defining directories vs files
Vernon Balbert (Symantec)
>I had a zip disk crash and when DD recovered the info it listed all
>directories as files which prevents recovery of files within the
>directories. I need a way to change the definition so that I can
>recover the files, they are there but as long as the directories are
>defined as files I cannot access them. Some of the files are OLE and
>can only be accessed under windows 3.1 as my Japanese word processor
>only works under W3.1. When I try to access them under 98 using
>WP8.0 the system crashes.
Bill,
First, so you understand what's happening, a word about the difference
betwee files and directories. And the word is that there are no
differences. Except the directory attribute. This attribute makes
the operating system treat a file in a completely different way than
it would other files.
If you haven't done so already, create a Zip Rescue disk set. Boot
using this and then shut down to DOS. The drivers necessary to access
the Zip drive will be in memory and you can access it from DOS.
The next step involves using Disk Edit, the tool that comes with NU
which allows you to edit data directly on the disk. BE VERY CAREFUL
WITH DISK EDIT. YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES WHICH CAN CORRUPT OR DESTROY
DATA. You may wish to back up your data before you attempt the next
steps.
Next, load DISKEDIT. (You might want to copy it to a floppy just to
make it easier to find.) Most likely it will tell you that it's in
Read-Only mode and you need to change it. To do this, hit Alt-T to
bring down the Tools menu and select Configuration (it's at the
bottom). Turn off read-only mode and hit Enter. Hit Alt-R and
navigate to the folder where the files are that you want to convert to
directories. Highlight the first file you want to change. On the far
right side of the screen you'll see columns labeled A R S H D V.
These represent the file attributes and stand for Archive, Read-only,
System, Hidden, Directory and Volume. Use the cursor keys to move the
cursor into the D column. Press D to make the change. Do this with
each file that you want to convert. Hit Alt-X to exit and Disk Edit
will prompt you to confirm the changes you made.
This is all that is needed. Chances are you'll want to boot to
Windows again and recover what you need. However, I feel I should
warn you that if NDD converted the folders to files it's because it
looked inside them and determined that the contents are not likely to
be directory entries. What you see when you look at these folders may
not be recognizable.
Vernon Balbert
Senior Support Analyst
Symantec Corporation
Please continue to post your messages to the public discussion groups as
Symantec does not provide support via private e-mail. If you have
difficulty getting a response or in using our discussion groups, please
read the following article:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/1998527114414
For technical support newsletters, Knowledge Base support articles, our
Online Support Genie, and FAQs, visit our Norton Utilities support page: