Item Filters folder (containing several item filters)
Label Sheet Layouts folder (containing several label sheet layouts)
Label Templates folder (containing several label templates)
DiskTracker Registration folder (contains the Register DiskTracker application and the Registration Read Me)
Please make sure that all of these items are present before you upload unregistered copies of the program to online services or internet FTP sites.
About the DiskTracker Manual
The DiskTracker Manual was created using eDoc version 1.1.1. It is a self-reading document, so to read it, just double click the "DiskTracker user manual" icon.
In addition, a copy of the manual, saved in the Microsoft Word 4.0/5.x format (should be readable by just about any known Mac word processor), is available for downloading from the DiskTracker web page (http://web.mit.edu/mnp/www/dt.html).
Memory allocation issues
DiskTracker's default memory allocation is set to 1000K. On PowerMacintoshes, this goes up to nearly 1500K if Virtual Memory is turned off or Connectix RAMDoubler is not installed. This default allocation should be sufficient for most users of DiskTracker, because of its built in virtual memory system. In fact, DiskTracker should run acceptably with the minimum memory allocation of 600K. For instance, I have often worked with a 16MB catalog file using only 512K of RAM (this catalog file contained catalogs of over 60 CD-ROMs, totalling nearly 300,000 files). Naturally, increasing the memory partition will cause an increase in speed when dealing with large catalog files.
Because DiskTracker uses your hard drive space to store large catalog files, you should be sure that you have around one and a half times more disk space availble on your disk than the size of the saved catalog file (this 1.5x figure comes from the fact that the data in DiskTracker files is stored differently than the data in DiskTracker's active memory (the data on disk is optimized for size, while the data in memory is optimized for speed)). So, if you run into trouble running DiskTracker, make sure that there is sufficient space available on your hard drive.
Known problems/issues
• DiskTracker cannot as of yet handle files/folders/drives larger than 4GB - the size field will display incorrect data (or display a negative size). This issue will be resolved in DiskTracker 1.5, a major overhaul due summer 1998.
Shareware issues
DiskTracker is a shareware program ($20). Registration is handled by Kagi Shareware. For more information, see the Registration Read Me in the DiskTracker Registration folder. Please register DiskTracker if you use it - I spent a good amount of time and effort working on this project.
That's all for now! For any additions and updates to the information in this Read Me, check out the DiskTracker web page.
Version history
version 1.1.3 - March 16, 1998
- Disks are now identified by a more detailed scheme than just "floppy disk" or "hard disk".
- Icon mosiac graphics in Finder windows (which appear to DiskTracker as a collection of unnamed, generic files or folders) are not scanned. This feature can be disabled from the "Scan Options..." dialog box.
- Crash when editing disk notes or disk names and the Disks to be labeled list is open fixed.
- DiskTraker no longer savies files with the incorrect file type when StuffIt SpaceSaver is installed.
- Find duplicates feature is no longer case-sensitive on name comparisons.
- Hiding the first visible column no longer causes all of the columns to disappear
- Periodic incorrect selection with selection rectangle resolved
- Problems with incorrect total/free sizes for volumes larger than 2GB and smaller than 4GB (see above known bug/issue for volumes larger than 4GB) fixed.
- Incorrect line spacing when printing with catalog icon size & printing icon size set differently fixed.
- Incorrect export of Disk Notes and Disk Label fields fixed.
- Infinite loop/freeze when searching for duplicates on 30,000+ item catalogs fixed.
- Minor catalog display and printing redraw glitches fixed.
version 1.1.2 - May 1, 1997
- Temporary file now gets deleted when catalog opening is aborted or an error occurs.
- Crash when Windows NT file servers are mounted fixed.
- Corrupt catalogs are handled better - even the corrupt files should be partially recoverable.
- Label Template Editor now opens to last template edited when closed and then reopened.
- The Disks To Be Labeled/Search Result Window can now be set to be drawn in the same font as the catalog window.
- Improved saving code allows files to be recovered when a "corrupted memory" error occurs during file saving.
- Program now behaves correctly when cancelling an "insert disk" request from the SRW.
- Infinite loop/crash with certain StuffIt archives resolved.
- Memory corruption error when using "Show In Finder" from the Search Result Window fixed.
- Error fixed when trying to open some DiskTracker catalogs from ISO-9660 CD-ROMs.
