CACHESENTRY VERSION HISTORY
1.59 Build 162 (12/30/2003) |
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Fixed bug - clear activity window was setting its view position to the middle
of the listing instead of the bottom.
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Added new "-w" command line option to control how long CacheSentry waits before
rescanning the cache when it can't locate the cache folder due to it being
empty. Default is 120 minutes.
1.58 Build 160 (9/7/2003) |
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Fixed potential bug - passed NULL handle to FindCloseUrlCache if error occurred
during cache open. (May not be a bug because that function might already check
for a NULL handle.)
-
Fixed bug - I increased the activity log size to 200 items a while back but
forgot to update the save activity log to file routine to save the extra 100
lines of logging.
-
Changed order of cache management - strays are now searched for and looked for
first, then the standard cache management is done. This avoids a problem
when there is so many stray files in the cache the first time CacheSentry is
run that most of the valid cache content is deleted because of the excessive
amount of strays.
-
Added toggle balloon help on/off button.
-
Fixed bug where balloon help controls weren't removed properly during exit.
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Fixed bug - deleted strays were still being included in size of cache
calculations.
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Fixed bug - order of command line options entered was important; now it isn't.
1.57 Build 151 (12/23/2002) |
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Minor changes to error handling during cached file deletion so any error that
occurs is logged in the activity window.
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Added logging mode: Place a -L on the command line to enable logging. Logging
occurs whether you are in standard mode, immediate mode, or kiosk mode. Logging
stops when you exit CacheSentry. The name of the log file created is always
named "CSLog.txt".
-
Cache directory location now logged in activity window.
-
Routine that displays cache location is called more often.
1.56 Build 148 (8/15/2002) |
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Fixed bug in new index size fix method - stray files were not being taken into
account when calculating cache size. Also errors in the cache size may not have
been noticed in most cases due to a failure to increment a counting variable.
-
One change in the documentation: The daily stray file check is done during the
first scan after midnight GMT
- not midnight local time. So the actual daily stray scan will be different
depending on your time zone. The stray scan that happens when you start the
program will occur normally and always, separate from the daily stray file
scan.
-
New command line option: -d<value> You can use this to adjust the amount
of time CacheSentry waits before doing the initial scan of the cache. (This
delay is to prevent excess thrashing of the hard drive if CacheSentry is run
during system startup.) The <value> is in seconds and immediately follows
the 'd'.
-
Fixed bug - tool tip for tray icon checkbox displayed incorrect documentation
information.
-
Added feature - A user informed me that there is a hack for Win98SE that allows
256 colors icons to display in the system tray. Because of this I added an
override registry setting you can specify to force CacheSentry to use a 256
color tray icon if you have performed this hack on your Win98 system and feel
confortable mucking around in the registry. Add a DWORD value called
Force256ColorIcon to the HKLM/Software/EnigmaticSoftware/CacheSentry section
and set its value to 1 to force the use of a 256 color tray icon.
1.55 Build 147 (4/19/2002) |
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New idea implemented for fixing index.dat size bug - now Fixindex.exe and
rebooting the computer are no longer necessary! The fix is applied as soon as
it notices a discrepancy of over 2 megabytes in the cache's size, and it is now
checked every time the cache is scanned instead of only at startup. This means
the problems with Windows XP and 2000 regarding the application of this bugfix
no longer apply!
-
Stray file checking now occurs both at startup and during the first scan that
occurs after midnight each day.
-
Reorganized the options window interface.
-
Added an installer/uninstaller for the program - finally!
-
Added integrated help! Hover over the option you want more information on an a
balloon tooltip will pop up.
-
Whoops - new spiffy 256-color icons didn't display correctly on non-XP
operating systems. I added code to force the use of the 16-color icons for
older OS'es.
-
Fixed bug in checking type of filesystem the volume the cache exists on.
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Program now displays more more information during cluster size calculation
about the volume on which the cache exists.
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If cache is empty, cluster size info is displayed ASAP rather than immediately
displaying an incorrect value.
