Major wishlist

[Charger440]

Fred please don't slap me

Here is a list of things I would like to see in UVK. Some of them have been discussed at one point or another.

* Being able to choose the order in which things happen for malware removal. For instance, I would like to clean all temp files, cache and that sort of thing before any scan is done with automation I know you can do it manually
* Having UVK start where it left off after a reboot.
* Being able to run UVK unattended with options preset from a settings/or script file. This may be possible already through scripting, I have not looked into the scripting much to be honest.
* Is there an option to clean all the windows update temp files? If not, can we add this?
* Is there a way to categorize the third party apps instead of just throwing them all in a list? Like say scanners in one section and system utilities in another.

Let me know what you think.

Jim

[Fred]

Guess I not having my August vacation after all .

* Being able to choose the order in which things happen for malware removal. For instance, I would like to clean all temp files, cache and that sort of thing before any scan is done with automation I know you can do it manually

You can do that. Just create third party apps with the same names as the fixes/apps you want to run. It's fully documented here: http://www.carifred.com/uvk/help/system ... ecial_apps

* Having UVK start where it left off after a reboot.

That's an interesting idea. Honestly it hadn't crossed my mind before. I'll tinker with it and see what I can come up with.

* Being able to run UVK unattended with options preset from a settings/or script file. This may be possible already through scripting, I have not looked into the scripting much to be honest.

Yes you can do that for UVK scripts, but it's not currently available for uvksr files. I'll see if I can add that to uvksr files. Personally, I think this command line switch automation is deprecated. The UAC complicated it a lot. Batch scripts need to be right-clicked in order to be executed as administrator, and then still answer the UAC prompt. I don't see much gain over double-clicking a uvksr file, answering the UAC prompt, and clicking the Run selected fixes/apps button.

* Is there an option to clean all the windows update temp files? If not, can we add this?

The Fix and enable Windows update fix does that. If you just want to clear the Download folder yourself, you can create a third party app that runs the following command:

Code: Select all

%systemdir%\cmd.exe /c rd /s /q "%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download"

I would not recommend you to do that, though. It could cause problems if an update is already being installed, and the files are automatically deleted by the system 10 days after the update.

* Is there a way to categorize the third party apps instead of just throwing them all in a list? Like say scanners in one section and system utilities in another.

Nope, that can't be done in the current schema. There's only one group for the custom third party apps. You can move them up and down, but they remain in the same group. It could be done, of course, but I'd have to structure the uvksr files differently, and the previous format would no longer work. Also, that would make impossible to set the order in which the custom third party apps are executed. For instance, since the apps and fixes are executed in a top to bottom order, how could you make an app that's in a group below be executed before the app that's in the group above?

[Fred]

Maybe I will have that vacation after all . I added the resume repair after reboot and the command line switch to loan and run uvksr files silently. It wasn't that hard.

You can check out the new beta, if you want.

Let me know if you spot any bugs.

[Charger440]

Hey Fred

I'm gonna follow this with a full length reply to the above but I just wanted to say I think it is awsome that you listen to us and try to implement our ideas!

However if you really do take a vacation for August, go for it! We can all wait.

I will check out that beta and give you feed back on it.

Jim

[Fred]

Oh, the vacation thing was just a joke, but thanks anyway. I could not take a vacation at this point. Too much work. I'm working side by side on UVK and a new technician tool. That's gonna be... Surprise!

[wmmiller]

New technician tool!

[Charger440]

New technician tool!

Could not have said it better myself!!

[Charger440]

Guess I not having my August vacation after all .

* Being able to choose the order in which things happen for malware removal. For instance, I would like to clean all temp files, cache and that sort of thing before any scan is done with automation I know you can do it manually

You can do that. Just create third party apps with the same names as the fixes/apps you want to run. It's fully documented here: http://www.carifred.com/uvk/help/system ... ecial_apps

So you mean just create a custom app for "Empty all users temp folders" even though it's already there? What do you think about making that list an XML file or something like that? I really like the idea of being able to add more apps to the list but I think the apps you add should be more static in the list. After all, you did add them because you want them there. Another option might be to give the option of actually removing stuff from the list. This could cause Issues so maybe have a default apps file on the website if anyone needs it.

* Having UVK start where it left off after a reboot.

That's an interesting idea. Honestly it hadn't crossed my mind before. I'll tinker with it and see what I can come up with.

Actually kinda surprised it didn't do this one already

* Being able to run UVK unattended with options preset from a settings/or script file. This may be possible already through scripting, I have not looked into the scripting much to be honest.

Yes you can do that for UVK scripts, but it's not currently available for uvksr files. I'll see if I can add that to uvksr files. Personally, I think this command line switch automation is deprecated. The UAC complicated it a lot. Batch scripts need to be right-clicked in order to be executed as administrator, and then still answer the UAC prompt. I don't see much gain over double-clicking a uvksr file, answering the UAC prompt, and clicking the Run selected fixes/apps button.

I was not particularly thinking one click simplicity but rather a way of say, you have a group of computers you always do the same thing on. It would be nice to select the options you want and save that to a file then when you run that settings file again all you have to do is start the process and walk away. All of your usual items are preselected and ready to go.

* Is there an option to clean all the windows update temp files? If not, can we add this?

The Fix and enable Windows update fix does that. If you just want to clear the Download folder yourself, you can create a third party app that runs the following command:

Code: Select all

%systemdir%\cmd.exe /c rd /s /q "%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download"

I would not recommend you to do that, though. It could cause problems if an update is already being installed, and the files are automatically deleted by the system 10 days after the update.

I never remove temp files till all updates are done and it has been restarted a couple times. I like to remove them because I save images for people a lot and the temp files just add unnecessary weight to the image.

* Is there a way to categorize the third party apps instead of just throwing them all in a list? Like say scanners in one section and system utilities in another.

