The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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S A F E P A C K =============== The SAFE Disk Defragmenter User Manual CONTENTS ======== Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Why May Your Disk Need to be Defragmented? . . . . . . . . . 2 Why Safety is Important in a Defragmenter . . . . . . . . . . 3 Requirements & Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Usage Procedure for SAFEPACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Swap Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SAFEPACK Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sorting Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Individual File vs Sub-directory Based Sorting . . . . . 8 Sorting Optimizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Directory Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Immobile Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Running from the Command Line Only . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Miscellaneous Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Registration & Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Disclaimer - Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER D J Harvey Copyright (C) 1992 D.J.Harvey. All Rights Reserved. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 1 --- Introduction ============ SAFEPACK reorganizes the files on a disk, moving them around as necessary to ensure that each file occupies a single, contiguous block of disk space, improving the effective performance of the drive. Apart from this improvement in speed, many users will benefit from the collection together of all the free space on the disk, allowing the creation of large, contiguous special files. An example of this is a Windows 3 permanent swap file, and the Windows manual suggests that a disk defragmenter be run before creating a permanent swap file. No such program is supplied, however, and SAFEPACK is designed to fill this gap. For the user who wishes to fine-tune the organization of the disk, a large number of options are provided to control the final arrangement of the files. As its name implies, SAFEPACK has been designed with data security as the most important principle, and it manipulates the disk file structures such that they are all valid at all times. This means that no loss of data should occur if the program is interrupted while running, whether this be due to user break-in, machine malfunction, or even power failure. SAFEPACK is distributed as 'Shareware', which means that though you are free to evaluate and distribute the program, anyone intending to make continued use of it must register with the author, and pay the appropriate fee, which for a single user is nine pounds Sterling. Credit/charge cards are accepted, removing the need for currency conversions. Full registration details are given below, and in the file REGISTER.DOC. Why May Your Disk Need to be Defragmented? ========================================== If you are fully conversant with the problem of disk fragmentation, and know exactly why your disk needs to be defragmented, you can skip this section, and go to the following section on safety. In order to understand why a program such as this is required, it is necessary to understand just a little about how DOS actually stores files on a disk. Although users generally refer to files simply by their path & filename, DOS must allocate space for each file on the disk, and be able to keep track of where each file is. Is does this by dividing the disk into a number of 'Allocation Units' or 'Clusters', normally of 512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 bytes, and when a file is written, DOS allocates as many unused clusters as are necessary to accommodate it. Where possible, DOS uses consecutive clusters, as this improves the speed of both reading and writing, but this is not always possible, especially after a --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 2 --- disk has been in use for some time, as the unused clusters may be scattered around the disk in locations previously occupied by files which have since been deleted. An example may make this clearer: Suppose a very small disk with 18 clusters has 6 files, named F1- F6 on it, and that they are located as in the following map: Cluster: |1 2 |3 4 5 |6 7 |8 9 10 11 12|13 14|15 16|17 18 File: | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | FREE If files F1, F3 & F5 are now deleted, the map becomes: Cluster: |1 2 |3 4 5 |6 7 |8 9 10 11 12|13 14|15 16|17 18 File: |FREE | F2 |FREE | F4 |FREE | F6 | FREE There are now 8 free allocation units, and if a file requiring 7 units called F7 were to be written to this disk, it would have to be put into the free space, which is spread over the disk, making the new map: Cluster: |1 2 |3 4 5 |6 7 |8 9 10 11 12|13 14|15 16|17|18 File: | F7 | F2 | F7 | F4 | F7 | F6 |F7|FREE File F7 is now said to be fragmented, making access to it significantly slower than if it were in one contiguous section. Over time, similar fragmentation occurs to many of the files on a disk, reducing the effective performance of the drive. This process happens slowly, however, so the gradual degradation in drive performance is likely to go un-noticed for a long time. SAFEPACK reorganizes the files on the disk, amalgamating the scattered parts of each file, restoring the disk to its original speed. Why Safety is Important in a Defragmenter ========================================= As described above, SAFEPACK moves most of your data from one part of your disk to