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Turnbull China Bikeride
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Turnbull China Bikeride - Disc 1.iso
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1996-11-08
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FindFiles
=========
Version 1.05 (10 Feb 1996) (alpha release 2)
Introduction
------------
Ever found a corrupt disc with lots of files on you needed ? Ever
accidentally overwritten the map block of a disc ? Ever accidentally deleted
an Impression file which you've spent five hours working on and you really
didn't mean to delete ?
Well, in all but the last case, this is for you... (if it's not an Impression
file you can recover it - mainly as I haven't added the code for recognising
them yet).
Usage
-----
Run the program.
Click on the icon.
Enter the drive number.
Select the disc format (harddiscs should use Read Disc type, as should most
floppies except corrupt mapped discs - those which say has it been formatted
? when it obviously had - which should be set to the correct disc type)
For fastest performance and whilst learning it is best to save a copy of disc
you wish to read. To do this, click on Read disc to file and then Ok. A save
box will appear asking you to save the file. Then the disc image will be
saved.
Once this is done, the Recover from file will automatically be selected. If
you wish to reload this image at other times, drag it to the load icon arrow.
Just Show information will not recover anything, but will show you it's
‘guesses’ at the files and it's progress indicators.
Check all possibilities will check even files which would have been ignored
because they have been overrun by the previous file.
Recover unchecked files will still try to recover these files, even though
they have not been checked.
Only scan free space map will force the program to only look in the
unallocated areas of the disc for files. This is useful if you want to
recover a deleted file.
Note: If you are not recovering from file then the data will be read directly
from the disc.
How it works
------------
It scans the disc twice, the first pass spotting what it thinks are file
signatures and the second pass attempting to confirm or discard these and to
set some length to the files. Some file types have very complex structure (eg
SoundTracker) but no easy technique for finding their length, whilst others
(eg DataPower database) are complex and contain the length of the file in
their header (thanks Iota !).
For this reason, some of the time the program will fail. It does not make
second guesses and will always stand by it's first decision; even if it
discards it, it will not try other formats. This is a consequence of the two
pass structure.
For reasons best known only to the author, the program is still very
temperamental, and probably runs best from it's original Basic form, instead
of using the Front-End which has taken about 6 hours to put together.
So far it will understand you wanting to check either DOS or ADFS floppy
discs in low or high density format. It will understand HardDiscs if they
have corrupt boot and/or map blocks. The Wimp$Scrap dir and recovery
directory should NOT be on the same disc you are attempting to recover unless
there is no choice. This may be improved in a future hopefully. Until such
time, however, only recover to the same disc as you are reading from if you
have no other means of storage (well, that's me in that category). Use a RAM
disc if you can.
There is, as yet, no means of restarting an aborted scan. This WILL be
improved - I've just got to work out how :-) There will also be a facility to
check for specific types, and/or sections of the disc...
For details of the formats supported, see the Formats file.
Help and message files
----------------------
This application is fully !Help compliant and it is recommended that when
getting to grips with it the help should be used if only to give it some
purpose! It also supports the use of MessageTrans and therefore translation
to another language or changing the messages for the fun of it is much easier
than it might have been.
<BasicLibrary$File>
-------------------
This application requires Justin Fletcher's JFShared library to function.
This can be obtained from Arcade and possibly other bulletin boards. I have
seen QuickHelp on Digital Databank, so it is possible that JFShared exists
there also. JFShared is also currently being carried by Hensa and can be
obtained from Justin's website.
Compatibility
-------------
This application has been tested on the author's A5000, but due to the lack
of friends with Acorns has not been tested on other systems. Therefore, it
ought to work on any RO3.1 machine, and with a RO2 machine if it is
recognised in JFShared and uses no specific RO3 features.
Disclaimer
----------
The author accepts no responsibility for any problems which this application
may cause or loss of data resulting in its use. This application is Public
Domain. This means that it may be distributed, so long as no charge other
than copying costs are charged for it.
This is an ALPHA release - it is a development copy which I have released
into the public domain quickly because losing files is something that happens
to everyone, and having some way (even a dodgy one) to recover files is very
useful. A full beta release will be released in future. The difference
between this and a beta release is that this really /is/ a development
version - the notes contained within are for my benefit more than anyone
else, and the actual operation is totally undefined for any specific
situation. In the beta, I will be more helpful witht the files :-)
Having now got a copy of this application, I'm sure you'll find many bugs in
it. Please report these as soon as possible.
Contact
-------
Any comments, queries, donations or bug reports can be sent to Justin
Fletcher at :
E-Mail : Gerph@essex.ac.uk
URL : http://users.essex.ac.uk/users/gerph
IRC : On #Acorn as Gerph
Finger : finger jrflet@postman.essex.ac.uk
Tel : (01842) 813979
Snail Mail :
Justin Fletcher
“Galadriel”
17b Cromwell Road,
Weeting,
Brandon,
Suffolk.
IP27 0QT
History
-------
Version 1.00 : 24 Jun 1995
First version written
BASIC code, modifying technique changes the purpose.
Version 1.01 : 07 Nov 1995
Improved code for recognition, use of free space maps and
longer more descriptive format. Zipchive, PKArc and Sparkive
formats added.
Version 1.02 : 08 Nov 1995
Front End written. Further improved descriptions and disc
reading code.
Version 1.03 : 17 Nov 1995 - alpha Release
Support for Midi files added, better drive reading code, bug
fixes for nasty minsize bits.
Fixed 1.44Mb F format disc message.
Limited support for MSWord/Excel files added.
Extended filetypes added for subtypes (not EE, internal)
Version 1.04 : 21 Dec 1995 - alpha Release 2
Lots of new file types headers recognised. Lengths not
recognised for most files.
Couple of extended routines for lengths.
Version 1.05 : 10 Feb 1996
Release to Alex Howarth and on my Web Page.
Future
------
NOTE: This is only an alpha release. No guarentee is even remotely implied.
However, feel free to run and test this program as much as you like. However,
do not distribute modified copies, repost to the author (preferably with
annotated listing, but a short note will do).
New formats much appreciated... Info like signatures in headers and length
calculation routines are vital. JPEG, TIFF, GIF and other graphics formats
will hopefully be supported. If anyone wants to sort out a Tar recogniser I'd
be very happen (LZH would be useful as well). Symphony and Octamed possibly.
DJF coming soon. Any suggestions on techniques for finding module lengths and
absolute lengths (ie C and other) would be very much appreciated.
NOTE: Zip files are typed as 3DD. This is non-standard, and is done with the
express purpose of making the authors life easier. He believes that Zip
should have it's own file type and has hence modified the Zip application to
suit himself. This is not supported by anyone else that I know of. He also
believes that LHA files should have type 3DE - this is another personal
preference (they can all have nice icons on the desktop :-) )
I've mailled Microsoft asking for some docs on the file format of MSWord
files, but I really don't think they'll respond; so if anybody know anything
about the files I would really appreciate their help. Same goes for any other
file formats. I really want specs for graphics formats, as I mentioned above.
If anybody has any information on CC product formats, as they cannot give out
what information they have, I would be most grateful :-)