QUESTION #1
Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start menu
for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the Microsoft
site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.

QUESTION #2
Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive without
including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?

If the path to the folder is:
D:\MS\XP\Updates

I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
there a way to do this?

%CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates

That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still point
to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than whatever drive
is currently D.

QUESTION #1
This applies to all files. Doesn't matter if it is a shortcut, .txt file or
an internet shortcut.

An empty .txt file, .doc file or folder may show...
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

If a .txt file or folder contains 1 byte, the Size on disk will
be 4.0 KB. If the file size is 0 bytes it will be 0 bytes on the disk.

Create a new empty .txt file. Right click Desktop | New | Text Document |

Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 0 bytes
Size on disk: 0 bytes

Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Of course, typing a period in a Word .doc will increase the file size to
19.5 KB (19,968 bytes) and Size on disk to 20.0 KB (20,480 bytes). :-)

Right click an Internet Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 227 bytes (227 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Right click a Folder Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
Size: 749 bytes (749 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
What does Size show?
What does Size on disk show?

If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.

Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
that the file takes up on the disk.

The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
file/folder is compressed.

Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.

[[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file slack". ]]
From...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

[[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
[[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
files. ]]
From...
Cluster Size
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...c_fil_lxty.asp

[[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the Size
on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
size that you are storing on the volume.]]
How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315688

QUESTION #2
Try
%HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
%homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
%SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.

Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:OoqErtWzFHA.3312@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
SeaMaid <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> hunted and pecked:
> QUESTION #1
> Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
> will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
> byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
> shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
> menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
> Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.
>
> QUESTION #2
> Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
> without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?
>
> If the path to the folder is:
> D:\MS\XP\Updates
>
> I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
> there a way to do this?
>
> %CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates
>
> That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
> accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
> point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
> whatever drive is currently D.

Explorer lies.

> Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
> Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
> Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
> Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)

But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file - 1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored in the MFT. So are all my favourites.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> QUESTION #1
> This applies to all files. Doesn't matter if it is a shortcut, .txt file or
> an internet shortcut.
>
> An empty .txt file, .doc file or folder may show...
> Size: 0 bytes
> Size on disk: 0 bytes
>
> If a .txt file or folder contains 1 byte, the Size on disk will
> be 4.0 KB. If the file size is 0 bytes it will be 0 bytes on the disk.
>
> Create a new empty .txt file. Right click Desktop | New | Text Document |
>
> Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
> Size: 0 bytes
> Size on disk: 0 bytes
>
> Open the New Text Document.txt and type a period, save the file.
> Right click the New Text Document.txt | Properties | General tab |
> Size: 1 bytes (1 bytes)
> Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)
>
> Of course, typing a period in a Word .doc will increase the file size to
> 19.5 KB (19,968 bytes) and Size on disk to 20.0 KB (20,480 bytes). :-)
>
> Right click an Internet Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
> Size: 227 bytes (227 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
> Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)
>
> Right click a Folder Shortcut | Properties | General tab |
> Size: 749 bytes (749 bytes) Just an example, they are all different.
> Size on disk: 4.00 KB (4,096 bytes)
>
> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?
>
> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?
>
> Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?
>
> If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
> that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.
>
> Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
> that the file takes up on the disk.
>
> The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
> file/folder is compressed.
>
> Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
> Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
> 4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.
>
> [[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
> perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
> the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file slack". ]]
> From...
> File Slack Defined
> http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html
>
> [[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
> can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
> [[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
> information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
> files. ]]
> From...
> Cluster Size
> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...c_fil_lxty.asp
>
> [[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
> contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the Size
> on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
> larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
> disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
> discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
> indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
> size that you are storing on the volume.]]
> How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315688
>
> QUESTION #2
> Try
> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>
> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> In news:OoqErtWzFHA.3312@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
> SeaMaid <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> hunted and pecked:
>> QUESTION #1
>> Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
>> will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
>> byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
>> shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
>> menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
>> Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.
>>
>> QUESTION #2
>> Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
>> without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?
>>
>> If the path to the folder is:
>> D:\MS\XP\Updates
>>
>> I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
>> there a way to do this?
>>
>> %CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates
>>
>> That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
>> accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
>> point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
>> whatever drive is currently D.
>

QUESTION 1

Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts on
the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and the
desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having so
many colored and custom folders.

QUESTION 2

%HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not work
on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.

%HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
Settings\[UserProfile]


"Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> QUESTION #2
> Try
> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>
> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.

You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:ePMwc%23gzFHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> QUESTION 1
>
> Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts on
> the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
> special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and the
> desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having so
> many colored and custom folders.
>
> QUESTION 2
>
> %HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not work
> on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.
>
> %HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
> Settings\[UserProfile]
>
>
> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> QUESTION #2
>> Try
>> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
>> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
>> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>>
>> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>
>

If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
news:%232%235hChzFHA.720@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
You should try reading as you are just wrong.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ePMwc%23gzFHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> QUESTION 1
>
> Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
> on
> the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
> special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
> the
> desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
> so
> many colored and custom folders.
>
> QUESTION 2
>
> %HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
> work
> on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.
>
> %HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
> Settings\[UserProfile]
>
>
> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> QUESTION #2
>> Try
>> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
>> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
>> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>>
>> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>
>

But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file - 1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored in the MFT. So are all my favourites.

So why would you then say you should delete your favourites WHEN THEY ARE TAKING UP NO EXTRA DISK SPACE than if they were deleted (although this is only 99% of the time) as the MFT (99% of the time) storage is already allocated.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:OklEpJizFHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?
>
>
> "David Candy" <.> wrote in message
> news:%232%235hChzFHA.720@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> You should try reading as you are just wrong.
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
> =================================================
> "SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:ePMwc%23gzFHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> QUESTION 1
>>
>> Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
>> on
>> the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders with
>> special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
>> the
>> desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
>> so
>> many colored and custom folders.
>>
>> QUESTION 2
>>
>> %HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
>> work
>> on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.
>>
>> %HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
>> Settings\[UserProfile]
>>
>>
>> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> QUESTION #2
>>> Try
>>> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
>>> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
>>> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>>>
>>> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>
>>
>
>

My Start Menu and Favorites Menu are CUSTOM with special folder icons for
all. I have shareware program called Change Folder Icons
(http://www.nesoft.org). It lets you customize folders in 4 ways. To make
them permanent & portable, it places both an icon and a desktop.ini file as
hidden files inside each folder. This lets me use the same Favorites menu on
all my computers or burn them that way on to a CD.

To make a folder with a special icon permanent & portable, two hidden files
must be placed in the folder and copied with the folder. The number of the
icon file changes with each icon, but you get the idea. This is one way I
can get around the shortcut portability problem.

CUSTOM FOLDER #1
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-3775330339.ico (158kb)

CUSTOM FOLDER #2
desktop.ini (62 bytes, space on disk 4kb)
$cfi-2085131845.ico (8.84kb)

This is different from the way Windows usually customizes folder icons
(desktop.ini file only without the icon file, and those types of custom
icons are not portable). So in my case, this special stuff DOES take up
extra space. Hidden is an attribute, and each desktop.ini file is around 65
bytes but takes up 4kb size on disk. Some of the icons are small (8-30k) but
others are large (166k). If my favorites were normal shortcuts without the
desktop.ini files and the special folder icons, they would take up less
space.

I'd still like to find a workable solution for my original QUESTION #2. For
drive D, E, F, L, M, or N (anything but C because C is the system drive and
no data files are on it) I'd like to be able to place ONE file in one folder
(without having to copy the file multiple times to other folders). Then
place shortcuts in other locations on the drive or CD to point to that one
file. But to do that, I need syntax that refers to that drive regardless of
what the drive letter is, since the drive letter may change. So far, I do
not know how to do that. Let's say I want to create a folder on a data drive
or CD. All 3 programs use the same manual, but I don't want to copy the
manual 3 times on the hard drive or the CD-R/RW. I want to put the manual
there only once, and have shortcuts to point it from the other places.

Program #1
Program #2
Program #3
Manual

I hope there is a way to do this. This would eliminate a lot of duplication
and would let me delete my duplicate files and recover LOADS of disk space.
Windows Vista is supposed to eliminate this problem, but there must be a
solution for creating "smart" portable shortcuts in Windows 9x-XP.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
news:uvsZYTizFHA.3856@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
But small files, a 1 byte file without special attributes qualifies, is
stored in the MFT. Therefore it takes up the same space as a 0 byte file -
1kb in the MFT. You can find where a file is stored by using Perfect Disk's
View menu - Find File feature. Even larger files such as boot.ini are stored
in the MFT. So are all my favourites.

So why would you then say you should delete your favourites WHEN THEY ARE
TAKING UP NO EXTRA DISK SPACE than if they were deleted (although this is
only 99% of the time) as the MFT (99% of the time) storage is already
allocated.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:OklEpJizFHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> If there is a particular thing I should read, what is it?
>
>
> "David Candy" <.> wrote in message
> news:%232%235hChzFHA.720@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> You should try reading as you are just wrong.
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
> =================================================
> "SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:ePMwc%23gzFHA.1132@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> QUESTION 1
>>
>> Thanks for that great answer! I may need to eliminate duplicate shortcuts
>> on
>> the Start Menu and Favorites menu. I also have several custom folders
>> with
>> special icons and accompanying desktop.ini files. Each of the icons and
>> the
>> desktop.ini files takes a minimum of 4kb, so I may want to rethink having
>> so
>> many colored and custom folders.
>>
>> QUESTION 2
>>
>> %HOMEDRIVE% and %SYSTEMDRIVE% both point to the C drive. That would not
>> work
>> on the D drive and other drives, which is what I'm looking for.
>>
>> %HOMEPATH% would not work. It points to C:\Documents and
>> Settings\[UserProfile]
>>
>>
>> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> QUESTION #2
>>> Try
>>> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
>>> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
>>> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>>>
>>> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>
>>
>
>

See comments inline.


"Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?

8.98 MB size
18.6 MB size on disk
3266 files, 599 folders

> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?

875 KB size
1.80 MB size on disk
335 files, 38 folders

> Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
> What does Size show?
> What does Size on disk show?

2.55 MB size
18.3 MB size on disk
4323 files
603 folders

> If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
> that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.
>
> Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
> that the file takes up on the disk.
>
> The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
> file/folder is compressed.
>
> Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
> Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
> 4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.
>
> [[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
> perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
> the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file
> slack". ]]
> From...
> File Slack Defined
> http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html
>
> [[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
> can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
> [[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
> information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
> files. ]]
> From...
> Cluster Size
> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...c_fil_lxty.asp
>
> [[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
> contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the
> Size
> on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
> larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
> disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
> discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
> indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
> size that you are storing on the volume.]]
> How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows
> XP
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315688
>
> QUESTION #2
> Try
> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>
> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>
> Wes
> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> In news:OoqErtWzFHA.3312@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
> SeaMaid <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> hunted and pecked:
>> QUESTION #1
>> Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
>> will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
>> byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
>> shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
>> menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
>> Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.
>>
>> QUESTION #2
>> Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
>> without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?
>>
>> If the path to the folder is:
>> D:\MS\XP\Updates
>>
>> I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
>> there a way to do this?
>>
>> %CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates
>>
>> That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
>> accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
>> point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
>> whatever drive is currently D.
>

Your answer is wrong. Explorer just rounds up to the nearest 4 k. Your stats are meaningless.

