Inserting a Floppy Disk

You can use a floppy disk to store backup files or to move files from one computer to another. The disk can be in DOS format or UNIX^(R) format.

1. Slide the disk into the drive, metal end first, label side up.

2. Gently push the disk until it clicks into place.

3. Choose Disk from the Workspace menu.

4. Choose Check for Disks from the Disk menu.

5. Click on the disk on the shelf or double-click on it in the current view to open it.

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Note - If a panel says that the disk is unreadable, you have to initialize the disk. See "Preparing a New Floppy Disk" on page 8-3.

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For information on inserting a disk while working in an Open or Save panel, see "Opening and Saving Files on a Floppy Disk" on page 8-10. For information about how to insert a CD-ROM, see the owner's guide for your CD-ROM drive.

When you insert a floppy disk and choose Check for Disks, it is displayed in your File Viewer--you have to choose Check for Disks for the disk to be displayed.

The disk is put in the folder called floppy in your root folder and the files and folders on the disk become part of your file system, as shown in Figure 8-1. You can open the disk to see its contents just like you open a folder.

Figure 8-1

You are the owner for all files and folders on any floppy disk that you insert. You can work in all its files and folders and change their permissions.

Preparing a New Floppy Disk

Before you can use a brand-new floppy disk, you have to initialize it. Initializing a disk prepares it to store files and folders. When you insert a new disk and choose Check for Disks, the Workspace Manager usually asks if you want to initialize the disk.

1. Insert the disk in the disk drive.

2. Choose Disk from the Workspace menu and choose Check for Disks from the Disk menu.

3. Click on Initialize.

4. Choose a format from the pop-up list in the Initialize panel.

5. Type a name for the disk.

6. Click on Erase.

When you click on Initialize, the panel shown in Figure 8-2 opens.

Figure 8-2

If you do not name the disk, it has the name unnamed_floppy.

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Note - You should initialize a disk in DOS format if you want to use the disk to copy files from your system to a DOS computer.

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Creating a Folder Window for a Disk

When you insert a floppy disk or CD-ROM in your computer, the disk normally shows up on the File Viewer's shelf, if space permits. You can have the disk open in its own window instead (see Figure 8-3).

1. Choose Info from the Workspace menu.

2. Choose Preferences from the Info menu.

3. Choose Disk Options from the pop-up list in the Workspace Manager Preferences panel.

4. Click on the "open new folder window" option for removable disks.

Figure 8-3

Other Disk Options

You can select one of four options for how removable disks are displayed in your file system. No matter which option you select, you can always find the disk to open it in your root folder.

Place icon on shelf When this option is selected, the disk is displayed on the shelf, if space permits.

Open new folder window Select this option to display the contents of the disk in its own folder window.

Select the disk This option selects and opens the disk in the File Viewer so its contents are displayed.

Do nothing This option simply puts the disk in your root folder without opening it or putting it on the shelf.

Copying Files to or From a Disk

You copy files or folders to or from a disk just like you copy them between folders. Select them and drag them where you want to put them, as shown in Figure 8-4 on page 8-6. To move a selection instead of copying it, hold down the Command key as you drag.

1. Select the files you want to copy and drag them to the shelf.

2. Select the disk you want to copy them to. Or if you are copying from a disk, select the folder you want to copy them to.

3. Drag the files from the shelf to the disk or folder.

Figure 8-4

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Note - The best way to work with a file on a floppy disk is to copy the file somewhere else in your file system first and work in the copy. If you want to change a file on a CD-ROM, you must copy it somewhere else in your file system and then change the copy. You cannot change the contents of a CD-ROM.

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Note - After copying files to a floppy disk, you can eject the disk and insert it into another computer to transfer files to that computer. See"Ejecting a Disk" on page 8-9.

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DOS Disks

You can use a floppy disk to transfer files between a DOS computer and your system.

When you insert a DOS floppy disk into your system, the disk is displayed in the floppy folder in your root folder like any other disk. You can then copy files from the disk to your file system.

If you want to transfer a file from your system to a DOS computer, you can initialize a disk in DOS format (see "Reusing a Disk" on page 8-8. Then copy the files you want to transfer onto the disk, eject the disk, and insert it into the other computer.

Once a DOS disk is in your file system, you can work with its files just as you do anywhere else in the file system, with these exceptions:

• You do not set permissions for files or folders on a DOS disk, but you can when you copy them to your system's disk.
• You cannot rename a DOS disk by editing its name in the icon path. You have to name it when you initialize it.

