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- DISK SWITCHING
- by Beverly Howard, Kaypro Club Austin, August 1987
-
- (What happens when you don't reset log in a new disk)
-
- Important Reminder: Remember that in CP/M, the computer needs to
- be told each and every time a different floppy is inserted in a
- disk drive. If you are at the "A>" prompt, you notify the system
- of the change by typing CTRL-C after you insert a disk. This
- important action avoids both the BDOS error nuisance and the more
- serious possibility of major damage to your disk's directory and
- files. Many programs such as Wordstar and Newsweep that allow
- disk swapping have "Log Disk" features which send the "CTRL-C"
- signal to the computer, and it is equally important to use this
- function after swapping or inserting disks. Another
- misconception is that typing "DIR" will notify the computer that
- a new disk has been inserted. That is not the case.
-
- The most common problem resulting from not typing a CTRL-C or
- correctly logging in the disk is the message "BDOS error - Drive
- B: R/O" when you or the program attempts to write a file to the
- new disk. In the middle of a program such as Wordstar or dBase,
- you may find to your dismay that the computer dumped you back to
- the "A>" prompt, and all the work you accomplished since your
- last save has been lost. The dBase command to log a new disk is
- "RESET" after the switch, but be warned that unless all of the
- .DBF files you have been using on that disk have been closed
- ("USE" by itself), the files may have been permanently damaged
- when the current disk was removed.