Advantages to upgrading compressed drives
Advantages of upgrading a compressed drive

Upgrading a compressed drive to DriveSpace 3 increases the total capacity of your drive, providing you with more free hard disk space. In addition, you can use the full range of DriveSpace 3 enhanced compression features to manage disk compression. For example, you can:

•	Use Compression Agent to recompress a drive while you are not using your computer (requires Microsoft Plus!).

•	Use UltraPack to achieve maximum compression on files that you don't use often (requires Microsoft Plus!).

•	Create compressed drives that are larger than 512 MB. DriveSpace 3 compressed drives can be as large as two gigabytes (2 GB).

•	Use all the free space on your drive, even if it is fragmented.


UltraPack compression provides maximum compression for the most disk-space savings.

UltraPack compression typically compresses files to as small as one-third their original size. For example, if you use UltraPack to recompress a file that was originally 10 MB uncompressed, it might take up only 3 MB. However, accessing UltraPacked files might be slower if you are using a 486-based (or slower) computer.


Upgrading a compressed hard drive to DriveSpace 3
To upgrade a compressed hard disk to DriveSpace 3

1	Click the compressed hard disk you want to upgrade.

2	On the Drive menu, click Upgrade.

3	Click Start.

4	Windows might prompt you to update your startup disk. To update your startup disk, click Yes, insert your startup disk in floppy drive A, and then click Create Disk.

5	To back up your files before upgrading the drive, click Back Up Files, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

6	Click Upgrade Now.

7	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.

Notes

•	You can only upgrade hard disks that have been compressed by using DoubleSpace or DriveSpace for MS-DOS or DriveSpace for Windows 95.

•	You cannot use the Upgrade command to upgrade a floppy disk. For information about upgrading a compressed floppy disk, see Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Upgrading a compressed floppy disk
To upgrade a compressed floppy disk

1	Create a new folder on your hard disk, and then copy the contents of the floppy disk to it.

2	Click the letter of the floppy disk drive.

3	On the Advanced menu, click Delete to delete the compressed data on the floppy disk.

4	On the Drive menu, click Compress to compress the floppy disk by using DriveSpace 3 compression.

5	Copy the contents from the new folder on your hard disk to the newly compressed floppy disk.

6	Delete the new folder from your hard disk.

 Related Topics


Changing the compression method for saving files
To change the compression method

1	On the Advanced menu, click Settings.

2	Click the method you want.

Tips

•	Try using the option No Compression, Unless Drive Is At Least 90% Full, and then change the percentage of full disk space as needed. To maintain performance, Windows saves your files uncompressed if you have plenty of disk space. But if your used disk space reaches the percentage you specify, Windows saves your files by using standard compression.

•	If you use the No Compression option, the reported amount of free space on your drive will drop significantly.

 Related Topics


With standard compression in Windows 95, files are typically compressed to just over half their original size. With standard compression in DriveSpace 3, more of your disk is searched for repetitive data, providing even better compression while maintaining performance.


Uncompressing a floppy disk
To uncompress a floppy disk manually

1	Create a new folder on your hard disk, and then copy the contents of the floppy disk to it.

2	Click the letter for the drive you inserted your floppy disk into.

3	On the Advanced menu, click Delete to delete the compressed data on the floppy disk.

4	On the Drive menu, click Uncompress to uncompress the disk.

5	Copy the contents from the new folder on your hard disk to the uncompressed disk.

6	Delete the new folder from your hard disk.

 Related Topics


If you do not defragment your drive regularly, free space might become scattered across your disk. When working with non-DriveSpace 3 compressed drives, it is possible to run out of space if your drive does not have enough contiguous free space to save a compressed file. When you upgrade to DriveSpace 3, all free space can be used to save a compressed file, even if the free space is not contiguous.


Understanding disk compression

A compressed drive is not a real disk drive, although it appears like one. The contents of a compressed drive are stored in a single file, called a compressed volume file (CVF), which is located on an uncompressed drive, called a host drive.

