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or Next Greetings,
Your message was forwarded to SDF's online tech-support services, the Best Online Fix-it Hounds (BOFH) for response. We would like to apologize for the problems that you have encountered and hope that we can answer this and any other questions that you may have.
We could tell from your letter that you are probably a very educated Windows 95 user (perhaps even a Macintosh guru). We have found it to be the case that a user environment as backwards as Unix sometimes poses problems even for users as familiar with cutting-edge technology as yourself. For this reason, we typically suggest that you prepare your computer for use with our less-friendly technology.
First, it is extremely important to convert the files on your computer into a format that will be more appropriate to the Unix host. Most users are unaware, but Delta Software provides a very simple, quick, one-step approach for conversion that Microsoft packages with Windows 95.
Lets assume that you have chosen to place all of your files in the standard "C:\My Documents" area. Simply boot your system into MS-DOS mode (or use the Start Button followed by the appropriate Shut-Down command). You can then use the DELta Total-RE-Engineering utility (DELTREE) to appropriately alter your files.
From the C:> prompt, simply type
and your files will be simply and quickly converted. You need merely repeat this command on any other directories containing critical data or documents that you wish to convert to this more appropriate format. If you are in doubt, you can simply type "DELTREE /Y C:\*.*" and your entire computer will be converted [Note: this process may take some time depending on the number of files on your computer].
Lastly, it is *extremely* important to determine if your system has inadvertently been subjected to a random computer phenomenon known as "partitioning". This is, many times, a root cause of Unix<-->Windows 95 problems. Fortunately for you, Microsoft provides a utility to also deal with this issue--simply called Fix Disk or FDISK. Immediately after using the Delta utility, simply reboot FROM FLOPPY and run FDISK. Simply follow the menu choices for deleting primary (and secondary if applicable) partitions from your disk drive. Then reboot and that's all there is to it!
Even though the above steps have, in the past, produced results that have received high marks from the Unix community, in rare occasions they produce easy to cure side effects for the end user. Simply contact your manufacturer and inform them of the steps that you have taken, and they will usually be more than happy to assist.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. If you require additional support, please call our technical support hotline at 1-800-KMA-BOFH, and one of our highly trained computer and microwave oven technicians will be glad to assist you.
Regards,
Simon
BOFH Senior Support Analyst