>Al,
>
>SNIP
>>
>>If you want to get MS to "do something about it" you'll need to present them with a business case. The VFP8 enhancements were made to keep the product viable in the face of fierce competition. NTFS is in no danger of dying out if not enhanced - it has no competition in the MS OS world.
>
>Well I am in no position the make an effective business case to MS or anyone else. But I had hoped to garner sufficient interest here to the point that 'user demand' would BE the business case.
>I have failed, and I find that disappointing, but life indeed goes on.

"User demand" is extensive, reproducible objective proof that there's (potentially, at least) a better way. Your choices here are test, emulate, or both.

>
>>
>>At this point I'd talk either with a HD manufacturer or an outfit like ExecSoft to gauge interest:
>>
>>- a HD maker might support a utility, because it might let them distinguish their drives in a fiercely competitive business
>>- a utility vendor like ExecSoft might be able to offer a product whose functionality is not already duplicated in Windows itself
>
>I am looking at the second option, but I have more to do before I am in a position to do so. I had hoped that extensive dialogue here could have added to my knowledge of the subject for such future conversations (or even shown its fallacy, which would have been a legitimate end too).
>
>cheers

I wouldn't discount the HD makers.

From my POV this thread is of academic interest. If you want to take it to the next level - i.e. implement it - you've got to demonstrate the benefit. I'm sounding like a broken record about this but until that's conclusively established I don't have any further interest. Sorry.