Category : File Managers
Archive   : QDIR132.ZIP
Filename : QDHINTS.DOC

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³ ³ Quick Directory ³ Hints and Tips ³ ³
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³ Quick Directory Jim Olsen - SUPERWARE ³
³ Shareware Version 1.32 PO Box 1291 ³
³ Copyright, 1993. Naugatuck, CT 06770 ³
³ All Rights Reserved. (203) 723 - 0014 ³
³ ³
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Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 1


- In this tutorial, I will be informally going through some
of the main ways I use QuickDir.

- Since I'll be teaching you from my experience, You'll
be an advanced QuickDir user in no time at all.

- First, I'll list some of the major ways I use QuickDir.
Then, I'll tell you the details.


The Major Ways I Use QuickDir - Jim Olsen, Author.
---------------------------------------------------
1. Quickly Change Dos Directories.
2. Copy Files To Diskette.
3. See what's on a diskette.
4. Using QuickDir for Backup.
5. Editing and Viewing Files.
6. Searching for a Filename.
7. Cleaning Up the Hard Drive.






Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 2


#1 - Quickly Changing Dos Directories
-------------------------------------
DOS directories can get quite large. One of my
directories is called:
C:\WIN\WORDPROC\RESUME\RESMAIL\QUICKDIR.
You can use QuickDir to easily change to that directory.
Here's how:
- Type 'QD QUICKDIR'
- QuickDir initializes and highlights the first directory
starting with QUICKDIR.
- If the directory is not correct, press the 'N'ext Key.
- Keep using 'N' until the proper directory is found.
- Use the 'Q'uit key to quit and change to directory.
- Note: Using ESCAPE to quit will bypass dir change.


#2 - Copy Files To Diskette.
----------------------------
If you use diskette as your primary backup or file
transfer medium, QuickDir has many advantages over
other copy software.
You can use 'Verify' to automaticly verify
that the diskette write was indeed good. Rather than
just scanning the newly written file, QuickDir actually
reads the file, performing a copy without any output file.
If your file selection list contains more files than
can fit on a single diskette, QuickDir will ask if you
want to use a new diskette.

Here's how I use QuickDir to copy files to diskette:
- Decide what you want to copy.
- If it's an entire directory and subdirectories,
use 'C' from the directory tree display.
- If it's selected files from a single directory,
tag the files and use 'C' from the file display.
- If it's a single file, use 'C' from the file
display.
- Hint: If you are making multiple floppy disks with
the same contents, it is easier to set up some
TEMPORARY directories on your hard disk and then
use option 'C' from the directory tree to create
a disk.
- When creating a floppy always use 'VERIFY=Y' to
make sure that the disk can be read.

Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 3


#3 - Seeing What's on a Diskette.
---------------------------------
Whenever I get a diskette from any source, I put it in
the floppy drive and use 'QD A:' or 'QD B:'.
That enables me to see what's on the diskette, as well
as copy or unzip the files to the hard drive.

#4 - Using QuickDir for Backup.
-------------------------------
It's a good thing to do daily backup of parts of your
hard drive. Particularly, any files that are updated
daily should have their own directory structure, such
as spreadsheet, database and word processor. The
directory should NOT be part of the software directory
structure. If it data is separated from software,
backup is much easier.

Although the system presented here is not as automated
as some of the backup software I've seen, in my opinion
it is easier to use, since it backs up an entire
directory to a single floppy, overlaying the previous
backup. Restores are very easy since all that needs to
be done is unarchive the diskette. Most backup software
works at the file level. To restore a single directory
requires inserting many different disks, since the files
were created at different times.

Here's how to make backup using QuickDir.
1. - Design the directory tree structure so that the most
common backup directories have a single 'parent'.
2. - I recommend ARJ for backup, because it never allows
a file to grow bigger than a diskette.
3. - Go into the parent directory and TAG all files.
4. - Use 'O' for cOmpress.
5. - Specify the hard drive for output directory.
Daily backups are saved on hard drive and floppy.
6. - Call the filename '[DIRNAME].ARJ' (the directory name).
7. - In ARJ options, turn on 'Add all Subdir' and 'Volume'
size of diskette.
8. - Let Arj make the archive.
9. - Copy the archive to floppy, using verify to make
sure the backup is readable.
10.- You may want to leave daily backups on the hard
drive for quicker restore.
11.- Software backups are done infrequently, and are
deleted from the hard drive when I see the verify
successfully ended.



Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 4

#4 - Using QuickDir for Backup. Continued.
-------------------------------
Basing the backup on directories, and doing it manually
without a backup utility has worked well for me.
When a restore is required, I have all the files on 1
or more diskettes, wrapped together. Changed information
is compressed on the hard drive and also on a floppy.
Please tell me if you do backups this way. Perhaps I can
automate the procedure if enough people request it.

#5 - Editing and Viewing Files.
--------------------------------
I use QuickDir to change autoexec.bat, config.sys, and
generally to edit most small files. Just press enter
on the directory containing the files. Type E or V to
edit or view the files.
New!: You can now edit larger files with QuickDir V1.3,
because it shrinks itself to just 2k!


