Solved

2 Questions for Newbie

  • 9 December 2013
  • 28 replies
  • 172 views

Userlevel 2
1.  I've had WSA IS installed for about a month or so.  I'm just learning about using it.  However, I couldn't pass up the NewEgg deal of 5-user WSA Complete.  Can I add on this new license to my current license even though they are different versions?  If not, should I update with the new license key or just hold off until my current license expires?
 
2.  I purchased the 5 -user license for my family members.  I talked my son into reluctantly installing WSA.  But, it apparently caused a problem for him and now he's mad at me.  The problem it apparently caused is related to WinAmp.  A quote from his was "I'm not impressed with it deleting all my playlists and preferences in Winamp."  Does anyone have any experience with this and/or why it happened or what to do about it?
icon

Best answer by Baldrick 20 December 2013, 10:32

View original

28 replies

Userlevel 7
Hi Alexhousek
 
In terms of the license; as they are for two different versions of WSA you cannot add the new to the existing one...your IS license runs separately to your Complete license. :(  Given that if you can do without the additional features of Complete then I would hold off until current license expires.
 
Do be careful though when you do change licenses as the Password Management feature is keyed to licence code and so by changing code you will lose access to the passwords recorded under IS...not sure if you can export them and then reimport them once under Complete (might have to investigate that when I have time...unless one of the gurus can chime in on the subject, ;)) but if not then you will need to contact Support and get them to move them between licenses...something I believe that they can do.
 
Cannot comment on the WInAmp issue as I do not use the app.  HOwever, if no one is forthcoming in terms of experiences in relation to its interaction with WSA I would Open a Support Ticket so that Support can get a look at what has transpired. Including a saved Threat Log (under Utilities in main GUI, click on Reports button, and from the new panel click on Save Threat Log, which should produce a log of all threats removed, would be useful, as would a Scan Log (submitted from the same location).
 
Post back and let us know what they find/come back with.
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
Userlevel 4
Badge +16
For the question on Winamp; did he run the System Optimizer function in WSA-Complete?  I have noticed some changes to the system settings after running this function myself.
Userlevel 2
Thank you both for your responses so far.
 
In answer to your last question, yes it was system optimization.  And, apparently the log for system optimization does not tell you what it does or what it deleted.  (To which my son said "it ticks me off greatly that it doesn't tell you what it's doing".)
 Since, I don't have Complete, I've never used that tool. Any more thoughts on how to correct or fix this?
I'm the aforementioned son.
 
Yes, it happened after using system optimization.
 
The log for this is:
 
Mon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Beginning cleanupMon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Cleanup finished 
I findi t entirely unacceptable that a process that deletes files from your computer would neither ask for confirmation before doing so nor list what, exactly, it has deleted. I have no idea what else it has removed.
 
The only way I know it actually deleted files at all is this problem, as well as it telling me "404MB of files removed."
 
Well, nice. But I have no idea whether those were files I needed or not.
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
I'm the aforementioned son.
 
Yes, it happened after using system optimization.
 
The log for this is:
 
Mon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Beginning cleanupMon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Cleanup finished 
I findi t entirely unacceptable that a process that deletes files from your computer would neither ask for confirmation before doing so nor list what, exactly, it has deleted. I have no idea what else it has removed.
 
The only way I know it actually deleted files at all is this problem, as well as it telling me "404MB of files removed."
 
Well, nice. But I have no idea whether those were files I needed or not.
I would urge you to try again, but go into the advanced options of System Optimization next time.  I do not have that program installed, but I have several that keep data sets.  Many of them you can 'opt out' of System Optimization before running, and I would suspect that WinAmp might be able to be exempt from having its files disturbed as well.
 
Try this: open the WSA user interface.  Click Advanced Settings at the upper right corner.  Then click System Optimizer on the left side, and then scroll down through the list of items listed.  If you see WinAmp listed, remove the check mark next to it and save the settings.  
 
Going over the list will also tell you what files, or at least file types, are set for removal.
WinAmp is listed only for its "Recently Used File List". So something seems to be off here.
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
I'm the aforementioned son.
 
Yes, it happened after using system optimization.
 
The log for this is:
 
Mon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Beginning cleanupMon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Cleanup finished 
I findi t entirely unacceptable that a process that deletes files from your computer would neither ask for confirmation before doing so nor list what, exactly, it has deleted. I have no idea what else it has removed.
 
The only way I know it actually deleted files at all is this problem, as well as it telling me "404MB of files removed."
 
Well, nice. But I have no idea whether those were files I needed or not.
Also, you can see the log of what was removed.
 
