TITLE
    PowerBook: Crash Can Cause Loss Of RAM Disk Contents
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		24752
12/10/98
12/10/98
TOPIC

    Sometimes when my PowerBook crashes or I have to force-restart it, I notice that I lose some things on the RAM disk that I have set up. Why?

DISCUSSION

    On PowerBooks, the system software uses a temporary file to save and rebuild the contents of a RAM disk between restarts of the computer. The file is created and the contents of the RAM disk are copied to it shortly after you select Restart from the Special menu, and the RAM disk is restored from this file when the computer is starting up. If you have "Save on Shut Down" selected in the Memory control panel, then the same process occurs when shutting down the computer except that the RAM disk file remains in the Preferences folder.

    If the PowerBook crashes and needs to be force-restarted (using the Command-Control-Power key sequence after a crash, for example) or if it completely runs out of battery power while in sleep mode, the temporary RAM disk file never gets built and therefore one of two things will happen:

    • If you have the "Save on Shut Down" option set in the Memory control panel (which is the default) your RAM disk will revert to the last version that was saved the last time the PowerBook was shut down (not restarted).
    • If you don't have the "Save on Shut Down" option set in the Memory control panel, your RAM disk will be empty.

Document Information
Product Area: Computers
Category: PowerBook
Sub Category: General Topics
Keywords: kpbook

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