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[ Installations Plus+ PC Forum ] [ Archive Sep-Dec 97 ]

Posted by: Louis Bruno on March 01, 1998 at 14:06:10
Homepage: Installations Plus+ (websites, upgrades, PCs, repairs, training)
In Reply to: Re: Drivespace 3 posted by Paul Marcano on March 01, 1998 at 13:27:39

Subject: Re: Drivespace 3

There are several versions of DriveSpace. The first was integrated with the original release of Windows 95. A second, presumably improved version, is found on the Microsoft Plus! CD (which I encourage everyone to get because it includes System Agent, which allows you to schedule the needed Scandisk and Defrag maintenance to occur at times when you're not using your computer). The second full release of Windows 95 (OSR 2) contains a still newer version.

I would not expect a compressed volume created with a later version to be readable by the others. Although most manufacturers attempt to maintain backward compatibility (new version software can use files created by an older version), it is rare to find forward compatibility (old version software can read files created by a newer version).

The same type of situation obtains when a Microsoft Word 6 user attempts to read a document processed by Microsoft Word 7. No go; but MS Word 7 users can read Word 6 documents with ease.

The larger issue here is the software industry's naming conventions. In order to be intuitively understable to new users (and most users are new in the sense that the majority of PC users only *got on board* in the last few years), naming conventions for applications (and files) need to be created which force incompatible applications or files to be identified by entirely different (unique) names.

My suggestion for the future is to use MS Backup, which also comes with Windows 95, to share compressed files. There is a brand new version of this which you can download and install on any and all PCs running Windows 95. That will give you compressed storage and perfect interchangeability.


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