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Q127143: SMARTMON.EXE Does Not Report Cache Information

Article: Q127143
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22; WINDOWS:3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-OCT-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you are running the SMARTDrive Monitor tool (SMARTMON.EXE) that is shipped
with Microsoft MS-DOS version 6.0 or higher, the tool does not report any
caching information for SMARTDRV.EXE even though SMARTDRV.EXE is loaded
properly.

CAUSE
=====

The SMARTDrive Monitor tool does not show SMARTDrive caching information for the
following types of drives:

- Drives that are not cached.

- Network drives.

- CD-ROM drives.

- Hard disks running in Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 with 32-bit file
  access enabled.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Drives That Are Not Cached
--------------------------

SMARTMON.EXE cannot report cache information for a drive if caching for that
drive has been disabled.

Network Drives
--------------

SMARTDrive does not cache network drives, so SMARTMON.EXE cannot report cache
information for these drives.

CD-ROM Drives
-------------

SMARTMON.EXE version 1.03 does not recognize the caching of CD-ROM drives because
it was not designed to do so. SMARTMON.EXE 1.03 was originally released with
Microsoft MS-DOS version 6.0, which includes SMARTDrive version 4.0. SMARTDrive
version 4.0 does not cache CD-ROM drives.

Hard Disks Using 32-Bit File Access
-----------------------------------

The 32-bit file access feature in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 uses a 32-bit
protect-mode cache (VCACHE.386) that replaces SMARTDRV.EXE at the Windows level.
When you use the 32-bit file access feature, SMARTDRV.EXE caches only floppy and
CD-ROM drives. SMARTMON.EXE does not report caching information for hard disks
using the 32-bit file access feature because VCACHE.386 has disabled the hard
disk caching in SMARTDRV.EXE.

The only way to work around this behavior is to not use the 32-bit file access
feature in Windows for Workgroups 3.11. You may not want to disable the 32-bit
file access feature, however, because doing so causes you to lose the
performance increases that 32-bit file access and VCACHE.386 provide over
SMARTDrive's real-mode caching.

Additional query words: 3.11 wrk vfat 32bit cdrom

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWFWSearch kbWFW311 kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600
Version           : MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22; WINDOWS:3.11

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