General Frequently Asked Questions

How can I store my work?

What is a diskette and why should we use them?

What is a ZIP disk and why should we use them?

How do I take care of my diskettes and ZIP disks?

Why can I not fit the maximum amount of data on my disks?

Should I name my disks?

What is a USB stick and why should we use them?

How do I take care for my USB stick?

How do I report Hardware/Software Problems?

How can I store my work?

Nowadays, many people have home computers or laptops.  Generally there are very few users of these particular systems -mainly the owner themselves and/or the immediate family.  Access to home computers is generally unrestricted and the owner/users can store files wherever they want on the system -this is usually the hard disk or the C drive as it is also known.

However, here in the institute, there are many hundreds of computers constantly being accessed by many thousands of users.  Imagine how full the hard disk (C drive) would be after even one day of use! For security reasons and to protect the computers, the hard disks are "locked" to prevent users from storing information to them.  Users cannot install software onto the computers nor can they remove software.

Because the ordinary user cannot store information to the hard disk, he/she must store files elsewhere.  Students can store information on the centralised servers commonly referred to as the "G drive" but there is a limit to how much they can store.  Information can also be stored on various types of removable media throughout the institute namely:

• Diskettes
• Zip disks
• USB sticks or memory sticks as they are also called

Increasingly also, in the Institute, we are installing PCs with CD/DVD burners included.

Portable media such as diskettes and ZIP disks are delicate (even though they are cased in hard plastic) and can be damaged quite easily if you are not careful with them.  The majority of users now choose to copy files to a USB stick as these are very portable.

Please note though that USB sticks should only be used to TRANSPORT information from one Computer to another.  They really should not be used as the main source of backup storage.

Please make sure that you have more than one copy of important work e.g. projects.

What is a diskette and why should we use them?

A diskette is used to store information in a portable fashion.  The most common type of diskette is 3.5 inches square and can hold 1.4MB of information.  Even though you will have space allocated to you on your network account to which you can save documents, it is advisable to keep a backup of your work on at least one diskette.  After all, you could delete your work by mistake from your account or leave yourself still connected to the computer for someone else to come along and wipe your account.

What is a ZIP disk and why should we use them?

A ZIP disk is about the same size as a floppy disk but is twice as thick.  Zip disk Come in 100MB and 250MB size.  A 250MB ZIP drive will read a 100MB ZIP disk but a 100MB ZIP drive will not read a 250MB ZIP disk So beware! In theory, a 100MB ZIP disk can hold the equivalent of 70 1.4MB diskettes which is quite a lot of diskettes! ZIP disks are very useful due to the amount of information that they hold so they are very useful for images {which can be quite big) and for web based/video/art projects.  There are a number of rooms in the institute which contain machines which have built-in 250MB ZIP drives -for
example, computer labs in the Walton Building.

NB: Always keep at least three copies of work on separate diskettes.  After all, you could loose
one and possibly damage another.  It is too late to do a backup once your one and only copy of your files are gone, corrupt or lost.

How do I take care of my diskettes and ZIP disks?

• Always keep your diskettes/ZIP disks in a safe place.  For disks, we recommend that you buy a diskette box -they don't cost much.  If you put your diskette/ZIPs straight into your bags, pockets or coats, the surface of the diskette/ZIP will pick up dust and dirt.  This dust and dirt will eventually ruin your diskette/ZIP, possibly making it impossible for the contents to be recovered.
• Do not keep your diskettes/ZIP near extreme heat or cold as this can affect the contents of your diskettes/ZIPs.
• Do not keep your diskettes/ZIP near magnets. .Do not remove your diskette from a computer until the activity light of the floppy disk is no longer on or until the computer has stopped making a "spinning sound".
• Do eject the disk from your ZIP drive before you shut it down.
• Do not give your diskette, ZIP disk or I/ USB stick to a friend to use whilst you are still using it in machine. 
• This may seem obvious but observe the following story:
   

You have five files on your diskette -the computer knows you have because it has looked at the FAT (File Allocation Table).  You are working away on a document which you opened from your diskette.  Your friend has forgotten his/her disk and needs to save! You take out your disk and give it your friend -after all, all you are doing is typing -not saving! Your friend saves and gives you back the disk.  You put the disk into your drive and decide to save -nothing happens -an error message comes up on the screen PANIC!

First of all, you should be saving regularly -for example, do not decide to do your first save after typing for two hours.  If the computer crashes just before you save, you will probably have lost the whole two hours worth of typing and will have to type it in again.  Secondly and most importantly, don't take the floppy out of your drive until you have saved the document and quit the application you were using! Sometimes even after you have just saved, when you go to quit, you are asked to save again.  So always leave your floppy in the drive until you quit.  Once you have quit from the application and the light has gone off on the floppy drive, it is safe to take out the floppy and for your friend to put the floppy into his/her computer to save.

Once your friend has saved his/her document onto the disk, he/she must do the same as outlined above.  They should not work on their document unless the disk they were using to save the document on, is in the drive.   Following these simple guidelines above should help to prevent disappointment and disaster! And remember -always, always backup important work especially final year projects and thesis.

• Do not insert a diskette into a diskette drive if the metal shutter is damaged in any way.  Nine times out of ten, these shutters will remain in the drive, your diskette will be damaged and your files possibly lost.  If the shutter is damaged, remove it from the diskette.  The diskette is still usable.  If you do remove the shutter, you should buy a new diskette.  Though still usable, the diskette has now lost its physical protection and the surface is exposed to dirt, dust and damage.  Copy the damaged diskette and then discard it.  Likewise with ZIP disks.
• Always close (exit) first from the application you are using before removing your diskette/ZIP drive.
• Mark your diskette/ZIP clearly with your name and class.  There are thousands of diskettes and hundreds of ZIP disks in the institute in use every day and the majority of them are the same colour.
• Do not stick the label of your diskette/ZIP over the metal shutter as this will damage the diskette/ZIP and drives if placed into the machine.
• If you have lost a diskette/ZIP, try computer services or the students' union.  Sometimes diskettes are handed into computer services -but not always.  So once again, do not depend on just one diskette/ZIP disk to hold important work eg end of year thesis, end of year project, etc.  Just think of all the hours of typing you've put into your documents and the amount of time it would take to retype your document.

Why can I not fit the maximum amount of data on my disks?

I can only fit 238MB onto my 250MB ZIP disk and 96MB on my 100MB ZIP. Why?

The reason why you cannot fit a full 250MB of space onto a ZIP disk is due to the definition of a megabyte! According to Windows, a megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes, 10 mega assumes it to be 1,000,000 bytes hence the difference in size!

Should I name my disks?

Yes. It's possible to eject one disk from your ZIP drive and put in another without the ZIP drivers noticing.  This is not a very good thing as the File Allocation Tables (FAT for short) of one can partially overwrite the FAT table of the other; thus corrupting your disk.  A FAT table is like an index in a book- it points to the location of your files on the disk and helps the computer to find the files when you try to open them.  So if the FAT table becomes corrupt it may become impossible to open or even recover the data on your disk - not nice if it is the only copy you have!  Giving unique names to your ZIP disks should help prevent such problems. 
 
What is a USB stick and why should we use them?

A USB stick has many names -it is also called a pen drive, a memory stick or a memory pen.  They are quite small -usually they are about 5cms in length by 1 to 1.5cms in width.  They fit into the USB slot on the back and/or front of the computer.  A USB slot can be identified by the following symbol:

USB sticks are very portable as all new and relatively new PCs have USB slots.  Whereas you can only put a 100MB ZIP disk into a 100 ZIP drive or a 100MB or 250MB ZIP drive into a 250MB drive, a USB stick can be 32MB, 64MB, 128MB all the way up to 2 GB (a 2GB pen can hold as much as 1440 floppy diskettes!).  With the USB stick, size does not matter when it comes to attaching one to the USB slot of a computer - the PC will recognise a 2GB USB stick as readily as a 32MB USB stick.

On the black PCs in the Walton building, there are USB extension cables plugged into the PCs which can be used by the user to attach his/her USB stick easily to the computer.  There are also, USB extension cables included at each PC which is presented on the desk for your greater convenience. Other computers throughout the Institute may not have such a facility.   On the black Dell PCs, the USB ports are located under the grey Dell flap on the front of the PC.  This flap is quite large and is located underneath the on/off switch.  The flap is generally flushed with the front of the PC but can be lifted so that it is perpendicular with the front of the PC.  The USB slots are located halfway down on the underside of a raised ridge -just look for the above symbol. Access to this slot can be quite awkward and the USB stick may get damaged if forced in.  USB extension cables can be purchased in any computer shop.  As these are flexible, it is easier to fit the cable into the front of the PC and to then put the USB stick onto the free end of the cable.

USB sticks work automatically on Windows 2000 and Windows XP PCs.  All classroom PCs within the institute are running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP so you should be able to simply insert your USB stick into the USB slot without having to run/use additional software.

Theoretically, USB sticks can be added to a PC whilst it is up and running.  However, in order to avoid any confusion, the USB stick should be inserted whilst the PC is powered off.  As the PC is booting up, it will automatically detect the USB stick and add it to your system.

Note: ALWAYS eject your USB stick correctly.  NEVER just pull it out as this may damage the information contained on the stick. There is an ?Unplug or Eject Hardware? routine which is normally found on the bottom bar on the screen. This should be run before removing any attached USB sticks. To be absolutely sure that you are ejecting your USB stick correctly, simply save any open files and shutdown the computer.  Once the computer is powered down, remove the USB stick.

How do I take care for my USB stick?

• Avoid contact with extremes of heat and cold.
• Avoid contact with anything magnetic.
• Always keep the cap on to protect the memory stick when not in use.
• Always eject/remove your USB stick correctly. 

NB: Remember do not depend on your memory stick for the sole copy of your work.  They are small and can easily be lost.  Always, always, always keep at least one other backup of your work in a different location to your original working document.

How do I report Hardware/Software Problems?

If a machine appears to be giving problems, please report the problem to computer services as soon as possible -once we are aware of the problem, we will be able to deal with it as quickly as possible.  Many users of the various systems think that any existing problems have already been reported.  However, unfortunately, this is not always the case and as there are many hundreds of machines in use within the institute, we are not always aware of problems which occur.

Each computer in the Walton building has a number on it.  The number should look something like this -ITG-O1-PC13.  This number should be located on the front of the PC.  When reporting a problem, please give the exact PC number, as this will help us pinpoint the machine on which the problem was/is occurring.