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- WORKPLACE SHELL PROBLEMS DETERMINATION
- --------------------------------------
-
- The following areas are discussed:
- Extended Attributes (including sections on file systems, Dos
- utilities, Deinstalling OS/2, and CHKDSK), Shutdown, INI files,
- Nowhere directory, and the WP ROOT. SF file.
-
- EA's
- EA's play a major role in OS/2 2.0. The Workplace Shell uses
- ea's for everything.
- The WP Object is the object in workplace shell from which the
- other objects descend. EA's contain the information as to kind
- of object, where it is located, etc.
- Three types of objects:
- Persistent - These objects persist across boots
- 1. File system objects : Program references and folders are
- examples. The Desktop Directory contains the ea's for
- these objects.
- 2. Abstract objects : Printer, shredder, color palette are
- examples. The information for these objects are stored
- in the ini files.
- 3. Transients - These objects are gone upon reboot ( Find
- results or Task List)
-
-
- HPFS file systems have the ea attributes attached to each file.
- FAT file systems have all the ea's in the ea data. sf file.
-
- DOS Utilities
- Most DOS utilities are not concerned with preserving the
- pointers to the ea attributes that are contained in the FAT
- table. These utilities often do absolute sector reads and
- writes instead of manipulating the entire FAT entries.
- This is the reason people should not run disk defragmenters even
- from the DOS environment on a dual boot system. The pointers in
- the FAT cross-linked, etc.) result. Chkdsk /f cannot always
- clear these pointer from the FAT table entries.
-
-
- DOS utilities cannot harm a disk with an HPFS OS/2 partition
- since DOS cannot see the partition or manipulate the files.
-
-
-
- Deinstalling OS/2
- The only way recommended for deinstalling OS/2 (for a successful
- reinstall of OS/2) is to format.
-
- HPFS
- Chkdsk should not be run on a live drive. (Swapper will always
- show allocation errors as it cannot be correct with the
- shrinking and growing. Swapper allocation errors should not be
- of concern.)
-
- Chkdsk /f may take several passes to clean up an HPFS drive as
- it cleans up primary structures and then secondary structures
- in several passes.
-
- Shutdown
- A poor shutdown can corrupt ini files because the workplace
- shell uses lazywrite threads and the information may be only
- half written out to the ini files. EA information may not be
- completely written either.
-
- INI's
- If you run makeini without erasing the ini file, you will be
- updating the ini. This is the best method to try for replacing
- objects that have been lost from the desktop.
- This procedure will not reinitialize your desktop to its default
- state.
-
- Placing your current ini files and config.sys in the install
- directory should restore your system to its current state when
- an ALT-F1 is performed.
-
- Nowhere
- The nowhere directory should have nothing in it. When an object
- doesn't know where to go, it goes there. It can get moved by
- moving it from the command prompt.
-
- WP ROOT. SF
- This file exists for each drive (including floppies and lan
- drives). A place was needed for ea's to be kept for drives
- objects since ea's can't be attached to the root directory.
- This file should be erased when drive objects are not working
- correctly, as when the icons are messed up, files are missing,
- or the drives icon opens and immediately closes.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Thank you for calling the OS/2 2.0 Support Line. Regarding the problem
- reported to the Support Line, we feel that this information may assist
- you in resoloving your problem. If you still require assistance, please
- call 1-800-237-5511, and reference your customer number and problem (PMR)
- number. Your Problem Record Number (PMR) should appear on the cover
- page of this faxed document.