287 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
287 lines
9.8 KiB
Plaintext
Hard Disk Management: Level 2
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BATCH FILES
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-----------
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These are user created files that have the extension .BAT
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The file itself contains lines of DOS commands. Some think of these
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files as "macros". They can be created with an ASCII text editor
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including the built in EDLIN editor (see below), or can be created from "the
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console" (keyboard) via COPY CON.
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These are very useful for program startups.
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Use the TYPE command to view the contents of a batch file:
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C:\>TYPE 123.BAT
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c:\
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cd\lotus
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123
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cd\
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cls
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Use the PRINT command to print out the contents of a batch file:
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C:\>PRINT AUTOEXEC.BAT
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The PRINT command is like the TYPE command except it is an external DOS
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command and send output to the printer instead of the screen. Another
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approach using redirection discussed earlier would be:
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C:\>TYPE AUTOEXEC.BAT >PRN
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AUTOEXEC.BAT
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------------
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This user created, optional batch file is sought out by DOS when the
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system is BOOTed. If this file is on the BOOT disk, DOS will
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AUTOmatically open it and EXECute it.
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This is outstanding way to automate the execution of certain DOS
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commands like DATE, TIME, PATH, PROMPT, etc - which should be done
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EVERY time the system is booted.
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EX:
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date
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time
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path c:\;c:\dos;c:\batch;c:\utility
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subst e: c:\dbase\dbfiles
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prompt $p$g
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cls
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CONFIG.SYS
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----------
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This too is an ASCII file created and viewed like AUTOEXEC.bat. It
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also is optional and is sought out by DOS when the system is BOOTed. HOWEVER,
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the command lines that this file uses ARE NOT DOS type commands found in .BAT
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files. Rather, these are special CONFIGuration SYStem commands.
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CONFIGuration SYStem commands are needed to define certain hardware
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parameters. For example, if your system uses special size disk drives,
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extra printers, extra modems, extra input devices (joysticks, mouse),
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RAM disks, etc.
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EX: CONFIG.sys
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FILES = 20
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BUFFERS = 15
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In this example, FILES = 20 means that DOS will allow up to 20 files opened
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simultaneously. If this line were not present in CONFIG.SYS, DOS would only
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allow up to 7 files. Do we need up to 20? Certain programs (dBASE,
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Accounting, etc) state early in their manuals that this parameter needs to be
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set at 20 for the software to operate correctly.
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The BUFFERS = 15 defines a staging area within RAM for portions of files that
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are not on the screen yet. For example, in an Accounting program if you told
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the computer to bring up the last 10 invoices entered, it would display these
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10 invoices. However, unknown to you it actually took the last 30 invoices in
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anticipation that you would want to see them right away also. The extra 20
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that the system brought into RAM are sitting within the BUFFERS. DOS allows
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this and does this as a way to speed up the system. Items that are sitting in
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RAM can be accessed seemingly instantly versus items that must be sought from
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a disk.
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If not told, DOS automatically sets BUFFERS to 3. If BUFFERS are so useful,
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why not set them to their maximum of 99? The reason is that DOS is guessing
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which information you will need next. If it guesses wrong - for example the
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next invoice you wish to look at is 1500 ago, it must first check all the
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BUFFERS before realizing that it will have to go to the disk to retrieve the
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needed information. It actually slows the process down in this case. Most
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purchased software will note if this command is needed and what to set it to.
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BUFFERS = 15 is a common level to operate at.
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EDLIN
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-----
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Edlin is a LINe EDitor supplied with the DOS disks. It is a very basic word
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processor that allows the creation and editing of Batch Files including
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AUTOEXEC.BAT and the CONFIG.SYS file. These files are like documents that the
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computer reads and interprets. Each line of these files contains a single
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thought for the computer. EDLIN is a device to create these documents.
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To enter the EDLIN environment you type the word EDLIN followed by the name of
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the file you wish to create or edit:
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C:\>EDLIN CONFIG.SYS
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An asterisk will appear:
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*
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You will type the letter I and press enter to go into the Insert mode:
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*I
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The computer responds with:
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1:*
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This 1 refers to line 1 of the CONFIG.SYS you are now creating. You will now
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just type each line and press enter. When finished you will press the <F6>
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key to return to the furthest left asterisk:
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1:*FILES = 20
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2:*BUFFERS = 15
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3:<F6>
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*
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At this asterisk you will now type E and press enter to End the process and
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save what you just created:
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*E
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C:\>
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Other EDLIN commands from the left most asterisk:
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*L - this would List on the screen the entire contents of the
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file being edited
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*3D - this would delete line #3 from the file
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*4I - this would allow inserting a new command beginning at line #4
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*5 - this would allow making changes to line #5
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EDLIN is adequate for creating and editing small Batch type files. We saw
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earlier that there is another technique for creating these files utilizing the
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COPY CON command. It is even more limited than EDLIN.
