Microsoft 32-bit file access: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:25, 18 May 2009

Revision as of 16:27, 22 March 2010

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'''32-bit file access''' refers to the higher performance, [[protected mode]] disk caching method introduced in [[Windows for Workgroups]] 3.11, which replaced [[SmartDrive]] (Smartdrv). It bypassed [[MS-DOS]] and directly accessed the disk, either via the [[BIOS]] or (preferably) [[32-bit disk access]] (Windows-native protected mode disk drivers). This feature was a [[backport]] from the then-unreleased [[Windows 95]], as suggested by Microsoft's advertisements for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 ("the 32-bit file system from our Chicago project").