Open the WSA User Interface.  Click the gear tool next to Utilities.  Click the System Optimizer tab.  At the lower right corner, click View Log.  That will show you all the files removed.  
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
WinAmp is listed only for its "Recently Used File List". So something seems to be off here.
I am not sure on that one, again, I don't use WinAmp.  I do not know if it will remove the play lists, or only the recently played history.
@DavidP1970 wrote:
@ wrote:
I'm the aforementioned son.
 
Yes, it happened after using system optimization.
 
The log for this is:
 
Mon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Beginning cleanupMon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Cleanup finished 
I findi t entirely unacceptable that a process that deletes files from your computer would neither ask for confirmation before doing so nor list what, exactly, it has deleted. I have no idea what else it has removed.
 
The only way I know it actually deleted files at all is this problem, as well as it telling me "404MB of files removed."
 
Well, nice. But I have no idea whether those were files I needed or not.
Also, you can see the log of what was removed.
 
Open the WSA User Interface.  Click the gear tool next to Utilities.  Click the System Optimizer tab.  At the lower right corner, click View Log.  That will show you all the files removed.  


 
The log you just mentioned is the log I posted in my first post. I followed those precise steps.
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
@DavidP1970 wrote:
@ wrote:
I'm the aforementioned son.
 
Yes, it happened after using system optimization.
 
The log for this is:
 
Mon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Beginning cleanupMon 2013-12-09 03:08:50 - Cleanup finished 
I findi t entirely unacceptable that a process that deletes files from your computer would neither ask for confirmation before doing so nor list what, exactly, it has deleted. I have no idea what else it has removed.
 
The only way I know it actually deleted files at all is this problem, as well as it telling me "404MB of files removed."
 
Well, nice. But I have no idea whether those were files I needed or not.
Also, you can see the log of what was removed.
 
Open the WSA User Interface.  Click the gear tool next to Utilities.  Click the System Optimizer tab.  At the lower right corner, click View Log.  That will show you all the files removed.  


 
The log you just mentioned is the log I posted in my first post. I followed those precise steps.
I see... There may be a bug there.  I also had that, and then I ran Optimizer, and now I have a nice proper list.  I wonder if for some reason on the first running it fails to log.. but will log after that?  (I have only it two times now since I last installed WSA).

That might be something that would be of interest to Support, as well as taking a closer look at the WinAmp playlists to keep those files from being removed.  It might be worth the time to submit a Trouble Ticket to have them look into it.
I've submitted a ticket. I'll post an update once I get a response and figure out if these are bugs or working as intended.
Userlevel 7
Hi David
 
Can confirm that one should get a detailed log every time one runs the optimizer...have never seen a 1st run not record a log.  But it is worth noting that it resets itself at the start of the run so unless you save the log BEFORE you run it a 2nd, 3rd, etc. time you lose the details of the previous run.  I ran it several times in quick succession but could never manage to get just a 'Start' and a 'Complete' message alone.
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
 
 
Userlevel 4
Badge +16
Just a FYI, I can confirm what the OP's son saw: the very first run of the Optimize (after a fresh install) produces a log with only the start and end times - no details of what files or registry keys removed at all.  Every other run does produce the proper log(s) however; I have not tested this after a reboot however (that would be, run the Optimizer, reboot the system and then look at the log to see if it is correct).
Userlevel 7
Hi debrisendine
 
Strange...as I have just tried it and cannot reproduce this even after a fresh install.  I will try it again...but having said that I am running 4.42.  Is that the same as you?
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
I have seen it on a clean install it does not really run it is 1 second scan log and it's not active by default you would have to go to setting to setup auto Optimize and check the things you want it to clean and then leave as is or Manuel Optimize.
 
Daniel
 


 


 
http://www.anony.ws/i/2013/12/10/iOfWp.png
It did run, as per the 404MB removed I mentioned earlier. As to version, I did a clean install and let it update itself. I can't find a version number to confirm the version otherwise.
Userlevel 4
Badge +16
On the main GUI, click My Account and it will show the version number there along with type of product and key code.
8.0.4.42 is my version. So same as the other guy, it seems.
Userlevel 7
You are quite correct...same as me...the other guy...;)
Userlevel 2
Ok....I'm probably not going to make a lot of friends with my comments/post, and I normally wouldn't do this (post responses from WSA Support), but I have to agree with my son here (of course I will, right?!).
 
