Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows 7)

[Will Pittenger]

Blame User Account Control. I was unable to erase either files or free disk space without elevation. Perhaps you should recode it as a service. Then it will always run as administrator. Then UAC only needs to control the UI (unless you provide your own checks there). As a bonus, you would probably end up fixing the bug where inadvertently clicking Close in the main window instead of Minimize exits Eraser entirely. I am currently using 5.8.7, but now that I see you have 6.x, I will check that out once I have a chance. (Eraser is currently running a task.)

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Well, 6.0.7 has its advantages, but has holes. First, I have yet to see any of the Explorer extensions. Second, when you erase a folder's contents, does that include subfolders? Third, when I tested it erasing a folder, it immediately returned with an error called success. :? Now I know that Windows has an error called ERROR_SUCCESS, but you shouldn't be exposing that as an error. Besides, in this case, it returned so quickly, that I think it failed due to the process elevation issue.

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Well, 6.0.7 has its advantages, but has holes.

Agreed. Version 6 is a complete re-write, and is work in progress. 6.0.7. fixed a lot of bugs, but there are still issues (e.g. when wiping fee space on a system drive), and some of the Version 5 features have yet to be implemented. That said, I find it usable in both Vista and Windows 7, as well as XP. In Vista, I am currently using the development build 2153, which has some UI improvements, and is a bit more stable, but it's not yet as problem free as Eraser 5 was under XP.

First, I have yet to see any of the Explorer extensions.

If you mean entries for Eraser in the file context menu, these appear in XP, Vista and Windows 7; for most people they are probably the best means of erasing an odd file or the contents of the Recycle Bin, though I like the facility to drag and drop a file on to the Task pane. If they are missing from your context menu(s), please could you give details.

Second, when you erase a folder's contents, does that include subfolders?

Yes. If it doesn't, please report the details.

Third, when I tested it erasing a folder, it immediately returned with an error called success. :? Now I know that Windows has an error called ERROR_SUCCESS, but you shouldn't be exposing that as an error. Besides, in this case, it returned so quickly, that I think it failed due to the process elevation issue.

I haven't seen this one. Have you any more details; did the error appear in a dialogue or in the Task Log?

David

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Blame User Account Control. I was unable to erase either files or free disk space without elevation. Perhaps you should recode it as a service. Then it will always run as administrator.

This is very much the current plan. AFAIK, Joel is planning another service release (6.0.8 ), and then the idea is that, with the next major release (6.2), the erasing engine will be run a service rather than as a process. One of the main reasons for rewriting Eraser was so that the engine could run separately from the UI; implementing the core as a process has proved this concept, but the team see that as only an interim step.

You might be interested to review the work in hand in Trac.

David

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

First, I have yet to see any of the Explorer extensions.

If you mean entries for Eraser in the file context menu, these appear in XP, Vista and Windows 7; for most people they are probably the best means of erasing an odd file or the contents of the Recycle Bin, though I like the facility to drag and drop a file on to the Task pane. If they are missing from your context menu(s), please could you give details.

One problem might be that this is 64-bit Vista SP2. Specifically, I tried both right dragging a file and simply right-clicking one. I also tried folders.

Second, when you erase a folder's contents, does that include subfolders?

Yes. If it doesn't, please report the details.

In that case, please at least add a warning to the task info dialog. Better yet would be an option to prevent recursion.

Third, when I tested it erasing a folder, it immediately returned with an error called success. :? Now I know that Windows has an error called ERROR_SUCCESS, but you shouldn't be exposing that as an error. Besides, in this case, it returned so quickly, that I think it failed due to the process elevation issue.

I haven't seen this one. Have you any more details; did the error appear in a dialogue or in the Task Log?

Task log. See the image for a more recent test. This was started when (thanks to you) I found that I could drag files to the main window. So I tried it with a single task. That didn't work.

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

:!: :?: The Explorer menu items just appeared. They were clearly missing before.

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

One problem might be that this is 64-bit Vista SP2.

That is precisely the OS on which I am doing most of my beta testing. I haven't had any issues with the context menu, in any version of Eraser, since version 6.0.6, of less than blessed memory. The fact that the menus suddenly appeared, presumably when the Eraser installation remained unchanged, makes me wonder whether the problem was at the Explorer end.

In that case, please at least add a warning to the task info dialog. Better yet would be an option to prevent recursion.

As you gather from my signature, I'm not on the programming team. But your suggestion is definitely worth feeding into Trac; you can easily get a logon, and post a ticket. Joel uses Trac as his 'to do' list, so that's the best place to make sure that ideas are properly considered.

Task log ... I tried it with a single task. That didn't work.

This looks like a .NET error, which I hope Joel can find time to investigate. Just to clarify, is this happening on all erasing tasks, or just in particular cases?

Although I do not generally recommend installing development builds for other than test purposes, your posts indicate that you understand the issues involved in doing so. Particularly if you have a reserve machine, you might like to try build 2153 (the build I am currently running on Vista) to see if the error occurs on that also. Development builds have a black box plugin which you can enable; if you do that, when you restart Eraser after a crash, it will give you the option of uploading the crash report to the Eraser server. (If, having tried build 2153, you decide to revert to 6.0.7, please read the 'sticky' at the head of this forum before you do so.)

