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Using Storage Drives, Ports, and Devices

on

Montgomery College Lab Computers

 
 Floppy A Drives   Zip Drives     USB Memory Sticks    

CD-RW Drives.

Students often ask for information on selecting and using storage devices for saving class work during or after.  This page provides information on storage devices generally found on current Montgomery College computers.

Saving class work to external devices is critical.  All MC computer labs use “Deep Freeze” software which restores the “original” computer “image” and deletes student work each time a lab computer is shut down. Student files saved to the C:\ drive or Desktop are wiped out.

Four storage drives or ports generally are available on MC computers, with some exceptions.  This page provides information on selecting and using external storage devices in various classes.  Follow the instructions below to use the drives:

□       Floppy A Drive – Most current Open Enrollment classrooms have Floppy A drives.  Exceptions include Gudelski 233 and 239. (?)

o       Floppy A discs have a limited 1.4 Mb (Megabyte) storage capacity.

o       Floppy A’s are suitable for some Open Enrollment MS office courses (Word, Excel) which do not involve saving or using many graphics. 

o       Dell no longer installs Floppy A drives, so these drives gradually will be eliminated over the next three – four years as lab hardware is replaced. 

□       Zip Drive – Most labs have 250 Mb Zip drives installed.  Both 100 Mb or 250 Mb discs work in these 250 Mb drives.  750 Mb Zip discs are not compatible and will not work. 

o       Use Zip disks only if you have a zip drive at home. 

o       Zip drives are no longer routinely installed by Dell; 

o       Not available in Gudelski 233 and 239 labs. (?)

□       USB Memory Sticks/Flash Mini-Storage Devices – Most installed Dell computers have 1.1 USB Ports on the front of the computer, and higher-speed 2.0 USB ports in the back.  These ports will accept USB-port “memory sticks,” also known as “USB Flash mini-storage devices.”  These devices are rather expensive (128 MB storage for $50) but also very popular and relatively easy to use. See a review at www.cnet.com, http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3240_7-5128560.html.

o       Storage Capacity.  Memory sticks typically vary in size and price from about 32 Mb to 512 Mb.  We recommend memory sticks 68 Mb minimum capacity and above for MC classes.

o       Disk/USB Port Speed.  USB Ports and external drives have two transfer rate (speed) standards:

§         USB 1.1 – Supports memory sticks and other devices with transfer rates of 12 Mbps.  USB 1.1 ports are found on the front of most MC lab Dell computers.    These “slower-speed” USB ports will not support “mega-speed” USB 2.0 memory stick/flash drive devices. See http://webopedia.com/TERM/U/USB.html.

§         USB 2.0 – Supports data rates up to 480 Mbps. Dell installs these higher-speed USB ports on the back of its computers – often hard to reach in the classroom.  See http://webopedia.com/TERM/U/USB_2_0.html. USB 2.0 ports will support both high-speed and lower-speed memory sticks.

o       Instructions for Installing and Using Memory Sticks.

o       Insert the memory stick prior to booting up the computer into an available USB port on the front or back of the computer.

o        Dell generally will recognize an installed memory stick upon boot-up and create a new external “F:\” drive.

o       The USB ports on the front of MC’s computers will accept “low speed” memory sticks. Gently lift up the gray cover with the Dell logo on the front of the machine, and insert the USB memory stick into one of two available USB ports.

o       The computer may not recognize a high-speed memory stick installed in a “low-speed” USB port on the front of the Dell computers. You may get an error message, or you will see no “F:\” drive in Windows Explorer. 

§         In this event, shut down the computer and insert the “high-speed” memory stick into one of the USB ports on the back of the computer.  Then boot up again. You should then see the “F:\” drive in Windows Explorer.

□       CD-RW Drives.  Most MC labs are now equipped with CD-RW (re-writable) drives.  These are lower-speed drives which will accept 1x – 4x CD-RW discs.  The drives will not format or save to the mega-speed 14x – 18x CD- RW discs.

o       Saving Material.  Follow the following steps to save to a CD-RW

§         Copy the file or folder. (Edit>Copy, or Edit>Copy to folder)

§         Insert CD-RW disc into the CD-RW drive;

§         A Windows prompt box will open

§         Select “Open writable CD folder” and click “OK.”

§         A CD-RW Wizard will open

§         Select Edit>Paste and paste the files to be copied into the dialog box.  You will see the folders and files appear in the right panel window.

§         Then, in the left panel window, select “Write these files to CD.”

§         The Wizard will ask you to give the CD-RW a name.  Select a name.

§         The writing process will begin.  Follow the instructions until the process is completed.

o       Advantage – CD-RW disc usually has 650 – 700 Mb storage capacity. CD-RW discs can save material more than once, disc just as you would a Zip disc . New material from each class, or projects done outside class, can be added to a CD-RW drive over time.

o       Disadvantage.  Some students have advised that Dell’s formatting to a CD-RW disc is not always compatible with another brand computer at home.  If you wish to use CD-RWs in class, doa test save and test on your home computers.  Have a back-up disc for saving just in case MC’s CD-RW is not compatible with your home computer’s CD-RW drive.