For example, when you compress your hard disk (drive C), DriveSpace 3 assigns a different drive letter to it, such as H. Drive H will be the host for drive C. DriveSpace 3 then compresses your hard disk into a compressed volume file stored on drive H. The compressed volume file on drive H appears as your original drive C, but drive C has more free space than before.

When you view the contents of your computer by using My Computer or Windows Explorer, the host drive is hidden unless it has more than 2 MB of free space. In this case, it is visible, and you can work with it as you would with any other drive.

DriveSpace 3 can also use the free space on an uncompressed drive to create a new, empty compressed drive. For example, instead of compressing drive C, you could use 10 MB of free space to create a new drive, drive G. Drive G will contain approximately 20 MB of free space.

Tip

•	You can configure DriveSpace 3 so that it takes up less memory. This is useful if you want to run other programs, such as some MS-DOS-based games, that require more memory. For information about how to do this, see the Readme online document.


DoubleSpace and DriveSpace compatibility

DriveSpace 3 supports drives that were compressed by using DoubleSpace (which was included in MS-DOS versions 6.0 and 6.2) as well as DriveSpace for MS-DOS version 6.22 and DriveSpace for Windows. If you have drives that were compressed by using either DoubleSpace or DriveSpace, you can configure their compression by using DriveSpace 3.

Because DriveSpace 3 takes advantage of improved compression, you should upgrade your DoubleSpace and DriveSpace drives to DriveSpace 3 format to fully use all of its compression features

Note

•	To use a compressed DriveSpace 3 drive on another computer, DriveSpace 3 must be installed on it.

 Related Topics


DriveSpace 3 compression enables you to create and maintain larger compressed drives. If you compressed your drive by using DoubleSpace, DriveSpace for MS-DOS, or DriveSpace for Windows 95, you can upgrade your drive to DriveSpace 3.


Compressing a drive
To compress a drive

1	Click the drive you want to compress.

2	On the Drive menu, click Compress, and then click Start.

3	Windows might prompt you to update your startup disk. To update your startup disk, click Yes, insert your startup disk in floppy disk drive A, and then click Create Disk.

4	If you have not backed up your files, click Back Up Files, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

5	Click Compress Now.

6	 If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.


Uncompressing a drive
To uncompress a drive

1	Click the drive you want to uncompress.

2	On the Drive menu, click Uncompress, and then click Start.

3	If you have not backed up your files, click Back Up Files, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

4	Click Uncompress Now.

5	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.

Tip

•	There might not be enough free space on a floppy disk to uncompress it by using the Uncompress command. For more information about how to uncompress a floppy disk, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Reallocating free space on a compressed or host drive
To reallocate free space on a compressed or host drive

1	Click the compressed drive or host drive whose free space you want to reallocate.

2	On the Drive menu, click Adjust Free Space.

3	Drag the slider, and then click OK.

4	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.


Mounting a compressed volume file
To mount a compressed volume file

1	Click the drive that contains the compressed volume file (CVF) you want to mount.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Mount.

3	Click the compressed volume file that you want to mount, and then click OK.

4	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.

Tip

•	Windows can mount a compressed volume file for you automatically. For more information, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Unmounting a compressed volume file
To unmount a compressed volume file

1	Click the compressed drive you want to unmount.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Unmount.

 Related Topics


Creating a new compressed drive
To create a new compressed drive

1	Click a drive that contains enough free space to create a new compressed drive.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Create Empty.

3	Change any settings as needed, and then click Start.

4	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.

Tip

•	For Help on an item, click [image] at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.


Deleting a compressed drive
To delete a compressed drive

1	Click the compressed drive you want to delete.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Delete.

Tip

•	Deleting a compressed drive unmounts the drive and deletes the compressed volume file from the host drive. This provides a quick and easy way to delete all information on a compressed drive.


Changing the estimated compression ratio
To change the estimated compression ratio

1	Click the compressed drive whose ratio you want to change.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Change Ratio.

3	Drag the slider, and then click OK.

4	If Windows prompts you to restart your computer, click Yes.

Note

•	Windows uses the estimated compression ratio to report how much free space is available on the selected drive. Generally, this value should match the actual compression ratio.


