Instructor: Prof. Michael P. Harris
ITSC 1405 – Intro to PC Operating Systems
Chapter 8
Organizing and Managing Your Hard Drive
Chapter 8
Organizing & Managing Your Hard Disk
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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Explain the purpose of organizing a hard disk.
Explain the purpose and function of the TREE command.
List criteria for organizing a hard disk efficiently and logically.
Explain the role XCOPY can play in organizing a hard disk.
Explain the difference between contiguous and noncontiguous files.
Explain the purpose and function of the CHKDSK command.
Explain lost clusters and cross-linked files.
Explain the ways you can repair a disk.
Explain the purpose and function of using the Disk Defragmenter program.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
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Reorganize the DATA disk.
Use the TREE command to view the organization of a disk.
Use the XCOPY command with its parameters to copy files.
Use the CHKDSK command to elicit statistical information about disks and memory.
Interpret the statistical information obtained by using the CHKDSK command.
Use CHKDSK to see if files are contiguous.
Repair a disk, if possible.
Use the Disk Defragmenter utility program.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
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All disks should be organized. You should not place all your programs and data in the root
directory.
The root directory of a hard disk holds only 512 files if you are using FAT16.
Many users inefficiently organize their disk by application programs. This often leads to a
repetition of subdirectory names, forcing users to remember where they placed their files and key
in long path names. The operating system must search every subdirectory when accessing a file. It
is difficult to add and delete application programs and data files in this scheme.
One way to organize a hard disk is by project.
Carolyn Z. Gillay, Bette A. Peat, Windows XP Command Line
Franklin, Beedle & Associates ©2003 ISBN: 1-887902-82-1
Page 1
Instructor: Prof. Michael P. Harris
Chapter 8
ITSC 1405 – Intro to PC Operating Systems
5.
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Organizing and Managing Your Hard Drive
Some guidelines to organizing a disk:
a. The root directory is a map to the rest of the disk.
b. Plan the organization before installing software.
c. Develop and use a naming convention for files and directories.
d. Create as many directories/subdirectories as you need before copying files into them.
e. It is safe to work with data files but dangerous to move or REName program files.
f. Subdirectories should be shallow and wide.
g. Do not place data files in program subdirectories.
h. It is better to have small subdirectories with only a few files.
i. Keep subdirectory names short and descriptive.
j. Create a separate subdirectory for batch files and utility programs.
k. Learn how the install programs work before you install software.
l. Learn how each application program works.
m. Analyze the way you work.
If a disk is unorganized, you can organize it by planning it, creating the new organizational scheme
and any necessary subdirectories, copying files to the new subdirectories, and deleting those files
from the old subdirectories.
The XCOPY command allows you to copy files and the subdirectories beneath them. You may
choose:
a. to copy subdirectories and the files in them (/S).
b. to keep the read-only attribute (/R).
c. to copy hidden files (/H).
d. to create an empty subdirectory (/E
e. to keep file attributes (/K).
The command line EDITor is a full-screen editor that allows you to modify text files. It is a menudriven program.
MOVE is used to move files. Although it can rename directories, it is better to use the REN
command to rename objects and the MOVE command to move these objects. You must be cautious
when you use MOVE to ensure you are performing the task that you wish.
Utility programs include the ones that come with the operating system, such as the external
command MOVE.
CHKDSK will search your drives for errors and give you a statistical report on the integrity of your
drives.
You can use CHKDSK to check or repair FAT, FAT32, and NTFS drives but it must not be the
default drive.
You must not use CHKDSK /F on a network drive or on any SUBST drives or the default drive.
Disk Defragmenter is a program used to optimize performance of a disk by rewriting files so the
clusters are contiguous. When files are contiguous, computer performance is enhanced.
You cannot defragment a floppy disk in Windows XP Professional.
KEY TERMS
chain
cross-linked files
disk optimization
fragmented files
lost clusters
Carolyn Z. Gillay, Bette A. Peat, Windows XP Command Line
Franklin, Beedle & Associates ©2003 ISBN: 1-887902-82-1
naming convention
utility program
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