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EDM/2

Questions and Answers

Written by Larry Salomon, Jr.

 

Before anything, a correction needs to be stated. Last month, I stated that there appeared to be no difference between the WinLoadString() and WinLoadMessage() functions. Unfortunately, I did not check into this other than a perusal of the documentation, but the documentation seems to be incomplete or incorrect. When I substituted WinLoadMessage() for WinLoadString() in an application, incomprehensible text was returned.

Considering the function of DosGetMessage(), I imagine that there might be some analogy between it and WinLoadMessage(). If anyone else has more information to clarify this, I would appreciate it if it were emailed to me.

Mark Mathews (mark.mathews@channel1.com) writes:

Q: What is the structure of the delete files in D:\DELETE? These files are created every time I delete files. Can you explain how these files are created and what happens when they are undeleted? I am writing an undelete program. (Might be an article here).

A: To figure this out, I "installed" the undelete feature on my machine by un-REM-ing the SET DELDIR=... statement in my CONFIG.SYS and creating the directories specified. After deleting a few test files, I ran a utility to dump the binary data for the control file - CONTROL.DEL. It seems that the delete process works as such:

  1. The user enters DEL MYFILE.DAT

  2. If the size of the delete directory (default is \DELETE) plus the size of the delete file exceeds the maximum size specified, the system removes the files that have been "deleted" for the longest time, until this size meets the requirements specified in CONFIG.SYS.

  3. The system then moves the file into the delete subdirectory for that drive. Since the file exists on the same drive as the delete subdirectory, a move instead of a copy is executed, resulting in faster performance. Also, the file is renamed to reflect the date and time that the "delete" was performed.

  4. The control file - CONTROL.DEL - is updated.

  5. All newly created or updated files are set to be hidden (plus any other attributes; I did not check the exact match).
The format of the control file, as best determined by the binary data, seems to be one entry per file in the following format (all offsets are relative to the beginning of the entry):
  • Bytes 0x000-0x0FF - the fully qualified filename of the file that was deleted, without the drive specifier.

  • Byte 0x100 - trailing zero to make the filename an ASCIIZ string.

  • Bytes 0x101-0x103 - seem to be reserved and set to zero.

  • Bytes 0x104-0x10F - the new name of the deleted file as it exists in the delete subdirectory

  • Byte 0x110 - trailing zero to make the filename an ASCIIZ string.

  • Bytes 0x111-0x114 - status bytes of some sort. You will notice that in the binary data, '00 00 20 00' is used when there are more entries following and '00 AA 20 00' is used for the last entry.

CONTROL.DEL Data

 Show file offset utility
Version 1.10
Copyright (c) 1992 by Larry Salomon, Jr.
All rights reserved. 

Offset
+--------------------------------------------------------+------------------+
0x0000 | 5C 74 65 6D 70 5C 74 65 73 74 33 2E 75 6E 64 00 | \temp\test3.und. |
0x0010 | 2E 33 34 00 48 45 41 44 45 52 2E 57 4B 33 00 00 | .34.HEADER.WK3.. |
0x0020 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0030 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0040 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0050 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0060 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0070 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0080 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0090 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00A0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00B0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00C0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00D0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00E0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x00F0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0100 | 00 00 00 00 32 36 31 32 30 35 34 35 2E 35 39 41 | ....26120545.59A |
0x0110 | 00 00 02 00 00 5C 74 65 6D 70 5C 54 45 53 54 32 | .....\temp\TEST2 |
0x0120 | 2E 55 4E 44 00 2E 33 34 00 48 45 41 44 45 52 2E | .UND..34.HEADER. |
0x0130 | 57 4B 33 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | WK3............. |
0x0140 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0150 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0160 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0170 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0180 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0190 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01A0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01B0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01C0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01D0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01E0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x01F0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0200 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0210 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 32 36 31 32 30 35 34 | .........2612054 |
0x0220 | 35 2E 35 39 00 00 00 02 00 00 5C 74 65 6D 70 5C | 5.59......\temp\ |
0x0230 | 54 45 53 54 31 2E 55 4E 44 00 2E 33 34 00 48 45 | TEST1.UND..34.HE |
0x0240 | 41 44 45 52 2E 57 4B 33 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ADER.WK3........ |
0x0250 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0260 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0270 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0280 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0290 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02A0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02B0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02C0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02D0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02E0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x02F0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0300 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0310 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0320 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 32 36 | ..............26 |
0x0330 | 31 32 30 35 34 35 2E 35 36 00 00 00 02 00 00 5C | 120545.56......\ |
0x0340 | 74 65 6D 70 5C 65 2E 74 6D 70 00 75 6E 64 00 2E | temp\e.tmp.und.. |
0x0350 | 33 34 00 48 45 41 44 45 52 2E 57 4B 33 00 00 00 | 34.HEADER.WK3... |
0x0360 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0370 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0380 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0390 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03A0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03B0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03C0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03D0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03E0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x03F0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0400 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0410 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0420 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0430 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0440 | 00 00 00 32 36 31 32 30 34 30 31 2E 39 37 00 00 | ...26120401.97.. |
0x0450 | 00 02 00 00 5C 64 65 6C 65 74 65 5C 32 36 31 31 | ....\delete\2611 |
0x0460 | 35 36 34 31 2E 33 34 00 48 45 41 44 45 52 2E 57 | 5641.34.HEADER.W |
0x0470 | 4B 33 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | K3.............. |
0x0480 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0490 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04A0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04B0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04C0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04D0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04E0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x04F0 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0500 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0510 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0520 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0530 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0540 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | ................ |
0x0550 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 32 36 31 31 35 39 30 37 | ........26115907 |
0x0560 | 2E 32 38 00 00 00 AA 02 00                      | .28......        |
+--------------------------------------------------------+------------------+