smartdrive

[fjp426]

What does smartdrv do exactly? I made a few windows boot disk and want to add smartdrive. Where can I get this file?

[MacGyver]

SmartDrv is disk caching software; that is, it caches information from disk into your computer's memory for faster access. SmartDrv is only useful with MS-DOS 6.xx, or Windows 3.1. If you are using Windows for Workgroups 3.11, then it has it's own disk caching built in and you don't need SmartDrv.

SmartDrv shouldn't be used with anything else, or it could corrupt your hard disk.

[fjp426]

Thanks. its good for windows 98 right? Where can I download smartdrv?

[MacGyver]

NO! Don't use it with Windows 98! NO!

[Matridom]

fjp, the ONLY time you should use ssmart drive on modern computers is when booting of a FLOPPY in order to do large data transfers. if your going into windows or any other operating system, then has Mac says.. DON'T!!!!!!!

[Ya_know]

Agreed with the other posts. However, if you are looking for a copy of the file, it can be found on the Win98 CDROM under x:\tools\oldmsdos\ , and the same file is in the x:\win98\ directory.

[AlienDyne]

Agreed. Don't use smartdrv!!

An example of a proper smartdrv use is the WinXP/2K installation. It saves you a significant amount of time if loaded. If you boot from the installation CD, it's loaded automatically.

Another one. If you use the old Norton Commander for DOS (like I do when I need to delete directories from a corrupt Windows installation without formatting the disk) you can load smartdrv and it works faster.

[melee5]

[quote] What does smartdrv do exactly? <hr></blockquote>
Its a 16 bit disk caching/memory manager.

[quote] I made a few windows boot disk and want to add smartdrive. <hr></blockquote>
Not reccomended if you are actualy going to boot into Windows eventually.

[quote] Where can I get this file? <hr></blockquote>
If you had looked first, you would have found it in your Windows folder along with (I'm guessing) Windows 32 bit versions - Ifshlp.sys and Dblbuff.sys

If you want to run Scandisk /all /noprompt in a boot to DOS mode you often have to at least run Smartdrv.exe first in order for Scandisk to work. Same goes for Scanreg /opt and Scanreg /fix in DOS mode. If you make Smartdrv a part of your autoexec.bat file, Windows will just rem it out the first time it has troubles with enough room for it's stuff - I've run up to a week before it got remmed out so basicly the no-no with Windows is pretty much a big whoop. Don't worry so much.

If you use it on an install boot disk to cache CDROM and hard drives for copying of .cab files to hard drive, be sure to run Mscdex first and then Smartdrv.

[chillyman]

Where can I get this file? <hr></blockquote>
If you had looked first, you would have found it in your Windows folder along with (I'm guessing) Windows 32 bit versions - Ifshlp.sys and Dblbuff.sys

That wasn't very helpful. What if you don't have a Win98 CD or any other access to digital media wich contain smartdrive? What are you supposed to do then? I need to get this thing on a floppy and I've almost searched the entire net for this damn file, nowhere to be found. So please, to anyone who's offering some real help here, please post a valid link pointing to the actual file or at least a webpage hosting it (and I mean hosting it, not linking to anywhere else because links get outdated so fast these days)

[Ya_know]

That wasn't very helpful. What if you don't have a Win98 CD or any other access to digital media wich contain smartdrive? What are you supposed to do then? I need to get this thing on a floppy and I've almost searched the entire net for this damn file, nowhere to be found. So please, to anyone who's offering some real help here, please post a valid link pointing to the actual file or at least a webpage hosting it (and I mean hosting it, not linking to anywhere else because links get outdated so fast these days)

I don't like your tone. Try asking again, only this time a little nicer...

[freddy]

ironicly , smartdrv is used when u setup a xp computer from a bootable floppy with the i386 folder on the hard drive,

i had an instance on my laptop ,,that has not got a cd-rom , i copied tthe dir over , on a bench adaptor , and booted with a 98 boot floppy ,,it suggested thst smartdrv was,nt loaded and file copy would be slow ,,,14hrs ,,for tthe orig dos part ,,,thats right 14 hrs!!!!

i could not believe it ,,,2 days later i had to reinstall again , and with a copy of smartdrv , just typed "smartdrv" after the auto/config ,,and it did the dos part in 1-10 mins.

anyone not believing this ,,,with an old xp box ,,,copy the i386 dir to the h/drive and boot from a floppy ,,cd i386 and type winnt ,,,see you on ,,,friday when its done,

[GreenGrime]

http://www.allbootdisks.com/ - It can be found on the Win98 boot disks.

And don't be a jerk.

These guys don't have to help you at all.

[chillyman]

http://www.allbootdisks.com/ - It can be found on the Win98 boot disks.

And don't be a jerk.

These guys don't have to help you at all.

G, lighten up will you? I wasn't trying to be rude or anything.. I've been stumbeling upon people with no good info these past days, that's all. Besides, I'm desperate to get my system working as it has been 5 days of no sleep since I started this madness...

Anyways thanks for the link, but as I was saying it's no good to me as I lack the possibility to use floppies on this laptop. So either I switch it for an older one, or in the simpliest case, I get a hold of a copy of that file.. guess it's no choice really.

But hey, at least I'm not the one making bad political choices Ya know... (no pun intended)

[freddy]

G, lighten up will you? I wasn't trying to be rude or anything.. I've been stumbeling upon people with no good info these past days, that's all. Besides, I'm desperate to get my system working as it has been 5 days of no sleep since I started this madness...

Anyways thanks for the link, but as I was saying it's no good to me as I lack the possibility to use floppies on this laptop. So either I switch it for an older one, or in the simpliest case, I get a hold of a copy of that file.. guess it's no choice really.

But hey, at least I'm not the one making bad political choices Ya know... (no pun intended)

clearly state your version of dos ,,,and enable ability for emails nd thou shall recieve

[chillyman]

Thanks for the offer freddy. Fortunately, at this point I chose to go over to Linux.. Microsoft has tampered with my system for the last time. Guess I won't be needing those dos driver anymore... ever again.