englishman

Thank you for your detailed reply, Augeus I can determine the WFS elapsed time by running WFS without WMFT and get circa 10 minutes. I can then run WMFT with WFS and get circa 4 hours. Hence time for WMFT = 4 hours less 10 minutes. - Whereas, on my old XP machine, I could literally see WMFT finish in a few minutes and move on to WFS. How do you know how many unused records there are in your MFT ? Do your comments about the Win 7 MFT imply that when you have a relatively new install, one might expect the WMFT to take longer than after a lot of use, because the unused records will be less ? Also, does the 200k chunk Win 7 MFT architecture suggest a slower process than in XP ? Do any other readers of this post think 4 hours for WMFT in Win 7 seems OK ?

I'm on Windows 7 x64 and use Malwarebytes. I'm not familiar with VSS/file history building - how can I tell if I have this active ? Any other ideas. I let Wipe Free Space run to completion overnight and despite showing 15 hours to complete it actually took 4 hours including Wiping the disk free space, but this only takes 5 or ten minutes, so the vast bulk of the 4 hours is for the MFT. It used to take less than the disk free space !

Nergal When I said "after years of operation" I only meant after years of using CCleaner on different PCs and laptops and occasionally using Wipe Free Space, and hence I have a very good feeing for how long each procedure usually takes CCleaner. As for the multiple created .zzzz folders and files, these are self-deleting after I cancel the run.

Looks like the same issue.

I have recently acquired this problem after years of satisfactory operation. Any ideas ?

I just came across a folder named "RCCBakup" under c:\Windows\system32\config containing various .bac files which look like a registry backup - has anyone any idea what the function of this folder is & what created it. I post here in the 'off chance' that this folder was created by CCleaner which I use.

Thanks for the suggestions, the problem is now solved folowing advice received from Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User who outlined a procedure to reinstall the Search Companion.

Thanks for your comments. I have to admit to some pretty reckless and complacent behaviour. I only downloaded CCleaner yesterday. As you know, CCleaner an "undo" facility but I chose not to use it. I also don't use System Restore after some problems in the past. I tend to rely on Ghost, but - you've guessed it, I deleted and accidently deleted my past images this afternoon - in fact, I was trying to use SEARCH to locate certain files when I discovered it didn't work (but it did work a couple of days ago). Mea culpa. A reboot hasn't improved matters. The only other registry or cleaning apps I've used are ones I been using for months without problems (part of the reason for my complacency of course). Any other ideas ? The system seems pretty stable apart from this issue. Thanks again.

I have XP Home Edition SP2. I did some 'spring cleaning' using CCleaner earlier today and then went to use Search Companion this evening as follows : START then SEARCH, and the 'Search Companion' launches but from a "SEARCH" point of view is like an "empty shell" with many of its major buttons etc being 'empty' and No functionality present. Anyone with any ideas ? Any help gratefully received.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that the problem with relying on cleaning 'free space' for privacy was that deleted files which had been overwritten between 'free space' wipes, would not be affected by the next 'free space' wipe & hence were relatively easy to recover. Rgds etc