-
If no settings present, initial CacheSentry max cache size calculation now
takes stray files into account.
-
Changed startup code format.
1.54 Build 144 (3/22/2002) |
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Added new feature - stray file checking can now be turned on and off, and has
several inbetween modes of operation:
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Disabled
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Only check for stray URL's
-
Only check for stray zero-byte files
-
Check for both stray URL's and stray zero-byte files
-
Check for all stray files and stray URL's (the old default)
-
Cleaned up stray file checking and removal code
-
Changed FixIndex back to the way it was for 1.50 - it was set to run from the
RunOnce key instead of the RunServicesOnce key in 1.52 for Windowx 9x and ME.
This was done for constency so it would run from the same place as it does in
NT/2000/XP, but running it from that point in the system startup is too late
for it to do any good. So for Win 9x system, it is back to the RunServicesOnce
key. (Still no solution for XP.)
-
Added some spiffy new 256 color tray icons for versions of Windows that support
them.
1.52 Build 142 (3/1/2002) |
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Turns out I had set up the build to include the size of the index.dat file in
the cache size calculations (experimental code) and forgot to turn it off in
the previous release. This version now sizes the cache the same way version
1.50 did.
1.52 Build 141 (2/24/2002) |
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Added new feature: The cluster size is now automatically
calculated, and therefore the manual setting is no longer needed! This is done
by writing a 1-byte file to the root directory of the partition that contains
the cache folder.
-
Finally noticed that some web sites set their files to READ-ONLY, which means
they don't get deleted if they're found as strays. I added a bit of code to
turn off their read-only protection if deleting them fails.
-
Fixed problem with Windows XP in that XP always seems to give users separate
caches, and my Windows 9x separate cache detection code was no longer accurate.
Now if CacheSentry detects that it is running on an NT kernel (like XP), it
automatically assumes each user has their own separate cache folder.
-
Fixed bug where cache size setting would be initialized to too small a value
during the initial run of CacheSentry.
-
Increased maximum cache setting size to 700 MB.
-
Changed back to simply using DeleteFile() to remove stray files - using the
cache API didn't help with the index size problem and was eating extra CPU
cycles for nothing.
-
Recompiled entire project with Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (MSVC7)
-
Favorites custom icon files are only deleted when they haven't been used for
the period of time specified in CacheSentry's "unused cookies" expiration
setting. Note: Even though the favicon.ico file may be in the cache, that
doesn't mean IE will use this icon for your favorites menu. I have found when
the site with the custom icon disappears from IE's history buffer, it stops
using the custom icon. To make the custom icon permanent, you should manually
copy it out of the cache and assign it to the favorites shortcut using the
"Change Icon" command in the Window's shortcut properties dialog.
-
Strays file are no longer deleted using DeleteFile(). Instead, a dummy URL is
created and the stray is deleted via IE's cache API. This should help lessen
the index.dat file cache size bug from happening.
-
Made more changes to try to fix the "unable to remove stray URL" problem some
users have been reporting. (See 1.49 below)
-
Any remaining stray files that are not yet old enough to remove are now
included in the index.dat bugfix calculation, since IE seems to take stray
files into account when sizing the cache.
-
Fixed the "Can't find finxindex.exe" problem. It turns out Windows NT and 2000
do not support the way Windows 9x uses to tell the application which directory
is it current being run from. Users starting CacheSentry from a shortcut or the
Startup Folder may have to update their "Start In" field in the shortcut
because of this compatibility issue.
-
Fixed problem of stray file check aborting with error 3 if something else had
deleted the cache subdirectories.
-
Sometimes web pages loading would trigger false reports of stray URL's.
CacheSentry now waits for stray URL's to age by 22 hours before removing them.
-
Changed program so that it creates the "RunOnce" registry key in
HKCU/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion if it doesn't exist and the
system is an NT system. Hopefully this will finally allow the index size bugfix
section of CacheSentry to work with all NT systems.
-
Updated the error message for the above issue so the text matches the registry
key CacheSentry is trying to get access to.
