
                  +----------------------------------------+
                  |                                        |
                  |            Partition saving            |
                  |                                        |
                  |    http://www.partition-saving.com     |
                  |  Copyright (c) 1999-2004 D. Guibouret  |
                  +----------------------------------------+

                                Evolutions list

This file gives list of versions of Partition saving with main evolutions. 

  1- V1.00 -> V2.00: 
  2- V2.00 -> V2.10: 
  3- V2.10 -> V2.20: 
  4- V2.20 -> V2.21: 
  5- V2.21 -> V2.22: 
  6- V2.22 -> V2.30: 
  7- V2.30 -> V2.40: 
  8- V2.40 -> V2.50: 
  9- V2.50 -> V2.60: 
 10- V2.60 -> V2.70: 
 11- V2.70 -> V2.80: 
 12- V2.80 -> V2.90: 
 13- V2.90 -> V2.91: 


1- V1.00 -> V2.00 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - add of management of more than 8 Gb hard disk.
  - add of data compression.
  - add of several files saving capability.
  - interface change.

Remark: 
-------
All these modifications do that it is not possible to restore with V2.00 
version files created with V1.00 version (and reciprocally). 


2- V2.00 -> V2.10 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - all language versions are into the same file with language recognition at 
beginning of execution.
  - some changes are made into interface: use of arrow keys to go from one 
element to another, add of arrows into scrollbar of listboxes.
  - add of mouse use.
  - add of batch mode.
  - add of deflate level choice (was to the maximum into previous version).

Remark: 
-------
All these modifications do not concern file format. So it is possible to use 
files created with version 2.00 (and version 2.00 could use file created with 
version 2.10). 


3- V2.10 -> V2.20 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - add of possibility to save only occupied sectors for partitions with 
FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 (DOS/Windows) and ext2 (Linux) file system.
  - add of an option into batch file for this new possibility.
  - add of possibility to restore partitions from which only occupied sectors 
have been saved, on partitions with different size and that are on disk with 
different format.
  - add of copypart.exe util.
  - some change made into interface.

Remark: 
-------
This version is able to restore files created with previous versions (V2.00 
and V2.10). 
If all sectors of a partition are saved, created file format is not modified, 
so file could be restored with previous version program (V2.00 and V2.10). 
If only occupied sectors are saved, it is not possible to use this file with 
previous version of program (you will get an "Bad compression format" error). 


4- V2.20 -> V2.21 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - correction of a problem due to that some CD readers/writers are identified
as hard disk. Hard disk detection is now more restrictive (if somebody see 
that its hard disk is no more detected, please inform me).
  - correction of a bug for hard disk with standard access that have at least 
two logical partitions in the same extended partition. This bug does that 
partitions after the first logical one were not detected on V2.00 and V2.10 
versions and a "Page fault" error on V2.20 version.
  - correction in case of bad sectors: from 0 to 126 sectors following this 
bad one could be not read/written. Now they are.
  - add of "quit" and "reboot" options in options file in order to 
automatically exit program at end of execution and to reboot computer.
  - change of interface when asking for saving file name: now a second window 
gives you partition size and free space on each drive.
  - an estimation of remaining time is given in saving/restoring/copying 
window.


5- V2.21 -> V2.22 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - correction of hard disk detection in order to detect again some disks that
were considered as CD-reader.
  - correction in the case a drive is not considered as a hard disk: following
hard disks have a bad number.
  - correction of reboot.
  - add of window displaying search of last occupied sector in the case where 
only occupied sectors are saved.
  - add of a warning in case the file created/acceded is on the partition 
saved/restored.

Remark: Evolutions made on hard disks detection for 2.21 and 2.22 versions 
could in some case do that an hard disk is not the same has the one in the 
saved file if this one has been created with a version preceding the 2.21 one.
If only occupied sectors have been saved, this does not have any consequence, 
but in the case where all sectors have been saved, it could generate an "No 
partition agrees with one saved into file" error. In this case you have to use
the version you have used to create the file. 


