Windows Repair (All in One): possible improvements & tweaks

[doomkrad]

Hi everybody at Tweaking.com!   

I've been using your great application for around a year. Yesterday I finally managed to compile a list of observations and suggestions based on Ver. 2.4.0.1.  Here they are:

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Step 2 (Check Disk Output)
- verbose in Taskbar 'text bubble': show current/lowest Chkdsk text line)

Step 3 (System File Check)
- memorize result 'through PC restart', show result + timestamp in Step 3 tab next time WR is started (dark blue text, similar to Step 2 tab: 'No errors found...')
- cmd.exe output window doesn't use ANY of the 4 settings chosen by WR 'CMD.exe Options'

Step 4
SYSTEM RESTORE
-trying to move the WR main window by mouse triggers an error window with the following (rather cryptic) text content:
'This action cannot be completed because the other application is busy. Choose 'Switch To' to activate the busy application and correct the problem.'
Its 3 buttons are as follows: 'Switch To...' has focus, 'Retry' is also available, 'Cancel' is deactivated. Pressing one of the 2 active buttons closes the said error window.
- any attempt to move the WR main window around will also result in the 'animated' info message freezing until the 'Restore point created...' replaces it.
REGISTRY BACKUP
- there is no 'blue info text' in the WR main window, informing about the procedure in progress, neither about procedure termination and its timestamp.
In other words: the registry backup 'sub-window' basically vanishes before the user is able to take notice, the Registry Backup area in the Step 4 tab misses some kind of completion text.

Repair [Step 5]
- It is not yet clear to me whether the firewall can interfere with this step, so I preferred to deactivate the firewall until the following boot (just to be on the safe side). IMHO more clarity for the user [regarding this subject] would be a great help. Please consider adding information to the red warning text from the Repair 'sub-window'.
- one of the repair steps - can't find its name now, but it mentions 'remote access' - [also] shows its progress in a CMD window that uses the default settings (white on black etc.) instead of the 'CMD.exe Options' settings.

and last, but not least...:

General
Various WR window dimensions and positions do not 'stick' after changing them 'manually'. (a problem I'm also experiencing on this OS with other 3rd party applications)

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Thanks a million for your great help in keeping my OS 'sleek and healthy'.


Best regards,
Valentin Stanescu

[Windows 7 Ultimate x64]

[Shane]

Step 2 (Check Disk Output)
- verbose in Taskbar 'text bubble': show current/lowest Chkdsk text line)

I do have it save the chkdsk output to a txt file in the log folder when you run it.

Step 3 (System File Check)
- memorize result 'through PC restart', show result + timestamp in Step 3 tab next time WR is started (dark blue text, similar to Step 2 tab: 'No errors found...')

I could do that by simply storing the time the user clicked the button in the settings.ini file, I do know that the sfc already makes a log file, but it is a big one!

- cmd.exe output window doesn't use ANY of the 4 settings chosen by WR 'CMD.exe Options'

Your right, I will fix that in the next update

-trying to move the WR main window by mouse triggers an error window with the following (rather cryptic) text content:
'This action cannot be completed because the other application is busy. Choose 'Switch To' to activate the busy application and correct the problem.'
Its 3 buttons are as follows: 'Switch To...' has focus, 'Retry' is also available, 'Cancel' is deactivated. Pressing one of the 2 active buttons closes the said error window.
- any attempt to move the WR main window around will also result in the 'animated' info message freezing until the 'Restore point created...' replaces it.

That is because VB6 programs are single threaded, so the program doesnt respond till the call to system restore is done, I can see how that would make people think it is locked up. I need to make a separate exe to do the system restore, that way the program will stay responsive

The command is simple as it calls WMI to do the system restore since MS doesnt have any APIs to call to it, this is the actual command.

Code: [Select]

Dim obj As Object
Set obj = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!root/default:SystemRestore")

'The date and ID are auto added
Call obj.CreateRestorePoint("Tweaking.com - Windows Repair", 12, 100)

REGISTRY BACKUP
- there is no 'blue info text' in the WR main window, informing about the procedure in progress, neither about procedure termination and its timestamp.
In other words: the registry backup 'sub-window' basically vanishes before the user is able to take notice, the Registry Backup area in the Step 4 tab misses some kind of completion text.

Right now the program simple calls the reg backup and it is auto from there. I could have it store the time it was ran and perhaps change the reg backup to give a message box that it is done instead of closing so the user knows.

- It is not yet clear to me whether the firewall can interfere with this step, so I preferred to deactivate the firewall until the following boot (just to be on the safe side). IMHO more clarity for the user [regarding this subject] would be a great help. Please consider adding information to the red warning text from the Repair 'sub-window'.

Firewall doesnt get in the way, the only time the program ever needs anything off the net is when it first starts up and that is to just check for any new versions of the program to let the user know, other than that it never needs anything off the internet

- one of the repair steps - can't find its name now, but it mentions 'remote access' - [also] shows its progress in a CMD window that uses the default settings (white on black etc.) instead of the 'CMD.exe Options' settings.

All the repairs use the same call to the cmd.exe so it should be unless something is changing it, if you find which one it is let me know and I will double check it

General
Various WR window dimensions and positions do not 'stick' after changing them 'manually'. (a problem I'm also experiencing on this OS with other 3rd party applications)

Right now I dont have the program set to remember screen position and size. If I do that I would need to store that info in the registry, because if I stored it in the settings.ini file and a tech runs it from a thumb drive on multiple systems then it could end up opening off screen. Since the program is normally only meant to run when things need fixed and not ran everyday I didnt put any code in to remember its size and position.

One thing I do want to add to the program, or maybe in a new updated how to use video (I am thinking of making a new one) I want people to know the program is normally safe to run on a system. I see a lot of forum posts out there where people are saying dont use it unless you know what you are doing. That isnt the case at all.

Every repair is tested on a fresh install of every version of Windows the repair is meant for. After all the goal is to repair Windows, which means it should be fine to run on a normal working Windows. But just like any program out there, there is always unknown variables on a persons system. So as long as a user does a reg backup they should be fine. 95% of the repairs are all registry related

Shane

[doomkrad]

Many thanks for the quick and detailed reply, Shane! 

I will keep you updated as requested. I'm looking forward to seeing any of the suggestions I made being implemented.

Best,
Valentin