PRB: DSKLAYT2 May Create Too Many Files on a Disk Image

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows version 3.1
• Microsoft Win32 SDK, version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

The DSKLAYT2 program may create a disk image with more than 224 files on a single disk when many small files are part of your product. When trying to copy this image to a floppy disk, MS-DOS gives an error message indicating it cannot create all of the files.

CAUSE

MS-DOS allows aproximantly 224 files to be placed in the root directory of a floppy disk. Therefore, if DSKLAYT2 creates a disk image with more than 224 files, MS-DOS will generate an error message when trying to copy this disk image to an actual floppy disk. DSKLAYT2, however, will not provide any warnings about the potential problem.

RESOLUTION

The MS-DOS 224-file limit only applies to the root directory of the floppy disk, and therefore the solution involves creating a subdirectory on the floppy disk and copying some of the files to the subdirectory. The .INF file must also be modified to reflect the new locations of the files.

Perform the following steps:

1. Create your disk images as normal.

2. When copying the problem disk image to a floppy disk, create a subdirectory on the floppy disk to receive most of the files. For example, suppose your target disk is in drive A:. Use

         md a:\files
   

   to create the subdirectory. Then, when copying the image files to the floppy disk, be sure to copy all the Setup Toolkit files (for example, SETUP.EXE, _MSTEST.EXE, SETUPAPI.INC, and so forth) to the root directory of the floppy disk and all the other files to the "files" subdirectory.

3. Modify the .INF file and place the new copy in the root of disk 1. Your .INF file must be modified to reference the new subdirectory as follows:

         Before
   

         [Files]
             1, myfile1.exe,,,,1992-01-30,,,,,,,ROOT,,,13833,,6,,,
   
         After
   
         [Files]
             1, files\myfile1.exe,,,,1992-01-30,,,,,,,ROOT,,,13833,,6,,,
   
      This modification is easy using the global search and replace
      capabilities of a good editor. For example, if disk 2 is the problem
      disk, search for all occurrences of "2, " and replace them
      with "2, files\".
   
   

4. Change the "STF_ROOT" line in the [Default File Settings] section of your .INF to read:

         "STF_ROOT" = "YES"
   

   If your .LST file specifies a compressed .INF file, you must use COMPRESS.EXE to compress your modified .INF file before copying it to disk 1.