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Computer Lab and Lab Accounts

I can't access files and/or print from a floppy disk!

• Please note that floppy disks have a relatively high failure rate. Never store your only copy of a document on a disk. If possible, instead of using disks, email files to yourself or save them on your U drive.

• There are three common causes of floppy disk access failure:

  1. (Most common) Your disk has become corrupted. SOLUTIONS: If your disk doesn't work on multiple machines, and you think you have a corrupt disk, you may be able to recover files from the disk, by running Scan Disk on the floppy disk, using either your laptop or a computer lab machine. See "How Do I Use the Scan Disk tool?" FAQ in the Laptop section of this website.
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  3. The file on your disk has become corrupted or is not usable while on disk. Please note that large files can often not be edited or printed while located on the disk. SOLUTIONS: Try opening My Computer and dragging the file off your floppy onto your desktop. Then try to work with the file from there. If you continue to have problems with that file, then the file itself has become corrupted. Try running Scan Disk or using a different copy of the document.
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  5. The floppy drive in the machine you are using has become dirty or even damaged. SOLUTIONS: Try using a different computer to see if it really is the floppy drive of that computer. If it turns out that there is a problem with a lab machine floppy drive, please notify Law Computing Support using the information on the Contact Page of the LCS website.
  Last update: 3/08/2006
  (c) 2002 Pepperdine University School of Law