Sometimes problems are easier to solve than we think, but if you lack understanding about a subject, it can be easy to make big mistakes without even knowing it.

In this story, one guy shares how his dad, who worked in IT at a college, helped a student figure out why the files kept disappearing from her floppy disks.

Check out the full story. 

“My computer always loses my files!”

Hello TFTS!!! LTL, FTP, blahblah. I bring you this story verbatim from my father.

This happened a VERY long time ago – back when floppy disks were still floppy.

My father (henceforth “IT-Dad”) was working as a student employee at the Computer Center at his college.

One of the services that the Computer Center provided to the campus departments was PC support.

This is where it gets interesting…

One day, an administrative assistant (henceforth “Admin”) from the History department called with a complaint about her computer:

Admin: “My computer always loses my files!”

IT-Dad: “OK. Can you give me any details as to what you’re doing and what the computer is doing?”

Admin: “Well, every evening I save my files to a floppy disk, and then when I come in the next morning, the computer can’t find my files!”

UH OH…

IT-Dad: “Have you tried a new floppy disk?”

Admin: “Of course, every day this week I’ve used a new floppy disk!”

IT-Dad: “And you’re sure that you’re saving them to the floppy disk – A:, right?”

Admin: “Yes, after I save the files, l always use the ‘DIR A:’ command to confirm the files saved ok, but then the next morning they aren’t there!”

He wanted to take a closer look.

IT-Dad: (Thinking maybe she just didn’t realize where she was saving the file, but wanting to be thorough) “Maybe there’s something wrong with the disks. Can you bring in some of the floppy disks that you’ve used this week for us to look at?”

Admin: “Sure – I’ll bring one to you tomorrow.”

When she brings it by the next morning, IT-Dad examines the 5.25″ floppy disk and it looks in good physical shape (it’s even in a dust sleeve), and it’s a reputable brand.

He wasn’t expecting that…

IT-Dad places the disk in a computer and tries to read the directory – the computer returns an error that the disk is unreadable.

Admin: “See!!! The computer lost all my files that I saved last night!”

IT-Dad: “It looks like the disk hasn’t been formatted. Let me format it for you, then you can try using it tomorrow and bring it back again if you still have problems.”

The next morning, the Admin calls and says she saved her files the previous night using the disk that IT-Dad had given her, but the computer can’t find them again.

He had another idea.

— Repeat scene from the previous day… including the Disk Unreadable error —

IT-Dad: “Is this the exact same disk that we formatted for you yesterday?”

Admin: “Yes, I’m sure it’s the same disk – I have a special place that I keep my current disk so I don’t lose it. I even check last night to ensure the computer saved the files on it – I just don’t understand why the computer keeps losing my files overnight!”

IT-Dad: “When you get ready to save your files tonight, give me a call and I’ll come over and take a look at your computer. I’ll bring one of my disks that I know works to test your computer, too.”

He was really trying to help her out here!

That evening, the Admin calls IT-Dad and asks him to come over the History department. He watches carefully as the Admin saves her files to the floppy disk and uses the DIR command to ensure the files are there.

He double checks the directory, runs chkdsk and even reads the disk that he brought with him to ensure the drive is working correctly – everything looks good.

IT-Dad: (very puzzled) “Well, everything seems to be working ok, but you say that this only happens in the morning, and it’s the same disk you used the previous evening?”

She was really trying to save all her files!

Admin: “Yup, and I know because I keep it right here on the filing cabinet so I don’t lose it.”

IT-Dad: “Oh, yeah? Can you show me?”

IT-Dad watches as the Admin puts the floppy disk in a dust jacket sleeve, then pulls a magnet off the side of the filing cabinet and uses it to stick the disk to the side of the filing cabinet.

Admin: “This way I make sure that I don’t ever lose my current disk!”

YIKES! She should’ve just left it on her desk!

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user knows she simply needed to make more backups.

This user also had a customer with a similar issue.

This user shares what a student did with a floppy disk once upon a time.

This user knows this is a classic!

This user has learned a valuable lesson from this story!

She was erasing the disk without even knowing it.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.