jv16 PowerTools 2009 Beta2 released

jv16

Here is the Beta 2 of jv16 PowerTools 2009:

http://www.macecraft.com/downloads/betas/jv16pt_setup_2009_beta2.exe

(If the link doesn't work it means the testing for this version has already ended)

Do not install this beta version over any existing version but to a new directory. Also, do not uninstall any previous versions of jv16 PowerTools before the installation of this version - this version is a beta version. Beta version means the new product version is not yet finished and is only released for testing purposes in order to find the last remaining problems.

Do not start to translate this version to your language yet, there will be more changes to the language interface.

Main changes since Beta 1:

* Registry Cleaner is no longer read-only: Delete button, Fix button, Select menu and Search now works with the new GUI

* Replaced many tabs with image menus, the image menus both look better and are easier to use

* Added a new tool called System Optimizer, it contains many practical system tweaks to optimize the performance of Windows Vista or XP

* Improved the speed of the Registry Cleaner and Registry Finder

* Fixed the "Select > Most frequent column data" and "Select > Similarities in column data" menu features

* Changed the color of disabled menu items from pale pink to dark gray

* Added ability to disable Mouse Gestures from the program Settings, the feature is now disabled by default because it's not yet working perfectly with Right-Clicks

* Added the main menu back to Duplicate File Finder's result window

* Fixed a few typos from the GUI (e.g. "analyzis" => "analysis")

* Fixed the "Internal Error 091" error message from Registry Cleaner

* Fixed the mouse wheel support in the main window, now you can use the mouse wheel to change the tool category

* Fixed the health gauges in the main window

* Fixed many jagged / aliased edges from the main window graphics

* Fixed a bug from the algorithm that defines the default size of the list columns

* Added support for tooltips to the new main GUI of the main window

* Added support for hiding the health gauges from the main window (used if no health data is available yet)

* Fixed a few badly designed icons from the main window per user feedback

* Fixed the positioning of some main window icons to better match their captions

* Added OnMouseOver effect to the top right corner icons of the main window

* Fixed a bug that caused the Startup Manager not to use the Macecraft Central Server to get more information about the starting programs, even if the user selected to enable the feature

* Added two warning messages to Automation Tool because the tool doesn't create any backups

Release notes:

* The new and improved Scan Report is not available yet.

* The Mouse Gestures do not yet work perfectly.

* Some of the icons of the main window still need to re-designed, mainly under System Tools category.

* The program might show an error / crash message upon closing it. This is not serious and we are working on it.

As always, all beta testers who give us valuable feedback such as good quality bug reports or other feedback will be given a free personal license for the product when then final product version is released. To be clear, simply downloading the beta version and saying "it works fine" or "it doesn't work" doesn't entitle for a free license.

Please send all your comments and bug reports to this thread (using Post Reply button).

tlstevens

this is the update for the software manager bug that showed a personal folder in the software list but no software was installed in that location. In beta 2 it is now fixed.

piaqt

Where is Ctrl-H (never find again)?

tullik

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tullik

piaqt wrote
Where is Ctrl-H (never find again)?

Ctrl-H is in the File Cleaner and it works there. I haven't yet looked for it in other tools.

jv16

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tullik

File Finder

The "Search by owner" feature has a small problem.

Namely, the two check boxes should be mutually exclusive (radio buttons?). For example:

* I had "Search from" set to C:\Windows and "Search by owner" set to "Look only for files which are owned by: TrustedInstaller.

* If the second check box is also checked, the program does not find TrustedInstaller files. It does list many files.

* If it is not checked, the program does find TrustedInstaller files.

Also, the "Search by owner" check boxes are not remembered in the "last settings used". They are remembered in a named preference.

parkd1

How can we test it when the trial runs out. I did get a free version for 2008. I going to need to buy 2009?

tullik

These issues exist in PT2008 v.1.8.0.472 -- but were apparently fixed in PT2009 beta1 (v.1.9.0.487)

Issue description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fix status. . . . . . . . . . References.Age

GUI, maximized windows incorrectly position File dropdown list. . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . 9+

History Cleaner, too many remove attempts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . <1

File tools, superfluous messages with More functions > Copy to. . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . <1

File Tools, sometimes only process part of the selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Better in PT2009 (?) . . . . . (1) . 8+

Registry Cleaner, GUI issues in raw list format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . 7+

Tools with a results list, do not recognize Ctrl+A selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . <1

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

These issues exist in PT2008 v.1.8.0.472 -- but are apparently fixed in PT2009 beta2 (v.1.9.0.492)

Issue description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fix status. . . . . . . . . . References.Age

Startup Manager, not using its network feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . 8+

Startup Manager, not using data in StartupCache.dat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed in PT2009 . . . . . . . (1) . 14+

tullik

This issue exists in PT2008 v.1.8.0.472 -- and is still not fixed in PT2009 beta2 (v.1.9.0.492)

Issue description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fix status. . . . . . . . . . References.Age

Registry Cleaner, Custom Fix, doesn't fix and adds a bad entry name. . . . . . . Not fixed in PT2009 . . . . . (1) (2) . 17+

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The feature described in the references fails just like it did in all versions of PT2007 and PT2008. It worked correctly in PT2006.

tullik

tullik wrote
... File Cleaner
* Owner.bmp was in the list. I selected it and clicked the Copy to icon and specified a target folder. I got five copies of Owner.bmp in the target (Owner.bmp, Owner_2.bmp, ... Owner_5.bmp). I did this twice to different targets with the same result.
...

