🚀 go-pugleaf

In referenced article, tennis@cs.mcgill.ca (Pascal PROULX) writes:
>"After considerable testing, I have discovered a major problem with the 
>version of SmartDrive included with Windows 3.1. The default installation
>of SMARTDRV.EXE enables write caching....
>
>1) If you use a program wich handles multiple boot-up configurations by using
>   alternative Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files then automatically
>   re-booting, SmartDrive won't write the new files to the hard disk before
>   the computer reboots. This could cause damage to you FAT table

This can be overcome by inserting the command

    SMARTDRV /C

prior to the reboot command.  This causes SMARTDRV to complete all write
operations (flush its cache) before continuing.

>2) In some Windows programs, not enough time is allowed for SmartDRive to
>   write files to disk. In this case, if you shut off your computer for some 
>   reason, your files will not be saved. In the worst scenario, your FAT tables
>   may be damaged.
>
>3) If a power failure occurs during the gap before cached data is written to
>   the hard disk, you could damage your FAT tables.

Both of these "problems" are cases of your system being turned off while
writing to disk.  This is a bad idea whether there is a write cache active
or not!!

As far as a power failure is concerned, using SMARTDRV in no way
exacerbates the problem.

In other circumstances, yes, the timing pattern of writes is different when
using SMARTDRV and you have to get used to it, but the solution is simple -
don't switch off your computer under any circumstances until all disk
activity is complete.

This is all true of any disk cache with a write-behind feature, and is not
specific to SMARTDRV (which in my experience, behaves flawlessly).

>Disable write-caching in SmartDrive.

I see absolutely no need to recommend this.
-- 
Ray Dunn at home    |    ray@philmtl.philips.ca    |    (514) 630 3749