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Number   :  5460
Date     :  2003-09-03
Author   :  wilnerjoe
Subject  :  Re: /SP option
Size(KB) :  2


--- In xxcopy@yahoogroups.com, Kan Yabumoto  wrote:
> wilnerjoe wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > Question: Had I pressed "any key" would xxcopy have zapped
> > my C drive or would an additional test have been made as
> > to whether the drive was a removeable media drive.
> 
> When XXCOPY gives you a warning, it means it.
> 
> The /SP switch is to prompt you to insert a "blank" diskette
> (or any other media) before the operation begins (resumes).
> The warning says:
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Caution: Insert a *new* floppy/CD and press any key to continue.
> Caution: Existing files on the entire volume will be discarded!!!
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> It will wipe out the entire volume of the destination before
> it starts its job. I just confirmed this behavior on my
> real hard disk. Yes, it is quite dangerous. I'm glad that
> you were alert and did not lose anything.
> 
> I believe XXCOPY users are quite sick of myriad of warning
> prompts and we won't give redundant prompts even if its
> dangerous.
> 
> To come to think of it, the /SP switch has little use when
> the destination volume is not a removable media, XXCOPY should
> not allow the /SP command if the destination is not removable.
> We will probably make the /SP operation either refuse to
> run the command, or at the least, when XXCOPY finds the
> destination non-removable, it should not perform the zapping
> operation. But, we really have to give some thoughts before
> we jump for the change. For example, we use external USB disks
> for a number of purposes; it is extremely convenient. Although
> the USB-disk is usually treated as "non-removable", we
> could use it as "removable". As a matter of fact, the
> "hot-pluggable" USB-disk behaves very much like removable
> medium. So, someone may want /SP to clean up the media
> before writing. Actually, our new version (in-house use
> for now) has two variations in /SP (/SPB for blank out
> the media before resuming, and /SPA for appending without
> zapping the contents). In that case, /SPB should proceed
> with zapping.
> 
> For now, don't use /SP on any destination other than
> floppy/CD-RW.
> 
> Kan Yabumoto

Thank-you for your thoughtful response. I'm sure there are
many shades of gray as to what constitutes a removable drive
and how to treat each shade.

And I agree about not adding additional warnings as we all
learn to simply ignore them when they get too voluminous.

Had I pressed that additional "any key" the catastrophe
would certainly have been my fault but I just thought there
might be well-defined circumstances in which /SP could
be constrained.

Thanks again, Ken

- Joe



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