#6 - Searching for a Filename.
------------------------------
Often I keep multiple copies of QD.EXE on my hard drive,
some for mailing, some for execution, and one copy on
another drive in case something bad happens. When I
change QD.EXE, I also must update the copies on the
hard drive.
In a more general sense, sometimes it's good to keep
a copy of an important file in various places on
the system to be sure it doesn't get messed up.
QuickDir makes it easy to find these files, and replace
them. Use the 'J' - Find File Utility as follows:
1. - Figure out the file name you need.
2. - Use the 'J' - Find File Utility.
3. - Choose 'All Fixed Disks'.
4. - Specify the filename. You don't even have to enter
the entire filename. Any part you remember will do.
Don't use * or ? for place holders.
5. - QuickDir will perform a search for the file.
6. - When the search is complete, the utility display
allows you to copy and overlay files as needed.

Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 5


#7 - Cleaning up the Hard Drive.
------------------------------
Most importantly, QuickDir is a great help when cleaning
up hard drive files. It's absolutely amazing how quickly
you can run out of free space. QuickDir has the functions
you need to keep software size to a minimum.
Actually, there are a few steps you must perform to do
a drive cleanup.

1. - Do a DRIVE BACKUP!
2. - Determining Duplicates.
3. - Temporary File Deletion.
4. - Deleting Obsolete Software.
5. - Optimizing Software Packages.
6. - Run a Chkdsk and Defrag.

Each of these are detailed following.


1. Do a DRIVE BACKUP!
---------------------
---> Before performing ANY of these steps
---> make a backup of your hard drive.

2. Determining Duplicates.
---------------------------
If you are short on space, perhaps it's because you've
re-installed software, and forgot to delete the old
copy. Here's how to get rid of duplicates:

1. - I assume you know how you hard drive is organized,
what software is in each directory.
2. - Run Option 'I' - DupFiles from the directory tree.
3. - The resulting list contains files that have the
same filename.
4. - Look at the list. If the filename, date, time and
size are the same, then it's ok to delete the dups.
If the file has differences in size, date, or time
then it's best to leave it alone.
5. - To safely delete duplicates, you have to know the
GOOD directory from the BAD one. To be safe,
just copy the file to a temporary directory.
6. - After you copy the file to a temporary directory,
you may delete the duplicate file.
7. - When done, test the software in the directories
you delete from. If any programs fail, restore
from the temporary directory.
8. - BBS SYSOPS: Can get a lot of space back by using
SYSDUPS utility and deleting old version archives.


Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 6

3. Temporary File Deletion.
---------------------------
QuickDir has a built in search for temporary files.
Many PC programs create a file with a '.BAK' extension.
There are other extensions used also. Option 'B' -
Badfiles utility will help you search for these files.
Find temporary files as follows:

1. - Use Option 'B - Badfiles' from the directory tree.
2. - Choose All Fixed Disks.
3. - The utility panel contains files matching pre-set
search conditions.
4. - Don't just do 'D' deletes blindly. View each file.
If you have questions about what the file is, copy
it to a backup directory before deleting it. That
way, you can get it back should you require it.

3. Temporary File Deletion. (Continued)
---------------------------
5. - Remember: MOST PC programs DO NOT USE a common
standard for naming temporary files, so the list
may contain GOOD files.
6. - Files with 0 bytes are included in the utility
display. These files may be good, depending upon
the software that created them. If a filename
appears to be an action, like 'RESCAN.NOW' it's
best to leave it alone.


4. Deleting Obsolete Software.
------------------------------
If you are running out of free space, one option is to
find software you do not use often, and delete it from
the hard drive. You may choose to Compress and backup
the directory first, using the steps outlined in
'Using QuickDir for Backup'. Or, you can leave the
software on the hard drive as an archive file.


Copyright 1993, Jim Olsen SUPERWARE. All Rights Reserved.
QuickDir Hints and Tips ----------------------------------- Page 7


5. Optimizing Software Packages.
--------------------------------
One of the more interesting ways of saving space is
cleaning up each software package. As always, before
beginning backup your hard drive, and copy all files
to a temporary directory before deleting them.

1. - Start by VIEWING each file in the directory.
2. - Files ending in .COM .EXE .BAT .OVR .DLL are
definitely not to be deleted. These are program
files required to run the software.
3. - Help files and Documentation files in most cases
may be deleted if you really know the software or
have manuals.
4. - You must use the trial and error approach as you
backup and delete files from software. Move as
many files as you can, then restore them if your
software aborts. Most software will tell you the
name of an important missing file.
5. - When you're done, backup the directory. I've seen
a 50% reduction in space use, notably for Windows
Applications.


6. - Run a Chkdsk and Defrag.
-----------------------------
After the cleanup, backup your drive again. Also, run
'CHKDSK C: /F' to fix any allocation problems. Run a
defrag utility to fill up the empty spaces left by
your cleanup.