2008 Software Manager Urgently needs Disk Selector

tullik

Software Manager drive ignore feature

In prior posts here, I could not find a way to show that the feature was including some references to the ignored drive(s). Here's a new test that proves it is indeed not ignoring some references.

1. Add C:\ to SuperSoftwareIgnoreList.dat before starting PowerTools.

2. Start PowerTools and the Software Manager.

3. Click on the first line of the Software Manager results list, then scroll down the list with the down arrow key.

4. While scrolling, watch the caption area for references to C:\.

5. With nothing in SuperSoftwareIgnoreList.dat, my Software Manager list had 103 lines.

6. After doing 1 and 2 above, the list had only 49 lines.

7. Of those lines, 7 showed references in the caption area to C:\. (*)

8. Therefore, the ignore logic sometimes fails.

9. Using "Custom uninstall" to examine keys, it seems most references were picked up while scanning the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\... keys.

10. All 7 items showed a correct "Installation path" in the captions area.

11. Three items showed a correct "Main executable" -- none were Microsoft products.

12. Four items had N/A in the "Main executable" field -- all were Microsoft products. Probably due to use of the Microsoft installer …

13. I think most of the caption area information came from the registry. However, the Ini Translator executable (translator.exe) does not show in a Registry Finder result.

14. Therefore, it is likely some of the bug is in the registry scan, but some may be due to scanning the supposedly ignored disk.

(*) The names in the Software column were:

Carioca Rummy

HijackThis

Ini Translator

Netlab

Plus! Dancer LE

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Works

I hope this is enough information to allow jv to reproduce and fix the problem …

siliconman01

Man! Tullik, you really know how to make PT sing. :) Thanks very much again for your extensive investigation on this problem. As you stated, hopefully your efforts will evolve into a resolution.

tullik

In C:\Program Files, I renamed translator.exe to translatox.exe, then repeated the first part of the test.

Now, the captions area shows translatox.exe as the main executable!

tullik

@ jv16

There is another problem in SWM that should addressed. Namely, when you close it, then at some later time in the same PT session, launch it again, it still uses some information from the previous SWM session. That information can be incorrect due to other registry or file changes done in the meantime.

For example, I deleted a software's folder from a Program Files directory on a drive other than C:\, then launched SWM, and the SWM list still showed that software as being where it no longer existed. If I close PT completely before launching SWM again, the list is correct.

siliconman01

Yes, I noticed this too. In fact, I think I reported this several versions back; however, never received any confirmation that it was noted as a bug.

tullik

siliconman01 wrote
... Yes, I noticed this too. In fact, I think I reported this several versions back; however, never received any confirmation that it was noted as a bug.

I've added it to the issue status list referencing the "@ jv16" post above.

jv16

siliconman01 wrote
Will this problem concerning the new feature be fixed in the next release?

Yes it will. I haven't been able to reproduce the problem yet but I have a pretty good guess what's going on and how to fix it.

jv16

tullik wrote

For example, I deleted a software's folder from a Program Files directory on a drive other than C:\, then launched SWM, and the SWM list still showed that software as being where it no longer existed. If I close PT completely before launching SWM again, the list is correct.

This problem should now be fixed, thank you for reporting! The fixed version will be released within a few hours.

siliconman01

Outstanding! Thank you, thank you.

jv16

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siliconman01

V1.8.0459 appears to be working properly now. "Banned" disks are not showing up in Software Manager based on a repeat of the BelArc test discussed previously in this post. Also if I ban C:\, programs with an installation path of C:\ are not shown when Software Manager is run.

The "memory not clearing" issue appears fixed too. I ran a SM scan which showed WallWatcher on my C:\ drive. I left PT open, used Windows Explorer to delete WallWatcher to the Recycle Bin, reran SM. WallWatcher did not show up in the list.

As near as I can tell at this time, the problems are resolved. Tullik's testing techniques may show otherwise. :

tullik

Sounds good to me ... but I'll test it too a bit later.

tullik

@ siliconman01

The two issues we addressed in this topic are gone -- seem to work perfectly.

However, I think another part of the "Never show" feature is not working as it did in V.1.8.0.457. Some line items are not being ignored.

What do you think?

siliconman01

Yes, you are correct. "Never show again" no longer works on SM as of V1.8.0.459

tullik

Here's some additional information about this new Software Manager "Never show again" bug:

1. When you select some items in the list and pick the "Never show again" option, the items drop from the list. The new items are written to the existing SuperSoftwareIgnoreList.dat in descending sorted order on "Author." However, even if you exit PT all the way, the next time you run SWM, many of the new items still show on the list.

2. With a "virgin" SuperSoftwareIgnoreList.dat (that is, no new items added), SWM seems to be honoring some of the "Never show" items, but not others. For example, in my original "virgin" SuperSoftwareIgnoreList.dat shown below, the red items show on the list.
\agere systems pci soft modem

\intervideo disclabel

\intervideo windvd creator

\mouse control

\quickload

\realtek high definition audio driver

\targus mouse

a:\

adobe\acrobat

adobe\mediabrowser

apple\software update

billp studios\detected

d:\

divx\codec

divx\converter

divx\web player

divxnetworks\artwork

divxnetworks\converter

fullcircle\talkback

g:\

hp\hp image zone plus

http: //www.adobe.com\adobe® photoshop® album starter edition (Note: space added just to kill hyperlink in this post)

imageshack\quickshot

intervideo\disclabel

intervideo\mediacenter

intervideo\wcreator

javasoft\java plug-in

javasoft\Java Update

javasoft\java web start

k:\

lead technologies\dshow

macromedia\flashplayer

microsoft corp\windows media player firefox plugin

mozilla.org\mozilla

mozilla\mozilla

mozillaplugins\@adobe.com/flashplayer

mozillaplugins\@divx.com/divx browser plugin, =

mru-blaster\ignore

mru-blaster\scheduler

pcsi\csi-e

pepimk software\spybotsnd

realtek\aecbf

realtek\alcmonitor

safer networking limited\spybotsnd

sun microsystems\java(tm) 6 update

z:\

jv16

This bug is now fixed, thank you for reporting. The next released version containing the fix will be released within 48 hours.

tullik

In v.1.8.0.460, the Software Manager's "Never show" feature works again. :)

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