Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!NDSUVM1.BITNET!UD140469 From: UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Disappearing disk space Message-ID: <8702140040.AA01809@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: Fri, 13-Feb-87 18:48:00 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8702140040.AA01809 Posted: Fri Feb 13 18:48:00 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 14-Feb-87 14:40:39 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 71 I've recently been running into some trouble with disk space dissappearing from my double sided disks. Strange things have been happening on and off for a long time, but I haven't been paying any attention to it because, until today, it seemed a random occurence. Here's the background that finally made me decide to ask about it: I own TDI's modula 2 (developer's version), and today I decided to try compiling some of their sample programs (I don't really know Modula yet--I was just curious with what was on the disk). I thought, to save time and effort, I'd put the compiler, linker, editor, and related include/link files on one disk. The diks in question started out blank, with the 726,000 or so bytes free. I created a folder called TDISTUFF and put all the .LNK, .SYM, and .DEF files into it. Next I copied the folder containing the files SYM, and .DEF files into it. Next I copied the folder containing the files controlling the various passes of the compiler onto the subject disk. Finally, into the root directory I copied the editor, compiler, linker, and related files. So, two folders, one with 108 (!) files, another with 8 files, and a base directory with maybe a dozen files. I then did "disk information" and got the following results: 632722 bytes used 20480 bytes free ----------------- 653202 bytes total That leaves about 72000 bytes unaccounted for. Are these bytes used elsewhere, but not counted as bytes used (in FATs, etc.)? Or might something be wrong in my computer. I tried compiling a program, ran out of room, deleted a file I didn't need, and did a disk information, getting the following: 622482 bytes used 8192 bytes free ----------------- 630674 bytes total Now that's even less than before, and I DELETED a file (something's fishey here). A couple of facts to point out--I'm using a fairly old ram disk (a 202k one), one that I've noticed only lets me put about 20 files into it, even if I haven't used up all of its space. My computer (one of the very first 520s with 512k, an SF354 & SF 314 drives) has been having some trouble--when I power up I sometimes get only bombs, or a blank screen (Atari and everyone else tells me loose connections or a micro-crack on the PC board)--but it seems to work okay if it gets past the boot stage. For this reason, I leave the computer (not drives or monitor) on all the time (that's why I'm not using one of the new 'eternal' ram disks). To finally ask THE question: is it my hardware/ramdisk/not-turning-the- computer off, or is it something in GEM/TOS that's causing disappearing disk space? Maybe it only happens on disks with LOTS of files, and that's why I didn't notice it consistantly earlier. Whatever. Any help you could give would be *greatly* appreciated. I hope it's not my drive causing problems (it's allright if it's my ST, because that's going to be replace anyway. Thank you very much, Scott Udell P.S. About replacing sick 520's: Atari has a pretty good return policy if you have a 520 that's sick: send the computer and $95 to them and they'll replace the motherboard with a completely new one. In fact, when I talked to the fellow at the technical support number that I called, he gave me the impression that I'd get a completly new computer, not just a new motherboard (maybe that's because my current case couldn't fit a motherboard with the r/f modulator on it because there's no hole for the modulator). Also, the $95 includes return shipping, and the whole process should take 3-4 weeks. The address I was given was: Atari Attn door #17 390 Caribbean Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 It sounds like a pretty good deal to me.