[Ham-Computers] DOS Trick

[Trevor Holyoak]

I used to prefer the commandline myself, and still use it when I need 
to, but I've actually seen much worse mistakes made by people due to 
typing problems at a commandline. :)

Windows is what has made computers user-friendly enough that there are 
enough users to keep us all employed. :) The average person doesn't 
understand computers any less now than they did when they had to use 
DOS, there are just more people using computers now. Actually, with the 
stuff they teach in school now (my kindergartener is learning to type at 
school), people are becoming more and more computer literate (at least 
the younger ones). My brother-in-law that's still in high school will be 
a CNA when he graduates, just from the classes he's taken at school 
(which include the certification).

Personally, I'd still rather use my Atari 800, but I'd have a really 
hard time finding a job if I insisted on it. :)

- Trevor

Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote:

>The opportunity for errors is far higher with Windows, which is why many
>programmers do not use it for system maintenance. I am one of them. I have never
>had to reformat a hard drive in twenty-two years. I wonder how many Windows
>users can say that honestly, heh? 	
>	
>Easier is not always better. I prefer the more foolproof approach. I have fixed
>systems trained technicians could not fix, mainly because they did not
>understand how the system really worked. The point and click mentality. Keeping
>users unaware is the name of the game now, so they must depend on the company
>for assistance. It worries me when people can not even match up colors correctly
>when cables are color coded!	
>	
>Duane Fischer, W8DBF	
>
>
>----------
>From: Trevor Holyoak <trevor@holyoak.com>
>To: ham-computers@mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Ham-Computers] DOS Trick
>Date: Saturday, November 16, 2002 10:57 PM
>
>You can actually do this much easier from Windows, just do a search in 
>Windows Explorer. Then you can just select any files that show up on the 
>resulting list and hit the "delete" key.
>
>You may find leftover files (program fragments) but not _file_ 
>fragments. There are actually file fragments all over your hard drive, 
>but they are ignored. To make it fairly simple,
>when you delete a file, it's actually just marked as deleted, and the 
>next info is written to the disk, it can write over portions as it needs 
>to. Once a file is marked as deleted, though, it will no longer show up 
>in a directory search.
>
>The reason you may find leftover files after a program has been 
>uninstalled is that often a program puts files in more than one 
>directory, and the uninstall program doesn't always delete them all. 
>This may be because it's assumed you may want files you created with the 
>program (probably a valid assumption), or because it's possible that 
>another program is using one of the files, or because Windows still has 
>a lock on one or more files, or it might just simply be lazy 
>programming. (I'm actually amazed every time I write an uninstall script 
>that actually successfully removes all traces of the program - Windows 
>often keeps locks on things that make that impossible.)
>
>- Trevor
>
>Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote:
>
>  
>
>>	
>>One of the best ways to find left over pieces of a supposedly deleated program,
>>is to go into the DOS window, or C:\ Be sure you are no longer showing
>>    
>>
>'windows'
>  
>
>>as the directory. Using a cd\ and enter will get you to the C:\ prompt.	
>>	
>>Type: dir/b corel*.* /s  Press enter.	
>>	
>>This will search all directories on the entire hard drive for any reference to
>>'corel', or whatever word you place there.	
>>	
>>Use the information shown on the screen to go into the proper directory and
>>remove the unwanted file fragments. 	
>>	
>>DOS has many powerful tools that Windows takes away from users. there is a lot
>>more to a computer, then point and click.	
>>	
>>Then reset the default for MSIE as another person indicated. 	
>>	
>>Duane W8DBF	
>>
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>> 
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
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