2 shortcut questions

[SeaMaid]

QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start menu
for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the Microsoft
site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive without
including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still point
to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than whatever drive
is currently D.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

QUESTION #1
This applies to all files. Doesn't matter if it is a shortcut, .txt file or
an internet shortcut.

An empty .txt file, .doc file or folder may show...
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

If a .txt file or folder contains 1 byte, the Size on disk will
be 4.0 KB. If the file size is 0 bytes it will be 0 bytes on the disk.

Create a new empty .txt file. Right click Desktop | New | Text Document |

Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Of course, typing a period in a Word .doc will increase the file size to
19.5 KB (19,968 bytes) and Size on disk to 20.0 KB (20,480 bytes).

Right click an Internet Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 227 bytes (227 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Right click a Folder Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 749 bytes (749 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file slack". ]]
From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the Size
on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[David Candy]

Explorer lies.

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file - 1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored in the MFT. So are all my favourites.
--
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http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

QUESTION #1
This applies to all files. Doesn't matter if it is a shortcut, .txt file or
an internet shortcut.

An empty .txt file, .doc file or folder may show...
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

If a .txt file or folder contains 1 byte, the Size on disk will
be 4.0 KB. If the file size is 0 bytes it will be 0 bytes on the disk.

Create a new empty .txt file. Right click Desktop | New | Text Document |

Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Of course, typing a period in a Word .doc will increase the file size to
19.5 KB (19,968 bytes) and Size on disk to 20.0 KB (20,480 bytes).

Right click an Internet Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 227 bytes (227 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Right click a Folder Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 749 bytes (749 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file slack". ]]
From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the Size
on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
whatever drive is currently D.

 

[SeaMaid]

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]

 

[David Candy]

You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

 

[SeaMaid]

If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

 

[David Candy]

But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file - 1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored in the MFT. So are all my favourites.

So why would you then say you should delete your favourites WHEN THEY ARE TAKING UP NO EXTRA DISK SPACE than if they were deleted (although this is only 99% of the time) as the MFT (99% of the time) storage is already allocated.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

 

[SeaMaid]

My Start Menu and Favorites Menu are CUSTOM with special folder icons for
all. I have shareware program called Change Folder Icons
(http://www.nesoft.org). It lets you customize folders in 4 ways. To make
them permanent & portable, it places both an icon and a desktop.ini file as
hidden files inside each folder. This lets me use the same Favorites menu on
all my computers or burn them that way on to a CD.

To make a folder with a special icon permanent & portable, two hidden files
must be placed in the folder and copied with the folder. The number of the
icon file changes with each icon, but you get the idea. This is one way I
can get around the shortcut portability problem.

CUSTOM FOLDER #1
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-3775330339.ico (158kb)

CUSTOM FOLDER #2
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-2085131845.ico (8.84kb)

This is different from the way Windows usually customizes folder icons
(desktop.ini file only without the icon file, and those types of custom
icons are not portable). So in my case, this special stuff DOES take up
extra space. Hidden is an attribute, and each desktop.ini file is around 65
bytes but takes up 4kb size on disk. Some of the icons are small (8-30k) but
others are large (166k). If my favorites were normal shortcuts without the
desktop.ini files and the special folder icons, they would take up less
space.

I'd still like to find a workable solution for my original QUESTION #2. For
drive D, E, F, L, M, or N (anything but C because C is the system drive and
no data files are on it) I'd like to be able to place ONE file in one folder
(without having to copy the file multiple times to other folders). Then
place shortcuts in other locations on the drive or CD to point to that one
file. But to do that, I need syntax that refers to that drive regardless of
what the drive letter is, since the drive letter may change. So far, I do
not know how to do that. Let's say I want to create a folder on a data drive
or CD. All 3 programs use the same manual, but I don't want to copy the
manual 3 times on the hard drive or the CD-R/RW. I want to put the manual
there only once, and have shortcuts to point it from the other places.

Program #1
Program #2
Program #3
Manual

I hope there is a way to do this. This would eliminate a lot of duplication
and would let me delete my duplicate files and recover LOADS of disk space.
Windows Vista is supposed to eliminate this problem, but there must be a
solution for creating "smart" portable shortcuts in Windows 9x-XP.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is
stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file -
1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's
View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored
in the MFT. So are all my favourites.

So why would you then say you should delete your favourites WHEN THEY ARE
TAKING UP NO EXTRA DISK SPACE than if they were deleted (although this is
only 99% of the time) as the MFT (99% of the time) storage is already
allocated.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders
with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

 

[SeaMaid]

See comments inline.

