What's the best way to remove orphan files?

[DeadRadis]

I understand it could lead to some problems to remove orphan files. What needs to be considered? What app should I use to clean up some unecessary files? Thanks !

Rick

[MikeLang]

If you never monitored your palm with something like Uninstall Hack or Uninstall Manager, I don't think there is any easy way to identify orphan files. Apps tend to intentionally obscure the creater ID (so it bears no resemblance to anything that we can identify to store either its unlock code or preferences).

[hherbzilla]

There are a couple of apps (such as LeftOvers (http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=67537820030111180050&prodID=45238) and Cleanup (http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=67537820030111180050&prodID=46687) that supposedly identify orphans that you can delete. However, you need to be VERY careful, because many times the files that get identified as orphans are still required by installed applications.

Personally, I use InWatch (http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=67537820030111180050&prodID=39732) to monitor my installations. It takes a bit more work, because you have to run a "compare" after installing a new program to keep track of the newly installed files. However, I then feel very comfortable using the uninstall option if I later decide to remove an app (especially nice for all the stuff I'm constantly evaluating).

Uninstall Hack (http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=67537820030111180050&prodID=45866) is also popular, but I don't have much experience with that app.

If you decide to use one of these programs, a nice step to take -- though it is time consuming -- is to reset your Clie and start from scratch. Install InWatch or Uninstall Hack, for example, and then start installing all of your apps. That way you can be fairly confident that you'll have a clean system down the road. As MikeLang says above: if you've already installed and uninstalled many apps, it's probably too late and you'll most likely miss files in any attempts to clean up your system.

Good luck!

[kidfixer]

Then there's also LeftOvers at http://www.drawit.co.nz/
A word of caution: you might end up deleting the WRONG files if you're not careful.

[DanT]

Unless you are really really sure that they are orphans, you can use several apps (FileZ, Cleanup, SystemAnalyzer DA, LeftOvers, SysTool, etc.) to delete the orphan files.

Cleanup (an app included in Uninstall Hack zip file) can do a search on a particular orphan file for how many times its creator ID has been found in applications available in your RAM and MS. If none is found, it is a good probability that it is really an orphan file and you can delete it. If you are not certain that it is an orphan file, leave it alone since it is generally small.

You might try LeftOvers and SysTool to identify those orphan files first. I thought I had about 50 orphan files when I first use System Analyzer DA and FileZ to identify the "unknown " Saved Preferences until I use LeftOvers and SysTool to narrow down to 13. Apparently SystemAnalyzer DA and FileZ do not recognize those Saved Preference files for the apps that reside in MS and LeftOvers and SysTool do. From the 13 remainder, Cleanup identified another 5 that actually not orphans, so then I was down to 7. I posted them here and some helpful members identify them as geuine orphans because I have deleted the apps (MSdw for MSMount, DTGB for SheetsToGo, DTGP for DocToGo). I deleted them w/o any problem. Now I'm down to:
LckP, SSTG, Sysb, TVDA, Psys that yet to be identified, but still reside in the RAM.

[wellsjs]

Now I'm down to: LckP, SSTG, Sysb, TVDA, Psys that yet to be identified, but still reside in the RAM.You could move them to an MS folder and run all your apps to see if you get any fatal alerts or abnormalities. If you do not, I'd still leave them there for a while just to make sure. ;)

[Unregistered]

Hmm... :?

Orphaned files = files left behind by application when the application is deleted.

Looking at the thread, the remedies proposed seemed to be jumping between orphaned preferences and orphaned files. :?

[n2ifp]

Originally posted by DeadRadis
I understand it could lead to some problems to remove orphan files. What needs to be considered? What app should I use to clean up some unecessary files? Thanks !

Rick

Always use delete from the OEM/Clie Launcher menu. I always move an app on my MS to RAM first then delete it. Very seldom will you have any orphans left over. Do a soft reset anytime you add or delete apps. You'll have less fatal errors, less orphans, and erratic operations to contend with.

[sebring]

Originally posted by wellsjs
You could move them to an MS folder and run all your apps to see if you get any fatal alerts or abnormalities. If you do not, I'd still leave them there for a while just to make sure. ;)

You can't actually do that with these. They aren't separate files, but just entries in the Saved Preference database. For actual files, however, your strategy would be a relatively safe approach.

[DanT]

Cleanup found 3 of the 5 "unknown" saved preference files, that I posted earlier, being used by several apps. SSTG and LckP are the two left that have no user/owner. Does anyone know where those two belong to?

[Unregistered]

The only one I know by heart is: 'Psys' = PowerRUN trial prefs.

[DanT]

Thanks. I used to have PowerRUN, so that makes sense. Psys is gone. Well, if something bad happens afterward, I still have it in the backup files in MS just in case I want to restore it.

[birick]

SSTG is from Slide Show To Go.

[DanT]

Thanks. SSTG is gone. Now I'm down to one orphan. :D

[birick]

LckP is a password file from one of the security programs. Don't remember which one though.

[DanT]

Thanks birick. Hmm, I tried EasyLock, GridLock, and TealLock. Any of those ring a bell? Well, LckP is gone and everything is still fine. No more orphan files.

[birick]

Well, when I first saw it I thought Teal Lock, so maybe that was it. Glad to hear that you are now orphan free!