Using compressed floppy disks or other removable media
To use compressed floppy disks or other removable media

1	On the Advanced menu, click Settings.

2	Make sure that you select the Automatically Mount New Compressed Drives check box.

3	Click OK, and then quit DriveSpace.

DriveSpace now automatically mounts compressed disks that you insert in a drive.

Notes

•	Any disk compressed in DriveSpace 3 format are not supported by earlier versions of DriveSpace (such as DriveSpace for Windows or MS-DOS) or MS-DOS DoubleSpace.

•	DriveSpace 3 does not automatically mount removable media while it is running. For information about mounting media, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


To check a drive if DriveSpace detects a disk error

1	Click here [image] to start ScanDisk.

2	In the list, click the drive you were working with in DriveSpace.

3	Make sure that the Automatically Fix Errors check box is cleared.

4	In the Type Of Test area, select Thorough, and then click Options.

5	In the Areas Of The Disk To Scan area, make sure that System And Data Areas is selected. The two check boxes at the bottom of this dialog box should not be selected. Then, click OK.

6	Click Advanced, and then make sure that the Invalid File Names and Check Host Drive First check boxes are selected. Then, click OK.

7	Click Start.


A compressed volume file stores the contents of a compressed drive. Compressed volume files are hidden and have names such as Drvspace.000.


Host drives are uncompressed drives that contain compressed volume files. They also typically contain some free space and system files that cannot be compressed.


Mounting a drive establishes a connection between a compressed volume file (CVF) and a drive letter, so that you can use the files the CVF contains.


The actual compression ratio is the compression ratio that DriveSpace is currently achieving. For example, if the compression ratio is 3.0 to 1, DriveSpace is compressing files to one-third their original size.


Removing the DriveSpace compression driver

DriveSpace is ready to uncompress or delete the last mounted compressed drive on your computer. If you have no other unmounted compressed drives and do not intend to use compressed removable media, you can probably remove the DriveSpace compression driver. For more information, click a button below.

What are the pros and cons?

What if I change my mind?

If I don't remove the compression driver now, can I do it later?


If you are sure you won't need DriveSpace to provide access to compressed drives in the future, click Yes. Choosing Yes removes DriveSpace from memory.

If you want DriveSpace to remain in memory to provide access to unmounted compressed drives and compressed removable media, click No. This option uses some additional memory.


If you remove the DriveSpace compression driver, and then discover that you need it to use unmounted compressed drives or compressed removable media, carry out the following procedure.

1	Start DriveSpace.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Settings.

3	Make sure Automatically Mount New Compressed Drives is checked.

Tip

•	To print this topic, right-click it, and then click Print Topic.


It's easy to remove the compression driver now, and then add it back later if you need to.


Click Help Topics to return to the list of topics.


Lists the drives on your computer that DriveSpace 3 supports. To work with a compressed drive, click it, and then use the commands on the Drive or Advanced menu. To view the properties of a drive, double-click it.


Shows how much space on this disk is currently free and how much is currently being used. This disk's free space and total capacity will increase after you compress it.


Shows approximately how much free and used space will be on the drive after the drive is compressed.


Begins the compression process. After you click Start, you will have an opportunity to back up your files.


Click this to change settings for the compressed drive's host drive. A host drive is an uncompressed drive on which a compressed drive (which is actually a large hidden file) is stored.


Windows should automatically mount compressed removable media, such as floppy disks, when they are inserted in a drive. If this box is not checked, you must use the Mount command on the Advanced menu each time you insert compressed removable media in a drive.


Shows which version of the compression driver Windows is currently using. This driver enables you to use your compressed drives.


Shows which drive letter DriveSpace will use as the host drive for the drive you are compressing. If you want to reserve this drive letter for another purpose, such as mapping to a network drive, click a different drive letter.


Shows how much uncompressed free space will be set aside on the host drive. To change this amount, select it, and then type a new amount.


 Specifies that this drive will not appear in My Computer, Windows Explorer, and the Open and Save As dialog boxes.


