msurlich@faui10 (12/10/87)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Slow DeskTop-Updating with Finder-6.0 problem
References: <6769@ut-ngp>
Organization: University of Erlangen, W-Germany
In article <6769@ut-ngp> kraut@ngp.utexas.edu complains about the long
time it takes to update the desktop file on hard disks, especially
with Finder 6.0 and Multifinder. The reason is partly that the Desktop file is
a resource file and rummaging in resource files always takes some time.
Also, if there are more that a couple of thousands of resources in a
resource file, the system will crash. It may destroy your hard disk.
This happens on a 80 MB hard disk when you keep hundreds of small PD
programs on it.
There is a way around. Use the Desktop Manager. This is an INIT that comes
on every AppleShare system disk. Move it into your startup System folder,
restart the Mac, hold down Command-Option, and rebuild the Desktop file
on every hard disk. Now you can use DeskZap to delete the old desktop files
(named "Desktop") on the root level of every hard disk. Better still, replace
them with desktop files from empty disks, so that the Finder won't automati-
cally rebuild the old Desktop file if you start from floppy without the
Desktop Manager on it. (So you better put it into the System Folder of every
startup disk you might be using.)
The one bad point is that you cannot drag your hard disks to the trash any
more. The reason is that the two new files ("Desktop DB" and "Desktop DF")
stay open all the time, instead of being managed by the Finder.
The good point is that the "updating desktop file" message stays never
longer than three seconds (on a Jasmine 80).
I did not experience any problems with this approach but...
Matthias Urlichs CompuServe: 72437,1357
Rainwiesenweg 9 Delphi: URLICHS
8501 Schwaig 2
West Germany