keir@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Rick Keir, MACC) (02/06/91)
I've seen several references to prying out the write protect tabs of a 3.5" disk to render it permanently read-only. This is a lot of work, especially as some disks are not real well heat-sealed; the entire case has a tendency to split (while the write tab stays stubbornly in place). Any kind of styrene cement will work just fine for gluing them in the "open" position. Personally, I like Testor's tube cement; this is basically a version of the liquid stuff with a lot of plastic already dissolved into it, so that (1) it flows slower, (2) it acts less rapidly, and (3) it doesn't kick as much junk into the air when it is setting. The smell might put some people off (I stick 'em shut in my office, then leave them to dry while I'm elsewhere); if you've ever built models you probably won't mind it. By the way, if you do want to remove the tab permanently, just use a generous amount of the liquid version: this will dissolve the entire corner of the disk case and the tab may easily be removed. I know this works from (unintentional) experiment :).