OS Fundamentals
SCANDISK Is a utility that checks your hard disk for logical
(lost clusters, cross-linked files, directory structure) and
physical errors on the drive. Scandisk can then repair the damaged
areas. All window versions except NT come with scandisk. If you are
using win 3.1 you have to exit to DOS and use its version.
If
you do not shut down the computer properly win 95 OSR2 and 98 will
run the DOS version of scandisk automatically
next time you start up your computer.
Win
9x provides two versions of Scandisk: a graphical windows-based
version Scandskw.exe and an DOS-based version Scandisk.exe. No
matter which version name you type while in windows, either from the
run box or a DOS prompt the windows version will run, you must exit
to DOS to run its version.
DEFRAG Starts Disk Defragmenter
which rearranges files and un used space on your hard disk so that
programs run faster.
Files
are stored in clusters and over time, as programs read and write to
a hard disk, these clusters can become fragmented, that is spread
throughout the drive. Causing the hard disk to jump all over the
drive to read and write data. What defrag does is realign these
clusters in sequence, so programs will load faster.
In
windows 98 Defragmenter also uses a process called Task Monitor
which automatically monitors programs you use and records their disk
access patterns, and number of times these programs are used. This
information enables Defragmenter to favor more frequently used
programs in optimizing the disk.
When
running Defragmenter you should always close all programs, and
disable any screen savers.
Windows 2000 automatically optimizes disk use. To optimize a disk
manually, right-click it in My Computer, click Properties, and then,
on the Tools tab, click Defragment Now.
EDIT Starts Dos-based ASCII text
editor.
Syntax: EDIT [/B] [/H] [/R] [/S] [/nnn] [file]
/B Forces monochrome mode.
/H Displays the maximum number of lines possible for your
hardware.
/R Loads file in read-only mode
/S Forces the use of short filenames.
XCOPY Copies files and directory
trees. XCOPY is similar to the COPY command except that it has many
more switches that allow considerable control over exactly what is
copied when using wildcards.
Syntax: XCOPY source [destination] [/Switches]
/E Copies the complete sub directory structure of source and all
files therein.
/S Copies the complete sub directory structure of source and all
files therein but does not copy empty sub directories
/T Copies the sub directory structure of source but does not
copy any files and does not copy empty sub directories To
include empty sub directories, use with the /E switch.
COPY Is used to copy one or more
files to another location.
Syntax: COPY source [destination]
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