David

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Task log ... I tried it with a single task. That didn't work.

This looks like a .NET error, which I hope Joel can find time to investigate. Just to clarify, is this happening on all erasing tasks, or just in particular cases?

Erasing free disk space appears to work, but not other tasks.

Although I do not generally recommend installing development builds for other than test purposes, your posts indicate that you understand the issues involved in doing so. Particularly if you have a reserve machine, you might like to try build 2153 (the build I am currently running on Vista) to see if the error occurs on that also. Development builds have a black box plugin which you can enable; if you do that, when you restart Eraser after a crash, it will give you the option of uploading the crash report to the Eraser server. (If, having tried build 2153, you decide to revert to 6.0.7, please read the 'sticky' at the head of this forum before you do so.)

This is my only machine.

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Erasing free disk space appears to work, but not other tasks.

...which is nearly exactly the opposite to the issues I get, on the same OS I hope Joel, who has unavoidable commitments at the moment, can manage to get back on line soon, and advise on your error.

This is my only machine.

That does make it a rather harder call. From my point of view, it would be useful to know whether you still get the error in Build 2153. If you do, that might indicate an issue with your .NET framework installation, and it might be worth downloading and manually reinstalling .NET. Eraser from 6.0.7 on has not been generating many Windows system errors; almost all the errors I have seen, or had documented on the forum, have been trapped either by the program itself or by the Windows UI, so I suspect that what you are seeing is system specific. But it would be good to know for sure.

Later ... One other thought. Eraser can behave very oddly if the Task List becomes corrupt (though I have not seen that problem cause your symptoms). Just to be sure that the fix is not that simple, please could you find and delete the file Task List.ersx (you should find it in <Your User Folder>\Appdata\Local\Eraser 6\), then run Eraser.

David

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

One other thought. Eraser can behave very oddly if the Task List becomes corrupt (though I have not seen that problem cause your symptoms). Just to be sure that the fix is not that simple, please could you find and delete the file Task List.ersx (you should find it in <Your User Folder>\Appdata\Local\Eraser 6\), then run Eraser.

The closest file I found with that name was default.ers. I didn't delete it.

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

No, it's not that file. The Appdata folder is hidden, so you need to have the viewing of hidden files enabled to navigate to it.

Alternatively, do the following.

• Press Start|Run (or Windows key + R)
• In the box, type %LOCALAPPDATA% and <Enter>
• A folder will open, which has an 'Eraser 6' subfolder; the file Task List.ersx is there.

If there is no Task List, this would mean that the file is being deleted as a result of the error. If you can successfully create a task to wipe free space, that should have left a usable Task List.

David

 

[Will Pittenger]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Sorry. I was looking in the wrong folder. Switching folders with a new version isn't the best idea around. However, it didn't help.

 

[DavidHB]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Switching folders with a new version isn't the best idea around.

I think what is in the team's mind is that Eraser 6 is a complete re-write, in a different language, and using a different runtime. Ideally, you should remove all traces of Eraser 5 before you install Eraser 6 (thogh I have found that you can use Eraser 5 portable on machines with Eraser 6 installed.

However, it didn't help.

It was a long shot. Hopefully Joel will surface soon.

David

 

[Joel]

Re: Eraser is nearly useless in Vista (and probably Windows

Blame User Account Control. I was unable to erase either files or free disk space without elevation. Perhaps you should recode it as a service. Then it will always run as administrator. Then UAC only needs to control the UI (unless you provide your own checks there). As a bonus, you would probably end up fixing the bug where inadvertently clicking Close in the main window instead of Minimize exits Eraser entirely. I am currently using 5.8.7, but now that I see you have 6.x, I will check that out once I have a chance. (Eraser is currently running a task.)

v6 fixed the close/minimise dichotomy, and provides you with a choice while you're at it...

Well, 6.0.7 has its advantages, but has holes.

Agreed. But I'm working on it. It's not too easy to work on such a program alone in spare time...

First, I have yet to see any of the Explorer extensions. Second, when you erase a folder's contents, does that include subfolders? Third, when I tested it erasing a folder, it immediately returned with an error called success. :? Now I know that Windows has an error called ERROR_SUCCESS, but you shouldn't be exposing that as an error. Besides, in this case, it returned so quickly, that I think it failed due to the process elevation issue.

Task log. See the image for a more recent test. This was started when (thanks to you) I found that I could drag files to the main window. So I tried it with a single task. That didn't work.

1. I think you've solved that later on (some how).
2. Yes.
3. That is new... I'll need a stack trace to do anything meaningful. Have you tried the nightly builds and enabled the BlackBox plugin?

In that case, please at least add a warning to the task info dialog. Better yet would be an option to prevent recursion.

Good idea. Could you post a ticket on Trac?

As for the task list... Upgrade to the nightly builds and then we'll take it from there. Also, please join the Eraser Beta testers User Group and post to the Beta forum instead.