So, a brand new WSA Complete user decides to use the product for the first time and decides to check out the System Optimization tool.  In the process, he recieves no confirmation of what files are going to be deleted and cannot pre-select them before they are deleted.  (One could argue that he should have checked preferences first, but my understanding is that there are no clear instructions for doing so.)
 
So, based upon recommendations from folks here, he contacts support and gets the following message:
 
Hello, 

It will not delete actual files on your computer, it actually only removes temporary files from the computer like order history, search history and Windows temp files. The preferences within programs are just temp files, they are not actual files like pictures, music or movies they are just links to where the files are actually located. If you would like to change the settings on what our software cleans when it comes to temporary files. 

1. Open Webroot SecureAnywhere 
2. Go to Advanced Settings 
3. Click the System Optimizer tab 
4. Check/Uncheck items as you would like it and then press "Save" 

You should still be able to get to all your media files normally, you just have to go to where the file is located on your computer. 

Thanks, 
Webroot Support Team

So, his response back to support is the following:

I have nearly 500 songs in my music library. Organizing them into playlists was hours upon hours of work. WinAmp's playlists and preferences should not be grouped under "WinAmp recently used files list," which was the only option in the aforementioned configuration list. 

Never mind that there is no indication or confirmation that System Optimization deletes files at all, so people running it for the first time (like I did) don't know that you need to configure it that way. Temp files are still files. 

Yes, I can get to my media files normally, but the hours I put into organizing them is all gone with no way to recover it and no confirmation before they were deleted. Do you see where the problem is?

I have to agree with my son here.  I think this is an issue that WSA needs to address some how; at least prevent it from happening in the future, since nothing can be done in my son's case.  It's apparent to me anyhow that more guidance needs to be provided for the System Optimization product/process.

I still believe in this software and this company.  I still believe it's an excellent product.  And, I believe that support is probably much more responsive than other similar companies.  But, I have to say that I believe their response was pretty lame.
 
Just my 2 cents....
 
Userlevel 7
Hi Alex
 
I do understand and have sympathy with the views expressed (and I hope that your son had a recent image from which he would be able to recover the 'missing' items?). :(
 
IMHO the System Optimizer is somewhat basic when compared to other, dedicated optimizers whether paid for or indeed free.
 
I think that you have a point and that this would be a good subject for a comprehensive feature request (via the Ideas Exchange) which could be reviewed by the Community, suggestions for additions, etc. made and, more importantly, the request could be voted upon and if sufficient votes are garnered then it will most definitively come to the attention of the developers. :D
 
I have some ideas of my own that I would happuly chime in with (if not already suggested) so either you or I can start the ball rolling and hopefully, and in a constructive manner, get things changed.  What do you say?
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
Userlevel 2
@ wrote:
 
I think that you have a point and that this would be a good subject for a comprehensive feature request (via the Ideas Exchange) which could be reviewed by the Community, suggestions for additions, etc. made and, more importantly, the request could be voted upon and if sufficient votes are garnered then it will most definitively come to the attention of the developers. :D
 
I have some ideas of my own that I would happuly chime in with (if not already suggested) so either you or I can start the ball rolling and hopefully, and in a constructive manner, get things changed.  What do you say?
 
Baldrick
I was unaware of a "feature request" or the "Ideas Exchange".  I like it.  I will gladly start the ball rolling on this.  Great suggestion.  Unfortunately, I leave to go out of town shortly and will be without much internet access until Monday of next week.  I would be glad to make the suggestion(s) then, or will gladly follow your lead.
 
Thanks Baldrick!
Userlevel 7
Hi Alex
 
Excellent...given you have a fertile ground for ideas (I suspect that you & your son have far more than me) why don't you start the ball rolling once back with Internet access. ;)
 
If you PM me to advise that you have started the feature request I will get into the Ideas Exchange, review and add any features/suggestions that you guys have not covered off.  How does that sound...like a plan? :D
 
Hope that you trip is successful.  Look forward to eachanging ideas next week.
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
Userlevel 7
Hi Alex
 
Hope that you are back in town (this close to Christmas)?  Just wondering whether you will have time to start the Feature request in the Ideas Exchange, that we were discussing last week?
 
Anyways...hope that the trip was successful.
 
Regards
 
 
Baldrick
Userlevel 2
I am back in town, but life is keeping me quite crazy.  With the holidays coming up and me no where near done with shopping, I'm pretty much not at my computer.  I work all day and then spend the evening helping my wife hand-make Christmas cards and.gifts (craft) for family and figuring out what to buy our kids.
 
It's still on my "to-do" list and I hope to get to it this weekend....
 
Thanks for the reminder.

Reply