A short tutorial on File Blastin'

This is a quick guide to File Blastin', but before we get onto the good stuff, we need to get to grips with some terminology.

File Blastin' is the technical term for copying a file or files to multiple folders. It is most often used in association with putting files into a Macintosh Manager user's folder.

Whilst Blastin', you'll be dealing with Three (3) types of folder:

Source Files Folder:
This is the folder that contains all of the files and folders you want to copy to (or delete from) your users' folders. I make a folder on my desktop, and call it "Default Files" (or something equally bland). For the speediest of Blasts, you could make a RAM disk and put your Source Files Folder in that. Think of the speed!!!

Main Destination Folder:
If you're using File Blaster to copy something to all of your Macintosh Manager users' folders, then your Main Destination Folder will just be the "Users" folder on the Documents server.

Sub-main Destination Folder:
This is the folder inside each individual user's folder that you're copying into (eg Documents, Preferences).

Firstly, you need to grab File Blaster. Open it up, and have a poke around. Here's one I prepared earlier:

The first area/depression/well ("Copy everything in this folder...") should point to the folder that contains all of the items you want to copy (your Source Files folder). You should make this a folder on your local workstation. If you point it to a folder on a server, you'll increase your Blastin' time. For the best performance, make a RAM disk and put your files-to-be-copied in there.

Macintosh Manager 2.0 and OS X Server version 10 (the Aqua one) changed the layout of your users' home directories. The most significant change is the way the Preferences folder has been moved from the top level of a user's home directory to inside their Library folder. You need to tell File Blaster what version of MM you're using. You do this by selecting a version from the "MM Version" submenu in the "Edit" menu. The contents of the Subfolder popup menu will change depending on which MM version you select.

From the "...into this folder..." popup menu you need to select the folder you want to copy into. If you want to put a file into every user's Preferences folder, you'd select "Preferences" from this popup menu. If you want to put the source files into the top level of the user's folder (ie "Server:Users:username:"), select the "Just in the folder" option.
If you want to copy into a folder that isn't in the popup menu, you can select "Other...", and then enter the folder name into the field that appears. If you want to copy into a sub-folder, just enter the path relative to the top of the User's folder. For instance, if you wanted to copy into the "Netscape Users" folder in each of your user's Preferences folder, select the "Other..." option from the popup menu, then enter "Preferences:Netscape Users:". The trailing colon is optional.

You then need to locate your Destination folder. This will be the folder called "Users" at the top-level of your sharepoint. Do this by clicking on the little folder next to the "...in every folder in this folder:" area, or just by dragging and dropping the folder onto the well.

Next, specify how many folders you want to copy by entering a number into the "Copy to the first:" field. You can also enter "All" to copy to every folder in your Main Destination folder. If you have 500 folders in your Main Destination folder, and you enter "30" in this field, File Blaster will copy the entire contents of the Source Files folder into the first 30 folders it finds (going alphabetically) in the Users folder.

Due to popular demand, version 1.3 introduced the "If File Exists:" section. Use these radio buttons to tell File Blaster what to do if a file of the same name as one you're trying to copy already exists in a user's folder. The options are:

Replace/Delete
If File Blaster finds a pre-existing file, it will wipe it off the face of your hard drive. You won't be asked for any sort of confirmation - the file just goes. "Where does it go?" I hear you ask. That's one of life's little mysteries. I have a bit of an inkling that they go to Silicon Heaven, along with all the calculators, but I'm yet to confirm this.
When you're using File Blaster's "Delete" functionality, this option will just remove the file, no questions asked.

Move to Trash
File Blaster will send an AppleEvent to the Finder (so the Finder needs to be open), which will result in the pre-existing file or folder being moved to the trash. The file/folder will be renamed in the trash if need be. This is the slowest option, and selected this will significantly increase your Blastin' times. This option is also the safest option, because if you delete the wrong thing, it will still be alive, and in the Trash.
When Deleting with File Blaster, this option will move all found files to the trash.

Ignore
The two options above have existed in previous versions of File Blaster. The "Ignore" was introduced in version 1.3. As its name suggests, if you select this option, File Blaster will not replace or trash any existing items - it will just skip them.
When using File Blaster to delete files, this option is not enabled.

You then just need to tell File Blaster if you want to copy these files to your Users' folders, or delete these files from your Users' folders. Do this by selecting either "Copy" or "Delete" from the "Action" section.

Now that we've set everything up, we can get to the exciting stuff! If you press the "Start" button, your files will be copied to where ever you've told them to go.

Errors
If any folders can't be found, you'll get an error report at the end of the Blast listing all of the folders that File Blaster wasn't able to copy to (or delete from).

File Blaster 1.4 introduced "Blastards". Blastards are files that store the settings that you've entered into File Blaster. If you copy files to your Users' folders on a regular basis, you can save these settings as a Blastard. To save a Blastard, just configure a File Blaster window, then choose "Save..." from the "File" menu. To use a Blastard, just double click on it in the Finder, or choose "Open..." from the "File" menu from within File Blaster. If you hold down the option key, the "Open..." menu item becomes an "Import..." menu item. If you select "Open...", File Blaster opens a new window and puts the selected Blastard's settings in that new window. If you select "Import...", File Blaster will update the current window with the Blastard's settings.

These are some of the things I've used File Blaster for. I'm documenting them to try and explain in a practical manner what File Blaster does.

Copying "Internet Preferences":
I want to copy an "Internet Preferences" file to the preferences folder of all my users. To do this, I just put the "Internet Preferences" file into my Source Items folder, and point File Blaster at the folder. I select "Preferences" from the "...into this folder..." popup menu. Then I drag my "Users" folder from my Documents server onto the "...in every folder in this folder:" area. I want to replace any existing "Internet Preferences" files that are in my Users' folders, so I select the "Replace/Delete" option from the "If File Exists:" section, and "Copy" from the "Action:" options. I then hit "Start", and go and make a cup of tea.

Deleting "Cache.waf" files:
Internet Explorer caches web site data in a file called "Cache.waf". By default, this file will be created in your users' Preferences folders. Each file takes up 5-10 MB, so if you have a decent number of users, you might find that space on your server is getting low. Enter File Blaster.
Put a file called "Cache.waf" into your Source Items folder, and point File Blaster at the folder. Select "Preferences" from the "...into this folder..." popup menu. If you want to permanently remove the cache files, select "Replace/Delete" in the "If File Exists:" section. If you want to move the cache files to the trash, select the "Move to Trash" option (moving files to the trash takes longer than just removing them). Drag your "Users" folder from your Documents server onto the "...in every folder in this folder:" area. Select "Delete" from the "Action" area, and then hit the "Start" button. Hasta La Vista, Cache Files!

Copying an iCab Hotlist file (this involves a sub-folder):
iCab (a really groovy web browser) keeps all of its files in a folder called "iCab Preferences" in the Preferences folder. The file it stores its "Hotlist" (Bookmarks/Favourites) in is called "Hotlist.html", and is found in the "iCab Preferences" folder. To copy a new Hotlist file to your users' Preferences folders, do this:
Put the "Hotlist.html" file into your Source Items folder, and (as per usual) point File Blaster at the folder. Select "Other..." from the "...into this folder..." popup menu. Type "Preferences:iCab Preferences:" into the field that appears. Drag your "Users" folder from your Documents server onto the "...in every folder in this folder:" area. Set the "Action" to "Copy", hit the "Start" button, sit back with a packet of Tim Tams, and watch the progress bars progress.

Stewart Macdonald - stewart at ugmedia dot com dot au
October 2001

This page last updated August 30, 2002