-
Removed "folder.htt" and "desktop.ini" file from documentation folder. This was
causing problems for users if the documenation was accidentally unZIP'ed to the
Desktop without creating folders. If you need to read the documenation, the
file to click on is "cachesentry.html" in the docs folder.
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Changed program so when it needs to modify the INDEX.DAT file under Windows NT
or Win2K, it runs the modifier program from HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key
rather than from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key. This was done because a user needs
administrator access under NT in order to run from the latter key. If this fix
doesn't work, then NT users probably won't be able to use the INDEX.DAT bug
fix, as I don't know of any other way to modify that file before Windows opens
it.
-
Removed the information line that displayed the IE cache update setting.
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Version 1.44 added the feature of removing cookie and .class files that were
not used for 4 months. Many users requested this amount of time be adjustable
so an option was added in this version that lets the user specify in days how
long a cookie or .class file must go unused before it becomes a candidate for
removal. Also, the default is now 184 days (6 months). If you want CacheSentry
to never remove cookies and .class files, simply enter a large number. (99999
days, for instance, which is nearly 274 years - I don't think anyone will need
their cookies to stay around for that long! :-) )
-
Changed the window title to "CacheSentry by EnigmaticSoftware" to avoid problem
with program not running if an Explorer directory window was open that also was
named "CacheSentry".
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A helpful user pointed out that Windows NT doesn't support the
"RunServicesOnce" registry key, which the INDEX.DAT fix tool needs to run when
the system reboots. This new version of CacheSentry senses when it is running
on Windows NT (and hopefully Windows 2000) and uses the "RunOnce" key instead
to run the index fixing program.
-
If CacheSentry is running under Windows NT, it should display in the Activity
Log line where the startup code is "NTVer" instead of "WinVer". This will let
you know if CacheSentry has successfully sensed it is running on a Windows NT
system. If you're this new version of CacheSentry with NT and it says "WinVer"
instead of "NTVer", let me know! :-)
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If you're not using NT or Windows 2000, you don't need this new version.
-
It seems when you shut down Windows, it doesn't send a message to CacheSentry
that it should quit - it simply stops CacheSentry in its tracks. This caused a
problem for users who run CacheSentry all the time in that the INDEX.DAT fix
wouldn't be applied if they never manually exited CacheSentry. This new version
fixes that problem.
-
When CacheSentry 1.44 was installed on a clean system, it enabled the INDEX.DAT
bug fix despite the documentation stating this was not the case. The behavior
now matches the documentation - The index bug fix is disabled by default.
-
One thing I forgot to mention in the previous release - I finally changed
program's window title to match that of the program! :-) Since CacheSentry uses
the window title to determine if it is already running, it is a good idea for
you to make sure there are no older-than-1.44 versions of CacheSentry on your
system, as the earlier versions won't recognize the newer version, and
vice-versa.
-
New feature: Fixes major bug problem with IE losing track of how much data is
actually in the cache! This is only an issue with Internet Explorer 4 and 5.
(Internet Explorer 3 users should leave this feature disabled.)
-
Added ability to save Activity Window contents out to a file (Activity.txt).
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CacheSentry no longer removes files with a ".class" extension if you set a
maximum cache size larger than 6 megabytes. They will be protected for about 4
months before getting deleted.
-
Cookies that have not been used for about 4 months are now deleted when more
space in the cache is needed.
-
Doubled the amount of time CacheSentry waits before deleting a stray file - Was
1 day, now is 2.
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Added button in the settings window that takes you to our web page.
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CacheSentry now reports Windows version, OS version, and IE version on startup
to assist with tech support questions.
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CacheSentry now removes Channel content after its exempt status has expired
instead of leaving the files around forever.
-
A newer version of IE5 exists which places the cache update setting in the old
IE4 location. I modified CacheSentry to look for the old setting if IE is too
new. Also added some fallback code in case Microsoft changes their mind again
about the setting's location. :-)
-
Fixed bug - crashed when Channel content was larger than maximum cache size
setting.
