Windows Repair Toolbox - Have you tried it?

roger_m

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The “AVLeftovers” helps to identify what Antivirus programs may have been previously installed on a computer that you’re working on, so that you can run the respective manual uninstaller before installing another Antivirus of your choice, or when trying to solve some problem potentially caused by an incomplete uninstall of a previous security solution.
This is a great idea, and it lead me to trying your software for the first time just now. However, at the moment it has major issues with false positives. This is because it will match every folder that contains an antivirus name as part of its name. For example the folder Presets, get detected as ESET, due to it finding the word ESET in presets.
 
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AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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This is a great idea, and it lead me to trying your software for the first time just now. However, at the moment it has major issues with false positives. This is because it will match every folder that contains an antivirus name as part of its name. For example the folder Presets, get detected as ESET, due to it finding the word ESET in presets.

Hey @roger_m , thank you for trying it out and for the feedback!
The detections are case-sensitive, so it will detect a folder named "PRESETS" - capital letters - , but it will not detect a folder named "presets" or "Presets" as you mentioned. It's not that bad :D I'll fix it (in this case, I'll make it look for an exact match with "ESET"), and I'll also look for other more obvious situations like that. Thank you for pointing that one out!
 
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AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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Hi all, I've released version 2.0.0.3 of WRT. This version contains improvements to the "AVLeftovers" functionality that I've added in the last version:

- Made several changes in order to improve detections and reduce false positives.

- Removed detections regarding some older discontinued AV's, and added several other detections (so there's no longer a total correspondence with the "AV Uninstall Tools Pack").

- Increased the size of the form so that it's easier to look at the paths when the nodes are expanded.

While this functionality is not perfect - false positives can occur and it will not tell us the exact version of the AV detected - , I think that it will make the task much easier. Admittedly it relies in part in the knowledge and the experience of the user to cover the two weak-spots mentioned above. If you guys feel like, give it a go and tell me what you think. The tool doesn't change or remove anything (and neither is it supposed to do so), but it only reports (if you right-click a node you'll only have the options to copy the path or to open it - in order to allow to examine the contents).

Thank you.
 
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AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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I've just released another update (version 2.0.0.4). Sorry for the successive update! It's a fix to the "AVLeftovers" search, that under some circumstances would display an unnecessary error message that required the user to click ok for the search to continue.
 

AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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It still does not remember settings like Minimal Mode and Unattended Fix email settings. :(

@TairikuOkami, thank you for the heads up! The normal version is supposed to save all the settings, but the email settings were not included (the minimal mode setting is saved though). I'll add it for the next version, thank you!

The portable version will only save the branding settings, because is meant to be used "on the go" and in several different computers.

Tip: you can run Windows Repair Toolbox in a safe/minimal mode by running the "start_WRT_in_reduced_functionality_mode.bat" file.
 

AlexCa

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Apr 30, 2016
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Hello everyone, I've just released version 2.0.0.5 of WRT. Here's what changed:

- The .zip and other archive files will now be automatically deleted after extraction, in order to save space.

- Fixed: The email settings were not being saved (this is only applicable to the normal version, the portable version only saves the branding settings). Thanks to @TairikuOkami for reporting.

- The progress label will now indicate when .zip files are being extracted after download ("Extracting please wait...").

- Some other internal fixes and improvements.

Thank you!
 
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TairikuOkami

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AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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@amico81
Thank you for your suggestion for ADWCleaner! But it's already present in WRT.

@TairikuOkami
Thank you for reminding me of ZHPCleaner and for the link to the test!
However, I ultimately decided to go with Norton Power Eraser.

Here's what's changed in version 2.0.0.6 of Windows Repair Toolbox.

Added: immediate auto-deletion of canceled or interrupted downloads, in order to save space and to prevent errors.

Replaced: Junkware Removal Tool with Norton Power Eraser.

As we know JRT is going to be discontinued; and ADWCleaner, that is already present in Windows Repair Toolbox, already "incorporate all of JRT functionalities, with exception of minor temp file cleaning".

Thank you!
 

AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
197
Hello everyone, I've just released version 2.0.0.7 of WRT. Here's what changed:

- Fixed a bug in the portable version of WRT: if "Windows_Repair_Toolbox.zip" was extracted directly (right-click > "Extract Here") to the root of a drive, the programs would download but would not run. The error was: "The system cannot find the file specified".

- When the "Clear downloads" button, in the "Settings" tab, was clicked, it would always ask if the user wanted to delete any custom tools that might have been added or downloaded. This was annoying and the user could accidentally delete the programs that he manually had placed in the custom tools folder. Now it will only be given the option to delete the downloaded custom tools (and not the added) - what makes the most sense -, and the message box that gives that option will only show when those exist.

- Added an informative warning message when the "Norton Power Eraser" button is clicked.

- Changed the description under "How to use:" in the "Custom Tools" tab.

- Updated Notepad++ to the version 7.5.2.

- Some other internal and minor changes.

Thank you!
 

AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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Hi all, I've just updated WRT to version 2.0.0.8.

Here's what changed:

- Added a "Download All" button (in the "Settings" tab) that allows to download all the tools at once. The idea is to fully prepare WRT to be used in offline / slow connection computers, or simply to have all the tools already previously downloaded for faster use. The non-essential "Clear Checkboxes" and "Clear Notes" buttons have been removed to open space to this option.

There are a few shortcomings though:

1 - If the offline version of WRT is prepared in a 64-bit version of Windows, some of the tools will require a new download if WRT is later used on a 32-bit version of Windows, and vice-versa. This happens because some of the tools have separated download links for the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and, when it's time to download them, WRT will not download both, but will choose according to the version of the OS where it's being executed.

2 - The tools FRST and Zoek aren't downloaded. This is because, AFAIK, they are supposed to be saved to and executed from the Desktop.

3 - The "Run Unattended" process still requires internet connection.

- Fixed: the "Clear Downloads" button was very slow to to its job, particularly when there were many tools to delete. That as been fixed and now it's much faster.

- The "start_WRT_in_reduced_functionality_mode.bat" will now immediately launch WRT (without showing any previous text). This starts WRT much faster, with very little loading time, and its useful for when we only have in mind to quickly run some specific tool in the computer and don't want to wait for the real-time monitors to load.

- "ESETSirefefCleaner" (the "Serv. Repair" button in the "Repairs" section), the tool used to restore Windows Services to their default state, has been replaced with "Chrome Cleanup Tool".

I removed the tool because it hasn't been updated since December, 2015 and Windows 10 has received several upgrades since then. Besides, "Tweaking.com - Windows Repair" can do the same job and it's updated regularly.

- Fixed: "Vipre Rescue Scanner" and "MBAM" would not run in a different computer from where they were downloaded, if the letter assigned to to USB drive from were WRT is running was different.

- Fixed: in the "Final Tests" tab, "CrowdInspect" and "StressTest" would not mark their respective checkbox when executed offline.

- Updated Notepad++ and the temperature monitor.

As always, your feedback is welcome.

Thank you.
 
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AlexCa

From Windows Repair Toolbox
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Apr 30, 2016
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Lightning_Brian

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@BoraMurdar Thanks for spotting this nice nifty tool and posting it on MT! I'm going to add this to my portable applications too. I may add a section to my configuration to just talk about the portable applications I use...

Once again, hats off to you!

~Brian
 

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