🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <peter.5@aci_1.aci.ns.ca> peter@aci_1.aci.ns.ca (Peter Cormier) writes:
>I have read that the new MIRROR command will save disk recovery data to be 
>used by the UNFORMAT command.  My source indicates that a copy of the FAT 
>and root directory is saved in a file called MIRRORSAV.FIL, and that this 
>file is saved on the disk located in the drive specified by the MIRROR 
>command.  My question is this.  After a format command has been issued where 
>is the file MIRRORSAV.FIL located?  

It's located wherever it used to be located :-) In addition, unless you
format with the /U[nconditional] option, format will do the equivelent
of a MIRROR. Format will only place this information in the last 1/4 of
the disk...makes it easier for unformat to find it if necessary. 

If you formatted with /u or another version of MS-DOS, unformat will
search the disk for any mirror files (these are identified by their
data format). Norton's and CPS' unformat programs perform in not 
dissimilar manner. All else fails (no mirror, nada) unformat will
TRY to reconstruct the disk using your subdirectory information.

>Am I wrong in believing that DOS uses 
>this file to restore the diskette to its condition as of the time the MIRROR 
>command was issued ?

Well...no, but as I said, unformat can also use information saved
by format...usually the info saved by format is more up-to-date.

>It appears that Microsoft has once again produced a good piece of 
>software supported by poor documentation.

Hmmm. I learned MS-DOS from the 4.0 manual, which was very like
the 3.3 manual, which was very like the 3.2 manual. The 5.0 manual
is an almost total rewrite.  It is MUCH better, but it's definitely
not perfect.  

The secrets to handling the MS-DOS 5 manual are:

Roughly the first half of the book is topical - files, disks, etc.

The second half is an alphabetical reference of commands (append
through xcopy) followed by an alphabetical reference of device
drivers (ansi to smartdrv). 

Most readers of this group likely will find the second half
more useful. But if you've got a 386, don't skip chapter 12.
Oh yeah...the index is accurate. 

>***************************************
>*          Peter Cormier              *
>*       PETER@ACI_1.ACI.NS.CA         *
>*     Atlantic Computer Institute     *
>*     Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada    *
>***************************************

-jen