Slow Saving from OLE 2.0 Applications to Floppy Disk

• Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.2
• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Publisher for Windows, version 2.0
• Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

OLE 2.0 applications, such as Word 6.0 and Microsoft Excel 5.0, may save files slowly to a floppy disk. It may take 30 seconds or more to save an average file to a floppy disk.

CAUSE

All OLE 2.0 applications create files in "DOC-File" format. It takes extra time to write this file format to a floppy disk because it requires many read and write operations.

DOC-File is the format specified in the OLE 2.0 specification for the implementation of OLE processes. In this format, components are saved in "data streams" separate from the main application file stream (similar in concept to subdirectories of main directories in the MS-DOS file model). Other OLE 2.0 applications (in addition to the application in which a particular document was produced) can read data in the DOC-File format.

WORKAROUND

You can use the MS-DOS SMARTDrive disk-caching program (SMARTDRV.EXE) to substantially decrease the time required to save OLE 2.0 files to floppy disks. With SMARTDrive, you can save files on a floppy disk up to five times more quickly than without it. SMARTDrive creates a cache in your computer's extended memory for rapid processing of disk operations such as saving to a floppy disk.

Use the following syntax in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file to create a SMARTDrive disk cache on your A and B floppy disk drives:

AUTOEXEC.BAT Setting

C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE a+ b+ <nnnn>

where <nnnn> is the cache size, which is between 256 and 2048 bytes.

NOTE: If you don't want to add this command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you can type the above command at the MS-DOS command prompt.

CONFIG.SYS Setting

Device=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.SYS a+ b+ <nnnn>

where <nnnn> is the cache size, which is between 256 and 2048 bytes.

For more information about SMARTDrive, refer to your MS-DOS documentation or online help.

IMPORTANT: While you are saving a file to a floppy disk, you must not remove the floppy disk from the disk drive until the operation is completely finished (the light on the floppy disk drive turns off and remains off). If you remove the disk before the operation is complete, a Serious Disk Error may occur. If this occurs, reinsert the floppy disk and press ENTER at the blue Serious Disk Error screen to finish writing the file.

REFERENCES

Microsoft MS-DOS "User's Guide and Reference," version 5.0, pages 304-308

Microsoft MS-DOS "User's Guide," version 6.0, page 81

Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Help: Type "help smartdrv" or "smartdrv/?" (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt