Norton Utility stuff ...
I posted I've been using Norton's utilities for over a decade and I've observed them change focus over the years. Actually, it was the computers which changed and Norton's been adapting their stuff. I'm also using memory instead of the more reliable documentation that comes with the stuff. Please forgive any errors which creep in here. I'll be comparing NU version 3, 4, 4.5 for DOS with the utilities packaged with SystemWorks I acquired this March.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that Norton utilities address the irritants of Windows today and DOS yesterday. Today's Windows provides, as standard features, many of Norton's earlier enhancements. For example:
Win98's FIND will search your disk for files containing text.
Win98's MSD will tell you about your system hardware.
Win98's CHOICE will allow you to make user inquiry from batch files.
Win98's DEFRAG will defrag your disk.
Win98's SCANDIK will check disk integrety
Win98's UNDELETE will get back files accidentally deleted.
Win98's System Information will provide the basics.
Win98's Control panel will give some configuration options.
Users a decade ago had no choice but to get third party enhancements to do this work. Although today's Windows DOES this stuff, Norton's utilities does it either better, faster, or easier. (If they didn't, they wouldn't sell!)
Norton's utilities provided a benchmarking utility which quickly became a standard used in magazines to compare hardware performance. SI (System Info) 1.0 was the speed of an ordinary PC with an 8088 at 4.77 MHz. (Manufacturers soon began optimizing for this test!)
Norton's utilities included a menu system: Obviously redundant in a Windows world today.
A big part of Norton's utilities was devoted to recovering lost data. Tools to re-construct FATs, directory structures, and corrupted files were featured prominently.
Some file stuff included directory sorting, the ability to set file date and time, and a (text) file viewer.
Enough history ---
Today, we're in a Windows world, with a new set of irritants. In addition to the original utilities, Norton takes advantage of the system statistics Windows maintains. For example:
DEFRAG looks at the use of files before deciding their placement by consulting the files in \WINDOWS\APPLOG which Windows maintains. (Psssst! The Boss can check how often you've been playing FreeCell.) Norton calls their defrag 'Speed Disk.'
Windows maintains quite a few statistics in the Registry. SystemDoctor displays this information in a panel of on screen 'meters' which the user can customize. Advanced users can watch for system performance bottlenecks. Windows provides the same function with MONITOR, but the Norton 'meters' also include stuff such as disk space, fragmentation, and the ability to set alarms; and also the option of changing appearance.
WinDoctor checks Windows Registry for potential trouble such as invalid .LNK (Shortcut) files. Also checked are re-located files and missing files in 'common' area(s).
To help conserve disk space, Norton provides a utility which finds unused (recently) files, temporary files, and duplicate files. You get to choose how each file is dealt with. (I delete, others compress.)
Windows has a Registry. Norton has a utility to optimize it. I suppose keys are placed in some sensible order and unused keys deleted, but I'm not sure exactly how this works. A re-boot follows execution.
With so many files in a Windows system, some are sure to be erased by accident. Norton provides a 'safe wastebasket' to facilitate recovery. Also provided is UNERASE which works much like it always has.
For safety, Norton also provides a safer Registry editor. Unlike REGEDIT, which puts changes into the registry without even saying 'boo', and can mess-up your system, Norton's registry editor allows you to change your mind. Imagine a car with no reverse! That's REGEDIT.
We've seen a few posts lately about rescue disks. Norton can make these life-saving disks for you, and in the event of a crash, save you some time.
Besides the stuff Norton usually loads onto (into) your Windows system, there's a bunch of stuff NOT loaded which is intended for advanced users. I'm thinking of the disk editor and some other DOS utilities that the average user better pray they never need.
Norton still provided benchmarks, but the base is a 486/66 machine. Also, the benchmarks reflect today's use of graphics, sound, video, as well as the traditional stuff like CPU and Disk performance. In fact, the benchmarks really show off the capabilities of today's powerful hardware.
I hope I've been able to trace the history and development of a popular and useful suite of utilities over the years. I understand that a newer version is currently available, but I don't know what's been updated.
Cheers, PW. |
