Re: I had a crash

Thanks Tom
Great info. I regularly backup to an external USB drive and also to my laptop............can't be too careful. I am running disc diagnostics (do you recommend any in particular?) and so far all looks ok.
Pete

w_tom wrote: 
  FAT was a simple directory system that only provided minimal
functions for DOS.  Keep it simple and without resilient
features. FAT was created on a 'we need something now' basis
during early DOS development in FL.  FAT had no data
protection features; none worthy of mention. FAT was obsoleted
by HPFS which is turn was obsoleted by NTFS.

  NTFS has numerous abilities to fix errors as they occur
including redundant tables even separated at remote disk
locations so that damage to one disk area does not damage both
tables.  In short, NTFS also does automatically much of what
SCANDISK once did with human intervention.  It could lock out
a bad disk cluster, or rebuild a corrupted data table, or
other functions including those found in SCANDISK.  NTFS also
eliminates other FAT problems such as loss of a disk file due
to an unexpected power loss during a disk write.  It even
reduces work to obtain small (ie 1K) files faster; storing
data in the directory rather than elsewhere (that would
require extra head seeks).

  NTFS does so much to protect and restore data that we wonder
openly why some still use FAT.  So that data can be exchanged
with other OSes (on same computer), some may setup a tiny
partition with FAT, leaving the NTFS partition for reliable XP
operation.

  We have insufficient information to state what NTFS and
CHKDSK did this time for you.

   Some filesystem repairs require additional requirements
such as to lock out other programs from disk access.  CHKDSK
then executes NTFS repairs when CHKDSK is the only program
accessing the disk.

From the error message, assume only one file was damaged. Why it required CHKDSK and did not perform the repair
automatically is only speculation.

The disk recovered; maybe even from a problem that could not
be repaired if using FAT. We don't know why damage happened. But the fact that damage did occur is reason to be cautious
about a looming hardware problem, to backup critical data, and
to perform the many usual diagnostic procedures listed
earlier.


  Ignore those messages about heat being so destructive; dust
bunnies causing hardware crashes.  Yes, heat (running a
computer in a 20 degree C room verses 40 degree) does
accelerate wear or failures.  And then we put numbers to those
half truths.  The increased wear is so trivial as to be
irrelevant.  Those who promote heat as a problem routinely
forget to use perspective - provide the numbers.

Heat is an superb tool to locate defective hardware before
that hardware causes more serious problems later in a 20
degree room. Heat is not a problem; it is a diagnostic tool. A tool you might use to verify a hardware problem before
another file is harmed. Those who only learn from curing
symptoms would never learn nor appreciate these techniques.

pmg wrote:

Thankyou for the good info Tom.
Re thunderstorms. remmeber this is an international newsgroup....I am in
Melbourne, Australia and the weather is perfect.
So what actually has CHKDSK done to get me running again? I am not aware
that it can restore a system file. Has it just fixed the FAT? Or has it
locked out a faulty section of disc?

.

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