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BACKUP and RESTORE
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------------------
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Periodically the entire hard drive or at least the subdirectories
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containing data files should be BACKed-UP onto floppies or tape for
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safe storage in the event of a hard drive crash or accidental erasure.
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Should that happen, the files are then simply RESTOREd.
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DOS provides two commands to accomplish this - BACKUP and RESTORE
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commands. Unfortunately, these are slow and problematic. The world is
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full of third party alternatives that are far superior in speed, ease
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of use, data compression, and ability to incorporate into batch files
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so the operator only need to "kick-off" a batch file and have a supply
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of floppies nearby to complete.
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EX: Using DOS commands:
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C:\>BACKUP C:\lotus\*.wks A: /S /M
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"A" is the DESTINATION drive
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C:\lotus is the SOURCE directory
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*.wks specifies any files with an extension .wks (worksheet files)
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/S specifies any Subdirectories beneath \LOTUS directory
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(that contain *.wks files)
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/M only the files that have been Modified since Last BACKUP (using the
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same disk set as last used during the BACKUP)
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NOTE: Have a supply of disks for the "A" drive ready. These floppies do not
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have to be formatted. If more than 1 is required, be sure to number in
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sequence. This process will erase whatever used to be on the disk.
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Now, if the files need to be restored to the hard drive due to failure
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or erasure: Start out with "disk #1" in the "A" drive.
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A:\>RESTORE A: C:\lotus\*.wks /S /M
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"A" is now the SOURCE
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/M only files Modified or Deleted since they were backed up
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These commands were designed for emergency situations. It is better than
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nothing. Many wish to use them as a way to transfer a large group of files
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from one machine to another. This will only work if the version of DOS on
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each machine is identical.
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Another problem is that you end up with a very large number of disks. There
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is no data compression (which most competing products provide) which results
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in up to 50% fewer backup disks.
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A final hazard: If you end up with 20 disks, and disk number 10 is lost or
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destroyed, you may never be able to access disks 11-20 or 1-9. The 20 disk
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set is like one continuous floppy disk. By destroying 1 disk, it is like you
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destroyed the giant continuous floppy. This is not true of competing products
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like FASTBACK, PCTOOLS or NORTON UTILITIES.
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XCOPY
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-----
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Beginning with DOS 3.2, the XCOPY command is a useful hybrid of the COPY
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command and the BACKUP/RESTORE mess. It addresses the issue that COPY cannot
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copy more files than a disk can hold. But, XCOPY cannot copy a single file
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that is larger than a single disk like the BACKUP command can.
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C:\>XCOPY C:\*.* a: /S /M /D:mm-dd-yy
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The options: /S - includes all subdirectories hung from the current one
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(in the case shown we are in the root directory)
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/M - includes only files that have been modified since the
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last XCOPY was performed
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/D:mm-dd-yy - include only files with a date greater or
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equal to the one specified
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XCOPY is: - Faster than the COPY or BACKUP commands
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- Able to transfer entire directories like BACKUP can
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- Copy files selectively by modification status or date
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- Able to use the COPY command (which is DOS version independent)
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to copy individual files at a later date - unlike BACKUP
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- Unable to copy single files that are larger than a single disk
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(BACKUP is able to do this - remember the 1 continuous disk
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concept)
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- Target disks must be formatted
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HARD DISK ORGANIZATION PRINCIPALS
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---------------------------------
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1. Put only directories in the Root directory except;
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Command.com, Config.sys, Autoexec.bat
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2. Use many batch files. Put them in a \BATCH subdirectory
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3. Keep the PATH command short in autoexec.bat
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PATH = c:\DOS;c:\BATCH;c:\UTILITY
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4. Keep the directories sorted (use third party software tools)
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5. Defragment files on a regular basis - use some third party
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software; PC-TOOLS, NORTON UTILITIES, VOPT, etc
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***** END OF FILE: Press <ESC> to return to Main Menu *****
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