Nope, that can't be done in the current schema. There's only one group for the custom third party apps. You can move them up and down, but they remain in the same group. It could be done, of course, but I'd have to structure the uvksr files differently, and the previous format would no longer work. Also, that would make impossible to set the order in which the custom third party apps are executed. For instance, since the apps and fixes are executed in a top to bottom order, how could you make an app that's in a group below be executed before the app that's in the group above?

My brain is going 100 mph on this one. This would refer back to restructuring how the list is stored. It would essentially require adding a list editor to the app. For instance, You have the malware apps running before the cleanup apps. I would prefer the cleanup apps run before the malware. It makes for less stuff to check. Another thing, if I had the option, I would take the pre work restore point out I never ever use that, there is malware or suspected malware on the computer. No point in chancing that get backed up in the restore point.

Jim

[Fred]

INI structured files can do the same as xml files. You just need to know how to make sub keys work as subsections. And that's exactly what I'm doing.

Your idea of moving groups up and down is a clever one, but there are some points you seem to be missing.

It would work fine for only one app/fix in each group, but for several ones, it would just make things more complicated yet.

Let's say you don't like the order I gave to the list, and want to run some fixes in the following order:
Register system DLLs (Group 8)
Empty all users temp folders (Group 7)
Run Sfc scan (Group 8)
Empty all browsers cache (Group 7)

How would you go to put the group 8 before group 7 to run Register system DLLs, then run Empty all users temp folders and then put the group 8 back after the group 7 to Run Sfc scan? And we're talking about 2 groups only! Imagine the mess if you try to do this for 5 or 6 groups.

I guess the only way to do what you want without adding special apps would be to make the list groupless. But there we would be loosing what I think is a great feature, that helps us to easily find the items we need.

I ordered the list in the way I think the fixes and apps should be executed. For instance, I think there's no point in defragging the hard drive, and then delete the temp folders and browser cache. You'd be wasting time defragging those files, and then creating fragments of free space by deleting them. The same way, I think there's no point in removing the temp files, and then install and run third party tools which will create temp files again.

For a while, I thought about adding a "My fafourit apps/fixes" group at the top of the list, and allow users to move items there, which would be executed first, but I saw some issues that could arise that way, but I can't remember which ones they were now. That's when I added the option to allow creating apps with the same name as already existing fixes/apps, so users could run them in the order they want.

[Charger440]

Fred

I completely understand what your saying about that. I actually love helping, trying to solve problems and I am not sure why I did not think of this before.

Over on the right side where you have the description of what the items do, there is room for a "run list." Just use the click event of the main list to compile a run list then execute the items on the run list. It would probably still be better to unify the standard list and the custom list but you would not have to as you could still read both lists and that way people could still put stuff in any order they want.

For instance, I agree that the tools themselves add temp files and they should be cleaned but, there is no sense in checking 1+ gig of files you are just going to delete anyway. I usually run a crap cleanup twice, the second one only takes a few seconds because there's hardly anything left.

I know that know some of us came from d7 and it uses the straight down list execution as well. You can modify the order but you have to edit the entire list to do it. Personally I think the run list idea has many possibilities and would not be hard to implement. You could even use that list to save a settings file like was talking about earlier when you have certain tasks that you always do on a given set of computers.

What do you think about this idea?

Jim

[Charger440]

I don't know what the new tech tool could be for but I am still excited to see it! Now I am like a kid waiting on Christmas

[Charger440]

I just ran the new beta and I noticed something that I think it may have done all along but am not sure. When I picked unattended mode, I picked 3 of them and it ran two of them simultaneously but did not run the third. It was Combo Fix, RKill and Rogue Killer. Prolly should have run RKill first though. After that it continued to go down the list while Combo fix was running.

[Fred]

I haven't tried combofix, but i think the main process may start one or more new processes and end prematurely.

I'll check that out and keep you posted.

[Charger440]

Hey Fred

Since you are working on a beta. In the system information, the brand, model and type of optical drive is not listed. It also does not have the screen size. Can you add these? If so, that is all the info I need. We can always use something like SIW if we really need details, no need for you to reinvent the wheel

Jim

[Fred]

You have the screen resolution in both Video adapters and Monitor displays groups.

I'll add Optical drive info. I didn't do it before because I don't think it's really important. I only wanted it to show important info.

[Charger440]

Fred

Yea, I know the resolution is in both them places but neither one says the actual physical size of the screen like 15.4 or 17.1. Those are the last two pieces of info for PCRT and your right over all they are prolly not that important I could look the screen up by model number and the optical drive really just tells me what type it it for sure. They are essentially all the same otherwise. It's just when a customer calls I look up the history if need be and all that info is right in one place. I don't know if you can do the physical size or not I've never checked. I know some of the really detailed software uses a hardware to match numbers to and then pull stats so it's possible if that is what you would have to do to get the size you would not want to get that detailed and I really don't blame you at all

Jim

[Fred]

Jim, you'll be happy to know I managed to add monitor screen size to the system info.

I had to release the new stable version because of the SAS automation, but I will look into the combofix issue and the apps ordering for the next update.

[Charger440]

Fred

The PCRT info is now complete. You are truly awesome for adding these features for us. I just want to say think you. You aso have me very curious about your new tech tool.

Jim

[Vicelord]

I love that uvk now runs after reboot and follows the checklist. However I have a lot of custom third party apps and I do not run them all, some are AV removal tools, other installs to certain programs.

So i don't check every third party app, but when a reboot happens uvk checks them all and i have to cancel the ones I don't want to run. Is it possible to implement a feature that remembers which third party apps you checked after a reboot?

[Vicelord]

also I'd love if it were possible to execute .msi files from uvk, currently it doesn't execute them when adding them to the custom apps