6- V2.22 -> V2.30 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - a new correction on disk detection.
  - a correction on DOS drive letter attribution in case there was several 
main DOS partition on the same disk.
  - a new option to avoid check that created/read file is on partition 
saved/restored.
  - use of a new version of compiler and development environment that have 
better compatibility with Windows 2000 and XP.
  - availability to save only occupied sectors for NTFS partitions.
  - correction on free size on DOS drive when there was more than 2Gb of free 
space.
  - compatibility between partitions of the same type (partitions that have 
the same filesystem are considered as compatible).
  - if in batch mode, several files are needed when restoring and are on a 
removable media, program asks for next media in place of generating a "file 
not found" error and asking for next file.
  - changes into documentation and zip file structure.
  - some changes into GUI.

Remark: 
-------
This version is able to restore files created with previous versions. Reverse 
is true also, but not in case where only occupied sectors of NTFS partition 
were saved (using a previous version on such a file will return a "Bad 
filesystem format" error when opening file). 


7- V2.30 -> V2.40 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - merge of the 3 programs into one and use of UPX (executable compressor) to
reduce size. Add of window asking for action to do and of action options 
(-c|-d|-r|-s|-t).
  - add of console type user interface (-cui option) to solve some blocking 
problems on some computers.
  - correction of code to allow using batch mode when saving NTFS partitions.
  - changes in order to use copy of sector in case some FAT sectors are 
incorrect when saving only occupied sectors of FAT partition.

Remark: 
-------
This version is able to restore files created with previous versions. Reverse 
is true also. Nevertheless, if you have got some bad sectors when saving only 
occupied sectors of FAT partition, it is better to do this saving again with 
this version (as long as you do not change disk, previous saving will work, 
but the day you change your disk, it is possible that it does not work any 
more). 


8- V2.40 -> V2.50 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - selected button is flanked by ">" and "<" to avoid potential confusion 
when only two buttons are displayed.
  - a driver is added to read saved file containing FAT partition from DOS as 
if it is a partition.
  - an option has been added to allow saving a FAT partition on itself.
  - batch file has been modified to take into account this new availability.
  - "reboot" option of batch file is also taked into account when saving.
  - ext3 partitions are taken into account as ext2 partitions if journal is 
created on the same partition.

Remark: 
-------
This version is able to restore files created with previous versions. Reverse 
is true also. 


9- V2.50 -> V2.60 
-----------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - saving/restoring a whole disk, master boot record, first sectors of disk 
and partition table is available.
  - writing data on disk is always checked. That slow down restoring but 
allows to check that disk is not broken.
  - DOS drive detecting is modified such as network drive will be found again 
with some network drivers.
  - driver is corrected to avoid that computer hangs in case a program does 
not close all files that it used on simulated partition.
  - one of the paramaters of NTFS boot sector is modified in case a NTFS 
partition is restored on a partition which is not the same as the origin one 
(this parameter is said unused by Microsoft but is used during boot sequence).
  - add of a check that first chosen file could not have the same name than 
another file when using automatic naming to avoid it to be erased.

Remark: 
-------
This version could restore files created with previous versions. Reverse is 
true also, but not in case of saving disk, MBR, first sectors of disk or 
partition table (using a previous version on such a file will return a "Bad 
filesystem format" error when opening file). When disk use a standard access 
method, it could also occurs that files created with this version could not be
restored with a previous version. 


10- V2.60 -> V2.70 
------------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - saving/restoring floppy disk is available.
  - saving/restoring DOS devices that could be accessed using sectors is 
available.
  - parts of code that use floating point unit have been modified to no more 
use if such as program could be used on 386 and 486SX that do not have a 
floating point unit.
  - in case a unexpected error appears, error message has more data such has I
I could find where error comes from.
  - add of check that files are correctly written (by use of DOS VERIFY flag).
  - add of -nvd and -nvf options (and their equivalent into option file) to 
disable the check that sectors and files are correctly written.

