Software for hard drives - hard disk maintenance - Small-Business Computing

Nation's Business, July, 1994 by Albert G. Holzinger, John T. Cleland

Several new programs attempt to make Windows more Mac-like by creating file cabinets and folders and allowing file names that are longer than eight characters (a DOS/Windows limitation that leads to cryptic file names like NBSTJN1 and others that a week later are indecipherable even to the creator).

Within the next year, Microsoft will introduce the fourth iteration of Windows, and preliminary reviews suggest a much-improved file-management system.

Until then, utilities that improve one's filing life are welcome.

Hence our enthusiasm for two Windows add-on programs: Sherlock and Golden Retriever.

If you have files referring to a single project that were created in different programs--say, a word-processing document and a spreadsheet with some presentation graphics-- Sherlock may be just what you need to keep the files organized.

The program, from 2010 Software Corp. of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., allows you to group files in familiar "places," such as an office, a file cabinet drawer, and so on. You can put files together that relate to one subject, or client, or whatever, and retrieve them at any time. And you can assign file names of up to 254 characters.

While Sherlock is a Windowsonly program, it won't work with all Windows programs. It does work with the big sellers, however. Also, we found it somewhat slow, even with a fast 486 PC.

Despite these shortcomings, this is a dandy little program if you have a lot of files to manage. Sherlock also works on networks, which might be the best place for it. This is the program's second revision. The suggested price is $139. You can call 2010 Software at 1-800-952-2314.

Golden Retriever, from Above Software of Irvine, Calif., is occasionally overly cute (for example, icons look like dog bones, and a search icon features a baseball bearing the word "fetch"), yet it's a more than serviceable utility.

One of the program's better features is side-by-side panels of file lists, so you can move files from one location to another and see the results. This feature is similar to Symantec's Norton Commander and Norton Desktop for Windows.

Golden Retriever lists for $99 and is available at discount prices from most computer stores, or you can call the company at 1-800-344-0116.

John T. Cleland is a free-lance writer in Crofton, Md.

Little Things

We don't often write about entertainment software, but then we seldom run across products as fascinating as the Major League Baseball SportsGuide with ScreenSavers, by Momentum Development Inc. of Ashland, Ore.

The $49.95 list price includes Windows screen savers and wallpaper (the background behind Windows displays), a personal information manager with an appointment calendar and telephone book, baseball team and league statistics, and a trivia game.

The most fun of all is dialing up the company's mainframe computer each morning for an automated update of the program's statistical data. (This service costs $29.95 a year.)

The company has a similar program for hockey fans. A football version is expected this fall. All are available at most discount retailers.