3 Pack/Renumber Messages
This command enables you to pack the message base for the current conference. When you pack the message base you can eliminate messages in the current conference that are old, that are private and have been read, or those that have been marked for deletion. After executing this command, several questions will be asked to help determine the messages that should be packed. The following details each of the questions that will be asked.
Pack the Message Base?
This question is asked to confirm that you want to pack the message base. Valid responses are:
| N | Do not pack the message base. Instead, return to the conference command prompt. |
| Y | Continue packing the message base. Additional questions will be asked that will determine what criteria you want to use for deleting messages (if any). |
Generate ONLY a New Index File?
This question is asking if you want to only regenerate a new index file for the message base. Valid responses for this question are:
| N | If you enter this response, additional questions will be asked to determine the criteria for deleting messages. |
| Y | If you enter this response, no other questions will be asked. Instead, PCBPack will be run immediately and create a new index for the conference. Creating a new index file is useful if you suspect that the current index may be corrupt for some reason. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself,
use the /INDEX command line parameter.
Purge older than
This question asks you to enter the cutoff date for keeping messages. Any messages that are older than the date that you enter will be deleted from the message base. In the field provided, enter the cutoff date for keeping messages. The default date in this field is 010180 which will not delete messages by date.
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /DATE command line parameter.
Purge RECEIVED+PRIVATE Msgs?
Messages that have been assigned RECEIVER ONLY message security are only useful to the receiver. Once the message has been read by this user, you may want to delete it from your message base. The question that you are asked will determine if these messages will be deleted or left in your message base to be packed out by other criteria. Valid responses are:
| N | Leave any RECEIVER ONLY messages in the message base. To be deleted, they will have to meet other packing criteria. |
| Y | All RECEIVER ONLY messages that have been read will be deleted from the message base. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /PURGE command line parameter.
Renumber during repack?
This option is designed to allow you to renumber the message base if you exceed the 16,000,000 maximum message number limit. When renumbering your message base, PCBPack does NOT update the last message read values for your users. Therefore, if you renumber the message base without adjusting these values, your users may not be able to see new messages because their last message read value remains unchanged. Using System Manager, you can reset your user's last message read pointer to 0 to avoid this problem. Valid responses to this question are:
| N | Do not renumber the message base – message numbers will remain unchanged. |
| Y | The message base will be renumbered beginning with the number that you specify when prompted. When the message base is renumbered, the last message read values will not be updated. |
TIP: To accomplish this same task by executing PCBPACK yourself, use the /RENUMBER command line parameter.
The Packing Process
Once you have answered all of the questions, PCBoard will load and run PCBPack. When PCBPack is finished, control will be returned to BOARD.BAT. If you do not load PCBoard using BOARD.BAT, you will be left at the DOS prompt.