- Fix for folders/files larger than 2GB reporting incorrect file size.
- Fix for redraw glitch when using non-compressed text in the catalog window.
- Other, minor, redraw glitches fixed.
version 1.1.1 - February 6, 1997
- Crashing bug when printing labels fixed.
- Change disk serial number now works correctly for non-conflicting serial numbers.
- User's can now choose whether to have the disk scanner scan physical or logical file sizes.
- Bug where temp file isn't always deleted fixed.
- Multiple redraw glitch with resizing window fixed.
- Minor redraw glitch with greyscale 3D buttons fixed.
version 1.1 - December 19, 1996
New features:
- Disk names can be changed.
- Disk serial numbers can be changed.
- Large label templates can be made up to 40 inches by 40 inches.
- Multiple copies of a particular label can be printed.
- The catalog window can display small, medium, or large icons and will show an application or document's true icon.
- Improved "Show in Finder" selects items, rather than just opeing the parent window.
Bug fixes:
- Significantly improved corrupt file handling allows corrupt files to be opened.
- Memory manager improved significantly to improve stability.
- Type 11 errors while browsing/sorting/searching fixed.
- Type 11 errors (and related "temp.parm" bugs) in the item filter dialog boxes fixed.
- -39 and -40 errors when opening corrupt files fixed.
- Bug when scanning ISO 9660 CD-ROMs fixed.
- Improved corrupt archive handling.
Interface tweaks:
- You can now force a disk to be rescanned into the catalog using a different serial number.
- It is now possible to change the file sorting method by clicking on the column headers of a list view (e.g., click on the "Name" header to sort by name).
- Some pointless limitations have been removed on label dimensions and font sizes.
- Home/End/Page Up/Page Down keys are enabled for both catalog and report windows.
- New option in the Preferences dialog to disable the splash screen.
- Current directory name is shown in the title bar of the window.
- The initial sorting of the search results can be cancelled.
- Compressed font in narrow catalog window item fields can now be disabled.
- Numerous redraw glitches and interface bugs have been fixed.
version 1.0.3 - June 5, 1996
Interim bug-fix release
- Fixed bug that causes certain files not to be able to be opened (bug produced error -39 or out of disk space error) - files which behave this way in previous versions of DiskTracker open fine in 1.0.3.
- Bug with mispositioning rotated, non-left-justified text when printing labels has been fixed.
- Overall memory management improved - should increase stability.
- -49 error when saving over existing open file fixed.
- Option-clicking hierarchy triangles now expands all sub-hierarchies (before you could only do this by option-shift-right-arrowing)
- You no longer can open more than one label template editor window or label preview window from the same catalog (DiskTracker used to crash if you tried to do this).
- Improved (slightly faster) sorting algorithm when opening files.
- Memory leak when cancelling open-file fixed.
- Crash when nothing is selected in Search Result Window and return is pressed was fixed.
- Crashes when dealing with multiple Get Info windows in several different catalogs have been fixed.
- Style changes on groups of selected items in Label Template Editor now work properly.
- File saving behavior bugs fixed in Label Template Editor.
- When opening catalog files, window width is now more intelligently set.
- Redraw glitch with selection marquee and scroll bar fixed.
version 1.0.2 - February 24, 1996
- Fixed memory management bug which caused crashes when dealing with large numbers of large volumes.
- Arrow keys can now be used to select volumes in the "Scan Online Volumes" dialog.
- Bug where file list item filter isn't remembered after chooseing "File List Prefereneces" fixed.
- Disk scan error reporting improved (it now reports errors!).
- Currently selected file sort method is now underlined in column headers.
- Selection size indicator no longer becomes negative when large numbers of large items are selected.
- Annoying and quite time consuming disk sorting while scanning has been replaced with efficient sorting system.
version 1.0.1 - January 14, 1996
- Documentation converted to eDoc 1.1.1 self-reading format.
- Serious crash when copying and pasting large volumes fixed.
- Tweak label position feature added to account for inaccuracies in printers when printing label sheets.
- Background automatic disk scanner/updater now works correctly.
- Arrow keys can now be used to nudge items in the Label Template Editor.
- Dialog box copy and paste now works correctly.
- You can now abort file opening.
- Some error reporting bugs fixed.
- Bug in item counter and updating disks has been fixed.