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Fixed bug - crashed with certain error messages in kiosk mode.
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Fixed problem with update frequency display not showing correct setting with
Internet Explorer 5.
-
.CDF files stored by Internet Explorer 5 sometimes use lower "exempt" values,
so this version of CacheSentry is now aware of these lower values.
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Modified stray file removal to not remove the default channel bar icons that
are installed with Windows.
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Modified the cache manager to never delete channel bar information, even when
it is the oldest data in the cache. Make sure you don't add so many channels
that it takes up more space than is available in the cache!
-
Added stray file removal. You no longer need to manually delete stray files!
The number and total size of all the files deleted is displayed in the activity
log.
-
Added stray URL removal. This is the opposite of stray files. On rare
occasions, the file exists in the cache but the record to it is missing. This
may happen more often if you have manually deleted the wrong files with the
earlier versions. :-) The number of stray URL's removed is displayed in the
activity log.
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Made the cache path display a little more user friendly and informative in
cases when the path isn't found.
-
The minimum cache size is set back to one megabyte, up from zero. (A zero sized
cache makes finding the cache path difficult with the new compatibility method
implemented in build 112.)
-
Fixed bug in which the program wouldn't find the cache directory correctly if
the first entry in the cache was a cookie.
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Yes, I know I said stray file deletion would be in the next release, but this
bug came up - it will be in the 1.4 release in a week or two, I promise! :-)
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Removed all the disk space checks that were added in 1.2x. They caused too many
false alarms on systems with large partitions, and on systems with small,
dedicated partitions for the cache.
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After displaying the list of stray files, the total number of stray files is
now also included along with the amount of space they are taking up. Note that
the activity log only has room for 100 lines of text, so many of the reported
strays may have scrolled off the top of the list. The total number of strays
value will give you a better idea of how many strays there actually are.
-
Changed the way the program determines the cache directory. This should finally
fix all cases of CacheSentry reporting the incorrect cache folder. An added
benefit is the 2-minute wait on startup when a user is using a private cache
folder is no longer needed and has been removed. All users now get a 5-second
wait (reduced from 10 seconds) before the cache is scanned to prevent disk
thrashing when CacheSentry is set to auto-start on reboot.
-
Discovered Windows checks for valid OS calls when programs are loaded into
memory, and CacheSentry's reference to GetDiskFreeSpaceEx() was breaking on
Windows 95 "classic" systems (i.e., pre-OSR2). Switched to the older
GetDiskFreeSpace() call, since IE's cache doesn't recognize partitions larger
than 2 gigs anyhow....
-
Fixed small problem with display of cache directory text line in settings
Window. (The static control was overwriting part of the text.)
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In version 1.2, I switched to a different registry key for determining the
location of the cache directory. Apparently, this key is only available with
IE4 and up. This was breaking CacheSentry on IE3 systems; now the program
checks both if one key fails.
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Oops! Version 1.20 introduced a bug where it might get stuck in an endless loop
while scanning the cache, thus freezing itself and causing system slowdown.
Grab this new version 1.21 to fix that problem.
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Bonus: Made a minor modification so the cookies folder is now also checked for
stray files.
-
Added checks so users cannot specify a cache size that is larger than the
amount of disk space available on the volume containing the cache. Also, users
of IE 4 and up cannot specify a cache size that is larger than what IE 4's
cache size is set to. CacheSentry will alert the user in these cases and
automatically set the cache size back down to a level that will work.
-
Added cluster size calculations when sizing the cache, further reducing the
chances of the cache growing large enough for IE to regain control over it. The
cluster size CacheSentry will use in these calculations is specified in the
CacheSentry settings window. When you first run version 1.2, it will make a
best-guess as to your hard drive partition's cluster size. If you know the
value of your partion's cluster size and CacheSentry guesses wrong, you can
change the value to make it right. Setting this incorrectly will not hurt
CacheSentry in any way - it simply reduces the chance of IE getting control of
the cache due to the cache growing too large.