another, and this takes quite a long time (typically 2-30 mins depending on machine, disk size etc). During such an interval there is clearly the possibility of a failure of either the power supply or of the machine, and it is important to consider what would happen to the valuable data on the disk if this were to happen. Some commercial defragmenters can wreck the file structure of a disk if they are interrupted, but SAFEPACK has been designed, as its name implies, to be tolerant of interruptions, and should leave your disk in a fully usable condition, even if switched off in the middle. SAFEPACK achieves this by ensuring that the file structures are valid at all times during the run, and though this may slow the program down --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 3 --- slightly, what is an extra few minutes running time, compared with having to reload your hard disk from scratch? That said, however, Murphy's law of computers dictates that something unforeseen will always happen somewhere at some time, and despite my belief in the safety of this program, I would not recommend that anyone defragments their hard disk with ANY defragmenter, without first taking a full backup. Backups should be taken occasionally anyway, and as there is rarely any great urgency to defragment a disk, it would make sense to run SAFEPACK immediately after the backup. Further aspects of data security are mentioned in the detailed usage instructions below. Requirements & Limitations ========================== SAFEPACK requires and supports all versions of MS DOS between 2.0 and 5.0, and all DR DOS up to 6.0. There is no fixed memory requirement other than the size of the program itself, but SAFEPACK uses as much conventional memory as possible, and the number of files it can handle is proportional to the amount of memory available. Given the normal space of about 550k, SAFEPACK can keep track of about 5000 files. If it does run out of memory it will terminate, but in doing so will leave the disk data intact. It should be possible to defragment any true DOS disk, whether floppy or hard (including partitions), and even RAMdisks or non- standard media such as 8" floppies, but the following types of disk MUST NOT be packed: a) Network drives If it is required to pack a DOS network drive, this should be done locally, with the network disabled. b) Substituted drives These are virtual drives, which are in fact sub-directories of another drive. c) Drives with proprietary compression methods Examples of this are Stacker or Superstor, and although compression of such disks would normally be safe, it would not be of any benefit, and will not be performed by SAFEPACK. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 4 --- Usage Procedure for SAFEPACK ============================ Although it should be possible to run SAFEPACK safely at any time, the following procedure is recommended for maximum data security. 1) Run CHKDSK to ensure that there are no internal errors in the File Allocation Table (FAT) for the drive to be defragmented. The format of this DOS command is: CHKDSK drive: If all is reported as being well, go on the next stage, but if errors are found, they must be corrected before running SAFEPACK. Note that many common errors can easily be corrected by running CHKDSK with the /F (for Fix) switch. 2) The AUTOEXEC.BAT & CONFIG.SYS files, which normally contain device drivers and other resident programs should be disabled, either by temporarily renaming them and then rebooting, or by booting from a floppy drive. Although not always necessary, this step ensures that there are no background programs, or TSRs, which could try to access the disk during defragmentation, as this could lead to data corruption. The absence of TSRs will also, normally, increase the memory available to SAFEPACK. If you have a disk greater than 32 Mbytes, you may receive a warning about loading SHARE for large media - this can be ignored for running SAFEPACK. Experienced users may wish make temporary modifications to their startup files by placing REM at the start of any offending lines. 3) Run SAFEPACK as a command from the DOS command-line. It must NOT be run from within Windows, or any other multi-tasking environment. The format of the command is SAFEPACK drive: [options] where drive is the drive letter of the disk to be defragmented, and options are as described below. Default options exist, which are designed to be suitable for the majority of users, including those maximizing their free space prior to making a Windows swap file. The following example command line would therefore be appropriate for defragmenting drive C: SAFEPACK C: --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 5 --- Before SAFEPACK commences, a screen will appear, showing the drive and options selected, and you are asked to confirm that these are correct before defragmentation starts. This stage may be by-passed by use of the /Y- option if you wish to run SAFEPACK unattended in a batch file. While SAFEPACK is running, it will give an indication of its progress, but this is intended as a guide only, and is far from linear, so do not become alarmed if it appears not to change for several minutes. After two minutes, SAFEPACK replaces its normal display by a simplified version, which moves around the display area. This is in order to prevent damage to your screen during a prolonged run, and the normal screen may be restored at any time by pressing N. The program may be interrupted at any time by pressing Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break. If this is done, a message will appear acknowledging the break, but the program will tidy-up the disk before terminating a few seconds later. 4) After running SAFEPACK, confirm that the disk's file structure remains correct by running CHKDSK again. Note that some disk caches can become confused after running a defragmenter, as not all respond properly to SAFEPACK's request to reset the disk. Therefore, if CHKDSK or a directory listing indicate a problem, it can probably be cured by rebooting the computer, but if this fails, then the file RECOVER.DOC should be consulted for advice. Swap Files ---------- SAFEPACK will automatically leave the swap files created by Windows 3 or similar programs alone, and if you do not intend to change the size of any such files, their presence may be ignored. If, however, one of the objects of defragmenting your disk is to increase the size of a swap file, then it should be deleted before running SAFEPACK, and re-created (with its new size) afterwards. SAFEPACK Options ================ The command line options available are described in detail below, but a quick on-screen summary may be obtained by running SAFEPACK with the /H switch. Most options may be entered on their own to activate them, or followed by - to suppress, the default varying from one option to another according to likely usage. For example: /D would activate directory sorting (default) /D- would suppress directory sorting. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 6 --- Sorting Options --------------- Subject to the various restrictions/modifications on sorting described below, there are five basic methods used determine the final order of the files on the disk. By default, the files are sorted alphabetically, but the method used may be selected by use of the following switches: /N : Name sorting; This is the default if no other sorting criterion is specified. Files are sorted alphabetically by filename and extension, regarded as a single 11 character string. /E : Extension sorting Files are sorted in alphabetical order of extension only. /L : Length Sorting Files are sorted by length, with the longest being placed first. This is quite a useful option, as it can help to reduce future fragmentation. Sub-directories, which do not have a length, are placed before the files. /A : Age Sorting Files are sorted by their ages, the oldest being placed first. Again, this can help to reduce future fragmentation, as it is generally newer files that are more likely to be deleted, thereby creating free space at the end of the disk rather than at the start. /C : Current position Sorting Files are sorted such that the order in which their first cluster appears on the disk is as it was before the pack. This could be useful if files are regularly accessed in a particular order, and may be faster than the other options. /R : Reverse sort This switch works in conjunction with any of the above sorting methods, to reverse the resulting order. e.g. SAFEPACK C: /L /R would arrange the files such that the shortest were sorted to the start of the disk. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 7 --- Individual File vs Sub-directory Based Sorting ---------------------------------------------- /F : Filesorting The normal mode of operation of SAFEPACK is to place the files on the disk in an order that reflects the hierarchical directory structure, each sub-directory being sorted as if it were a file, followed by the files it contains. This method has the advantage of speeding access to complicated sub-directory structures, as the disk head has to move only short distances between directories and the files they contain. It does, however, mean that the options above, such as placing the longest files at the start of the disk, are not fully effective, as a long file may end up at the start of a directory which is itself towards the end of the disk. The /F (Filesort) switch is therefore provided to sort files on the disk by their own characteristics, rather than by their parent directories. Note that if this switch is used with sorting by filename, then only the 11 characters of the basic filename & extension are used, not the pathname. This option would probably be of most use with the /L (length) or /A (age) options. Sorting Optimizations --------------------- Generally speaking, the closer a file is to the start of the disk, the more quickly it can be accessed, and as some files are accessed more often than others, it would make sense to place these files towards the start of the disk. In the absence of precise information on the frequency with which files are accessed, three assumptions can be made: 1) Sub-directories are accessed more commonly than individual files within a directory. 2) Executable files (.EXE & .COM), are accessed more frequently than other files. 3) Files in sub-directories defined in the DOS PATH list, are accessed more commonly than others. By default, all of these assumptions are used in sorting the files, so directories in the PATH list are placed towards the beginning of the disk, and sub-directories are placed at the start of the directories. These are followed by files with .EXE & .COM extensions, followed in turn by the other files, each category being arranged according to the main sorting mode selected. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 8 --- These assumptions may be disabled if required as follows: /X : Executables/Directories If this option is set to off (/X-), then files are sorted without any priority being given to executable files (.EXE & .COM) or directories. /P : Path If set to off (/P-), then the DOS path is ignored. Note that any sorting order for sub-directories may be selected by altering the DOS PATH before running SAFEPACK, as it does not have to be your normal PATH. See the DOS manual for details of how to change the PATH. This option is automatically disabled if the filesorting (/F) switch is used. Directory Sorting ----------------- /D : Directory sorting SAFEPACK is able to sort the directory entries to reflect the order in which files are placed on the disk, and in so doing also 'packs' the directories to eliminate space occupied by deleted files, marginally increasing the speed at which files are accessed. This process is quite distinct from the reorganization of the files themselves, and though it is performed by default, it can be disabled if required by using the switch /D-. Immobile Files -------------- Normally, a program accessing a disk file neither knows, nor cares about the exact position of a file on the disk, providing that it can be found through its directory entry. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule, and in these cases SAFEPACK can leave the file untouched. Most files to be left alone are, effectively, labelled as immobile by the programs that created them, as they have their 'system' and 'hidden' attributes set, and SAFEPACK will not attempt to move any files in this category. Examples of such files include the main DOS files IBMBIO.SYS & IBMDOS.SYS (or similar) that contain the main operating system, and 386SPART.PAR created by Windows when making a permanent swap file. Apart from these, other necessarily immobile files may have been created on the disk as part of copy-protection schemes etc. The vast majority of these will be marked as either hidden or system --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 9 --- (or normally both), and should not, therefore cause any problems, but if any others are known, the following options will allow you to indicate any that must remain static. /I : Immobile files by name An option of the form /Ifilename ensures that any files on the disk with the name 'filename' will not be moved. Only the actual filename, without a pathname, should be quoted, and this will immobilize files of that name in any directory. If no extension is given, it is assumed to be blank (i.e. 3 spaces), but simplified wildcards are allowed, in that either the filename, or extension may be replaced entirely by *. Thus the following options are valid: /IMYFILE.TXT immobilizes MYFILE.TXT /IMYFILE.* immobilizes all files called MYFILE whatever the extension. /I*.SYS immobilizes all files in all directories with an extension of SYS /IMY*.TXT would not, however, be valid, as partial wildcards are not allowed. Several /I options may appear on the command line, to immobilize different files. /S : Static files by attribute By default, files that are have either their hidden or system attributes set are regarded by SAFEPACK as being immobile, but any set of attributes may be selected as immobile using the /S option. Note that files which are both 'hidden' AND 'system' will not be moved, irrespective of these options. The format is /Sx[-].., where x is one of the following: D: Sub-directories H: Hidden files S: System files R: Read-only files A: Files with the 'Archive' bit set Examples: /SD immobilizes all sub-directories /SH- /SR allows hidden files to be moved, but immobilizes all read-only files --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 10 --- The above mechanisms should cope well with most varieties of copy protection schemes, but in the event of problems with a particularly badly behaved program, it should be possible, as a last resort, to de-install the program before defragmentation, then re-install it after. Running from the Command Line Only ---------------------------------- /Y : User Confirmation On/Off If this option is on, as it is by default, then a screen appears before the defragmentation starts, asking the user to press Y to confirm the drive and options selected, and a key-press is also required at the end of the program. If this option is disabled, using /Y-, then no user input is required during the run, making the program suitable for running in a batch file, and in this manner, a number of drives may be defragmented with a single command. If this option is used, any errors cause immediate termination of the program, rather than prompting for Retry/Abort, as would be the normal practice. Those using SAFEPACK in a batch files may find the following exit codes useful, as they can be tested using the errorlevel function: 0 : Normal completion 1 : Terminated by user interrupt 2 : Terminated due to an error Miscellaneous Options --------------------- /Q : Quick pack The normal mode of operation of SAFEPACK is to move all files, irrespective of their current positions, to positions based on the sorting order as defined by the above options. This method not only ensures optimal arrangement of the files, but also ensures that all the free space is contiguous, as is advisable before creating swap files. The /Q switch, however, invokes a quicker method whereby only those files that are currently fragmented are moved. It is suggested that the /Q switch should not be used for the initial packing of a disk, but should be used for most subsequent defragmentation, a complete reorganization, without the /Q switch being performed every few months. /B : Bypass Multitasking Checks Before starting to defragment a disk, SAFEPACK checks to see whether it is being used from within a multi-tasking environment --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 