Willy2

- Currently, Microsoft follows the socalled "Monthly Rollup Update" policy for Windows 7 and Windows 8. This policy was introduced in the 2nd half of 2016. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2016/10/07/more-on-windows-7-and-windows-8-1-servicing-changes/ - But now Microsoft is moving to a similar policy for Windows Server 2008 SP 2 as well. See the web-article below, dated june 12, 2018. https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2018/06/12/windows-server-2008-sp2-servicing-changes/ (Is MS going to follow a similar policy for the Server version of Windows 8 ?? What's the name of that version ? Win Server 2012 ??) - My personal opinion is and remains that MS should issue a new Service Pack for Win 7, Win 8 and Win Server 2008. (MS DID issue a second Service Pack for Windows Server 2008 (SP2).) After that MS then can start issueing "Cumulative (Security) Updates" each month. It would make the Windows update procedure/make life for MS and the users of Windows much much easier.

- Question: Doesn't a SSD and a HD have some information stored somewhere in e.g. the firmware that tells the Piriform's software if the storage device is a SSD or a HD ? - I had some problems with a Hitachi Travelstar drive in the past. The documentation for that HD I pulled up from the interent told me that it contained a 512 byte information string. That documentation also told me what the meaning was of each byte & bit that was stored in that information string. https://1drv.ms/b/s!AluvxwylJSzygS-MO-XBZoGZnA40 - I have an external USB 500 GB SSD and Defraggler does correctly recognize it's a SSD.

- I agree. Defraggler doesn't always behave as it should, I know what you're talking about. The most likely reason is that the program gets "entangled" in "complicated situations" with other parts of Windows and other pieces of software. - Are there (large) differences between the two computer systems ? Like: Programs running in the background, additional Services running (did you tell DF to disable the Shadow Volume Service/VSS ?), Antivirus program running, etc. There're differences between a normal system and a virtual machine (don't ask me what those differences are. Can anyone provide more details ??) - Do a socalled "Clean Boot" and run the program. Are there major differences in behaviour ? (Does Defraggler run after a "Clean Boot" ?)

- Outlook Express Classic v2.8 has been released. https://www.oeclassic.com/

- Try this: - Run Defraggler to analyze that problem drive. Are there some type of files or folders that aren't being de-fragmented by DF ? E.g. the folder "System Volume Information" ? - Run Antibody's WIZTREE. This program gives an overview of the size of (large) files and folders. Is the folder "System Volume Information" (very) large ? In MBs and %. That folder contains the data for the System Restore Points and DF isn't able to move/defragment those files. - Disable the "System Restore" feature and restart. Then all those "Restore points" are gone. Is DF able to defragment the remaining files/folders ?

- Install Tweaking's Registry Backup. This program makes a backup of all the registry files upon start up. When you have trouble then you use the same program to restore the registry files. Works much better than System Restore although it only makes a backup of the registry and not of other user data. - When Windows discovers that the amount of free disk space reaches a certain (very) low level then Windows will automatically (try to) delete one or more of the oldest/older Restore Points.

- If you have enabled the "System Restore" feature then Windows will make such a point every now and then. Even if you didn't install anything (for a long time). This is the most likely the reason why these points keep popping up and keep growing. Although I never figured out what the trigger is for this to occur. And then in combination with some action from DEFRAGGLER seems to trigger this "System Restore Point"feature as well. (Developers: Are you reading this ???) Here's something that should work: - Run Antibody's WIZTREE. It shows the size of the folder called "System Volume Information" is. This folder contains the info/data for those System Restore Points. Please give us that size. - Delete all System Restore Points. There's somewhere deep in Windows 7 itself an option to do that. (Control Panel > system > advanced system options). I assume that a similar option is also available in Window 10. - If that doesn't work then simply disable this "System Restore Feature" feature all together for all drives and restart. Then those points should be gone - If you want then re-enable the "System Restore" feature. - Please report if this was helpful.

- Run Piriform's CCleaner to recover that (lost) disk space ("Tools" > "System Restore"). - Check the option "Stop VSS when defragmenting NTFS volume" in Defraggler ("Settings" > "Options" > "Advanced").

- Defraggler hasn't been updated for a long time. I am wondering whether there will be a new version of the program any time soon. But the program still contains some other bugs as well.

- Is this a matter of permssions ? Did you run the program with admin rights ? Or did some other program/app mess up those permissions ? - If it's matter of permissions then try if running Tweaking's Windows Repair will help. It has a repair that puts all permissions back to their default state(s).

- It's a bit overblown: "Selfdestructing messages". It's simply that messages are being/can be deleted after a while. Seems A LOT OF users didn't delete their emails and are occupying A LOT OF storage space in "the cloud".

