mirror MS-DOS Command

Type: External

Syntax:

MIRROR [d:]path [d:] path […]

MIRROR [d1:][d2:][…] [/T(drive)(files)] [/partn][/U][/1]

Purpose: Used to store information about a disk’s file allocation table, boot record, and root directory (to be used later for file recovery). (In DOS Version 6, this program is stored on the DOS supplemental disk.)

Discussion

The MIRROR command is used to save information that can be used later for file recovery using the UNDELETE and UNFORMAT commands. MIRROR creates a duplicate or MIRROR of this important information in case the original information becomes unreadable. (New with DOS Version 5.)

For each drive you specify, MIRROR creates a read-only file named MIRROR.FIL on the disk’s root directory. The file contains all the information that could be used later to recover deleted or damaged files, or even to rebuild the file structure of the entire disk.

Options

/1 – Specifies that MIRROR should keep only one-data information file, based on the latest information about the drive you specified.

[d:]path – Specifies the drives for which information will be saved and used later for file recovery.

/partn

v Used to save a copy of the drive’s partition table on a diskette in drive A.

/T – Loads a memory-resident deletion-tracking program into memory. This program is used to keep track of files you delete.

/U – Unloads the deletion-tracking program from memory (as long as no other memory-resident programs were placed in memory later.

When using the MIRROR command, do not specify a network drive or a drive that has been previously specified using the JOIN, ASSIGN, or SUBST command.

If you do not use the /1 option and MIRROR finds a file on the disk named MIRROR.FIL, that file will be renamed MIRROR.BAK and a new file named MIRROR.FIL will be created.

Examples

To save a file with disk-recovery information for drives C and D, enter mirror c:d: