Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!pacbell!att!chinet!mpcook
From: mpcook@chinet.chi.il.us (Michael P. Cook)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: De-fragmentizer non-disaster
Message-ID: <9603@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 17 Sep 89 15:01:46 GMT
References: <[250ac239:1551]comp.sys.ibm.pc@vpnet.UUCP> <1989Sep13.143331.6397@jose.uucp> <2510684C.17044@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>
Reply-To: mpcook@chinet.chi.il.us (Michael P. Cook)
Organization: Chinet - Public Access Unix
Lines: 43


 
Stephen M. Dunn writes:
 
>In article <1989Sep13.143331.6397@jose.uucp> jim@jose.uucp (Jim) writes:
>>Gerry Swetsky writes:
>>> Maybe I've not kept touch with de-fragmentizer technology.
>>> The last I remember, if you had a power outage while running such a
>>> program, you could *definitely* kiss your data good-bye.
>>Yes, the de-frag programs have improved alot in the last few years.  Most of 
>>them now (The one you used, Mace, and several others) update the fat after
>>every move, so that if there is a problem, your disk isn't dead.   
>
>   PCTools' Compress program has been a "safe" one for at least a couple of
>years.  Its scheme is something like:
 
I recently purchased PC Tools version 5.5 (excellent write ups abound) and 
used its Compress program on a hard drive.  Fortunately I followed their
instructions to the letter - 1. FULLY BACK UP YOUR HARD DISK BEFORE RUNNING.
 
It ran into a problem and lost part of a binary file in the process. Of 
course, "part" is as good as none!  In addition, the FAT got screwed up.  
I am going back to Norton Utilities.  Norton Disk Doctor fixed my FAT and my
backup "fixed" the lost file.  Yes, I have heard of problems with Norton as 
well but my plain vanilla IBM PC has never encountered them.
 
I would be very wary (still) of any programs that move file locations on your 
disk.  In fact, given the WARNING by Central Point to backup every time you
use Compress, they must be wary as well.
 
-- Mike
________________________________________________________________________
 
Mike Cook                                                   Oak Park, IL
usenet: mpcook@chinet.chi.il.us
data:   312-383-6335 - Discovery Place BBS, 3/12/2400, 8N1 
      =>Home of Children's Software Library
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THESE ARE MY OWN OPINIONS AND ARE NOT SHARED BY MY EMPLOYER OR ANYONE 
ASSOCIATED WITH MY EMPLOYER (I'M SURE, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T CARE LESS 
ABOUT THESE ARCANE ISSUES). 
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