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

8.98 MB size
18.6 MB size on disk
3266 files, 599 folders

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

875 KB size
1.80 MB size on disk
335 files, 38 folders

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

2.55 MB size
18.3 MB size on disk
4323 files
603 folders

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file
slack". ]]
From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the
Size
on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
whatever drive is currently D.

 

[David Candy]

Your answer is wrong. Explorer just rounds up to the nearest 4 k. Your stats are meaningless.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================

See comments inline.

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

8.98 MB size
18.6 MB size on disk
3266 files, 599 folders

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

875 KB size
1.80 MB size on disk
335 files, 38 folders

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

2.55 MB size
18.3 MB size on disk
4323 files
603 folders

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file
slack". ]]
From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the
Size
on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
whatever drive is currently D.

 

[David Candy]

How many ways do I have to say you are WRONG. I've already explained why.

Your desktop.ini are taking no extra space. Your icons are far too large for windows. You are chewing up memory for no purpose. 135 kb is really big.

Attached is a proper icon which is 2.18 kb. This is probably too large to go into the MFT (the only docs say around 1500 bytes) and indeed it is in a cluster.
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My Start Menu and Favorites Menu are CUSTOM with special folder icons for
all. I have shareware program called Change Folder Icons
(http://www.nesoft.org). It lets you customize folders in 4 ways. To make
them permanent & portable, it places both an icon and a desktop.ini file as
hidden files inside each folder. This lets me use the same Favorites menu on
all my computers or burn them that way on to a CD.

To make a folder with a special icon permanent & portable, two hidden files
must be placed in the folder and copied with the folder. The number of the
icon file changes with each icon, but you get the idea. This is one way I
can get around the shortcut portability problem.

CUSTOM FOLDER #1
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-3775330339.ico (158kb)

CUSTOM FOLDER #2
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-2085131845.ico (8.84kb)

This is different from the way Windows usually customizes folder icons
(desktop.ini file only without the icon file, and those types of custom
icons are not portable). So in my case, this special stuff DOES take up
extra space. Hidden is an attribute, and each desktop.ini file is around 65
bytes but takes up 4kb size on disk. Some of the icons are small (8-30k) but
others are large (166k). If my favorites were normal shortcuts without the
desktop.ini files and the special folder icons, they would take up less
space.

I'd still like to find a workable solution for my original QUESTION #2. For
drive D, E, F, L, M, or N (anything but C because C is the system drive and
no data files are on it) I'd like to be able to place ONE file in one folder
(without having to copy the file multiple times to other folders). Then
place shortcuts in other locations on the drive or CD to point to that one
file. But to do that, I need syntax that refers to that drive regardless of
what the drive letter is, since the drive letter may change. So far, I do
not know how to do that. Let's say I want to create a folder on a data drive
or CD. All 3 programs use the same manual, but I don't want to copy the
manual 3 times on the hard drive or the CD-R/RW. I want to put the manual
there only once, and have shortcuts to point it from the other places.

Program #1
Program #2
Program #3
Manual

I hope there is a way to do this. This would eliminate a lot of duplication
and would let me delete my duplicate files and recover LOADS of disk space.
Windows Vista is supposed to eliminate this problem, but there must be a
solution for creating "smart" portable shortcuts in Windows 9x-XP.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is
stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file -
1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's
View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored
in the MFT. So are all my favourites.

So why would you then say you should delete your favourites WHEN THEY ARE
TAKING UP NO EXTRA DISK SPACE than if they were deleted (although this is
only 99% of the time) as the MFT (99% of the time) storage is already
allocated.
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If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
You should try reading as you are just wrong.

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QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders
with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]


QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

People have been lying to me my entire life.

Windows lies to me.

Explorer lies to me.

Nobody loves me but my Mother and she may be jiving too.

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Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Explorer lies.

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is
stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file
- 1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect
Disk's View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini
are stored in the MFT. So are all my favourites.
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QUESTION #1
This applies to all files. Doesn't matter if it is a shortcut, .txt
file or an internet shortcut.

An empty .txt file, .doc file or folder may show...
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

If a .txt file or folder contains 1 byte, the Size on disk will
be 4.0 KB. If the file size is 0 bytes it will be 0 bytes on the disk.

Create a new empty .txt file. Right click Desktop | New | Text Document
|

Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Of course, typing a period in a Word .doc will increase the file size to
19.5 KB (19,968 bytes) and Size on disk to 20.0 KB (20,480 bytes).

Right click an Internet Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 227 bytes (227 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Right click a Folder Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 749 bytes (749 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased
slack. Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased
performance. 4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file slack".
]] From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space
that can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the
Size on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster
size is larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that
the Size on disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An
excessive discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value
is an indication that the default cluster size is too large for the
average file size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows
XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

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Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the
answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
whatever drive is currently D.