Usability, how would you improve it?

jv16

As I have said before, usability (or the lack of) has been voted to be the biggest problem of jv16 PowerTools: it's too difficult to use.

We have the following master plan to solve this problem:

1. Dual interface, one interface for normal user, another for more experienced users. In practice, this means that all the tabs of different tools will be shown differently accordingly to the GUI mode. For example, when Registry Cleaner icon is clicked, in normal user mode only Engine Settings, Search Words and Ignore Words tabs are visible, in experienced user mode all the current tabs are visible. In other words, the way you now use and see jv16 PowerTools will be in the future called the "extended" GUI mode, and more simplified version will be created that can be used instead of the current way. This way, I think, all benefit, current users will not lose a single feature, but new less-advanced users can use the program without being overwhelmed with the different options and tweaks available. It will also be possible to change the default definitions of which features are available in normal mode and which only in the extended mode.

2. Home Page feature. At the moment the main window of jv16 PowerTools is very feature oriented, that is, it shows you what features the program has. With the next major update, we will introduce a Home Page feature which will be task oriented, similar to the GUI of PowerTools Lite. Again, we do not want to take anything away from the more advanced users, and thus the Home Page feature can be disabled, or user can just click to exit it to get back to the good ol' feature based tool listing like in PT 2009. The tasks of the Home Page will be the following: "Clean and fix my computer" (which will be very similar to PowerTools Lite), "Uninstall software", "Tweak my computer" (i.e. the System Optimizer) and "Restore backups" maybe something else too, but at least these four.

3. Improved listing component. At the moment the program uses three different kinds of list components, the new one in Registry Cleaner (structured mode) and in PowerTools Lite, the basic list component that for example all the file tools use, and the tree view that is used by the Duplicate File Finder and File Organizer. In the future, all tools shall use the same custom developed control. Before that can be done, the following improvements will be made: improved sorting when in hierarchical mode, better sort icons to the columns, improved horizontal scroll bar detection (also based on the last column data) and improved way of using hints (tool tips).

4. Improved top panel component. At the moment some tools have top panel component, like in the Registry Cleaner, but each top panel works a bit differently and some tools do not have it at all. Based on improvement 3, we can in the near future have top panel components on each tool and with improved features. Attached is a draft of the improved top panel which demonstrates a new neat usability feature that replaces those "..." buttons. In the near future, it will be possible to open Windows Explorer or RegEdit (or any third party tool) to any part of the selected file path or registry key:

draft1.jpg

So, this is the master plan. My question is: do you have any other ideas how to improve the usability of jv16 PowerTools? Or, do you have any comments relating this plan?

tullik

1, 2, 3, 4, ... all are good objectives.

1. Dual interface:

*** The extended interface could use a feature to exclude specified tools from showing. Even some advanced users don't use all the tools. It could be done as in PT2007 with a Show menu, with a new Settings tab, or some other way.

2. Home Page feature: no suggestions to add at this time ...

3. Improved listing component:

*** "... improved horizontal scroll bar detection (also based on the last column data) ..." -- very good! :

*** "... improved way of using hints (tool tips)."
One approach could be web based. "Approved tips" and "Tip suggestions" could be in a new part of this forum. That would allow more complex tips per tool to be recorded outside the program, but invoked while using each tool. The program would only have to manage the per tool URLs for the "Approved tips." Only Macecraft experts could add "Approved tips" based on user suggestions or internal ideas. Users could however read everything via the forum.

*** Other suggestions:

** Add the feature to the structured list that re-sizes a column to current content size with a double click at the column header margin.

** Instead of periodically automatically resizing columns, add a column re-size button to the GUI so the user can control when that is done.

** Add a "File extension" column to lists showing files.

** Consider putting the column specifications in the tool GUI (and in the resulting preference) instead of in the running list's menu bar.

** Add a "Collapse current category" context option so the user doesn't have to scroll back to the top of the category to do that.

** A "Collapse all categories" option would be useful as well.

4. Improved top panel component: no suggestions to add at this time ... except ( : ) such information would be useful in some existing windows now, such as the History Cleaner's "Show data" window and the "Custom Restore" window (which currently is not capable of showing multiple Name/Value items under the same key).

roberta

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dinny

I'm happy with it as it is.

siliconman01

Add an option either in the Maintenance module or Registry Compactor module to delete the .bak_jv16 backup files that are created during a registry compact. Once the registry compact is successfully completed, there is no need for these files and they consume 100+ mbytes of disk space on user systems.

jwall

Being an advanced noob, I like the idea of a dual interface, kind of like Antivir PE. With a dual interface, a tyro could use the program and learn also, without getting into too much trouble.

Inclusion of the 'fix my computer' button is good also.

tullik

siliconman01 wrote
Add an option either in the Maintenance module or Registry Compactor module to delete the .bak_jv16 backup files that are created during a registry compact. Once the registry compact is successfully completed, there is no need for these files and they consume 100+ mbytes of disk space on user systems.

It is better not to do it with the Registry Compacter. A reboot must occur first because Windows has some open handles on the files for some time after the compaction.

It's reasonably easy for a user to delete them with a File Finder preference, but not all users are adept with that tool.

If it were done automatically in the QSA, it would be transparent to everybody.

If it were done in Settings-->Maintenance, it could be done as part of Delete temp files.

siliconman01

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feck

Is this a thread for improvements in general?

I just wish the File reference scan could be multithreaded after others are finished.

tullik

Open in RegEdit

Often in the Registry Cleaner, a "file or directory does not exist" type error has the invalid path in the name or data part of key+name+data.

Sometimes there are scores, even hundreds, of items present under the key.

Currently, "Open in RegEdit" jumps to the key. If it jumped to the item with the invalid path, the user would not have to search for it manually using scroll.

This screenshot shows what CCleaner "Open in RegEdit" jumps to when the invalid path is in the name:

06-09-2009_20-41-36.jpg

This screenshot shows what CCleaner "Open in RegEdit" jumps to when the invalid path is in the data:

06-09-2009_19-47-19.jpg

redseujac

I do support this suggestion of Tullik!

jv16

feck wrote
Is this a thread for improvements in general?

I just wish the File reference scan could be multithreaded after others are finished.

Lets focus on usability on this thread. And some very good ideas in this thread, I will address the suggestions better when I can continue the work with PowerTools. In the mean time, keep 'em coming, best new ideas will be rewarded with a free license of jv16 PowerTools!