Making backup copies of floppy discs
Copying the content of one floppy disc onto another for safe-keeping is known as making a '
backup'. In order to make an exact duplication of a floppy disc, you should first ensure that
the both the source disc (the original) and the destination disc (the copy) are the same type of
format (if the formats do not match, then you might be prompted to insert additional discs in
order to back up all the data held on the source disc).
To check the format type for a particular floppy disc:
• Click MENU on the floppy disc drive icon on the Icon Bar
• Move up the list to the 'Format' option and follow the arrow to open the 'Format'
submenu
• Move up the 'Format' submenu list to the 'Current format' option and follow the
arrow to its submenu
The computer will then interrogate the floppy disc to check its current format and then report
it to you in a window.
It is a good idea to write-protect your source disc before you start the backup procedure so
that no data is accidentally lost (just in case you have the wrong disc in the drive at a crucial
moment).
Reformat the destination floppy disc to match the source disc if necessary (not the other way
around, or else you'll lose the data you're trying to backup) then click MENU on the floppy
disc drive icon on the Icon Bar, move up the list to the 'Backup' option and click SELECT on
it. The computer will then instruct you to put in each disc in turn (source and destination) so
that it can make a backup copy for you.
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