[comp.os.msdos.misc] Random

skeeve@pawl8.pawl.rpi.edu (Sean C. Cox) (07/01/90)

      I seem to recall seeing something about this before, but I can't 
 seem to find the reference..

      In the directory C:\DOS there seem to be quite a few files which 
 are simply 8-digit hexadecimal numbers, which I know weren't from the 
 original DOS disks, and I certainly haven't put them there.
      Can these files be deleted without hurting anything? They're taking
 up about 1.2 Meg on my hard drive, and I REALLY would like that space 
 back. I'm using DOS 4.01 on a '286 AT-clone.

      Thanks in advance!

                                           -Sean


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bianco@cs.odu.edu (David J. Bianco) (07/01/90)

In article <'{L$2J|@rpi.edu> skeeve@pawl8.pawl.rpi.edu (Sean C. Cox) writes:

	 In the directory C:\DOS there seem to be quite a few files which 
    are simply 8-digit hexadecimal numbers, which I know weren't from the 
    original DOS disks, and I certainly haven't put them there.
	 Can these files be deleted without hurting anything? They're taking
    up about 1.2 Meg on my hard drive, and I REALLY would like that space 
    back. I'm using DOS 4.01 on a '286 AT-clone.

I think what you are talking about are files generated by CHKDSK. When
you tell it to put all the lost clusters into files, it makes up some
random number to use as a file name and then links all those clusters
together as a file. I believe that if you delete them and then run 
something similar to PC Tool's "Compress" program, you will free up
that space...

levine@blanche.ics.uci.edu (David Levine) (07/01/90)

David J. Bianco writes:

>I think what you are talking about are files generated by CHKDSK. When

These should be named FILExxxx.CHK, where xxxx starts at 0000.

conger@tuatora.cis.ohio-state.edu (james abraham conger) (07/03/90)

I have seen files with random hexadecimal numbers for names before.  If
memory serves, the ones that I found were occasionaly left behind by using
the ms-dos pipe.  I often use the batch file "less.bat" that contains this
lone command:

       type %1 | c:\dos\more

This batch file just pipes type's output into the screen full break filter
called "more".   Since I have a path set to c:\dos, I can and do use "less"
while I am on any drive in any directory.  MS-DOS seems to sometimes leave
these temporary files behind if I am using "less" when the current drive
is something other than c:.

Use "type" without any filters to see what the contents of these files are.
If they are copies of data you sent through a pipe, you have found the
source of these files.

(I have also seen these files in the directory when I use "dir | more"--
using the page break switch on "dir" works much better: "dir/p".)

Jim Conger
conger@cis.ohio-state.edu

woody@eos.UUCP (Wayne Wood) (07/03/90)

In article <81832@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> james abraham conger <conger@cis.ohio-state.edu> writes:
>I have seen files with random hexadecimal numbers for names before.  If
>memory serves, the ones that I found were occasionaly left behind by using
>the ms-dos pipe.  I often use the batch file "less.bat" that contains this
>lone command:

do the files have a .$$$ extension like F36029.$$$ or something similar?

these are the "unique files generated by an application (or sometimes DOS).

trash 'em...

/***   woody   ****************************************************************
*** ...tongue tied and twisted, just an earth bound misfit, I...            ***
*** -- David Gilmour, Pink Floyd                                            ***
****** woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov *** my opinions, like my mind, are my own ******/

news@blackbird.afit.af.mil (News System Account) (07/03/90)

conger@tuatora.cis.ohio-state.edu (james abraham conger) writes:

>I have seen files with random hexadecimal numbers for names before.  If
>memory serves, the ones that I found were occasionaly left behind by using
>the ms-dos pipe.  I often use the batch file "less.bat" that contains this

>MS-DOS seems to sometimes leave
>these temporary files behind if I am using "less" when the current drive
>is something other than c:.

Another practice that causes these files to be left behind (instead of 
being deleted when the command is done) is hitting ^C or other drastic
action that causes the second program ("more" or other) to terminate
catastrophically.  Rebooting also falls into this category :->

Ed Williams
ewilliam@blackbird.afit.af.mil