home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
- Path: sparky!uunet!ftpbox!mothost!schbbs!waccvm.corp.mot.com!P70008
- From: P70008@waccvm.corp.mot.com (Bill Nelson)
- Subject: Re: WARNING !!!!! MS WINDOWS 3.1 SmartDrive Problem
- Organization: Motorola
- Date: 17 Aug 1992 13:12:39 MST
- Message-ID: <1992Aug17.202907.12273@schbbs.mot.com>
- Sender: news@schbbs.mot.com (Net News)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: waccvm.corp.mot.com
- Lines: 68
-
- You can also issue the SMARTDRV.EXE command: SMARTDRV /C which will force
- writing. Place this command in your .BAT file before you reboot.
- ------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
- Xref: schbbs comp.os.msdos.misc:6358 comp.os.msdos.apps:5485
- Newsgroups: socs.misc,comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.msdos.apps,mtl.general
- Path: schbbs!mothost!ftpbox!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ef
- From: tennis@cs.mcgill.ca (Pascal PROULX)
- Subject: WARNING !!!!! MS WINDOWS 3.1 SmartDrive Problem
- Message-ID: <1992Aug13.040731.2286@cs.mcgill.ca>
- Sender: news@cs.mcgill.ca (Netnews Administrator)
- Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada
- Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 04:07:31 GMT
- Lines: 53
-
-
- The following article was taken from the PC WORLD ONLINE via the America
- Online BBS and is an important warning for all MS WINDOWS 3.1 users.
-
- The following information was passed on to PC WORLD ONLINE by PCW George,
- (George Campbell, a PC WORLD Editor).
-
- "After considerable testing, I have discovered a major problem with the
- version of SmartDrive included with Windows 3.1. The default installation
- of SMARTDRV.EXE enables write caching on your hard disks. Most often this
- is not a problem but, under certain circumstances, it could crash your hard
- disk. A typical situation is described below :
-
-
- 1) If you use a program wich handles multiple boot-up configurations by using
- alternative Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files then automatically
- re-booting, SmartDrive won't write the new files to the hard disk before
- the computer reboots. This could cause damage to you FAT table if the disk
- write is only partiallt completed. In most cases, however, the copying job
- will not be done, and the computer will reboot safely.
-
- 2) In some Windows programs, not enough time is allowed for SmartDRive to
- write files to disk. In this case, if you shut off your computer for some
- reason, your files will not be saved. In the worst scenario, your FAT tables
- may be damaged.
-
- 3) If a power failure occurs during the gap before cached data is written to
- the hard disk, you could damage your FAT tables.
-
-
- ******************
- SOLUTION :
- ******************
-
- Disable write-caching in SmartDrive. This is not a documented in the Windows
- Manual, but is ducomented in SmartDrive's help screen. To disable
- write-caching, modify the line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file as shown below :
-
-
- Original Line (substitute your own drive information)
-
- C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE
-
- Altered line to disable write-caching : (again, supply your own drive info)
-
- C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE C D E (list all hard drives)
-
-
- This modification will disable write-caching. You will get a minor slowdown
- in Windows, but it won't be too noticeable.
-
-
- Tip from George Campbell (PCWGeorge)
-
-