The menu item Drives->Read All Dirs is an option toggle for the selected drive that selects partial (fast) or complete drive reads for directories. It is checked when the option is enabled. Default is disabled (OFF).
If disabled, only the first two levels of directories are read plus whatever is required to display the current directory. This results in the display of a skeletal, but usable, directories tree while minimizing the drive search. Deeper level directories are then read as required as the user expands a directory.
When enabled, the first two levels of directories are read as described above. Then a background thread is started to finish reading all directories on the drive. The design of the drive and directory scans is such that this is not normally required or desirable. Consequently, it is recommended that this option only be used on smaller drives or whenever the entire directory tree is desired in the Directories window.
This option must be set for each drive and is applied only to the selected drive. If the Reset All button on the Directories Filter dialog is pushed, all drive scan options, including this one, are reset to the default condition - which in this case is disabled (OFF).
Effect on Number of Directories Displayed
While building a skeletal directories tree, the number of directories, displayed on the Last Used Directory pushbutton at the bottom of the Directories window, is bracketed with the < > characters. If this option is enabled, the < > characters are replaced with the ( ) characters when the background thread starts reading the remainder of the directories, thereby providing a visual clue that a background read in is progress.
When the drive search is finished, the number of directories is shown without bracketing characters if it is a skeletal tree. However, the number of directories is bracketed with the [ ] characters if the option is enabled, thereby providing a visual indication of the option state.
Change Directory Function
The Change Directory function is another feature in FS/2 that may automatically start a background drive read thread. However, its use does not toggle or affect this menu item.
Faster Drive Scan
There is an option in the Settings notebook that will affect the speed at which second-level directories are read in any drive scan. The Faster Drive Scan option on notebook page 2_2, if checked, will cause a directory to be read only far enough to determine if it has a subdirectory, which is used to provide the intelligence to show the expand control (the plus/minus bitmap). If unchecked, all second-level directories are added to the tree during the scan. The default is Faster Drive Scan enabled.
Accelerator Keys - None