Snapshot

Snapshot saves the positions of all the currently selected icons. The next time you open the window, the icons that you selected appear in their saved positions. You can save the positions of several icons at one time by using drag selection or extended selection.

To save the position of an icon:

1. Select the icon.
2. Choose Snapshot.

UnSnapshot

UnSnapshot cancels the snapshot position of an icon. The next time you open the window, the icons are rearranged.

To release the snapshot position of an icon:

1. Select the icon.
2. Choose UnSnapshot.

Leave Out

Leave Out moves an often-used icon out of its original window and into the Workbench window for faster access. The file represented by the icon remains in its original drawer on the disk; only the icon is moved. The icon remains in the Workbench window, even if the machine is rebooted. This menu item cannot be used with disks or the Trashcan.

To use Leave Out:

1. Select the icon.
2. Choose Leave Out.

The icon moves into the Workbench window.

Put Away

Put Away returns an icon that was left out to its original drawer.

To use Put Away:

1. Select the icon.
2. Choose Put Away.

Delete

Delete erases files and their icons from your disks.

Caution:

Use Delete with caution; you cannot retrieve something that was deleted.

To delete a file or drawer:

1. Select its icon. Use drag selection or extended selection to choose more than one icon to be deleted. Disks and the Trashcan cannot be removed with Delete.
2. Choose Delete from the Icons menu. A warning requester appears, listing the number of files and drawers currently selected. Verify that you want to erase permanently the items listed. Remember that if you delete a drawer, everything contained in it is also deleted.
3. Select the OK gadget. The icon and the files associated with it are erased from your disk. If you do not want to delete everything currently selected, select the Cancel gadget.

Format Disk

Formatting a disk prepares it for storing information. Format disks that are new and unformatted, disks that develop errors, or disks on which you wish to use different file system options.

Caution:

Formatting erases all information on a disk. Be careful not to format disks that hold information that you do not want to lose, particularly your original system and software applications disks.

Select the icon of the disk to be formatted and choose Format Disk from the Icons menu. The Format window, illustrated in Figure 4-5, displays the current information about the disk. If the disk is already formatted, its volume name and the percentage of the disk currently in use are displayed. A text gadget allows you to enter a new Volume name for the disk.

Figure 4-5.

Format Window

Four items can be selected (checked) in the Format window:

Put Trashcan	Allows you to put a Trashcan on the disk.
Fast File System	Allows the Amiga to fit more information on a disk. It is faster than the standard file system. Fast File System disks are incompatible with Workbench software releases prior to 2.0 and should not be selected for disks that are also used on pre-Release 2 Amigas.
International Mode	Fully supports international characters in file names. We recommend that you set this option on. International Mode is incompatible with Workbench software releases prior to 2.0 and should not be selected for disks that are also used on pre-Release 2 Amigas.
Directory Cache	Speeds up the opening of drawers, file requesters, and listings. This option is off by default. Disks using Directory Cache are incompatible with Workbench software releases prior to 3.0 and should not be selected for disks that are also used on pre-Release 3 Amigas.

Fast File System, International Mode, and Directory Cache can only be specified for AmigaDOS disks. Selecting the Directory Cache option automatically selects International Mode. Disks created with the Directory Cache option can only be read by Amigas running Workbench Release 3.0 and above.

Quick format is for reformatting a disk that was previously formatted. You cannot format a new blank disk with Quick Format. Choosing the Quick Format option is faster than formatting the entire disk; however, it does not detect any read/write errors on the disk that could be eliminated by a full format.

When the disk is formatted, if you did not change he name in the Format window, it is labeled Empty. This name can be changed using the Rename item in the Icons menu.

Formatting Hard Disks

You must format your hard disk under the following conditions if:

• It is a new unformatted disk.
• You have a serious unrecoverable disk error.
• You have repartitioned the disk.
• You wish to use a different file system option on the disk, such as the Directory Cache option.

Before reformatting your hard disk, be sure to back up all important information from the disk.

The Ram Disk cannot be formatted. If you accidentally select the Ram Disk for formatting, a requester reports that there is a format failure and requires you to select Cancel.

If you have more than one disk icon selected, more than one Format window opens when the Format Disk item is selected from the Icons menu. The format windows open one on top of another so that only one Format window is initially visible. Drag the windows until all are visible. Be sure to check the Current Information field in the Format window for the intended Device and Volume names before allowing the format to continue.

Caution:

Check the device and volume names carefully. If you accidentally reformat your hard disk instead of a floppy, you will eras all of your files.