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When CacheSentry scans for stray files on startup, it now lists the actual
pathnames to the stray files found. Users can use this information to manually
delete them if they wish.
-
Fixed some bugs in erroneous reporting of stray files.
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Added current cache size to tray icon. Holding the mouse over the icon will
show you how much space the files in the cache are currently taking up.
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Moved CacheSentry prefs to the registry key EnigmaticSoftware/CacheSentry
instead of just EnigmaticSoftware.
-
Fixed bug - The preference for displaying the tray icon or not was only saved
on a user-by-user basis if the user had a private cache. Now that setting is
always saved on a user-by-user basis. (So multiple users of the same computer
can have different settings.)
-
Added code to determine the amount of space being wasted in the cache by "stray
files". See the Overview
section for more info.
-
Added "startup code" logged action so I can more easily determine problems in
tech support calls.
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Added kiosk mode - no error dialogs will appear when CacheSentry is used in
this mode.
-
Added MB (megabyte) display so it's easier to compare the current cache size to
the user-set maximum cache size.
-
CacheSentry now gives you a "second opinion" as to how the update frequency is
set in Internet Explorer. It reads from the registry whether the browser checks
for newer content every time you visit a web page, once per session, or never
checks for newer content. The displayed setting here has no effect on how
CacheSentry functions - it is purely informational.
-
Fixed bug - the program was displaying the "Need to delete more files but no
more left" error when that wasn't the case. Eventually realized this should never
happen so the error message was removed entirely. CacheSentry should work fine
now at the 0 megabyte maximum cache setting. (For users who never want anything
stored in the cache.)
-
Added error message when a deletion fails, but the message is only logged into
activity log (not a warning dialog).
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Fixed bug - possible crash if a deletion failed.
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Worked around problem - certain FTP sites' files appear in the cached files
index, and this was causing CacheSentry to do a major erasure of any older
files if the cache max had been exceeded. In order to accommodate these sites
(and Internet Explorer's silliness for putting downloaded files in the cache in
the first place) CacheSentry now ignores files that are larger than a megabyte
for approximately 24 hours. This should give the user and Internet Explorer
plenty of time to complete the download and copy the file to a permanent
location outside of the cache. After this "grace period", these large files are
given top priority for deletion in order to free up as much space in the cache
again as quickly as possible, without harming the important content from
subscriptions and regular web browsing.
-
Changed layout of the options window to make room for new "About" and "Clear
Activity Log" buttons.
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Added new -i
command line switch. This runs CacheSentry in Immediate Mode - it checks the
cache, does any necessary management, and exits.
-
CacheSentry setting changes are applied no matter how you close the properties
window. (i.e., exiting the program also applies the changes.)
-
To give users the ability to completely clear the cache in immediate mode, the
minimum settable cache size has now been lowered to zero! Also, the maximum
settable cache size has been raised to 300 megabytes. (Why anyone would want a
cache this large I don't know, but it can be done now.)
-
Added more Tab stops to the properties window controls.
-
Fixed a bug where URL's that were longer than 263 characters would overwrite
certain CacheSentry variables. This may have been the cause of the crashes some
users have reported. Hopefully, this will take care of that.
-
Added new "activity" icons for the tray window in the taskbar. CacheSentry now
displays a "waiting" icon, a "sleeping" icon, and a "working" icon, depending
what state it is currently in.
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The program, when run for the very first time on a computer, would default to a
5 megabyte cache if the user's cache was less than that size. That minimum has
been lowered to 1 megabyte.
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Settings window can now also be accessed by double-clicking with the left mouse
button on the system tray icon.
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Added version info to dialog box so bug reporting is easier.
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Fixed bug in which the cache directory of the previous user with separate cache
directory setups would be used instead of the current user.
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CacheSentry settings are now on a per-user basis instead of a global basis, if
the user is using a private cache directory.
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Cleaner recompilation with new compiler.
-
Fixed cache size limit code so it actually displays the fact that the cache
can't be smaller than 1 meg or larger than 100 megs.
Go back to CacheSentry documentation