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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mr.mark who wrote (4790)	8/2/1999 9:29:00 AM
From: PMS Witch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110648

Deleting files you may wish you didn't delete stuff ... Sorry about the above line, but how else could I describe this stuff. It appears that the files you're looking at are not in memory when you're doing the looking. This is not unusual: Excel files are not in memory when I'm not using Excel. I'd create a new folder and MOVE the 'questionable' files into this new folder. I'd do this in a DOS window, because I wouldn't want Windows spying on what I'm doing and updating itself with the new locations. (Sneaky!) I'd live with the system a while and see if anything you do requires these files. If not, delete them later, or play it really safe and compress them and not delete them until MUCH later. (AOL used to send floppy disk in the mail every week. I'd use them for storing this type of stuff.) I can't remember if you use 98 or 95? 98 has the Find feature to locate files wherever they're hiding. If you need to find a file without FIND, open a DOS window, get C:\ prompt (Root) and use DIR /S "filename.ext", the quotes are necessary if you have a long name or a name with 'funny' stuff. Your system will give you the directory name. (If the file is hidden, use DIR /S /AH "filename.ext" to sniff it out. You may need /AS, too, but probably not.) Anyway, the point is to not toss anything out until you're absolutely sure you won't need it again. (Hint: Check for these files on your CD, and if you find them, your cares are over.) Hope this helps, PW.

To: mr.mark who wrote (4790)	8/2/1999 9:37:00 AM
From: PMS Witch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110648

Uninstalling program stuff ... Like you, when uninstalling programs I get the old 'This files may be needed' message. I think that uninstall sees a file used in two places by the programs you're uninstalling. You get the message on discovery of the first use, decide not to delete (wisely) and then the second use sees the decision you made previously and leaves the file undisturbed. When all programs you uninstall are gone, the 'funny' files remain, and since uninstall is finished and gone, these files have no predators and so survive forever. I don't KNOW if this is the case, but my system's behaviour is consistent with this. I've gone ahead and answered yes, delete all, and had no ill effects, yet. I also make up-to-date backups. Cheers, PW.