You may need to rename a file that you copy from a DOS disk.

When a File or Folder Does Not Fit on One Floppy Disk

If a file or folder is too large to fit on one floppy disk, you can copy it onto several. To make a backup copy of a 2-Mbyte file, for example, you can copy it onto two 1.4-Mbyte disks.

1. Copy the file or folder to a floppy disk as you normally would.

2. If what you are copying is too big to fit on the disk, a panel asks if you want to create a multi-volume file. When you click Yes, the Workspace Manager copies a "chunk" of the file or folder onto the disk.

3. When the disk is full, a panel asks you to remove the disk from its drive and insert another one. After doing this, click Proceed in the panel. The Workspace Manager copies the second chunk.

4. Repeat this for as many disks as needed.

To copy the file or folder from the disk back into your file system, perform the following steps:

1. Insert the disk containing the first chunk--a file with a .chunk extension.

2. Drag the chunk to the folder you want to put it in.

3. When a panel asks for the next chunk, remove the disk, insert the next one, and click on Proceed.

4. Repeat this until you have copied all the chunks. Make sure to copy chunks in the order they were originally copied.

5. If you insert a disk in the wrong order, just remove it and insert the correct one before clicking Proceed.

6. After you copy all the chunks, you can open the file or folder as usual.

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Note - The Workspace Manager compresses a file or folder before it copies a chunk onto the floppy disk. Sometimes this makes the file or folder fit on one disk, in which case the Workspace Manager does not request an additional disk after all.

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Reusing a Disk

You can erase a floppy disk and change its format by reinitializing it. Just select the disk (or any file or folder on it), and choose Initialize.

1. Insert the disk into the disk drive.

2. Choose Disk from the Workspace menu and choose Check for Disks from the Disk menu.

3. Select the disk in the File Viewer.

4. Choose Initialize from the Disk menu.

5. Choose a file format from the pop-up list in the Initialize panel and type a new name for the disk.

6. Click on Erase.

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Caution - Initializing a disk destroys all files and folders on it. They cannot be retrieved.

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When you choose Initialize, the panel shown in Figure 8-5 on page 8-9 opens.

Figure 8-5

You can give the disk a new name when you initialize it. If the disk is in UNIX format, you can also rename it later by editing its name in the icon path (just like you rename a file or folder).

Ejecting a Disk

When you are done using a removable disk, such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, you choose Eject to remove the disk's contents from the file system, as shown in Figure 8-6 on page 8-10. Only after you choose Eject and see the message asking you to eject should you actually remove the disk from the drive.

1. Select the disk you want to eject.

2. Choose Disk from the Workspace menu.

3. Choose Eject from the Disk menu.

4. When a message asks you to eject the disk, remove the disk from your system's disk drive.

Figure 8-6

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Caution - Do not remove a floppy disk from the disk drive before a message says to, or else you might lose information from that disk or from the next one you insert.

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You can also eject a disk while working in an Open or Save panel. See "Opening and Saving Files on a Floppy Disk."

Opening and Saving Files on a Floppy Disk

To make it easy to open and save files on a floppy disk, you can insert and eject disks while working in an Open or Save panel, as shown in Figure 8-7 on page 8-11.

1. When an Open or Save panel is open, insert the disk you want to open from or save on.

2. Click on the disk button in the panel.

3. Select the file you want to open, or type a name for the one you are saving.

4. Click on OK in the panel.

Figure 8-7

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Caution - Do not remove a floppy disk from the disk drive before a message says to, or else you might lose information from that disk or from the next one you insert.

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You can use the disk and eject buttons to open and eject a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, or any other removable disk.

When you have more than one removable disk in your file system, clicking on the disk button repeatedly selects the next disk. To eject a particular disk when there is more than one, you must select the disk or a file or folder on it, and then click on the eject button.

You can browse several disks, one after the other, in an Open or Save panel. Just insert a disk and click on the disk button. Then after browsing, click on the eject button, remove the disk, insert another one, and click on the disk button again.

For information on opening and saving files in general, see Chapter 5, "Creating and Saving Files."

The disk and eject buttons in an Open or Save panel perform the same operations as the Check for Disks and Eject commands in the Workspace Manager's Disk menu. See "Workspace Manager Commands" on page A-10.