DiskDupe Makes High-Quality Disks

Cupertino, CA - June 1993 - Defective disks have long frustrated users who
spend countless hours reconstructing the data that disappears when they
fail. Now Micro System Designs' DiskDupe software can help PC users format
and copy disks with the assurance that each disk is perfect.

The first step is deciding which diskettes to use. Name-brand diskettes
come at a premium and can often be reserved for particularly sensitive
data and essential backups. Bulk and generic-label diskettes vary in
quality from one vendor to the next and are more likely to include disks
with fringe defects - disks that top-of-the-line manufacturers discard.
Sample several suppliers' products to find the highest quality disk in the
desired price range; DiskDupe's thorough error-checking mechanism will
efficiently separate the good disks from the bad.

As it copies, DiskDupe uses a test called a Verify to defend against bad
disks. Verify's first line of defense is a CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check)
that detects 99.97% of all disk flaws, says Max Dunn, President of Micro
System Designs. To achieve 100% accuracy it then compares the copied data
with the original byte-by-byte, which detects hardware problems and the
few flaws that a CRC could overlook.

Preformatted disks can speed up duplication dramatically, but should be
used with caution. Some of the preformatted disks sold by vendors are in
fact defective disks formatted with special drives that alter the disks'
formatting in order to bypass the flaws. Though such a disk may function
normally, it will almost certainly fail if it is formatted again in a
regular drive. Use DiskDupe's Verify to detect these defects before
entrusting the disk with data.

Carefully choosing a disk vendor and using Verify to screen out bad disks
are only part of the process, ensuring proper operation of the hardware
used to make the disks is just as important. The following tips are
essential to making high-quality disks consistently:

* Do not use 5.25" 1.2Mb drives to copy 360k disks, if at all possible.
Since a 1.2Mb drive writes a narrower data track than a 360k drive (more
simply, they format differently), some 360k drives will not able to read
these disks. This is less of a problem than in the past, since most
computers have 1.2Mb drives that can read the 360k disks without
difficulty, but to be on the safe side, copy (or at least format) 360k
disks in a 360k drive.

* Clean disk drives frequently - every 500 disks or at least once a month.
A disk's magnetic coating and the dust particles on it can accumulate on
the drive head, preventing it from making good contact with the disk. A
dirty drive head can produce disks that work erratically or cannot be read
by other computers. Cleaning kits are inexpensive and include cleaning
fluid and a cleaning disk. Regular use with DiskDupe's special cleaning
cycle ensures good quality disks and prevents the dirt's abrasive action
from wearing out the drive.

* Check the drive alignment - every 10,000 disks or at least once a year.
If the read/write head is out of alignment, other computers might not be
able to read disks written in that drive. Diagnostic kits can measure the
alignment directly, but a good test is to copy a few disks in one drive
and compare them to the original disk in other drives..

Since a machine is only as good as the person using it, DiskDupe strives to
avoid human error by providing easy to-use pull-down menus, automatic disk
and drive sensing, error messages in plain English, and command-line
switches that can be used to write batch files to automate even complex
duplicating tasks.

Yet even if every possible precaution is taken, disks, confronted with
heat, magnetic fields, and accidental touches by the human hand, have been
known to "mysteriously" go bad. But DiskDupe, available direct from Micro
System Designs for $79, provides peace of mind that the disk is as perfect
as can be when it goes out the door.

Micro System Designs, Inc
10062 Miller Ave, Suite 104, Cupertino, CA 95014
408-446-2066;  fax: 408-446-2095

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