The above issue in beta1 also happens in beta2

tullik

Here is additional information about the Automation Tool issue described here.

I just noticed that there is an index.dat file in the beta2 executable's folder. It looks like this:



StartType=6
Description=Delete files from C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp
TaskName=
DateTimeEx=39791.6957958449
LastRun=0

Originally, I used the Description as the Taskname. When I redid the test with Delete files from temp as the Taskname, the task was successfully created. I guess the tool fails to screen sufficiently for an unacceptable name.

Unfortunately, there is this additional issue: The "Delete files from directories…" feature does not delete anything, even when I click the "Run now" button in the tool -- all it did was put out a "Done" message. Of course, when executed from the Desktop, it doesn't even do that -- and, from the Desktop, the warning pop-up does not occur.

The jvb looks like this:

<RemoveFiles> C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp

Considering all this, it is likely that items 2, 4, and 6 in this PT2008 list also do not work. However, I have not yet tested them in the PT2009 beta2.

brian49

Registry Cleaner:

The cleaner throws up a large number of entries under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Component based servicing\ComponentDetect\, the purported error in each case being "Registry key with incorrect permissions or owner". Most of the errors appear to relate to KB938979 (the Vista pre-SP1 reliability update). I wonder what's going on here, please? I never get these results with PT 2008. Apologies if this issue has been raised before.

Window Management:

I like to have the main results window of any tool always maximised - only in this way can all the results be seen at a glance. But this choice isn't saved - when the results are complete, the window shrinks to a small size. Can this be fixed, please?

By the way, I didn't test Beta 1. Many thanks.

redseujac

Brian49 wrote
Registry Cleaner:

The cleaner throws up a large number of entries under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Component based servicing\ComponentDetect\, the purported error in each case being "Registry key with incorrect permissions or owner". Most of the errors appear to relate to KB938979 (the Vista pre-SP1 reliability update). I wonder what's going on here, please? I never get these results with PT 2008. Apologies if this issue has been raised before.

It's by design: an additional error found in version 2009.

brian49

It's by design: an additional error found in version 2009.

(Sorry, the quote won't display properly)

Yes, thanks, I see that, but how could such an error arise? I've only recently done a clean install of Vista. And what exactly would PT 2009 do in the process of fixing it, please?

jv16

Brian49 wrote

Yes, thanks, I see that, but how could such an error arise? I've only recently done a clean install of Vista. And what exactly would PT 2009 do in the process of fixing it, please?

Such errors arise usually when an application tries to protect itself against removal, or simply because a badly written application reads and modifies the registry and fails to set the owner data correctly. Frankly, I don't know why a clean install of Windows would have these kind of errors. Just in case, I'll ignore these errors so future errors won't show them.

The fixing of such errors is simple: when using PowerTools' Fix button the application attempts to set the owner of the registry data as the administrator account of the system. Also, PT will warn you if you attemt to delete these keys because that isn't recommended.

redseujac

1) Sliding the mouse pointer over the health gauges still doesn't show the exact scores.

jv16 wrote

2) When you slide the mouse point over those bars, nothing happens: the exact health status as message isn't shown anymore like in the PT2008 version.

You are correct, this will be fixed.

2) Registry Compactor icon still not improved ( should be a (bench-)vice instead of a screw wrench).

jv16 wrote

• Privacy Tools: Eye icon is ugly.

• Registry Compactor: Icon should include a vise instead of a wrench.

I agree, also these will be fixed.

3) Debug shows "Test deep analyzis" instead of "analysis".

jv16

redseujac wrote
1) Sliding the mouse pointer over the health gauges still doesn't show the exact scores.

You are correct, let me see if I can get it fixed.

redseujac wrote

2) Registry Compactor icon still not improved ( should be a (bench-)vice instead of a screw wrench).

The new graphic didn't make to the Beta2 release, it will be included to Beta3.

redseujac wrote

3) Debug shows "Test deep analyzis" instead of "analysis".

You are correct, this will also be fixed to Beta3.

jv16

tullik wrote
Initial PT2009 beta2 observations (Vista BE (not SP1)) (v.1.9.0.492)

Automation Tool
* When I tried to create a "Delete files from directories …" task, this message appeared: : Internal error 9941

* The program did not create the task (*). The new informational warning message also appeared. I did not attempt further Automation Tool tests.

This error message is generated when you attempt to save the task file with a name that contains invalid characters. I'll add some filtering to this feature so this shouldn't happen so easily with the next versions.

tullik wrote

System Optimizer
* At least two of the "Performance tweaks" appear to have truncated descriptions. Look at the first and third items in the list.

Could you send me a screenshot of the problem, please?

tullik wrote

* In the fourth item in the "User interface tweaks" list, thread should be threat.

You are correct, this is now fixed.

tullik wrote

Tips
* Many tips show garbled text on the right side of the message box. It happens when you drag-resize the tool window to make it wider.

Could you send me a screenshot of this problem as well? If you can reproduce it, steps to reproduce the problem would be very good too.

jv16

tullik wrote

GUI
* With multiple minimizable PT2009 windows open, minimizing any one minimizes all the PT2009 windows.

This is now fixed, thank you for reporting.

* A PT2009 window's message box cannot be drag-resized to make it taller.

This is by design, but let me see if I can do something about it.

Main window tools menu
* The System Optimizer is not in the drop-down list and not in the "Add shortcuts to Desktop" list.

This is also now fixed, well noticed!