard-disk drive files
until new data is written to the sectors containing these files. With software such as
the Norton Utilities, Mace Utilities, or PC-Tools Deluxe, the data stored in these areas
can often be restored, meaning that you can recover most, if not all, of the data.
Unlike formatting a hard-disk drive, formatting a diskette completely erases all the
data on the diskette unless you use the diskette formatting program included in the
Mace Utilities.
For a complete description of data recovery procedures and the software needed to
perform them, see
The Paul Mace Guide to Data Recovery
, published by Brady.
&OHDQLQJ6\VWHP&RPSRQHQWV
An exhaust fan in the power supply cools the power supply and computer by drawing
air in through various openings in the computer and blowing it out the back. However,
the fan also draws dust and other particles into the computer, causing contaminant
buildup, which results in an increase in the system’s internal temperature and inter-
feres with the operation of various system components.
To avoid these conditions, Dell recommends keeping your work environment clean to
reduce the amount of dust and dirt around the computer, thereby reducing the
amount of contaminants drawn into the computer by the power supply fan. In particu-
lar, you should keep the exterior of your computer and monitor clean, and you should
use a commercially available diskette-drive head-cleaning kit to remove contaminants
inside your diskette drives.
23186bk0.bk Page 2 Thursday, October 29, 1998 11:07 AM