Eraser crashes since 6.0.6 r1373

[eraserlover]

I updated Eraser from 6.0.6 r1372 developing version to r1376 stable one on my Japanese Windows XP SP2, which causes the Eraser application crashing and a window prompting "Do/don't send report to Microsoft?" appearing everytime when I tried to start it.

Before I do so, I have ever tried to update the r1372 to r1373 and r1374, respectively, and all received the same results, i.e., the crash. The phenomena is quite similar to that when I updated my 5.8.8 Beta 1 to 6.0.6 r1371. I am saying so because I have noticed that:
- "Fixed shell extension crash when: -no language is set in the Eraser … " was done at r1372; and
- "Localized Scheduling tab" was done at r1373,
though I am completely not sure if there is any corelations between these matters.

To summarize,
- 5.8.8 Beta 1: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1371: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1372: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1373: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1374: crashes; and
- 6.0.6 r1376: crashes.

I did uninstallation of the old ones before updating everytime.

Another info is that, when I uninstalled 6.0.6 r1376 and reinstalled 6.0.6 r1372, I found that the contents of "Erase Schedule" remains, which means at least that the uninstallation of the r1372 DOES NOT erase the all. I wonder if the remaining of an uninstallation may affect some way but I failed to find out where they are to erase them.

Any other information that I can provide and will be helpful to you?

 

[Joel]

You'll have to delete %APPDATA%\Eraser 6\Task List.ersx; this is one of those things which .NET serialisation doesn't seem to work too well at (or I can't get it to work too well)

You'll lose all your task entries, unfortunately.

 

[Midnight]

I agree totally. Installed Eraser 6.0.6.1376, which is "supposed" to be stable, but an error pops up every time, stating that Eraser has encountered an error and needs to shut down. Even 5.8.8 encounters errors, even after reinstalling several times. Installed 5.8.8 Beta1, which seems to be working. Using WinXP SP3.

Back to the drawing board, Joel, you have lots of work to do. I'm surprised that you don't test your products before releasing them as Finals!! I am really not impressed!

 

[Joel]

Midnight: Actually, thousands of people did test the beta versions. And the final version was kept on a feature freeze to ensure that bugs do not creep in at the last moment and that the final version is as close to the beta as possible. No complaints were filed for the betas so I'd assumed that it was working as expected. It also works very well on my end.

Have you deleted Task List.ersx and see if it starts?

 

[eraserlover]

Thanks Joel. I found the file Task List.ersx, deleted it, uninstalled the old, and installed 6.0.6 r1376. It works.

Just for accuracy, though %APPDATA% on my system indicates "drive:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\" where I searched before my reported here yesterday, Task List.ersx is not located at "%APPDATA%\Eraser 6\" but "%APPDATA%\..\Local Settings\Application Data\Eraser 6\".

BTW, a "Eraser" folder was also existing there, which I guessed to be 5.x.x's.

A suggestion to the problem before you can get the .NET serialisation to work well at is that, when users run uninstallation, it prompts the user to decide if he will delete the Task List.ersx and loose his task entries or not on his own risk. I guess that this might be one of the choices so far but the last choice that you would like to take.

I also have noticed that the status of check box "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" and the choice of "Default file erasure method" are reserved to the new installation and default to the previous settings, which may be done in Windows registry on the other hand. Am I right?

 

[Joel]

Thanks Joel. I found the file Task List.ersx, deleted it, uninstalled the old, and installed 6.0.6 r1376. It works.

Just for accuracy, though %APPDATA% on my system indicates "drive:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\" where I searched before my reported here yesterday, Task List.ersx is not located at "%APPDATA%\Eraser 6\" but "%APPDATA%\..\Local Settings\Application Data\Eraser 6\".

AH YES. SEVERE MEMORY LAPSE. I've been giving wrong information the whole morning! (gasp)

BTW, a "Eraser" folder was also existing there, which I guessed to be 5.x.x's.

Yea, that's 5.x's.

A suggestion to the problem before you can get the .NET serialisation to work well at is that, when users run uninstallation, it prompts the user to decide if he will delete the Task List.ersx and loose his task entries or not on his own risk. I guess that this might be one of the choices so far but the last choice that you would like to take.

Yes, that's far from ideal. Users may have large task lists carefully picked over months. The problem is that the code changes do not affect the task list being usable in new versions of Eraser yet .NET complains that the types are incompatible. It's one of those things which I need too much time to figure out...

I also have noticed that the status of check box "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" and the choice of "Default file erasure method" are reserved to the new installation and default to the previous settings, which may be done in Windows registry on the other hand. Am I right?

What do you mean? I don't understand you, sorry. Could you rephrase?

 

[Midnight]

Midnight: Actually, thousands of people did test the beta versions. And the final version was kept on a feature freeze to ensure that bugs do not creep in at the last moment and that the final version is as close to the beta as possible. No complaints were filed for the betas so I'd assumed that it was working as expected. It also works very well on my end.

