Issues with Reg Organizer 5.30

[dforionstar]

I had always admired the solid and reliable performance of Reg Organizer , prior to 5.30 beta.

New Issues with Search and Replace:

1. Where are the previously used search arguments? In Reg Organizer 5.15 they were readily viewable in the drop-down list - now they are gone (or hidden somewhere I could not find).

2. With several completed search tabs open, I started a 4th search. While it was in progress I went to the first tab, right clicked and selected "close tab". Wow, the currently searching tab (the 4th tab) closed instead.

3. What happened to the Replace feature of Search and Replace? This was useful and worked reliably for changing the address of folders and or files. You might want to have a look at RegistryWorkshop - another excellent Registry application but with a different focus.

I think I will stay with Reg Organizer 5.15 . It worked well, and results were predictable.

While I have your attention:
I am an advanced user (former mainframe software engineer). I ALWAYS want to see the results of my Automatic Registry Clean Up. This used to be the default, but somewhere along the way this was removed forcing me every time to click the "Show invalid entries (for advanced users)". Can you please allow a setting to always enable this in the Reg Organizer Settings?

If you keep dumbing down this once fine application, it will be end up being just another Glary Utilities thing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message.

Dave F.

[Chemtable Software]

Hello,

Click on the arrow at the right of the Start search button on the Registry editor toolbar. In the pop-up menu select Custom Search... In the appeared window you'll be able to specify all search and replace settings that was available in the previous versions.

The bug with closing the search results tab is reproduced, thanks for the information.

Regarding the ability to get access to the previously used search strings. We'll think about this.

[Chemtable Software]

Regarding the problem you described under the 2 digit. I have erroneously confirmed that it has been reproduced, but it wasn't. Please explain more detailed what actions are necessary to get this problem.

[dforionstar]

Konstantin: Thank you for your prompt reply.

I don't understand what you mean by "described under the 2 digit"?

[Chemtable Software]

I mean the issue number 2 from your original post regarding closing the tab. We cannot reproduce it yet.

[dforionstar]

Tab closing issue might be a timing issue. It happened twice. Perhaps you could perform two searches - when done leave both search result tabs open and try a long third search. Then quickly while third search is still in progress attempt to close (with mouse) the first search result tab, that is what I did. I hope this helps.

[Chemtable Software]

Probably this issue is caused by some misunderstanding of the closing tab logic implemented in Reg Organizer. The Close Tab command always works for the currently active tab. If you right-click on the header of the inactive tab and select this command, the active tab will be closed. Maybe this is just your case.

[dforionstar]

If I were to first click on a completed search Tab, would that make it the currently active tab? Then right-click and close the tab, will it then work as expected?

As a User I have not seen the design specifications or source code so I cannot possess any understanding or misunderstanding of Reg Organizer's internal logic. I can only assume it will work according to normal/standard functionality.

As a Software Developer, sometimes you have to take off your Programmer-hat and put on a User-hat. Then think like a User - Ask yourself, "As a User, what behavior would I expect?" To expect a casual User to understand what each and every Programmer was thinking, for every different application, Firefox add-on, etc, won't get you success.

Konstantin, you have an opportunity to correct an issue brought to your attention, but telling a User they have a misunderstanding of your programming logic is unproductive.

Regards,
Dave F.
IBM Mainframe Application Developer since 1976

[Chemtable Software]

Dear Dave,

If I were to first click on a completed search Tab, would that make it the currently active tab?

According to the current program logic, if you were to LEFT-click on the tab header, it becomes active. If you RIGHT-click, it leaves inactive.
This is the standard behaviour of the component we are using to display pages, but you are 100% right that this is correct only from the programmer's point of view, but not from the user's one. We'll think about correcting this logic.

Regarding another your suggestion from the first message of this topic: the ability to quickly view and select the previously used search strings will be added to the next version 5.30 beta 2.

[grude]

I have some more Issues with version 5.3, in particular with the Applications Uninstall feature. I see these changes were originally introduced in Version 5.2.
One of the features that drew me to Reg Organizer was the Programs Uninstall feature. Using before and after system snapshots, previous versions would make a complete and independent record of the changes made to the system during an installation. It was completely independent of the Windows Add Remove Programs function; thus if an application uninstallation left things behind (and they always do) completely, there was a mechanism to rip it all out by force.

Some specific feedback about the new Applications Uninstall Feature in ver 5.3. I Hate it!

1. When Installing a program with tracing, the program offers you to give it a name, that is unique to that particular installation, but doesn’t use it. Nowhere can that name be found in the tracing log list; thus there is no single complete record of that installation. Instead, there is an individual entry for each of the newly installed component packages (in one case, 18 of them). There is no way in a week from now we can remember which component belongs to which installation. At uninstallation time, there is no sure way of telling which components are to be removed.

2. If an application is uninstalled using the windows Programs and Features functions, the trace log(s) is/are accordingly GONE from the Reg Organizer Installation logs. So is the ability for Reg Organizer to go back in and finish the job. That was the whole point of doing the trace in the first place.

3. If a installation log is right clicked, one of the options presented is to Uninstall, but it invoked the windows uninstall function using the applications own uninstall feature, and in this particular case, there was an error in the uninstallation routine and it didn't complete. Where is the option to uninstall (brute force method) using the trace logs? I now have a partial and corrupt installation.

4. There is also an option to “Remove from List”, but it has a warning that you should do this only if the program cannot be correctly uninstalled. What does remove from list actually do? I would think that it simply deletes the installation logs, but in view of the warning, I'm not sure. Does it force uninstallation of the program using the trace logs? If if simply deletes the trace logs, there is no mechanism to complete the uninstallation.

To me, theses issues take what was a very unique and powerful tool and dumb it down to complete uselessness. I have to agree with dforionstar. This has been an outstanding and fabulous application over the years, but as it is being rewritten to appeal to more of the masses, it's real power is being stripped from it, and its just turning into another Glary Utilities thing.

And just another note while I'm at it. This one is not specific to the later versions, but has annoyed me for a long time. I would like the option to specify where the tracing logs are stored. I know everyone does this, but they most certainly should NOT be under a users account on drive C.