DOS: Made Lite |
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by Terryon Boyd |
Q. What is chkdsk? How is it used?
A. Chkdsk is an external DOS command. The external command is not loaded into memory with the rest of DOS; rather, it remains on disk and the reason for this brilliant idea is to reserve the computer's memory. Oh, by the way, chkdsk is a short way of saying "Check Disk" and this command can be used on either your hard drive or your floppy disk.
This command is used to check the validity of a disk, volume information, size (total disk space), the number of files and the amount of free space on the hard drive itself. It also gives information in reference to the format of the disk and total free amounts of RAM inside your computer.
Caution: DO NOT run Chkdsk while in Windows or in a DOS window. Exit Windows and run it at the DOS prompt only.
Q. What does the error message "Sector Not Found Reading Drive"mean? How is it repaired?
A. It means that your system (computer) is trying to access a file and it
can not obtain access to that particular section on your disk. This normally is
caused by daily use of files. Repetition causes wear of your sectors on your
disk drive and results in your system giving you a read error message. Some of
you may remember the
old record players and their use of the albums and
45 records. For those of you who may not know what I'm speaking of, the
records were played with the arm of the stereo, which had a little needle
attached to it. The arm would drop down on the record and begin playing the
music on the selected record and if you had a favorite record you played over
and over, your record would sound rather creaky (scratchy) from the wear and
tear of redundancy. Well, the same concept applies with disks. Programs like
Norton's Utilities repair (in most cases) files and move them from the
damaged sector on your hard drive to another location. If this fails then it's
time to call a computer tech or perhaps replace your hard drive.
Q. What does it mean when you get this message, "Bad Command or File Name"?
A. This message indicates that DOS does not understand your command. What DOS wants you to do is just re-enter the command you just typed in and make sure it is spelled correctly. (If you receive this error message consistently, check the "Path" statement in your Autoexec.bat to insure your DOS subdirectory is in the "path".)
Q. What does the term "Non-System Disk" mean?
A. Generally, the term means that the disk has not been
prepared or
formatted for DOS use. You will also get this message if you restart your
computer with a diskette left in the boot floppy drive that is not a "bootable"
diskette. (It does not contain the necessary DOS "system" files on
it.) The fix for this is simple; you just remove the diskette from the drive
(normally a: drive) and reset your computer.
Q. What is Config.sys and what can you do with it?
A. There is a DOS command that you always use in conjunction with the Config.sys file and it is called Edit. This command allows you to make changes to a file and in our case especifically to the "Config.sys" file.
The Config.sys file allows you to make some changes to your system. It will allow you to change the buffer size and your file allocation. These are two attributes which will change the speed of your computer dramatically. The syntax to change these commands is: c:>\edit config.sys.
Increasing your file allocation to at least 80 will allow you to open up windows icons with ease. When your config.sys file is open for editing make the following changes: Files = 80. (No period). Increasing the buffer size will increase the capacity for holding information and will ultimately speed up your Windows programs. To change the number of buffers, edit your config.sys file as follows: Buffers = 30 (or 40 depending on your needs and/or number required by a particular piece of software.) These changes depend entirely on what you already have in your config.sys file. To see these settings in your config.sys just type at your c:> prompt, edit config.sys. Oh, by the way, you might want to save your config.sys file to a disk before your start making any changes. That's not a DOS rule, it's a "Terry's Rule of Hard Knocks". Your Config.sys is located in your root directory (C:\).
In the Config.sys you can also change the way DOS loads on your system. For example, you can edit or add this line: DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE. (No period after .EXE) If your computer has an 80386 or 80486 processor, you can use the EMM386.EXE command to allow programs that use expanded memory to be run in extended memory by simulating expanded memory. This command also helps DOS manage extended memory and the upper memory area (memory "above" the 640K). It is also needed if you use the DOS=UMB command.
Q. How do you name a diskette or a drive?
A. To name a diskette or drive go to your DOS PROMPT (A:> or C:>, etc.) and type the word Label, followed by the name you wish to use to identify the diskette or drive. This command is not case sensitive, nor are any of the DOS commands. This "name" is also referred to as the "volume name".
There are many other ways to configure your system to increase its potential for optimum use. I'll cover more next time.
Terron Boyd is a HAL-PC member.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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