Just commentary ... so far

tullik

An updated version of jv16 PowerTools 2007 released. The updated version contains the following changes.

* Included a brand new user interface to the entire product.

* Fixed three bugs from the registry cleaner engine which caused the Registry Cleaner not to list certain types of registry errors.

* Added support for boolean search queries, for example, you can now use search words like "foo" AND "bar" which would result only items containing both "foo" and "bar". In order to use boolean searches, select Case insensitive wildcard search from the Search Method tab of the specific tool, e.g. Registry Finder or File Finder.

* Added support for drag and drop search directories, now you can drag and drop the directories for example from where to search with the File Finder. ...

In Vista, the red item does not work from the Desktop (you have to use the Add… button). It does work from a win explorer window. This problem has already been reported.

The blue item so far only works with a single source (key or name or value), so the "Search/Ignore words" method is still very superior. It works across all three sources. And the performance (cpu use and elapsed time) of the boolean search queries is very bad (still early I know…). I'll post an example here (maybe tomorrow).

tullik

This test compared Registry Finder's performance using the "boolean search" method to that using the "Search words/Ignore words" method.

The "boolean search" method used this statement: "DosDevices" AND NOT "COM1" AND NOT ":"

The "Search words/Ignore words" method used a Search word of DosDevices and these Ignore words: COM1 and :

Both methods found the same registry items (shown after the screenshot).

The "Search words/Ignore words" method ran for 18 seconds. The second longest peak in the screenshot shows its cpu use and elapsed time.

The "boolean search" method ran nearly seven times as long. The longest peak in the screenshot shows its performance.

Conclusion: use of the "boolean search" method is currently not advised except for testing. Reasons:

#1 Its present capabilities are very limited since it does not search across the three registry sources (key, name, and value).

#2 Detailed documentation of its syntax is not yet available.

#3 Its performance needs improvement.

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Windows Task Manager performance screenshot for PT2007 Registry Finder (green=total cpu, red=kernel cpu)

Shot at 2007-07-27

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Search result:
jv16 PowerTools 2007

Data fields are: Key, Entry's name, Value, Entry last modified

HKLM\HWare\DEVICEMAP\PARALLEL PORTS\, \Device\Parallel0, \DosDevices\LPT1, 26.07.2007, 03

HKLM\Sys\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\DOS Devices\, PRN, \DosDevices\LPT1, 14.04.2007, 13

HKLM\Sys\ControlSet003\Control\Session Manager\DOS Devices\, PRN, \DosDevices\LPT1, 14.04.2007, 13

HKLM\Sys\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\DOS Devices\, PRN, \DosDevices\LPT1, 14.04.2007, 13