11 --- such as Windows, MS DOS 5 taskswitcher, or DR DOS TaskMAX, as these could be unsafe for defragmentation. Later versions of FASTOPEN are also detected. SAFEPACK will normally refuse to proceed if one of these environments is identified, but for those users who know what they are doing, this option is provided to bypass such checks, and to carry on anyway. Note that some system software provides its own protection against such risky procedures and may refuse to let SAFEPACK write to the system areas of the disk, even if this option is used. This option is not for the novice - you have been warned! /V : Verify DOS has an option to verify all disk writes, by reading back the data after it has been written. This procedure increases data security at the expense of speed, and is normally controlled by the DOS VERIFY command. By default, SAFEPACK leaves the verify switch unaltered, but verification can be selected independently for SAFEPACK with the this option, /V turning verification on, and /V- turning it off. In either case, SAFEPACK returns DOS to its original status at the end of the program. /M : Monochrome screen This option sets the screen colours so that they are more legible on monochrome screens. Registration & Support ====================== SAFEPACK is released as shareware, enabling you not only to try the program out before paying for it, but also then to acquire the right to use it at low cost (9 pounds), as the author is spared the expensive overheads of advertising, retail distribution etc. This means that you are welcome to evaluate the program by trying it out on your machine, and may distribute copies of the original compressed file to others, but if you find the program of use, then you are required to register by paying the appropriate fee. In addition to acquisition of the legal right to use the program, those who register will also receive: 1) A copy of a registered version of the program. If an updated version has been produced since your shareware version, then this will be sent. If, however, you already have the latest copy, you may choose whether you wish to receive a registered copy of the current version, or whether to wait for the next --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 12 --- update. If you choose to wait, you will be sent, in the meantime, details of how to convert your shareware version to a registered copy, thereby replacing the message about shareware with your own name. 2) Support, via any of the methods of contact given below, for two years from the date of registration. During this time I will be happy to provide guidance on the use of the program, and discuss any problems that users may have. In the unlikely event of a problem being found in the program which could have consequences for data security, all registered users would be informed as soon as possible. Payment ------- The registration fee for a single copy of SAFEPACK is 9 pounds Sterling, inclusive of post & packing. Site licences are available - please contact the author for details. Payment can be accepted in any of the following forms: 1) Credit/Charge Cards This is probably by far the easiest way for most people to pay, especially those outside the UK, as any card with the Visa or Mastercard symbols is accepted, irrespective of your currency. Any necessary currency conversions are performed by the credit card companies, so you pay in your own currency. Nine pounds is equivalent to about US$15.50 at current rates. To pay by this method, either print and fill in the file CCARD.DOC, and post to the address below, or fill in the form on your word processor, and send it via Email. 2) Sterling Cheque This may be either a standard UK cheque, a Eurocheque, Sterling international postal order or a bank draft drawn on a British bank, and should be payable to D J Harvey Software. To register by this method, print out and fill-in the file CHEQUE.DOC, then send, accompanied by your cheque, to the address below. If neither of the above methods is possible, then cheques in foreign currency can be accepted, but they cost about ten pounds to process, so allowance must be made for this in your calculations. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 13 --- Registrations and enquiries may be sent either by standard mail, or Email as follows: Mail: D J Harvey Software, PO Box 14, Cardiff. CF4 6XW U.K. Compuserve: 100031,627 Internet: 100031.627@COMPUSERVE.COM Disclaimer - Agreement ====================== Users of SAFEPACK must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "SAFEPACK is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of SAFEPACK." SAFEPACK is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and continue to use SAFEPACK after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of nine pounds Sterling to the author. The nine pound registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another, just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of SAFEPACK must register and pay for their copies of SAFEPACK within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting the author. Anyone distributing SAFEPACK for any kind of remuneration must comply with the requirements set out in the file VENDOR.DOC accompanying this program. All the registered trademarks used herein are registered to whoever it is that owns them. This notification is given in lieu of any specific list of trademarks and their owners. --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 14 --- D J Harvey is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER --- SAFEPACK Manual --- Page 15 ---