disk—preparing it so it can be used. Then, copy the DOS
files from the distribution disks onto the hard disk. You
must follow the steps in the owner/user manual. It may
tell you to use a setup command that leads through the
process from the display screen. Once installed, DOS
will load from this partition every time you turn on the
system.
If the system has only floppy disk drives, you will
make copies of the distribution disks onto new diskettes.
If the new diskettes are not formatted, you can use a
command (such as DISKCOPY) that will format and
copy. Again, follow the instructions from the start-up or
getting started section of the owner/user manual. If there
is a setup command, use it to lead you through the
process. Be sure to prepare external labels with the name
of the DOS. Write the serial number if there is one, and
write WORKING COPY. Be sure you use a felt-tip pen
if you are writing on a label already attached to the
diskette.
Once you have copied and installed DOS, put the
original distribution disks in a safe place. Now you are
ready to use the microcomputer, but you may need more
than DOS. DOS has many useful commands like COPY,
DELETE, UNDELETE, FORMAT, BACKUP, and so
forth. It will even have an editor, usually a line editor,
that allows you to create files and edit them line by line.
However, its primary jobs are to manage the system and
its resources (disks, printers, and so on) and to help you
communicate with the computer to use other programs
(application software).
User/Applications Software
When installing a user/application software
package on a system, you need to provide the software
with information about your microcomputer con-
figuration. Because there are so many different software
packages and programs available and each one has
different requirements, there is no need to go into great
detail here. Remember, refer to the documentation–it
should provide what you need to know. Many of the
manuals lead you through step by step.
Backing Up Distribution (Original/Master)
Diskettes
The first thing you should do is copy the files from
the distribution diskettes. Each software package may
have several diskettes. If you have a hard drive system,
you may copy the files from the distribution diskettes to
the hard drive, using the copy command in the operating
system. First, set up the name of the directory in which
you want to store the tiles. Then copy them to the hard
disk. If your system has no hard drive, copy the files to
other diskettes. Most operating systems have a copy
command that allows you to copy all files on a diskette
with a single command. This is called a wild card copy.
The copies will become your working copies. Prepare
external labels for the working copies. Store the
distribution diskettes in a safe place away from the
microcomputer in case you need them in the future.
BACKING UP TEXT/DATA FILES
In addition to making backup copies of your
distribution diskettes, be sure to backup your text/data
files (correspondence, releases, etc.) on diskettes as
well. If you lose all or part of your data, the only person
to blame is yourself.
Data can be lost or damaged in a number of ways.
Common causes of data loss are power surges and drops,
power failures, hard drive malfunctions and user errors.
User errors top the list. Although less common, fire,
theft, vandalism and natural disasters are potentially
disastrous.
How often have you come close to erasing a file or
formatting a floppy or hard disk by accident? Probably
more times than you care to admit. No matter how many
precautions you take, you cannot prevent all the
potential ways data can be lost. You can certainly reduce
their adverse effects by backing up your files on a
regular basis.
When working with data files, at least back them up
on a daily basis either to tape, diskette or to another hard
disk.
No matter how many backups you make (two, three
or one for every day of the week) or what method you
use to make them, they are worthless if they are
destroyed along with your microcomputer. You need to
make multiple backups and store a set in a different area
away from your working area or at a minimum in a data
safe. This will require some extra effort, but it will more
than pay for itself should you ever experience a data loss.
LOCAL-AREA NETWORKS (LANS)
The microcomputer has put the power of mainframe
computing onto your desktop via local-area networks
(LANs). LANs consist of nodes that are interconnected
by links. These nodes and links usually cover a relatively
small geographical area, ranging from a few feet to a
mile. Nodes are the hardware, such as computers,
terminals, hard disks, printers, and so on. Links are the
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