Windows 9X File System

Introduction to file systems

Windows 9x provides a number of features to prepare your hard drive for use and to maintain your information after the installation of the operating system optimally.
The operating system (OS) preparation tools for your hard drive include FDISK.EXE and FORMAT .COM .
The Maintenance tools of windows include Scandisk , Defrag, backup, and also the ability of disk caching.
Windows 9x also has improved storage features such as Long File Names (LFN ), disk compression on FAT16 and the inclusion of the efficient FAT32 filing system.

Partitioning Your Hard Drive
High Level Format
The IFSHLP .SYS file
FAT 16
FAT 32
Disk Caching

Disk Compression
Long File Names
CDFS
Scandisk
Backup
Defragmentation

There are three stages in preparing a hard drive ,

a) Low Level Format (LLF )- Usually Performed by manufacturer, can be done in the BIOS Basic Input Output System

b) Partitioning –Performed by DOS or Windows 98 using FDISK.EXE

c) High Level Format (HLF ) –Performed by the operating system after partitioning

Low Level Format (LLF )

The sector ID’s are defined during LLF . These sectors ID’s are used as landmarks for finding data by all operating systems on the hard drive
LLF is usually performed by the manufacturer but can be performed by the BIOS
LLF is not recommended accept as a last resort.

Partitioning your Drive

Partitioning is a process of dividing a drive into separate sections.
It’s ideal for dual booting environments and different filing systems such as FAT16 , FAT32 , and NTFS .
Partitioning is very useful for inefficient filing systems such as FAT16 .
A program called FDISK.EXE in DOS and windows 95/98 performs partitioning.
A Hard drive, which contains partitions, is a Basic Disk.
Hard drives can have only primary and extended partitions .
FDISK.EXE will allow you to create one primary partition and one extended DOS partition although your drive can contain up to four primary partitions.
All partitions must exist within the primary and extended partitions .
Logical drive can exist inside the extended partition
Partitioning your hard drive with Fdisk.exe available in DOS windows 95/98. Refer to the partitioning module for more information .

Exercise (Using FDISK from windows 98 startup disk to view partition information )

Boot from the windows 98 startup disk
Once you have booted up with CD ROM support type the FDISK.EXE command
If your hard drive is larger than 528MB the program will inform you of windows support for large drives and the ability of using FAT32 filing system.
Once you press y for yes the typical FDISK screen will appear.
The Fdisk screen has 4 options which are: -

Create DOS partitions
Set active partition
Delete DOS partitions
View drive partitions

Select option 4 to view current partition information

Exercise (Creating DOS Partitions)

From the Fdisk main screen select the first option that is create partitions.
You will now have 3 options available to you

Create Primary DOS partition
Create Extended DOS partition
Create Logical drives in the extended DOS partition

Select option 1 to create a primary DOS partition
You will now have the option of making the whole drive 1 primary partition select no on that option
Now define the size of your primary DOS partition e.g. 200MB
Select option 1 from the main menu to create partitions
Select option 2 to create an extended DOS partition e.g. 300MB
If you are using windows9x as your only operating system then make sure the entire hard drive space is covered by the primary and extended DOS partitions.
You can now define the sizes of your logical drives in the extended DOS partition by selecting the option of create logical drive in extended DOS partition.
Finally from the main menu select option 2 to set the active partition which is the primary DOS partition.

Deleting DOS partitions

From the Fdisk main screen select option 3 to delete partitions

You must follow the reverse order to creating partitions, when deleting partitions,

You must first remove the logical drives, then the extended DOS partition and then Finally you can delete the primary DOS partition and exit the environment.

High Level Format

High Level Format (HLF ) is always performed by the operating system (OS) of interest. (HLF) Writes on the disk the filing structure used by that particular OS which allow files to be written located on the disk, also creates boot records, and a directory system.

File Systems

There must exits a filing system to store your files on to the disk. The filing system organizes the disk and provides a framework for viewing, storing and accessing files on the hard drive .
All computer operating system software vendors provide their own filing system and some can access files from other vendor filing systems such as Macintosh machines.
We will be dealing with windows 9x a supported filing system that is either FAT16 or FAT32 .

File Allocation Table (FAT)

FAT is the simplest way of organizing the storage space on the hard drive when dealing with files and folders .
FAT contains a table of content listing the cluster location of all files recorded on the storage medium .

FAT12 and FAT16

DOS initially used FAT12 as its filing system designed for floppy disks which where the standard medium of that time and can only exist on partitions sizes smaller the 16MB.
FAT 16 was developed for DOS version 3 and above supporting partition sizes of 2GB and a hard drive size of 4GB.

File Allocation Table (FAT32 )

FAT32 supports drive sizes of up to 2 Terabytes TB.
FAT 32 uses a more efficient way of saving files reducing the cluster size to a uniform 4KB in small and large drives.
FAT32 is made more stable and less susceptible to a single point of failure then FAT by extending the boot records to include the backup of the critical data structure
Table of comparison of cluster size change with volume size for FAT16 and FAT32 partitions.

Since FAT32 is a more efficient filing system than FAT16 , it will be advantageous to convert to a FAT32 filing system in drives larger then 512MB that are not dual booting between DOS and Windows.
FAT32 Does not support partitions smaller then 512 MB
You can convert to FAT32 in two separate ways:

Run Windows 9x FDISK.EXE utility, which means all data, is lost and then install Windows 9x.
Uses the convert tool inside Windows 9x that is demonstrated next.

