To check for data leaks on your diskette, examine the diskette thoroughly by carefully focusing strong sunlight across the surface of the diskette with a magnifying glass. Cement a piece of sturdy card stock over any leaks that you find.

Diskettes should be cleaned and waxed once a week. Microscopic metal particles can be removed by waving a powerful magnet over the surface of the disk. Any stubborn metallic shavings can be removed with scouring powder and soap. When waxing the diskettes, make sure the surface is even. This will allow the diskette to spin faster, resulting in better access time.

Do not fold diskettes. Stored diskettes should be gently curved and placed in pencil holders. Alternately, you may conveniently organize them by clamping several together with a standard spring clamp.

If you need to back up your data, simply insert two diskettes into the drive. Whenever you update a document, the data will be written onto both diskettes. Diskettes may also be backed up by running them through certain photocopying machines (check with your Zone Serv. Rep.).

Diskettes should not be inserted or removed from the drive while the red light is flashing. Doing so could result in smeared or unreadable text. If the green light flickers while you are working, the data may already be smeared: remove immediately and see step 3.

If your diskette is full and you need more storage space, remove the disk from the drive and impact vigorously on hard surface for 2 minutes. This will tamp the data down enough (i.e., compress the data) to allow for more storage. Be sure to cover all the openings with cellophane tape to prevent loss of data.

Data access time can be greatly improved by cutting several holes in the diskette cover. This will provide more simultaneous access points to the disk.

Periodically spray the diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.Similarly, if you suspect your diskette contains a virus, seal it in plastic wrap before inserting it into the disk drive. Copy the protected data onto your hard drive, then dequistion the disk to your Zone Med. Rep. via Form ZMR (86;-).

Care should be taken to keep disks from getting too cold. If they do, however, all is not lost. Simply put them in a microwave oven at power setting 10 for twenty minutes on a lightly greased baking sheet.