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┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐ │ │ │ Quick Directory │ Hints and Tips │ │ │ └─────────────────┴─────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Quick Directory Jim Olsen - SUPERWARE │ │ Shareware Version 1.2 PO Box 1291 │ │ Copyright, 1993. Naugatuck, CT 06770 │ │ All Rights Reserved. (203) 723 - 0014 │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 1 - In this tutorial, I will be informally going through some of the main ways I use QuickDir. - Since I'll be teaching you from my experience, You'll be an advanced QuickDir user in no time at all. - First, I'll list some of the major ways I use QuickDir. Then, I'll tell you the details. The Major Ways I Use QuickDir - Jim Olsen, Author. --------------------------------------------------- 1. Quickly Change Dos Directories. 2. Copy Files To Diskette. 3. See what's on a diskette. 4. Using QuickDir for Backup. 5. Editing and Viewing Files. 6. Searching for a Filename. 7. Cleaning Up the Hard Drive. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 2 #1 - Quickly Changing Dos Directories ------------------------------------- DOS directories can get quite large. One of my directories is called: C:\WIN\WORDPROC\RESUME\RESMAIL\QUICKDIR. You can use QuickDir to easily change to that directory. Here's how: - Type 'QD QUICKDIR' - QuickDir initializes and highlights the first directory starting with QUICKDIR. - If the directory is not correct, press the 'N'ext Key. - Keep using 'N' until the proper directory is found. - Use the 'Q'uit key to quit and change to directory. - Note: Using ESCAPE to quit will bypass dir change. #2 - Copy Files To Diskette. ---------------------------- If you use diskette as your primary backup or file transfer medium, QuickDir has many advantages over other copy software. You can use 'Verify' to automaticly verify that the diskette write was indeed good. Rather than just scanning the newly written file, QuickDir actually reads the file, performing a copy without any output file. If your file selection list contains more files than can fit on a single diskette, QuickDir will ask if you want to use a new diskette. Here's how I use QuickDir to copy files to diskette: - Decide what you want to copy. - If it's an entire directory and subdirectories, use 'C' from the directory tree display. - If it's selected files from a single directory, tag the files and use 'C' from the file display. - If it's a single file, use 'C' from the file display. - Hint: If you are making multiple floppy disks with the same contents, it is easier to set up some TEMPORARY directories on your hard disk and then use option 'C' from the directory tree to create a disk. - When creating a floppy always use 'VERIFY=Y' to make sure that the disk can be read. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 3 #3 - Seeing What's on a Diskette. --------------------------------- Whenever I get a diskette from any source, I put it in the floppy drive and use 'QD A:' or 'QD B:'. That enables me to see what's on the diskette, as well as copy or unzip the files to the hard drive. #4 - Using QuickDir for Backup. ------------------------------- It's a good thing to do daily backup of parts of your hard drive. Particularly, any files that are updated daily should have their own directory structure, such as spreadsheet, database and word processor. The directory should NOT be part of the software directory structure. If it data is separated from software, backup is much easier. Although the system presented here is not as automated as some of the backup software I've seen, in my opinion it is easier to use, since it backs up an entire directory to a single floppy, overlaying the previous backup. Restores are very easy since all that needs to be done is unarchive the diskette. Most backup software works at the file level. To restore a single directory requires inserting many different disks, since the files were created at different times. Here's how to make backup using QuickDir. 1. - Design the directory tree structure so that the most common backup directories have a single 'parent'. 2. - I recommend ARJ for backup, because it never allows a file to grow bigger than a diskette. 3. - Go into the parent directory and TAG all files. 4. - Use 'O' for cOmpress. 5. - Specify the hard drive for output directory. Daily backups are saved on hard drive and floppy. 6. - Call the filename '[DIRNAME].ARJ' (the directory name). 7. - In ARJ options, turn on 'Add all Subdir' and 'Volume' size of diskette. 8. - Let Arj make the archive. 9. - Copy the archive to floppy, using verify to make sure the backup is readable. 10.- You may want to leave daily backups on the hard drive for quicker restore. 11.- Software backups are done infrequently, and are deleted from the hard drive when I see the verify successfully ended. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 4 #4 - Using QuickDir for Backup. Continued. ------------------------------- Basing the backup on directories, and doing it manually without a backup utility has worked well for me. When a restore is required, I have all the files on 1 or more diskettes, wrapped together. Changed information is compressed on the hard drive and also on a floppy. Please tell me if you do backups this way. Perhaps I can automate the procedure if enough people request it. #5 - Editing and Viewing Files. -------------------------------- I use QuickDir to change autoexec.bat, config.sys, and generally to edit most small files. Just press enter on the directory containing the files. Type E or V to edit or view the files. #6 - Searching for a Filename. ------------------------------ Often I keep multiple copies of QD.EXE on my hard drive, some for mailing, some for execution, and one copy on another drive in case something bad happens. When I change QD.EXE, I also must update the copies on the hard drive. In a more general sense, sometimes it's good to keep a copy of an important file in various places on the system to be sure it doesn't get messed up. QuickDir makes it easy to find these files, and replace them. Use the 'J' - Find File Utility as follows: 1. - Figure out the file name you need. 2. - Use the 'J' - Find File Utility. 3. - Choose 'All Fixed Disks'. 4. - Specify the filename. You don't even have to enter the entire filename. Any part you remember will do. Don't use * or ? for place holders. 5. - QuickDir will perform a search for the file. 6. - When the search is complete, the utility display allows you to copy and overlay files as needed. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 5 #7 - Cleaning up the Hard Drive. ------------------------------ Most importantly, QuickDir is a great help when cleaning up hard drive files. It's absolutely amazing how quickly you can run out of free space. QuickDir has the functions you need to keep software size to a minimum. Actually, there are a few steps you must perform to do a drive cleanup. 1. - Do a DRIVE BACKUP! 2. - Determining Duplicates. 3. - Temporary File Deletion. 4. - Deleting Obsolete Software. 5. - Optimizing Software Packages. 6. - Run a Chkdsk and Defrag. Each of these are detailed following. 1. Do a DRIVE BACKUP! --------------------- ---> Before performing ANY of these steps ---> make a backup of your hard drive. 2. Determining Duplicates. --------------------------- If you are short on space, perhaps it's because you've re-installed software, and forgot to delete the old copy. Here's how to get rid of duplicates: 1. - I assume you know how you hard drive is organized, what software is in each directory. 2. - Run Option 'I' - DupFiles from the directory tree. 3. - The resulting list contains files that have the same filename. 4. - Look at the list. If the filename, date, time and size are the same, then it's ok to delete the dups. If the file has differences in size, date, or time then it's best to leave it alone. 5. - To safely delete duplicates, you have to know the GOOD directory from the BAD one. To be safe, just copy the file to a temporary directory. 6. - After you copy the file to a temporary directory, you may delete the duplicate file. 7. - When done, test the software in the directories you delete from. If any programs fail, restore from the temporary directory. 8. - BBS SYSOPS: Can get a lot of space back by using SYSDUPS utility and deleting old version archives. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 6 3. Temporary File Deletion. --------------------------- QuickDir has a built in search for temporary files. Many PC programs create a file with a '.BAK' extension. There are other extensions used also. Option 'B' - Badfiles utility will help you search for these files. Find temporary files as follows: 1. - Use Option 'B - Badfiles' from the directory tree. 2. - Choose All Fixed Disks. 3. - The utility panel contains files matching pre-set search conditions. 4. - Don't just do 'D' deletes blindly. View each file. If you have questions about what the file is, copy it to a backup directory before deleting it. That way, you can get it back should you require it. 3. Temporary File Deletion. (Continued) --------------------------- 5. - Remember: MOST PC programs DO NOT USE a common standard for naming temporary files, so the list may contain GOOD files. 6. - Files with 0 bytes are included in the utility display. These files may be good, depending upon the software that created them. If a filename appears to be an action, like 'RESCAN.NOW' it's best to leave it alone. 4. Deleting Obsolete Software. ------------------------------ If you are running out of free space, one option is to find software you do not use often, and delete it from the hard drive. You may choose to Compress and backup the directory first, using the steps outlined in 'Using QuickDir for Backup'. Or, you can leave the software on the hard drive as an archive file. Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved. QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 7 5. Optimizing Software Packages. -------------------------------- One of the more interesting ways of saving space is cleaning up each software package. As always, before beginning backup your hard drive, and copy all files to a temporary directory before deleting them. 1. - Start by VIEWING each file in the directory. 2. - Files ending in .COM .EXE .BAT .OVR .DLL are definitely not to be deleted. These are program files required to run the software. 3. - Help files and Documentation files in most cases may be deleted if you really know the software or have manuals. 4. - You must use the trial and error approach as you backup and delete files from software. Move as many files as you can, then restore them if your software aborts. Most software will tell you the name of an important missing file. 5. - When you're done, backup the directory. I've seen a 50% reduction in space use, notably for Windows Applications. 6. - Run a Chkdsk and Defrag. ----------------------------- After the cleanup, backup your drive again. Also, run 'CHKDSK C: /F' to fix any allocation problems. Run a defrag utility to fill up the empty spaces left by your cleanup.