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From: rde@ukc.UUCP (R.D.Eager)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: disk naming help wanted
Message-ID: <320@ukc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 19:22:34 EST
Article-I.D.: ukc.320
Posted: Mon Oct 28 19:22:34 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 01:31:29 EST
References: <949@loral.UUCP>
Reply-To: rde@eagle.UUCP (Bob Eager)
Followup-To: net.micro.pc
Organization: U of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury, UK
Lines: 27
Keywords: PC-DOS, MS_DOS, disk labels


Something about disk labelling.

It is fairly easy to write a program to label a  disk  (they  abound  on
BBSs  and  I  have  one I can post if it is really required). No, MS-DOS
doesn't seem to include one in  the  normal  release;  probably  because
there are problems (I think due to a bug (yes, another one)) in MS-DOS.

The way you label a disk is to create a directory  entry  (in  the  root
directory)   with   the   'volume   label'   bit   set. This  is  fairly
easy. However, if you change the label later on (by either  removing  it
completely  or  by  deleting it then creating a new one) the chances are
you will trash a few files. The behaviour of  MS-DOS  in  this  area  is
*weird*. I  can  see no rhyme or reason for the mess that is made of the
disk (something like the first eight FAT entries are trashed).

What's more, it isn't even an unsupported feature; it's actually in  the
manual  so  Microsoft  haven't  got  that  cop-out  this time. Still, it
wouldn't do to produce reliable software all the time - would it?
-- 
           Bob Eager

           rde@ukc.UUCP
           rde@ukc
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           Phone: +44 227 66822 ext 7589