Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!oneb!kmcvay
From: kmcvay@oneb.UUCP (Ken McVay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: HD Defragment?
Summary: Norton's SD (Speed Disk) fails with large disks...
Message-ID: <1590@oneb.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jan 90 23:16:59 GMT
References: <4378@pegasus.ATT.COM> <1243@otc.otca.oz> <25acfbe7.19f@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Lines: 27

I recently (and in error, as it turned out) took full advantage of DOS 
4.01's ability to handle huge partitions and created a 110-meg partition
on my MiniScribe 3130S (SCSI). The latest (and 4.01-compat.) version of
Golden Bow's VOPT wouldn't recognize the SCSI device, so it was scrapped...
then I began using Speed Disk. It worked flawlessly until about 55% of the
disk filled up - then it began aborting with "Not enough RAM" errors...

Now I am left with the horrid prospect of backing everything up to floppies
and reformatting the drive with smaller partitions that CAN be optimized....  
either that, or wait patiently for someone to re-write their inadequate
utility....

Backup and restore aren't a problem here, but the work required to change
from one disk to three logicals is horrendous - the system serves as 
a mailer/bbs in IMEx/EggNet, and serves as a UseNet gateway as well - 
fixing the mess I created will require manual edits in four independent
Opus bulletin boards, an echomail management utility and mailer/editor..
since the system handles about 400 message areas, you can figure out how
much work will be involved....

At any rate, Speed Disk, like everything else, has it's limitations...
I wish it didn't :-)


-- 
1B Systems Management Ltd. | 4B - 2520 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, B.C. V9T 3L3 
Kenneth McVay  | Voice: 604-758-7414 | Envoy: ken.mcvay | RCSA: 89:681/1