WASTE for Windows

WASTE for Windows scans a specified disk and reports various numbers which help you decide how best to partition the disk.  Specifically, it reports how much space is wasted due to the disk's cluster size, and how much would be wasted for other given cluster sizes.

This allows you to make intelligent choices--using your own actual files--on how best to partition your hard disk. If your disk currently uses 32K clusters, for example, you'll see exactly how much space you would "recover" if you split that disk into multiple partitions (each with 8K clusters), for example.

What's with the weird graphic?

Goddess of Programmers?

The Lowdown on Disk FAT

Let's cut the fat!

How to operate Waste

If you can't figure out the buttons...

Designer

All about me

Disclaimer

The Typical Legal Stuff

Copyright

The Typical Copyright Notice


Copyright
Copyright  ©1995 by Joseph T. Glosz, Jr.

Waste for Windows  is copyrighted ©1995 by  Joseph T. Glosz, Jr.

Waste for Windows may be copied and distributed freely providing that no fee is charged in excess of nominal shareware distribution fees.


The Lowdown on Disk FAT
Disk Basics: The Lowdown on Disk FAT

Files on PC systems require a minimum file size.  Let's say your disk uses 8K  clusters.  Now, even if DIR reports that a file has a size of say,  2556 bytes, it will really take up 8,192 bytes on your hard disk  because that's the smallest chunk that DOS or Windows (Win 3.1 or Win 95) can allocate. (WinNT is different).

So, in this case, 5636 bytes of disk space are wasted. Then, what if you were able to reduce the cluster size to 4K (4096 bytes)? In that case  only 1540 bytes would be wasted.

This kind of savings really adds up.  On my disks, I typically keep the volumes to around 300 MB. This makes the cluster size 8K.  In my case, typically around 30 to 40 megabytes are wasted, or about 10% of the disk.   See Cluster Size vs. Volume Size table.

However, if I were to combine the two volumes into a single volume larger than 512 megabytes, then the cluster size would double to 16K.  In my case, the wasted space would jump to well over 100 megabytes!

For large volumes (over 512 megabytes) it is not unusual to see wastage that uses up fully a fourth, a third, or even half of the hard disk!

If you don't partition your 1.2 gigabyte hard disk into smaller partitions, you  may well be throwing away hundreds of megabytes of disk space!

Fixed disks and floppies running under DOS, Windows 3.x, and Windows 95 use a File Allocation Table (or FAT) to keep track of your disk's file. Each FAT can have only 65,536 entries.


Win NT
Windows NT is different

Win NT allocates clusters differently in its HPFS (High Performance File System): it uses 4K clusters regardless of volume size.

Thus, Win NT is very efficient in its disk use, pretty much obviating the need for this  program.

File space waste under Win NT HPFS will be approximately the same percent as that of a 100 MB volume under DOS.


Cluster Size vs. Volume Size
Cluster & Volume Sizes

This table gives the cluster size for a given volume size.

Cluster Size 	Volume 	Size

2K 	16 MB to 	127 MB

4K 	128 MB to 	255 MB

8K 	256 MB to 	511 MB

16K 	512 MB to 	1023 MB

32K 	1024 MB to 	2047 MB

64K 	2048 MB to 	4095 MB

Floppy disks use a cluster size of 512 bytes.


Volume definition
A "volume" is a disk partition. Some hard disks are "partitioned" into multiple smaller volumes, each with its own assigned letter, starting with C:.

If your hard disk is accessed only by a single drive letter (i.e., "C:") then your entire hard disk is one single partition.


Cluster definition
A cluster is the smallest chunk of disk space that the computer's operating system call allocate to hold a file. Every file must always use a whole number of these "chunks" (sometimes called allocation units.)


What's with the Weird Graphic?

 It has to do with hidden knowledge and control of your own destiny.      With Waste for Windows, you now have more knowledge of how your hard disk works. You now have better information regarding how best to partition your disk(s). Thus, you can control just how much waste you want on your disk.  Yes, you are in control!          And... well... the graphic was kind of cool anyway. It was either that or something depicting the cutting of waste, like a knife cutting into a slab of bacon.  So I thought most of us would  rather look at a Moon Goddess. I certainly do.


Love
Love Everyone!


How to Operate Waste

1. 	Select a drive letter from the drive dialog box.

2. 	Click on Scan Drive.  The Goddess Box will say SCANNING and this will cycle through multiple colors to show you that it is still working.

3. 	Wait for it to end. (Look for a green DONE in the Goddess Box.)

But there are a few details you may wish to know:

The gauges' total empty length represents the entire capacity of the selected drive. Typically, this will not be filled up completely by a colored line.

The first gauge (the one representing the chosen drive) will display the total space used as a blue line.  Unless you've used up your entire disk,  the blue line will not make it all the way to the right edge. Thus, this is a kind of nice way to represent the disk space used versus the free space remaining.

The subsequent gauges show, on the same scale, how much would be wasted given the indicated cluster sizes. The volume size associated with each cluster  size is also given.  One of these represents the disk or volume you've chosen,  and it will be so indicated with a 'flashing' red <<<. All the other drives are shown for information as to what would be wasted if you chose your disk's partitioning differently.

To determine the exact number of bytes wasted on the chosen disk, look below the gauges to the table. The one marked with the red » is your drive. All the other drives are shown for information as to what would be wasted if you chose your disk's partitioning differently.

These gauges will represent the wasted space with RED lines. If the amount of wasted space exceeds the total volume size then the gauge will be full, and the line will turn PURPLE.

In that case, the gauge only tells you that the amount of wasted space exceeds  the total volume capacity, and you'll have to read the actual disk space wasted from the table below the gauges. The last one or two gauges will sometimes turn purple which indicates a wasted space amount that would actually exceed the capacity of the volume being scanned. In this case, refer to the actual numbers in the table  below the gauges for exact information.


Designer
Designed by Joseph T. Glosz, Jr.

Waste for Windows was written, produced and directed by

Master Wizard

Joseph T. Glosz Jr.

I am be reached at:

CompuServe:

72633,1646

Internet:

72633.1646@compuserve.com

Phone/Fax:

619-689-0500

If you want the best in Windows based contract software development (especially  relating to Client\Server Databases), please contact me. The price is fairly high, but you do want to beat everyone else in your market, don't you?

Any and all comments are welcome.


Disclaimer
Legal Disclaimer

This is the legal fine print.

Short Version:

I assume no responsibility for any damage or loss caused by the use of this program, regardless of the circumstances.

Why:

This program only interrogates your disk just like DOS's DIR command.  If DOS's DIR command won't damage your disk, neither will this program.

Longer Version:

The Copyright Owner hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software,  whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of  merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The Copyright Owner will not be  liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to  loss of data or any other reason, even if The Copyright owner or an agent of The  Copyright Owner has been advised of the possibility of such damages.  In no event  shall The Copyright Owner's liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for  the license to use the software, regardless of the form of the claim.  The person  using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.