🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <881952996snz@inf-eden.demon.co.ux>, Chris Kennington -
newshound <Newz@inf-eden.demon.co.ux> writes
>Bill:
>
>    Looking at the last several posts on this thread, including my
> own, I think we can sort out a bit of what happened.
>
>    Firstly, you said that you "copied files from my other m/c",
> and I think this implied that it was a Win95 setup.  This is a
> substantial mistake.  The various versions of DOS are quite
> incompatible with each other (M$oft make sure of this).  So,
> leaving aside a little item called SETVER, you have *got* to use
> files from the same MSDOS that you had on the m/c before the
> trouble.
>
>    Secondly, it looks as though you have deleted your 'compressed
> drive' files, DBLSPACE.000 etc.  In this case, their contents has
> gone for good unless the UNDELETE method referred to by another
> poster works.  Which it is not likely to, if you've done much
> copying of files to the disk.  And in any case, UNDELETE activity
> is not really for the tyro.  If it is *only* the DBLSPACE.BIN,
> .SYS & .EXE, plus IO.SYS & MSDOS.SYS & COMMAND.COM, then these can
> be reinstalled from a boot-floppy, and the data-disks will
> reappear.  But it must be the *right* boot floppy.
>
>    Otherwise, I suspect that you are going to have to bite the
> bullet, abandon all the files you had on the computer (?backups?),
> and reinstall DOS and Win 3.1 from scratch.  If you haven't got the
> relevant disks, I can let you have copies.
>
>    But, clutching at straws, where are you geographically?  You
> just *might* be close enough to some Samaritan for him/her to
> sort things out on the ground.  (I'm in Henley-on-Thames).
>
>    Pace what another poster said, the fact that having booted
> from floppy you can get 'DIR C:' to give you the disk label,
> serial number and "file not found" *is* significant.  It means
> that the disk is functional but basically empty.  However, try
> again with 'DIR C: /a'.  The extra parameter means "show all",
> and *might* show up a bunch of hidden files.  If it does this,
> then there is hope; post the names of them to this thread; and
> include in the posting the *timestamps* of the files.  M$oft, like
> many others, (mis)use the time-field to identify the version of DOS
> etc that the files belong to.  Yours should have times of 6.00 or
> 6.20.
>
>    Keep posting!  And remember, "all the mnost useful experience
> is bad experience".
>
>                                            Chris K.
>
>PS:  Feel free to give me a phone call.  Number in sig.

-- 
James Bannon

I have to agree. I've been bitten myself like this in the past (and helped
others who have been bitten). If your compressed drive is gone, then "you've had
it" I'm afraid and the only recourse is FDISK ("gulp!")

The moral of the story? Well, two actually!

1.  Never ever at any time work with drive compression enabled! Working with
plain data is much safer, and faster, than working with compressed data on-line.
If you must compress data, then do so offline and keep two copies.

2.  Backup all your data (the apps don't matter much) at least once a week. Use
whatever device you feel happiest with or easily afford. I use a parallel port
zip drive and a floppyCD for more permanent backups, but a simple tape drive is
fine. I would recommend you keep your data on two media just in case one fails,
e.g., floppy and DAT, or similar.


Sorry about being wise after the event!!

Cheers.