Starts compressing this drive.


Starts uncompressing this drive.


Starts a backup program, which you can use to back up the files on this drive.


Shows how much free space and used space are currently on the selected compressed drive and its host drive.


Shows how much free space and used space will be on the host drive after the compressed drive is uncompressed.


Starts uncompressing the selected drive. After you click Start, you will have an opportunity to back up your files.


Shows which drive letter DriveSpace will use for the new compressed drive. If you want to reserve this drive letter for another purpose, such as mapping to a network drive, click a different drive letter.


Shows how much space DriveSpace will use to create the new drive. To change the size of the new drive, select it, and then type a new size.


Shows the uncompressed drive whose free space will be used to create the new compressed drive.


Shows approximately how much free space the new compressed drive will contain.


Shows how much space will remain on the uncompressed drive whose free space is being used to create the new compressed drive.


Starts creating a new compressed drive.


Shows how much free space and used space are on the compressed drive. If you need more free space on the compressed drive, you can reduce the size of the host drive by dragging the slider.


Shows how much free space and used space are currently available on the host drive. If you need more free space on the host drive, you can reduce the size of the compressed drive by dragging the slider.


Shifts free space between the compressed drive and its host drive. There might be a red area on the left or right side of the slider bar. If you move the slider into the red area, DriveSpace will defragment the drive.


Shows the volume files on the selected drive that you can mount. Volume files contain compressed drives.


Lists drive letters that you can assign to the host drive for the selected volume file. If you want to reserve the selected drive letter for another purpose, such as mapping to a network drive, select a different drive letter.


Shows the compression ratio that DriveSpace is actually achieving. For example, if the actual compression ratio is 3.0 to 1, DriveSpace is compressing files to one-third their original size.


Displays the compression ratio used to estimate how much free space is available on this drive. Changing the estimated compression ratio does not affect the degree of file compression; it affects only the accuracy with which Windows reports free disk space.

Generally, this value should be approximately the same as the value for the actual compression ratio. However, for accurate disk space reporting, you might want to decrease this value if you will be copying files that cannot be compressed as much (such as .zip files) to the drive, or increase this value if you will be copying files that can be compressed more (such as .bmp files).


Lists other drive letters that you can use if you do not want to use the letter that DriveSpace assigned. For example, you might want to reserve a specific drive letter for mapping to a network drive.


Changes the estimated compression ratio.


Displays the name of the selected disk.


Describes what type of disk is selected.


Shows how much space on the selected disk is used and how much is free.


Displays the total capacity of the selected disk.


Shows how much space on the selected disk is used (in blue) and how much is free (in pink).


Displays the compression ratio used to estimate how much free space is available on this drive.


Closes this dialog box and returns to the main DriveSpace screen.


Help is available for each item in this group. Click [image] at the top of the dialog box, and then click the specific item you want information about.


Shows how much space on this drive is currently free and how much is being used. This drive's total capacity and free space will increase after you upgrade it.


Shows approximately how much free and used space will be on the drive after it is upgraded.


Shows how much free space is currently available on the host drive and whether or not it is hidden.

When DriveSpace 3 upgrades a compressed drive, it might take some of the space on the host drive and add it to the space on the compressed drive, increasing the drive's total capacity and free space. However, this is not the case when upgrading a compressed drive that was originally created by using the Create Empty command in Windows 95 DriveSpace.


Shows approximately how much free space will be available on the host drive after the compressed drive is upgraded, and whether or not the host drive will be hidden.


Begins the upgrade process. After you click Start, you have an opportunity to back up your files.


Click this to change settings for the compressed drive's host drive.


Indicates the progress of the DriveSpace upgrade.


Shows how much uncompressed free space will be set aside on the host drive. To change this amount, click it, and then type a new amount.


Specifies that the host drive will not appear in areas such as My Computer, Windows Explorer, and the Open and Save As dialog boxes.


Creates a compressed disk that is compatible with the compression formats in Windows 95 and MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2. If you will use this disk on a computer that is running either Windows 95 or MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2, make sure this box is checked.