--
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http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/...nt/001075.html
=================================================
"SeaMaid" <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:%23V0XB3kzFHA.2424@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> See comments inline.
>
>
> "Wesley Vogel" <123WVogel955@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:OXSmdQczFHA.664@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
>> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
>> What does Size show?
>> What does Size on disk show?
>
> 8.98 MB size
> 18.6 MB size on disk
> 3266 files, 599 folders
>
>> Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Start Menu
>> Right click the Start Menu | Properties | General tab |
>> What does Size show?
>> What does Size on disk show?
>
> 875 KB size
> 1.80 MB size on disk
> 335 files, 38 folders
>
>> Right click Favorites folder | Properties | General tab |
>> What does Size show?
>> What does Size on disk show?
>
> 2.55 MB size
> 18.3 MB size on disk
> 4323 files
> 603 folders
>
>> If the cluster size for NTFS is 4KB, then 4KB will be the smallest space
>> that any file 1 byte to 4 KB will take up on the drive.
>>
>> Size is the actual size of the file. Size on disk shows the actual space
>> that the file takes up on the disk.
>>
>> The only time that Size on disk will be smaller than Size is when a
>> file/folder is compressed.
>>
>> Large cluster sizes improve performance at the expense of increased slack.
>> Small cluster sizes reduce slack at the expense of decreased performance.
>> 4KB is the default cluster size for NTFS.
>>
>> [[Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or multiple clusters
>> perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end of the file to
>> the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called "file
>> slack". ]]
>> From...
>> File Slack Defined
>> http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html
>>
>> [[A cluster (or allocation unit) is the smallest amount of disk space that
>> can be allocated to hold a file. ]]
>> [[The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently a disk stores
>> information because unused space within a cluster cannot be used by other
>> files. ]]
>> From...
>> Cluster Size
>> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...c_fil_lxty.asp
>>
>> [[If you are not using NTFS compression for any files or folders that are
>> contained on the volume, the difference between the Size value and the
>> Size
>> on disk value is the wasted space that occurs because the cluster size is
>> larger than necessary. Choose an optimal cluster size so that the Size on
>> disk value is as close to the Size value as possible. An excessive
>> discrepancy between the Size on disk value and the Size value is an
>> indication that the default cluster size is too large for the average file
>> size that you are storing on the volume.]]
>> How to locate and correct disk space problems on NTFS volumes in Windows
>> XP
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315688
>>
>> QUESTION #2
>> Try
>> %HOMEDRIVE% The user's home directory's drive letter.
>> %homepath% The path to the user's home directory.
>> %SystemDrive% The drive containing the Windows XP root directory.
>>
>> Type %HOMEDRIVE% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %homepath% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>> Type %SystemDrive% into Start | Run to see what opens.
>>
>> --
>> Hope this helps. Let us know.
>>
>> Wes
>> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>>
>> In news:OoqErtWzFHA.3312@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
>> SeaMaid <seamaid24-graphics@yahoo.com> hunted and pecked:
>>> QUESTION #1
>>> Assuming NTFS clusters are 4k, that means the smallest file you can save
>>> will be saved as 4k (32k in FAT32), even if the file is only 0 bytes, 1
>>> byte, 600 bytes, 1k, 2k, 3k, or 4k. Does the same apply to shortcuts? Do
>>> shortcuts also take 4k each (32k in FAT32)? My Favorites menu and Start
>>> menu for various users have MANY shortcuts. I read the articles on the
>>> Microsoft site about NTFS and file storage but could not find the answer.
>>>
>>> QUESTION #2
>>> Is there a way to make a shortcut to another place on the same drive
>>> without including the drive letter (in case the drive letter changes)?
>>>
>>> If the path to the folder is:
>>> D:\MS\XP\Updates
>>>
>>> I'd like the shortcut to be "smart" in case the drive is no longer D. Is
>>> there a way to do this?
>>>
>>> %CurrentDrive%\MS\XP\Updates
>>>
>>> That probably is bad syntax, but I think you know what I'm trying to
>>> accomplish. If the drive letter changes, that the shortcuts will still
>>> point to the same drive (be is a hard drive or a CD), rather than
>>> whatever drive is currently D.
>>
>
>