Exercise (Converting to FAT32 using the Drive Converter)

1. Click on startà programs à accessoriesàSystem toolsàdrive converter 32

2. Follow the steps of the wizard to convert the filing system to fat 32

Disk Caching and Swap files

Swap files are spaces used from the hard drive designated as virtual RAM .
If your system runs out of memory using swap files means that your system does not halt but only slows down because it stores some of its data on the hard drive emulating your RAM .
Usually your windows 9x Operating System automatically allocates 1.5 to 2 times the amount of your system RAM from the hard drive if available and designates it as a swap file and manages your swap file, changing its size within all your system hard drives..

These swap files can exist in fragmented compressed hard drives which was not possible with the permanent swap files of windows 3.1.

Exercise (View Virtual memory file size)

Right click on the My computer icon and choose the properties option of the drop down menu
From the system properties window choose the performance tab
Double click on the virtual memory button
You can view the virtual memory and change its value by clicking the “Let me specify my own virtual memory setting “ radio button.

Disk Compression

Compression is the process of reducing data disk consumption by taking the data through a special mathematical formula usually performed on FAT 12/16 filing system. This compression is not supported by windows 9x on FAT32 partitions.

Long File Names (LFN )

DOS was limited to the old 8.3 characters rule, 8 characters for file name and 3 characters for the file extension.
Windows 9x introduced long file names (LFN ) that could have 255 characters for the file name with up to 260 characters for path length using a feature called VFAT .
LFN allowed certain characters which were previously prohibited to be used such as (+ = , [ ] ;).
LFN converted the file names back to the 8.3 conventions when long file named files were being viewed in DOS or command prompt .
The conversion takes the first 6 characters of the filename followed by the tilde and then a number to make it unique e.g. Filename.txt will be converted to Filena~1.txt

Compact Disk File System (CDFS )

CDFS is a filing system used by Windows 9x and above to access CD -ROMs.
MSCDEX.EXE was the previous way used in DOS to access CD -ROMs is now essentially replaced by CDFS

Scandisk

Scandisk is a tool used to search the hard drive for bad sector and marks those sectors ; it also tries to find vulnerable sectors avoiding data loss.
If your system has not been shut down correctly scandisk is run automatically on the next startup in windows 9x .

Exercise (Backup and Restore files in Windows 98)

RUNNING THE BACKUP

1. Click on Start à ProgramsàAccessories à System Toolsà Backup

2. Click on the Close button on the Back Wizard window.

3. On the Main Microsoft backup window

4. Make sure the All Selected Files radio button is selected.

5. Move the cursor to the left hand section of the window. Click on the C drive plus sign to expand the C: drive and view its contents.

6. Select a folder of your choice or Folder1 by checking the folder check box.

7. Notice the file will be C:\MyBackup.qic on the where the backup section of the Page

8. And then, click on Start .

9. On the window, indicate the job must be saved before starting, click on Yes to Save the Job

10. On the Save Job as Screen Type Job1 and click on Save

11. You will notice on the backup window beginning and the Progress indicator increasing.

12. Click on OK on the operations completed window.

13. You can view a report of the backup Job performed when you click on the Report button.

RESTORE BACKUP

Click on Start à ProgramsàAccessories à System Toolsà Backup

Click on the Close button on the Back Wizard window.
On the Main Microsoft backup window
Click on the Restore tab of the Microsoft backup screen.
It will indicate if you would like to restore its view, click on yes
You can view the select backup set Window and Job1 checked on the screen
Click on Ok
Notice on the Restore screen, it shows the Restore file name and location e.g. C:\MyBackup.qic
On the What to restore section of the screen, expand the C: drive, check the folder 1
Enter where to Restore , click on the drop down options and choose the Alternate Location. Click on the open folder icon and select a different location to restore the files . Expand the C: drive and select a different location.
Click on Start button on top of the window.
On the media required window, select the MyBackup.qic and click on OK.
Notice on the restore progress window that it has performed the task and an operation complete window appears. Click OK
Click on OK on the Restore Progress window.

Fragmentation of the Disk

Fragmentation happens when related files are dispersed throughout the disk due to lack of space in one region on the disk.
Fragmentation slows down your disk and increases access time .
Defragmentation is performed by a program called DEFRAG.EXE
Disk Defragmenter
This utility is used to place all data in a contiguous part of the hard drive improving your hard drive performance .

The Windows 9x utility also has an optimization wizard which logs your most often used files and then places those files in contiguous regions farther improving your access time on the hard drive .

Exercise (Defragmentation in Windows 98)

Click on Start àProgramsàAccessories àsystem toolsàdisk defragmenter

Question

What is the process that a hard drive needs to go through before it can be used? (Choose all that apply)

High Level Format
Medium Level Format
Partitioning
Low Level Format
Dividing

What are the filing systems recognized by Windows 2000? (Choose all that apply)

FAT 16
NTFS
HPFS
FAT 32
NRFS5

What is the maximum size of a Primary DOS Partition

5GB
2TB
2GB
32GB
2EB

What is the maximum partition size of a FAT32 Partition

5GB
2TB
2GB
32GB
2EB

The File IFSHLP .SYS enables access? (Choose all that apply)

VFAT
FAT32
CDFS
UNIX Filing system
HPFS

What are the features of long file name? (Choose all that apply)

File names which have 255 characters
Uses VFAT
File names which have 8:3 characters
You can use spaces inside your file name
You can use the characters (+,;[]
You can use the characters /:\*

What are the features of FAT32? (Choose all that apply)

The maximum disk space recognized is 2TB
Uses an even cluster size of 4KB on large partitions
FDISK can be used to create FAT32 partitions
Uses an even cluster size of 8KB on large partitions
The minimum partition size supported by FAT32 is 512MB

Answers

1. A,C,D

2. A,B,D,E

3. C

4. B

5. A,B,C,D

6. A,B,E

7. A,B,C,E