Using Storage Devices

     

Storage devices enable you to save programs, files, or data. They range from floppy disks to Zip drives to DVDs. Each device has its advantages and drawbacks. Review Table 6.2 to compare the different devices.

Table 6.2. Types of Storage Devices

Storage Device	Description
3 1/2 floppy disk	Provides unreliable portable storage. It was the previous standard to transfer information, with a maximum storage space of 1.44MB.
CDR-ROM	Contains data you copy using a CD burner . It may contain company documents or applications written within the company. The maximum storage capacity is 650MB. The CDR-ROM disc can be written to only once. If you have written data to a CD and have an open session, you can copy additional information to the CD when needed. Keep in mind that the information cannot be erased after you copy it to the CD.
CDRW-ROM	Allows you to copy data repeatedly using a CD burner. If you deem the information outdated or unnecessary, you can reformat the CD and delete its contents.
Zip/Jaz drive	Allows up to 100MB storage. These larger-capacity devices have special disks made specifically for them.
DVD-ROM	Supports up to seven regular CDs on a single DVD disc. This newer technology is used for large capacity storage and backups .
USB Storage	Plugs directly into the computer's USB port and acts just like another drive. There are no cables or adaptors needed, no power cord and no driver software to install. Currently stores up to 512MB of data.
Hard drive	Contains operating system files, as well as data. Some computers may have multiple hard drives to increase storage space.
Network drive	Provides storage on a hard drive located on another computer on the network. In corporate environments, users are encouraged to store all data in their network drive to prevent data loss and maintain the ability to share information with multiple users.

Be sure you are know how to troubleshoot storage device problems.

Troubleshooting Storage Devices Within Applications

When you are troubleshooting storage devices, you may encounter a range of problems. For example, a user may be trying to save a document and receive an error that the storage device is unavailable. The device may be unavailable because a network drive is currently offline, or you are not currently connected to that particular drive. Other error messages appear when a storage device has reached maximum capacity or a user does not have appropriate permissions to a network drive.

Addressing Local Storage Device Problems

If a user receives an error indicating insufficient disk space is available, you have several possibilities to consider. For example, the hard disk may be reaching its storage capacity. If this is the case, you should run Disk Cleanup to remove unnecessary temporary files. You can access the Disk Cleanup feature, shown in Figure 6.5, through the General tab from the hard drive properties window.

Figure 6.5. The Disk Cleanup window.

The following steps guide you through using the Disk Cleanup Wizard:

1. From the My Computer window, right-click the hard drive and select Properties.
   
   
2. On the General tab of the properties window, click the Disk Cleanup button.
   
   
3. To verify the files are unnecessary, select each item in the File to Delete list box and click the View Files button. If you want to delete these files, place a check mark beside the option.
   
   
4. Click OK. Click Yes to verify the removal of files.
   
   

If you require additional space, you can run additional utilities from the More Options tab of the Disk Cleanup window, as shown in Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6. The More Options tab of the Disk Cleanup window.

The More Options tab enables you to run three utilities to recover disk space. The first option available is to remove optional Windows components that are not used. To open the Windows Components Wizard, shown in Figure 6.7, click the Clean Up button in the Windows Components section.

Figure 6.7. The Windows Components Wizard.

The Clean Up button in the Installed Programs section of the Disk Cleanup window opens the Add or Remove Programs window. It allows you to review the programs and remove unused software.

The final Clean Up button located in the System Restore section enables you to remove all but the most recent restore point. The Clean Up button opens a confirmation dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.8. To remove the historical restore points, click Yes.

Figure 6.8. The remove system restore point confirmation dialog box.

Troubleshooting Portable Storage Device Media

A user may receive several different error messages when using portable storage devices. It is important to listen to the symptoms of the problem to determine its actual cause. For example, when a user indicates that she is trying to write to a floppy disk and the error message in Figure 6.9 appears, it may indicate the following problems:

• The floppy disk is write-protected.

• The floppy disk is unreadable or damaged.

Figure 6.9. The floppy disk error window.

To solve the problem, verify that the floppy disk is not write-protected. You can test that the floppy is readable by viewing the contents of the floppy using My Computer. From the My Computer window, you can check the disk's properties window to verify that it has available space. It is important to know whether the file the user is trying to save to the disk will fit on the disk she has selected.

When a user tries to save files using a CD-ROM versus a CD burner, an error message similar to the one in Figure 6.9 appears.

Similar error messages occur when a user tries to send files to a CD-ROM that is not writable. An example of such an error message is displayed in Figure 6.10.

Figure 6.10. The CD-ROM write error window.

The same error message appears if a user has tried to write additional files to a CD-R that has a closed session or is full. You can review the available space in the CD's properties window.

Addressing Network Storage Device Problems

Additional errors, such as connectivity and access permissions, can occur when users work in a network environment. Network access permissions are discussed in Chapter 8, "Configuring and Managing Application Security." The most common problem mobile users encounter is not being able to connect to a network drive. You need to verify that a user has access to other network resources when the error message in Figure 6.11 appears. If the user has access to other network resources, you need to verify that other users can access the network drive. If other users have access to the network drive, you need to verify that the folder the first user is trying to save to has the correct network permissions to do so, as well as the space to save the file.

Figure 6.11. The Network Path error window.

When trying to save to drives locally or on the network, you may encounter problems if you do not have the appropriate permissions. Access permissions are explained in Chapter 8.