In the early 1980s, Tom became the unofficial tech support for an Air Force squadron using early PCs that could run either Windows 1.0 or CP/M. A utility named 'FORMATS' was meant for file conversion but was dangerously similar to the erase command, causing frequent data loss. When an officer tried to convert multiple disks, thinking it was a simple repeat task, Tom faced the daunting task of recovering data, surprisingly discovering sensitive court martial records in the process. His experiences reflected the technical challenges of that era along with evolving data privacy norms.
The utility was misnamed 'FORMATS', an error that led users to mistakenly wipe disks instead of converting files, which caused significant trouble in data management.
Tom recalled a situation where an officer wiped numerous disks trying to convert files, leading to a data recovery mission that uncovered sensitive court martial records.
Despite the less stringent privacy rules of the era, Tom found it troubling to access court martial proceedings, highlighting the drastic change in data privacy expectations.
Due to the limited command line skills among users, Tom had to frequently step in for data recovery, highlighting the challenges faced during the early adopter days of tech.
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