Starts upgrading the drive.


Click this to start a backup program to back up the files on this drive.


Shows how the compression method you select affects disk space and performance. The less compression you use, the less time it takes your computer to read and write files on a compressed drive.


Uses HiPack compression to save files to a compressed drive. This method frees the most disk space, but writing files to a compressed drive might be slower. If your mouse or keyboard seem slow to respond, or if performance drops significantly, try using the Standard or No Compression option instead.

Note HiPack compression applies only to saving files to a DriveSpace 3 compressed drive. If you are using a compressed drive that was created by using MS-DOS or Windows 95 DriveSpace or MS-DOS DoubleSpace, and you have not yet upgraded the drive, your files will be saved using standard compression, even if you select this option.


Uses standard compression to save files to a compressed drive. This setting provides good compression without sacrificing performance when your computer writes files to and reads files from a compressed drive.


Uses standard compression to save files to a compressed drive only if the drive is as full as you specify. If the drive is not that full, then files are saved uncompressed.

This setting is useful for maintaining performance when you have ample disk space and for conserving space when the free space on a compressed drive is low.


Leaves files uncompressed when you save them to a compressed drive. This provides the best performance when your computer writes files to and reads files from a compressed drive.


Specifies a percentage of disk space. If the amount of used disk space reaches this percentage, then DriveSpace 3 uses standard compression to save files.


Fine-tuning compression

You can fine-tune compression to achieve maximum disk space, maximum speed, or the best balance between the two.

Click a button to begin fine tuning compression, or click the Overview button for a brief description of compression.

Fine tune for maximum speed.

Fine tune for maximum disk space.

Fine tune for a balance of speed and space.

Overview of compression


Overview of compression

DriveSpace 3 enables you to specify the different types of compression you want your computer to use when you save files to a compressed drive. This is a useful way to balance your computer’s speed and disk space usage.

DriveSpace 3 also includes Compression Agent, a new file-compression program that helps you get the most out of your hard disk space.

Depending on the settings you specify, Compression Agent compacts files for maximum disk space or decreases file compression for improved performance.


To configure DriveSpace to save files uncompressed

1	Click here  [image]  to start DriveSpace 3.

2	On the Advanced menu, and click Settings.

3	Click No Compression, and then click OK.

Tip

For maximum performance, you may want to save files as compressed only if you are running low on free disk space. To use this setting, click the option, No Compression, Unless The Drive Is At Least 90 Percent Full; Then Use Standard Compression. You can change the disk-space percentage as needed.

What's next?

Configure Compression Agent for maximum speed.


To configure Compression Agent for maximum speed

1	Click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Compression Agent.

If you have more than one DriveSpace 3 drive, click the drive you want to change compression settings for, and then click Settings.

2	Click Do Not UltraPack Any Files, and then click Yes to use HiPack compression on your files.

Tips

For maximum speed, click No, Store Them Uncompressed to uncompress all your files. If you use this option, your files will take up considerably more disk space.

You can also specify the compression method you want to use on an individual file or folder. To do this, click Exceptions.

What's next?

I'm finished fine-tuning compression. Go back to the beginning.


To configure DriveSpace to compress files as you save them

1	Click here  [image]  to start DriveSpace 3.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Settings.

3	Click Standard Compression, and then click OK.

Tip

Standard compression provides good compression without much loss in speed. However, if you are low on hard disk space and have a Pentium or faster computer, try using HiPack compression.

What's next?

Configure Compression Agent for maximum disk space.


To configure Compression Agent for maximum disk space

1	Click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Compression Agent.

If you have more than one DriveSpace 3 drive, click the drive you want to change compression settings for, and then click Settings.

2	For maximum disk space, click UltraPack All Files.

Tips

Accessing UltraPacked files takes longer, especially on slower computers.

If you are using a 486-based computer, you might want to click UltraPack Only Files Not Used Within The Last 30 Days, and then change the number of days if needed. Then click Yes to HiPack the rest of your files.

You can also specify the compression method you want to use on an individual file or folder. To do this, click Exceptions.

