DELINDEX Version 4.0 Now Ready! The primary purpose of Delindex is to delete Index.dat files which are never resized and only get bigger. They contain all your web surfing history since they were (re)created, and large index.dat files can cause performance issues with browsing. Index.dat files cannot be deleted if Explorer is running. The secondary purpose is to delete junk files for reasons of space, privacy, and performance. In some ways, there’s little functional difference between the prior version and this one; a few more files are deleted, and it can preserve cookies. In other ways it’s a substantial improvement in terms of user-friendliness and information. The notes not only tell about the files and folders being deleted, but also about Windows settings, other resources for information, procedures, and software, and some info on batch files. The notes and code were pared down and distilled until the file was no bigger than 32KB. I hope you’ll find Delindex effective, easy to use & informative. Enjoy! Here’s What’s New in the Summer Solstice 2002 Version 4.0: ● All information about Delindex is now internal & can be viewed in Additional Notes. Notes were expanded and rewritten, and include an overview & introduction, installation & usage instructions, reasons why items are deleted, & much more. The programming code that deletes files and folders is divided into numbered sections which correspond to numbered notes explaining the reasons for deleting them. ● Delindex can be run with command-line switch DELTA in Scheduled Tasks (WinME) or in Autoexec.bat (Win98) to delete the FOLDERS the index.dat files are in AND restore any saved cookies each time you start or reboot your computer. Deleting the folders ensures that the index.dat files will be rebuilt at minimal size (they won’t be if there are other files in the folder). Otherwise, why bother? ● No DELYES! file needed. ● View and Additional Notes end with a choice instead of exiting. ● Command-line switch NOTES added. ● Finally! You can keep selected cookies by saving them in a special folder and using the DELTA routine. ● More files deleted: c:\windows\pchealth\helpctr\datacoll\, c:\windows\*log.txt files (which you can change to only schedlog.txt), and *.tmp files in c:\ and c:\windows\. ● In the ADD section, the StartUp Disk can now be set to run Delindex immediately without user input OR from a menu as before. Checks a: for presence of a floppy. Adds ansi.sys to a:\config.sys for Color in Delindex! ● Delindex can now be run on a floppy or Startup Disk without editing the file. ●Windows AutomaticUpdate preference is retained. ● Miscellaneous: There are new Start/End screens and improved graphics; “free space” is displayed before Delindex runs as well as after; switches to c: to run faster; some code revised; version number assigned. All the information in this post is in Delindex, so there is no need to copy it. ========================================================== ● FYI: There were no reported problems with the prior (3/23/02) version run “as is” in WinME except that one user who changed the default font in IE had it revert back to the default after running Delindex (how can I fix that?). Many used it with no problem in Win98, but some reported “bad command” messages, but no harm done. It’s not clear if the message(s) had to do with missing system files, incompatibility with Win98, and/or where and how it was unzipped or how it was used. I need help in solving this, so Win98 users can install and use Delindex without problems. (I do not have a Win98 system, so I can’t test it myself.) This version is not zipped, and there is only one file. ● TO USE: •Put it on c:\ (not in a folder). It runs more than 3 times faster on the hard drive than on a floppy. •Go to DOS. •Type c:\delindex to go to a start screen and menu. Note: Do not select Run from the Menu (or use delindex run from the command line) with Windows running. It’s OK to run all other options while in Windows. ● RTFM: There have been several posts recently about the 3/23/02 version, essentially asking “Does Delindex [do whatever]?” The answers in both cases were in Additional Notes. If you don’t want to read the notes, you can ask someone else to read them for you and tell you what they say. You may get respondents willing to do this, but I won’t be among them, unless the notes are incomplete or incorrect. ● I’M AFRAID: There were also posts recently that more or less said “I finally tried Delindex; it worked great; I’m sorry for doubting you.” Your computer is your responsibility, and you should be cautious. (See the note at the very bottom of every thread!) I don’t know of any Computing.net regular who has never posted incorrect information. Well, maybe one (not me). I could (but will not) collect and post testimonials about Delindex. But there are enough people who (a) used it, liked it, had no problems and posted back; and (b) who know enough about the files and folders being deleted and about batch file programming who have posted back after reading the code and using the program. Since this is a new version, “past performance is no guarantee of future returns,” but most of the core code is pretty much the same as it was before. For a list of prior posts on Delindex, go here. ● THANK YOU: Delindex is my way of my way of saying thank you to all those on the Computing.net forum who’ve help me learn and understand so much. Special thanks to the people on the forum whose feedback helped me to make Delindex what it is; to Secret_Doom, aka Leonardo Pignataro, for excellent answers to many of my coding questions (yes, Delindex is a little more esoteric than it was before); and, to ShutMeUpOrDown:) for making Delindex available for download from his website. ●If you like Delindex, please tell me: delindex@yahoo.com. Or look here instead. Click here to look at Delindex (the code and notes) now. Click here to view/download Delindex from http://burzurq.com/forum/delindex.html

Is there a way to run Delindex with a dual boot, win me and w98se, don't know how to get to it, I have to choose one or the other and not use a start up disk, any ideals. Sue

hey ren man, is it ok to download Delindex over prior insrall or should I delete prior version first TIA deek

I have the same question as deek... Should I delete the old version, or just download the new one?

Deek & GerriLynn Right Click /Delete the old version and its gone. No registry nonsense no files all over the place. Standalone power house at 32k :). The new version is not an exe-installer and there is no readme file like the previous version. Its just the batch file. "DELINDEX.BAT" . This version has all the information you need built right into it. When you download it Save it to "C:\" root. [Root Means C:\DELINDEX.BAT ... not in a folder.] If you have already downloaded it to your desktop or wherever just move it over to C:\. Sue You better wait for Renaissance Man to respond :).

I was able to run in w98se because I checked the option to start in Dos, but on Windows Me, I will wait this is the operating system I do not want to mess up, it is running real good...w98se runs like a piece of crud & slow as molasas even with Trevs Tweaks.

I wrote an answer to Sue's two questions last night, but somehow it didn't get posted. I'm not familiar with dual booting, but if each OS has its own Internet Explorer, then I'd guess each has it's own index.dat files. If both OSs access common files and folders, then I'd guess using it once would do the job. Delindex is set to only look at C:\. If each OS is on its own partition, you'd have to make a copy of Delindex (say, for D:\) and change all references from C:\ to D:\. Unless you’re pretty familiar with editing and batch file/DOS commands, I don’t recommend it. You run anti-virus programs even when nothing is wrong, to protect you from anything going wrong. Doing nothing does not protect you from WinME messing up. To keep my WinME healthy, I run Delindex. If you want to use it in WinME, first find out what’s happening to the WinME files Delindex deletes after you run it in Win98. But do read the Additional Notes before using it. And you must use a StartUp disk in WinME. If there's a different way to do it with a dual-boot, I don't know what it is. Someone who knows more about dual booting may be better able to help you. ============================================ We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. (Winston Churchill)