G
Guest
What the provide documetnation fails to go into is Temp folders in the
Windows Directory and the hidden Temp folders In the Documents and Settings
Directory often have files and folders left behind after installation needed
to uninstall programs installed by MSI technology. These are different than
the folders/files needed by say a Jet Database that won't let you delete
them. If deleted, these programs cannot be uninstalled, and they are legion,
many are MS products. And they are quite willing to allow themselves to be
deleted. With solid experience in the effects of deleting these files, I warn
anyone not to let Onecare delete these until MS can assure us that OneCare
will leave MSI intallation folders in the Temp folders alone. Otherwise, you
may well wind up stuck with a program that does not play well with others you
cannot remove. I would urge Microsoft to change MSI releases in the future to
migrate the uninstall files needed directly into the program directory they
install to.... Especially with the pain in the posterior the Activation limit
imposes. Having just run into it myself, I am no longer willing to test drive
any betas on the Windows Platform, even if running them on a virtual
platform. Every intallation of XP, and I assume Vista, will take an
activation before you can install any WGA downloads (the stuff you usually
need the most) and that will count towards your activation limit. Once you
are there, if a beta somehow penetrates the virtual machine and damages your
base OS beyond System Restores and Backups limited abilities, you'll need to
reintall it. Then you will be effectively out of business until you can get
through on the phone to reauthorize every reinstallation for activation.
Having OneCare rooting through the Temp folders is not so much a case of MS
shooting itself in the foot, it's more like they are shooting you in the
foot. Now, I could be wrong, and OneCare may avoid deleting any MSI
technology folders. But the documentation does not say that, nor does the
documentation for the OS's mention that the number of activations allowed is
limited (it actually claims it is unlimited, and if unlimited how does it
help with antipiracy? No, you are actually under the gun after a certain
number of activations.)
In fact, having just spent 2 days trying to get through for a
reauthorization, I have to question the sanity of allowing OneCare clean my
registry given the track record of most registry cleaners, If it cleans my
registry, an then an update comes in on automatic update that sets a new
restore point, I can no longer go back to the pre-registry cleaning restore
point. All I can do is restore it to the pre-update state, which will include
the now errant registry. I don't know why XP behaves this way. With Windows
ME System Restore, you could go back several set points. Oddly enough, I
never had any of the problems other folks complained about with ME and really
liked it. Is there any way to set Win XP to hold more than a single restore
point? Does MS think it should have some sort of policy for regular beta
testers to bypass that Activation limit, or does it want to lose beta testers
just when they are becoming proficient at spotting and reporting the kinds of
bugs and flaws they need data on?
Does OneCare leave MSI Temp files alone?
Windows Directory and the hidden Temp folders In the Documents and Settings
Directory often have files and folders left behind after installation needed
to uninstall programs installed by MSI technology. These are different than
the folders/files needed by say a Jet Database that won't let you delete
them. If deleted, these programs cannot be uninstalled, and they are legion,
many are MS products. And they are quite willing to allow themselves to be
deleted. With solid experience in the effects of deleting these files, I warn
anyone not to let Onecare delete these until MS can assure us that OneCare
will leave MSI intallation folders in the Temp folders alone. Otherwise, you
may well wind up stuck with a program that does not play well with others you
cannot remove. I would urge Microsoft to change MSI releases in the future to
migrate the uninstall files needed directly into the program directory they
install to.... Especially with the pain in the posterior the Activation limit
imposes. Having just run into it myself, I am no longer willing to test drive
any betas on the Windows Platform, even if running them on a virtual
platform. Every intallation of XP, and I assume Vista, will take an
activation before you can install any WGA downloads (the stuff you usually
need the most) and that will count towards your activation limit. Once you
are there, if a beta somehow penetrates the virtual machine and damages your
base OS beyond System Restores and Backups limited abilities, you'll need to
reintall it. Then you will be effectively out of business until you can get
through on the phone to reauthorize every reinstallation for activation.
Having OneCare rooting through the Temp folders is not so much a case of MS
shooting itself in the foot, it's more like they are shooting you in the
foot. Now, I could be wrong, and OneCare may avoid deleting any MSI
technology folders. But the documentation does not say that, nor does the
documentation for the OS's mention that the number of activations allowed is
limited (it actually claims it is unlimited, and if unlimited how does it
help with antipiracy? No, you are actually under the gun after a certain
number of activations.)
In fact, having just spent 2 days trying to get through for a
reauthorization, I have to question the sanity of allowing OneCare clean my
registry given the track record of most registry cleaners, If it cleans my
registry, an then an update comes in on automatic update that sets a new
restore point, I can no longer go back to the pre-registry cleaning restore
point. All I can do is restore it to the pre-update state, which will include
the now errant registry. I don't know why XP behaves this way. With Windows
ME System Restore, you could go back several set points. Oddly enough, I
never had any of the problems other folks complained about with ME and really
liked it. Is there any way to set Win XP to hold more than a single restore
point? Does MS think it should have some sort of policy for regular beta
testers to bypass that Activation limit, or does it want to lose beta testers
just when they are becoming proficient at spotting and reporting the kinds of
bugs and flaws they need data on?
Does OneCare leave MSI Temp files alone?