- After a lot of GOOGLEing (GOOGLing ???) I found this program on the MAJORGEEKS website that plays these animated GIF pictures (surprisingly !!!) well. After installing of the program can select a *.gif file. The *.gif file will be automatically opened with this program. The program is a viewer for *.gif files only. It will skip all other files that are in the same folder. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/giv.html

1) This is odd, very odd. When I ran Windows Update a few days ago it recommended the "Roll Up" update for April 2018 but the size of that rollup was smaller than the previous "Roll up" of March 2018. Is MS about to change its update policy (again) ? Is MS working on a new Service Pack ? Or are/were there one or more (new) bugs in the previous "Roll Up Update" (march 2018) ? 2) Then I ran WU today again and it now recommended (among 5 others) to install (Surprise #1) a "Cumulative Security Update for IE 11" from (Surprise #2) september 2016 !!! And 3 of those recommended (security) updates were from (surprise #3) 2014 and 2016 (twice) !!! (I must say that I ran the build-in "CleanUp" tool between 1) and 2). But I don't think that it should matter).

- Antibody Software now also has a file search program, called WizFile (v1.03) http://antibody-software.com/web/software/software/wizfile-finds-your-files-fast/ https://www.ghacks.net/2018/04/09/wizfile-is-an-ultra-fast-windows-search-tool/

- Run Piriform's SPECCY. Select "File > Publish snapshot" and post the weblink that pops up in your next post. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T

- I must have overlooked that.

- A (dutch ??) hacker called "D0gberry" has put online a list/database with some 1.4 billion hacked passwords. When a computer user goes to the website "Have I been pwned" then that person can check whether or not his/her password has been hacked. Weblinks: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/dutch-hacker-puts-33-mln-stolen-passwords-online-report--1238809 https://haveibeenpwned.com/ A dutch newspaper brought this news. I still find it a bit suspicious/"dodgy". Don't know what make of it. Do the readers of this forum have an opinion on this topic ? Was it perhaps reported on other websites before ?

- Even before installing the "Convenience Update" (of may 2016) WU didn't recommend the latest "Rollup Update(s)". See my 2nd post on march 25 in this thread. - And this kind of hassle is precisely why a new Service Pack and follow-ups with "Cumulative Updates" would make life much easier, even for MS. MS thinks that those "Rollups" will simplify the updating process but I disagree. My story in this thread (convincingly) proves that, IMO. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2016/08/15/further-simplifying-servicing-model-for-windows-7-and-windows-8-1/

- @ mta: I fear you're right that MS doesn't care too much about Win 7 anymore. Especially in the light of the experiences/info below (I am still busy updating/configuring my freshly installed Win 7 SP1). - After installing the "Convenience Update" (of may 2016) Windows Update continues to behave in a strange way. Windows Update simply won't offer the latest "Quality & Security Rollup" update. I think I'll have to manually download and install that one update. - Also installed the latest "Cumulative Update for IE 11" and now that extra pop-up warning for "Active content" doesn't show up any more in the IE window. Odd, very odd.

- Indeed, it's better to keep the amount of write operations (that includes "Wipe Free Space") on your SSD as low as possible. - But if you REALLY want to use the "Wipe Free Space" (sparingly) on your SSD then don't let that warning deter you.

- MS "retires" the Office Compatibility Pack 2007 (& 2010 ??) in april 2018 as well. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3 (I still use Office XP/2003 on my Win 7 system and I know a way to get the last updates for Office XP when I re-install that program)

- And this is what those "file size" options are supposed to look like. Compare that with the previous post. See inside the red rectangle in the picture attached.

- I made a screenshot of what happens to the "Size options" in the "Duplicate files" screen on my dutch Win 7 system. See inside the blue rectangle in the picture in the attachment. - To let this bug show up twice (!!) the user has to check both (!!) "Size" boxes. When the user only checks one box then the bug shows up only once. - (A) similar bug(s) show(s) up in other languages as well (I tried dutch, german and italian). - What I consider to be VERY odd is the following: When another program opens a (new) window (partially) overlapping the CC "Duplicate files" screen and I then close/minimize that new window then this bug also shows up (again !!). Seems the handling of that kind of windows pushes CC (a bit) "off the rails".

- Right. In other words, when the user has changed the language and then opens the "Duplicate Files" screen/option (from the "Tools" menu) the program code doesn't read all the new text strings that are needed for that screen.

- MS will in april 2018 remove PowerPoint Viewer 2007 & 2010 from their download servers. https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=13 https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=6 - I downloaded both Viewers because I never used Outlook. - But I still received the old (security) updates when I re-installed the program a few days ago. And those security updates are still available on the "MS Update Catalogus" website.