Have you deleted Task List.ersx and see if it starts?

Very strange, Joel, but reading through the Forums. I have read numerous posts about users having problems with Eraser, from system crashes to program not loading, etc, etc.
Ver. 5.8.8 Beta works, but not the Final or 6.06XX.

I have also read in other Forums where Erasing Unused Free Space deletes programs, which has caused serious headaches for the users. Now, that is scary!!

No matter, did a thorough search and cannot find Task List.ersx anywhere on my system, therefore I cannot delete what's not there. I'm still concerned about installing 6.06, as I installed and uninstalled it several times without the program working.

 

[Joel]

Well, I'm of the opinion that the problems faced by users are few compared to the majority; people will not complain if the program works, would they? We've seen about 6 thousand downloads over the last three days and probably less than a hundred complaints here on the forum. I can't remember exactly when users mentioned that programs were deleted... do you have a link?

Task List.ersx is more accurately found in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Eraser 6; had an acute case of memory lapse on the morning I wrote the replies.

 

[eraserlover]

I also have noticed that the status of check box "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" and the choice of "Default file erasure method" are reserved to the new installation and default to the previous settings, which may be done in Windows registry on the other hand. Am I right?

What do you mean? I don't understand you, sorry. Could you rephrase?

Sure. I'll try, and make the story shorter but clearer.

I remember that the check box "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" defaults to "checked" and the "Default file erasure method" to "Gutmann (35 passes)" when I installed the Eraser 6 for first time. I unchecked "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" when I had trouble upgrading it which brought the starting of the topic of this thread, and I changed the "Default file erasure method" to "US Army AR380-19 (3 passes)" when I went back to r1372 which was the only working version on my PC.

After I deleted %LOCALAPPDATA%\Eraser 6\Task List.ersx, uninstalled r1372, reinstalled r1376 and got it work, I found that the "Integrate Eraser into Windows Explorer" remained as "unchecked" and the "Default file erasure method" remained as "US Army AR380-19 (3 passes)", both of which didn't have their default values as in my first installation of Eraser 6. So I guessed these values are reserved elsewhere than %LOCALAPPDATA%\Eraser 6\Task List.ersx.

That's what I mean by they "are reserved to the new installation and default to the previous settings, which may be done in Windows registry on the other hand".

Have you caught what I meant this time?

 

[Joel]

Ah, that upon uninstallation the registry values are not removed from the computer. This has been documented in the help file; I haven't yet found a way to overcome this.

 

[Midnight]

Is there a FTP site where I can download Ver 6.06 r1372, since this seems to be the only stable release of Eraser, according to what I have read in this Thread?

5.8.8 Beta 1: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1371: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1372: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1373: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1374: crashes; and
- 6.0.6 r1376: crashes.

I can't get the current release to work properly.
Thanks.

 

[Joel]

It just happens that the person using r1372 upgraded to r1376 hence it crashes. It will not be any more stable for you than r1376 especially since r1376 is newer than r1372.

 

[eraserlover]

Is there a FTP site where I can download Ver 6.06 r1372, since this seems to be the only stable release of Eraser, according to what I have read in this Thread?

5.8.8 Beta 1: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1371: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1372: works well;
- 6.0.6 r1373: crashes;
- 6.0.6 r1374: crashes; and
- 6.0.6 r1376: crashes.

I can't get the current release to work properly.
Thanks.

Please be advised to take a look at the whole thread, and refer also to "Thanks Joel. I found the file Task List.ersx, deleted it, uninstalled the old, and installed 6.0.6 r1376. It works" that I posted on Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:35 am to this thread.

After I deleted %LOCALAPPDATA%\Eraser 6\Task List.ersx 6.0.6 r1376 works well on two my PC, which makes me not feel any necessity more to roll back to any older revision, and I am also very appreciating Joel for his shrewd advices.

 

[Midnight]

I did read the entire Thread and after a thorough search, I cannot find Task List.ersx, therefore I can safely assume that it's not on my system. 6.0.6 r1376 Still does not run properly!
The Only release that seems to work is 5.8.8 B1 and that's about it!
Usually, a person installs a program and runs it, with very few, if any problems. I have never had so many problems with one Utility in all my life and it's severely annoying!! I have better things to do than install and uninstall this over and over again!
I'll give this one more try, then if it fails, I'll dump it and move on to another Shredder program!

 

[Joel]

I'm spending time debugging this. I am also doing this alone and without compensation. I would appreciate patience.

Thank you.

 

[Midnight]

I would appreciate patience.

Patience? You've been working on this since 2007, according to your post and it still needs debugging? Either you know what you're doing or you don't and it's quite obvious, that you don't!!

Eraser 6 stable has been released after being for 2 years in development. Eraser 6 sports a completely revamped user interface, and Windowsxxxxxxxxxxx

I just installed 6.06r1376 and guess what?

So, that's it for Eraser!!