Remark: 
-------
This version could restore files created with previous versions. Reverse is 
true also, but not in case of saving floppy disk or DOS device (using a 
previous version on such a file will return a "Bad support type" error when 
opening file). 


11- V2.70 -> V2.80 
------------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - for disk with extended access, use of standard access parameters when 
modifying boot sector of a FAT or NTFS partition instead of extended access 
parameters. This correction could explain why in some cases, running SYS.COM 
program is needed after restoring a FAT partition and why "NTLDR missing" 
message appears after restoring NTFS partition.
  - correction of an error when restoring partition table: not only partition 
table part of restored sectors is set, but also signature that signal it as a 
partition sector. This could avoid the good reading of partition table.
  - correction of an error when restoring NTFS partition on a partition with a
different size: size of file telling which sectors are occupied was updated 
only at one place, when it is present at 2 places. This seemed to have no 
influence on Windows behaviour.
  - add of -bui option that allows having an user interface similar to the 
default one but with a better compatibility. Counterpart it is slower.
  - add of -cm and -pm options to have two way to use mouse: -cm is the 
default one and use a specific function of mouse driver (function that could 
not be present), -pm use a method with a better compatibility but that could 
miss some double click events (it is the default method for Windows NT/XP).

Remark: 
-------
This version could restore files created with previous versions. Reverse is 
true also. 
Because of the first correction, restoring partition could appear as different
as origin one even if it is the same. In this case and if you have saved all 
sectors (and so no partition will match), you will be obliged to use the same 
version as the one you use for saving. If you have saved only occupied 
sectors, there will be theorically no differences. 


12- V2.80 -> V2.90 
------------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - modifying Windows 2000/XP registry to update partition definition when a 
partition is moved is available.
  - modifying the BOOTSECT.DOS file to update it when a bootable partition 
used into Windows XP multiboot is moved is available.
  - a correction when restoring a NTFS partition on a partition with another 
size to update size of file listing bad clusters. The fact that this file does
not have a correct size previously seems to have no consequence on filesystem.
Warning: only size is updated, file is not modified to reflect bad clusters in
more or less.
  - add of "automatic_naming" option into option file that allows getting 
automatic naming when using option file.
  - add of use of environment variable into option file.
  - maximum filesize could now be given in kb if free space on drive is less 
than 10 Mb. This case could be useful to save small elements (MBR, partition 
table) on floppy disk. Option file is modified to be able to add unit of size 
(in Mb as default).
  - change of a parameter into file header when saving a floppy disk to set it
compatible with driver use. This parameter is only used in this case, so 
compatibility is insured with file created with previous versions for others 
program options.

Remark: 
-------
This version could restore files created with previous versions. Reverse is 
true also. 
Because of adding environment variable use into option file, if an old option 
file has a '%' into an option, it could be incorrectly read (you have to 
double the '%' to get it working). 


13- V2.90 -> V2.91 
------------------

Evolutions made are: 

  - support of very fragmented NTFS partitions. These partitions can now be 
saved with saving occupied only sectors when the whole partition should be 
saved before.
  - change of update of backup descriptor sectors on ext2 partitions. Update 
is now done with using original sector definition instead of their own 
definition because it seems not to be updated when using partition.
  - change into interface when updating registry entries for the ask of driver
lettre to set to chosen partition. Instead of having to give the drive letter,
program shows you list of drive letter it could modify.
  - a correction to avoid option file creation to be asked when doing a save 
with an option file using the "automatic_naming" option.

Remark: 
-------
This version could restore files created with previous versions. Reverse is 
true also. But in case of very fragmented NTFS partition, it is obvious that 
previous version will not be able to restore file created with this version. 
It is also to be noticed that you could get a little difference on file size 
between this version and previous one when saving NTFS partition, this is not 
a problem and does not disallow file compatibility. 

------
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