Re: Correction to ZIP: Mass Removal of Archive Bit on All Directories

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from Robert Orndorff  on Sun, 29
Feb 2004 10:00:34 -0500

That sounds right. It also sounds 1980-ish. Do modern backup programs still
use this method? Mine don't. Note well, this batch file does NOT change file
archive bits, only directory archive bits. Just speculating, but maybe an
archive bit on the directory meant "back everything up, regardless of file bits
on/off".

Thanks.

Robert Orndorff wrote:

> The archive bit is used by backup programs to determine which files need
> to be backed up(archived). If the archive bit is set, then that file
> has changed since the last backup. Theoretically, the only way (other
> than manually) that the archive bit gets cleared is when a backup
> program runs and backs up the file. So if you are using a backup
> program and do *incremental* backups, this batch file could cause
> everything to *not* get backed up. No archive bit, then the backup
> program thinks it doesn't need to be archived.
>
> This also means that every time you change a file, its archive bit gets set.
>
> I don't really know how this bit is supposed to work with directories,
> though.
>
> Robert Holmgren wrote:
> > ** Reply to message from Harry Binswanger  on Sat, 28 Feb 2004
> > 16:20:05 -0500
> 
> >>In general, is there any reason why any of these attributes
> >>have to be kept turned on?
> >
> > I don't know. That's for you to determine. I can't recall any use for the
> > archive bit whatsoever (especially in a directory), but that doesn't mean there
> > isn't one, or that it wasn't conceived with a purpose. I'm just providing a
> > tool for a specific XyNeed. Whether there is collateral damage, I couldn't
> > say. But I ran them against all directories on all drives of all my machines,
> > and I haven't experienced any problems. YMMV.

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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