What's next?

I'm finished fine-tuning compression. Go back to the beginning.


To configure DriveSpace to compress files only when hard disk space is low

1	Click here  [image]  to start DriveSpace 3.

2	Click the Advanced menu, and then click Settings.

3	Click No Compression, Unless The Drive Is At Least 90 Percent Full; Then Use Standard Compression, and then click OK.

Tip

You can change when DriveSpace 3 starts compressing files by changing the percentage of full disk space.

What's next?

Configure Compression Agent to balance speed and space.


To configure Compression Agent to balance speed and space

1	Click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Compression Agent.

If you have more than one DriveSpace 3 drive, click the drive you want to change compression settings for, and then click Settings.

2	For maximum disk space, click UltraPack Only Files Not Used Within The Last 30 Days. Change the number of days if needed.

3	Click Yes to HiPack the rest of your files.

Tip

You can also specify the compression method you want to use on an individual file or folder. To do this, click Exceptions.

What's next?

I'm finished fine tuning compression. Go back to the beginning.


HiPack compression provides more compression than standard compression. Your computer will maintain excellent performance when reading information on a compressed drive; however, writing information may take longer.

HiPack typically compresses files to just under half their original size. For example, if you use HiPack to compress a 10 MB file, it may take up only 5 MB, saving 5 MB of disk space.


DriveSpace 3 supports three compression methods (standard, HiPack, and UltraPack) that determine how much your files are compressed.

DriveSpace 3 standard compression provides better compression than DoubleSpace or DriveSpace standard compression. HiPack provides even better compression than standard, and UltraPack provides the most compression for maximum disk-space savings. However, the more disk compression you use, the slower your computer may read and write files to a compressed drive.


Increasing free space on a compressed disk
To increase free space on a compressed disk

1	Click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Compression Agent.

If you want to change compression settings, click Settings.

2	To run Compression Agent, click Start.


Changing the compression method for saving files
To change the compression method

1	Click here  [image]  to start DriveSpace 3.

2	On the Advanced menu, click Settings.

3	In the Compression Method area, click the method you want.

Tips

Try using No Compression, Unless Drive is 90% Full; Then Use Standard Compression. Windows saves your files uncompressed if you have plenty of hard disk space. If your hard disk gets full, Windows saves your files by using standard compression.

If you choose to use No Compression, the free space that Windows reports on your hard drive will drop significantly. To regain the extra free space, use Compression Agent to compress your files while you are not using your computer.

You can change the point at which Windows starts compressing your files by changing the disk-space percentage.


Click this to start recompressing files on your drive.


Shows the changes in disk space for different compression methods.

For example, if files that were previously compressed by using UltraPack are recompressed by using HiPack, the value for Space Lost To Improve Performance increases for HiPack, because HiPacked files take up more disk space than UltraPacked files.

Similarly, if files that were previously compressed by using HiPack are recompressed by using UltraPack, the value for Space Gained To Increase Compression increases for UltraPack, because UltraPacked files take up less disk space than HiPacked files.


Shows what percentage of your disk has been recompressed. You can use your computer while Compression Agent is running. However, recompression will take longer and your computer will perform slower.


Stops Compression Agent so that you can select a different drive or quit the program.


Pauses Compression Agent. Pausing Compression Agent is useful if you need to use your computer for a while and don't want it to perform slowly.

To continue recompressing files on your drive, click Resume.


Click this to specify the compression method to use when recompressing files on the drive.


Displays a Help topic that describes how Compression Agent keeps track of disk space and performance as it recompresses files on the drive.


Lists the drives that you can recompress files on.

Compression Agent can recompress files on drives that were compressed or upgraded by using DriveSpace 3. Compression Agent cannot recompress files on CD-ROM drives, network drives, or drives that are not compressed in DriveSpace 3 format.


Resumes recompressing files on the same drive.


Click this to select a different disk drive to recompress files on.


Quits Compression Agent.

To safeguard your information, Compression Agent finishes recompressing the file it is currently working on before quitting. It might take a few seconds before Compression Agent clears your screen.


