Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!watstat.waterloo.edu!dmurdoch From: dmurdoch@watstat.waterloo.edu (Duncan Murdoch) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc Subject: Re: help: peculiar msdos 3.3 crash Message-ID: <1990Oct2.132243.11226@maytag.waterloo.edu> Date: 2 Oct 90 13:22:43 GMT References: <5XwDq2w163w@bluemoon.UUCP> Sender: daemon@maytag.waterloo.edu (Admin) Organization: University of Waterloo Lines: 29 In article <5XwDq2w163w@bluemoon.UUCP> andy (Andy Vaught) writes: > 1) IBMBIO.COM (IO.SYS) must be the first file in the root directory > 2) IBMDOS.COM (MSDOS.SYS) must be the second file > 3) The files must be the first files stored on disk, and they must be >stored in order in contiguous clusters. > >As you can see, after deleting these files and compacting your HD, things >are truly screwed up. As it is now, other files occupy these reserved >directory entries and clusters. Although it would be possible to move the >two files to new directory entries, and reassign the first clusters, it >would not be easy at all. I know of no program that allows one to get this >"low level" with file structure, and writing such a special utility would >probably be more trouble than its worth. Reformat time... You're far too pessimistic. It's very easy to move files: just copy them under a new name, delete the old ones, and rename the new ones. It's not hard to move subdirectories: create a new one, move all the files, delete the old one, rename (or not if you don't have a directory renamer) the new one. (You have to be a little careful about the order you do things, or you'll end up with the new ones in the same spots as the old ones. Do all the copying before any of the deleting.) The hard part is knowing which files to move. For that you need a program that'll show you the filenames associated with each cluster on your disk. The best one of those that I've see is (blush) the one I wrote myself, SHOWFAT. Send me mail if you'd like a copy... Duncan Murdoch dmurdoch@watstat.waterloo.edu