To FootThis remains very much unfinished, as you can see.
I'd certainly recommend achieving a clean run of CHKDSK or the corresponding portions of SCANDISK or Norton NDD (or an equivalent) directly before an upgrade; preferably a full SCANDISK or NDD (or an equivalent) run. Don't know if this is doable within Windows - I ran CHKDSK in a DOS box and got a claimed but not subsequently justified error in NSPOOL which was doubtless open at the time.
IMHO, one should use CHKDSK very frequently; it checks the logical structure by reading the FAT and the directories, and is fairly quick. I had it at the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT, and at the end of the batch files which start Windows 3.11 and Turnpike. If one has a problem which CHKDSK can see, it's worth fixing ASAP, before things get worse.
SCANDISK does (approximately?) the same checks, PLUS a surface scan which takes a long time; you'll only want to do this in between work sessions. Also it tends to need buttons pressed, though it may be possible to CUSTOMise this and the scan out while still seeing the results.
These programs can alter an illegitimate logical disc structure to make it legitimate, but data may be damaged. I always replace, delete, or examine any file it mentions, after legitimisation.
WARNING - AFAIR, CHKDSK /F did NOT repair a damaged ReadOnly/System file. After CHKDSK /F, do another CHKDSK to see if there are still problems, and repeat until clean.
386SPART.PAS is the Windows Swap File; size adjustable in Control Panel / 386enh / virtual memory / Change .
On a FAT32 system, it may be useful to have a modest FAT16 partition. DOS6.20 INTERSVR, for example seems not FAT32-compatible.
Some of my Turbo/Borland Pascal programs, allegedly either useful or instructive, are in my programs directory as *.PAS and sometimes *.EXE and *.TXT files; there are also *.ZIP files. There is a plain-text 00index.txt file, and an HTML version. The *.PAS files should contain sufficient explanation, as initial comment or at the end, except where a *.TXT is used instead. Use at your own risk - check for viruses - etc.
See also my MS-DOS Batch Programs.
See Prof. Salmi's 1997
27222 Feb 12 22:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/pd2/bestpr54.zip bestpr54.zip Timo's choice best MS-DOS/Windows PD/FW/SW programs, T.Salmi
or later.
Backups of all significant files are essential, except where there is a sure and easy means of recovering them from elsewhere; most especially so for those that have been written locally, rather than imported.
The software may fail; the hardware may fail; a disc may be lost; a computer may be stolen or broken; the building may burn down ...
You may thoughtlessly delete files.
Backup systems must be properly tested from time to time.
Subscribe to comp.risks, a moderated newsgroup with a fascinating Risks Digest posted once every few days; it is archived in the USA, and in the UK; there is a UK Search Engine. Note: For this newsgroup, propagation to Demon has been unreliable.
For remaining Y2k matters, see my Year 2000 Page, Part 1 and its links.
Every computer password, key, etc. which is regularly used within an organisation should be written down, placed in a sealed, externally-annotated envelope, and kept in a place of appropriate security (unless some better scheme is used); and it must be possible for anyone who might need access to know how to start looking for it. In general, whoever handles staff records must have such a place. In some cases, it may be appropriate to so save more than one copy, and/or to get a copy kept by another body (the lawyer, the bank, the neighbour, depending). Or to store the password as two or more parts which must be suitably combined to work.
Think what is done about the important door-opening keys, to illustrate the problem? Even in a simple home situation, such matters need some consideration.
A cautious firm will require that the passwords are tested at suitable but unpredictable intervals, and then, if really cautious, that they are changed and retested to show that they no longer work.
To install or change a password which controls access to material which may reasonably be required for the continued proper running of the business without making immediately-effective arrangements for controlled access to that password in the event of the unavailability of the normal user must be a severe disciplinary offence in a well-run firm.
However, it does remain necessary for an authorised administrator to be able to obtain access to the material without the password, possibly with senior management involvement.
Otherwise, never give the password to anybody who is not entitled to use it to the full, including possible impersonation of yourself.
Those involved in major finance, defence, and so on must take appropriate professional advice instead of reading the above.
Always verify before passing on any new warning; hoaxes are common.
In article <199704172050.QAA05954@starbase.cb.lucent.com> of Thu, 17 Apr 1997 16:50:28 in news.announce.important, Mark Horton <mark@lucent.com> wrote :-
There has been a sudden increase in warnings about hoax viruses, such as AOL4FREE, PenPal Greetings, Deeyenda, Irina, and Good Times. Hoax viruses usually claim to infect your PC just by reading an email message. There is no known mechanism for a virus to infect your system in this way. If you receive an e-mail message warning of a disk being erased just by reading an e-mail message, please DO NOT PASS IT ON. The spread of the rumors has become a serious problem on the Internet.
Note that Microsoft developments now mean that reading an HTML E-mail can be infective.
There is a hoax on Windows jdbgmgr.exe, which is the real Microsoft Debugger Registrar for Java. And sulfnbk is similar.
Further information on hoaxes, is/was available in and around the following URLs: Sophos, datafellows.
Dr. Solomon's are quoted as having written : "An article all about virus hoaxes can be read at our website".
Read the standard references; this is not a complete guide, but merely snippets.
A ready-to-run virus can in principle be transmitted as plain ASCII (but I know of no actual examples).
I have seen a UUDECODE program written in pure 7-bit ASCII. The first part was manifestly a tour de force, with I guess a RAM-to-RAM UUDECODE written using only bytes 32..126 with occasional 13,10 at irregular but suitable intervals; the rest was manifestly data for it, and was presumably a normal file-to-file UUDECODE, UUENCODEd. I see no reason why the second part could not be viral instead.
TM@hhc has written (different) code to generate such.
Users of DOS-based newsreaders should consider what might be done by a combination of a malicious E-mail and the more potent facilities of ANSI.SYS.
IMHO the only safe rule is that using what you receive as data for trusted tools (eyeballs, notepad, etc.) is safe; but any execution of input as any form of code is unsafe (except under the control of a trustworthy safe interpreter). Word Processor macros are not safe. ActiveX is not safe. Java and JavaScript, I think, are intended to be safe, provided that security settings are cautious.
I have a link to F-PROT virus scanner release info.
As viruses can be date-triggered, double-check for viruses before Y2k-testing.
Further information on viruses, including hoaxes, is/was available in and around the following URLs: news:comp.virus, Kumite, via DataFellows, F-PROT, Sophos, McAfee Root, at SANS Institute, Symantec, IBM/Symantec.
University of North Texas Computer Virus Information and Resources Page.
CERT® Coordination Center - Home Network Security.
Always verify a virus-type report before passing it on.
For Pascal books, see Pascal Links, Page 2.