 Specifies that you do not want to use UltraPack compression on any files.


 Uses UltraPack compression on all files to achieve maximum disk space. Because it takes longer to open files compressed by using UltraPack, this option might slow down your computer, unless you are using a Pentium or faster computer.

Depending on the type of processor and amount of memory you have, it might also take longer to compress files by using UltraPack than by using another compression method.

Note Even when you select UltraPack compression, Compression Agent might not UltraPack all the files selected. If doing so does not result in a gain of disk space, Compression Agent uses HiPack to compress those files instead in order to maintain performance.


Uses UltraPack compression to recompress only those files opened within the number of days you specify. You can type a number in the text box, or click the up and down arrows to set the number of days.

Because it takes longer to open files compressed by using UltraPack, use this option to achieve maximum compression on files that you use infrequently.


Uses HiPack compression on all files, except for those that are compressed by using UltraPack. This method achieves a very high level of compression without slowing performance when opening files.


 Stores all files uncompressed, except those that are compressed in UltraPack.

This option is useful if you have a 486-based (or slower) computer and want to increase the speed at which files are accessed. However, uncompressed files take up considerably more disk space.


Click this to set additional options for maximizing free space on the drive.


Saves your changes as the new default settings.

If this check box is not selected, the settings you changed are used this time only to recompress files.


Click this to specify the type of compression to use for individual files and folders on your computer. The exceptions you set override the settings in this dialog box.


Maintains the current compression level of all files on the drive, even if free space drops below the specified amount. To change the specified amount of free space, type a number or click the up and down arrows.

This setting overrides all other settings in Compression Agent, including any exceptions you've set for individual files or folders. For example, if you specify No Compression for a file that was previously compressed by using HiPack, and you are low on disk space, the file remains in HiPack format.


Specifies that files currently UltraPacked remain in UltraPack format, even if you've accessed them recently or have changed their compression settings.

If this box is not checked, then UltraPacked files can be recompressed by using HiPack, or they can be uncompressed, depending on the option you chose for your other files in the Settings dialog box, and on how much free disk space you have.

Note The settings you specify in the Exceptions dialog box override this option. For example, if you uncompress a file that is currently UltraPacked, Compression Agent uncompresses the file when it recompresses this drive, even if this box is checked.


Lists individual files, folders, and file types, and the compression option you specified. Files and folders that are not in this list are recompressed as specified in the Settings dialog box.


Click this to add another file, folder, or file type to the list.


Click this to change the compression method used when recompressing the selected item in the list.


Click this to remove the selected file, folder, or file type from the list. This file or folder will be compressed as specified in the Settings dialog box.


Sets a compression method for a file. If you know the name and location of the file, you can type its path in the text box; otherwise, you can click Browse to find it.


Sets a compression method for a folder.

If you know the name and location of the folder, you can type its path in the text box. If you have two folders with the same name on different drives, you can set the same compression method for both folders by typing \foldername. If you don't know the name and the location of the folder, you can click Browse to find it.

The option you specify applies to the entire folder, including any subfolders and the files they contain.


Sets a compression option for a particular file type. For example, you can specify a compression method for all bitmap files by typing *.bmp in the text box.


 Provides a space for you to type the locations and names of the individual files and folders for which you want to set compression methods.

If you select All Files Of Specified Type, you must provide the filename extension. For example, to use a specific compression method to compress all of your bitmap files, you could type either bmp or *.bmp in the text box.


Click this to find the file or folder you want to specify a compression method for.


Specifies that the selected file, folder, or file type should always be recompressed by using UltraPack compression.

Because it takes longer to open UltraPacked files, use this method to achieve maximum compression on files you use less frequently.


Specifies that the selected file, folder, or file type should always be recompressed by using HiPack compression.


Specifies that the selected file, folder, or file type should always be stored in an uncompressed format.


Saves the compression exception you set. This compression exception is added to the list in the Exceptions dialog box.

This dialog box stays open so that you can set compression exceptions for additional files and folders.


