Clint,
The program has the main use of backing up and restoring long file names.
This goes back to the whole issue, when Win98 was originally released, of
letting you, for whatever reason, save and restore the long file names of
files as found in Win98. Since a number of people were going from either
Win95 or earlier, and were still used to the 8.3 file convention from Dos
days, they had a problem of how to handle the new long file name format,
especially with regard to backup and restore programs, but also any number
of Dos programs, which still used the 8.3 file format.
HOWEVER, the program has a fundamental (and potential fatal to Window's
operation) flaw when this whole subject is looked at, as I found out for
myself when I tried to use it.
The issue is the whole subject of how Windows generates the short file
name, using the ~ convention. Supposed you have 2 files which differ in
file name quite far in the file name, such as abcdefghij1.xxx and
abcdefghij2.xxx - if you did a directory listing where the files existed,
you would find the 8.3 convention would have them listed as abcdef~1.xxx
and abcdef~2.xxx. HOWEVER, if you moved them in reverse order (that is the
2 file before the 1 file) to a different directory, the 8.3 file names
would end up being reversed in many cases, so now abcdef~1.xxx would be
abcdefghij2.xxx, and abcdef~2.xxx would be abcdefghij1.xxx. Not a real big
thing *** IF *** you are using the long file names with the 8.3 file names.
HOWEVER, if you had used the SULNBK.EXE program to save your long file
names, for later restoring, NOW you got *** BIG TROUBLE ***!!!!! When you
now run the program to restore your long file names, the long file names
will be restored based on the ORIGINAL 8.3 file names that were in use when
the program was run.
In this example case, the result is not major. HOWEVER, if you do a search
on ANY computer system running a non-NT version of windows using long file
names (later 95, 98, ME), for file names with ~ in the 7th position of the
file name, you will find a TON of them existing, and in many cases, you
will have a number of duplicate names in the first 6 character positions -
the difference is ONLY in the 8th character position of the name(s). As
long as the long file names remain intact, this will not be a problem. ***
BUT *** if you run this program, to save the long file names, with the
intention of restoring them later, leaving you only with directories and
files only with the 8.3 file names, the potential for disaster is
unbelievable.
For example, to see the problems, all you have to do is do a fresh install
of Win98, run the program to save the long file names, and then re-run to
restore the names - dont move any files or directories, or delete anything,
during the whole process.
You get any number of file name problems in both directions - and later the
more programs you create or install, the worst the problems get. Since many
of the file names involved are base windows programs, needed for windows to
operate properly, windows just ends up having problems like you would not
believe.
I have NO idea WHO at Microsoft, or elsewhere, wrote this program, but it
is SEVERELY flawed, since it uses ONLY the CURRENT 8.3 file name found when
the program is run, in either direction, as the basis for saving and
restoring the long file names of directories and files in windows. MUCH
more should have been included and used for save and restore criteria, such
as checksums, dates/times, and any number of other factors, to guarentee
the right name got saved/restored with the right directory/file.
My personal advice - USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!
Ralph
"Support@OrpheusCom
puting.com -Clint To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hamilton" <support cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: PCWorks: restoring a
file.
owner-pcworks@imagi
comm.com
04/25/02 08:24 AM
Please respond to
pcworks
You wouldn't have had to do all that if you would have run
the SFC like I mentioned. :-) It's on the win98 CD. A
search for it at the MS site would tell you what it's for, I
can't recall from memory..........I THINK it has something to
do with reading long file names. I think I remember looking
that up when so many *reliable people* were getting those
bogus vir*s hoax emails about it and were deleting it!
<laughs> Don't EVER believe those mass fwd'd emails about
"WARNING WARNING.... DANGER WILL ROBINSON...." about vir*ses.
They are never true!!! Always FIRST go here before you fwd
them along and start deleting files.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
There's also a ton of other sites on the net about hoaxes.
-Clint
God Bless Us All
Clint Hamilton, Owner
http://OrpheusComputing.com �
----- Original Message -----
From: "Helene" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"[EMAIL PROTECTED] -Clint Hamilton" wrote:
> Let me guess.....you deleted it when you received a v*rus
> hoax email? ;-) It should be in your \windows\command
> folder. If you did delete it and it's not there, you have
to
> run the SFC and use it to extract it off the CD to restore
to
> the folder.
> -Clint
>
> God Bless Us All
> Clint Hamilton, Owner
> http://OrpheusComputing.com �
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> I have searched my Win98 installation disc for the
> file SULFNBK.EXE and it is not on there.
> So there would be no way if restoring it from
> that disc.
>
> Any one know where it came from?
>
> Wally
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