Using Disks And Disk Drives; How Disks Store Data - Epson 3865X Plus User Manual

Using Disks and Disk Drives

The disk drives in your computer allow you to store data on
disk, and then retrieve and use your stored data when you want
to. Your computer comes with a single diskette drive or one
diskette drive and one hard disk drive. You may install an
additional diskette drive or hard disk drive, up to a maximum of
three drives total.
This section explains how disks work and tells you how to:
Use different types of diskettes and diskette drives
Care for your diskettes and diskette drives
Write-protect diskettes
Use a single diskette drive system
Insert and remove diskettes
Format diskettes
Make backup copies
Use a hard disk drive.

How Disks Store Data

Diskettes are made of flexible plastic coated with magnetic
material. This plastic is enclosed in a square jacket that is either
slightly flexible (5 '/+inch diskette), or hard (3 '/z-inch diskette).
Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place. It is
sealed in a protective case to keep it free of dust and dirt. A
hard disk stores data the same way that a diskette does, but it
works much faster and has a much larger storage capacity.
3-10 Using Your Computer