Closes this dialog box and returns to the Exceptions dialog box.


Compression Agent overview

With Compression Agent, you can save disk space by compressing files even more, or improve performance by changing the level of compression on your files. While files on your drive are being recompressed, Compression Agent updates the information in the table to reflect how your disk space changes as files are moved from one compression method to another.

For example, if a file that was previously HiPacked is recompressed by using UltraPack, the column Space Gained By Increasing Compression shows a higher value for UltraPack because these files take up less disk space.

Similarly, if a file that was previously UltraPacked is recompressed by using HiPack, the column Space Lost To Improve Performance shows a higher value for HiPack because these files take up more disk space.

Tip

You can balance disk space and performance by changing the way Compression Agent compresses your files. To do this, click Settings.


Shows how much space on the selected drive is free and how much space is used by files. The files are represented by the different compression methods used on them.


Provides information about the uncompressed size, compression ratio, and disk-space gain for files that are compressed using UltraPack, HiPack, and standard compression.


Provides information about the uncompressed size, compression ratio, and the disk-space gain for files that are compressed using UltraPack compression.

Note  Although UltraPack generally provides better compression than HiPack, the compression ratio for HiPack might be higher because the data that is currently HiPacked might compress better than the data that is currently UltraPacked. This can cause HiPack to achieve a better compression ratio than UltraPack.


Provides information about the uncompressed size, compression ratio, and disk-space gain for files that are compressed using HiPack compression.

Note  Although UltraPack generally provides better compression than HiPack, the compression ratio for HiPack might be higher because the data that is currently HiPacked might compress better than the data that is currently UltraPacked. This can cause HiPack to achieve a better compression ratio than UltraPack.


Provides information about the uncompressed size, compression ratio, and disk-space gain for files that are compressed using standard compression.


Provides information about the size, compression ratio, and disk-space gain for files that are uncompressed.

The compression ratio for these files typically is 1.00 to 1; and, since you don't gain disk space by leaving these files uncompressed, the Gain column is always zero.


Describes how much free space you now have, the compression ratio used to estimate the remaining free space, and how much free space was gained by compressing the drive.


When you compress your drive, you can store more files in a given amount of disk space. For example, when you compress a drive, you can save more files within 10 K of disk space than you can when the drive is not compressed.

This line shows the space gained by storing more files within the same disk space.


Shows the total uncompressed size of all the files on the drive, the average compression ratio used by the files, and the amount of disk space you gained by compressing the drive.


Click this to recompress this drive. You might want to do this if you have changed or created files on this drive since it was last recompressed.


Click this to upgrade this drive to DriveSpace 3 format.

By upgrading this drive, you can achieve better compression and increase its free space. Also, you must upgrade the drive if you want to use Compression Agent to recompress it.


Click this to display more compression information about the drive, such as information about its host drive and the compressed volume file.


Shows the progress Windows is making as it sorts and calculates the compression information for the drive.


Prevents the host drive from appearing on your system. If this box is selected, the host drive (and any files on it) do not appear in Windows Explorer or My Computer. Also, you will not be able to use the free space on the host drive.

DriveSpace 3 requires at least 4 MB of free space on the host drive to manage you compressed drive. If you have less than 4 MB free, you might want to hide the host drive to keep the drives list from getting cluttered.

Even if you hide the host drive, you can still work with it from the command prompt. It also appears in the list of drives in the DriveSpace window, where you can also work with it.


Click here to compress this drive.


Shows how much estimated free disk space you will have after you compress this drive.


Click this to create a new, empty, compressed drive using some or all of the free space on this drive. Windows will compress the files you save to the new drive.


Shows how much estimated disk space you will gain by creating a new, empty, compressed drive.


Click this to run DriveSpace to create and work with compressed drives.


Shows how much disk space on this host drive is used and how much is free. The drive contains the compressed volume file for one or more compressed drives.


Provides information about how much space is used by the compressed volume file for one or more compressed drives, how much space is used by other files, and how much space is free on this host drive.

If you have more than one compressed drive, click the arrow, and then click the drive for which you want to view information.