Administrators Nasty File Search v2.0 (Released)

[ICTNUT]

Version 2.0
Last edited: 18/08/2007

History:
1.1 – First release
1.2 – Updated file extension engine
1.3 – Updated log file formating
1.4 – Updated email functions to allow alternative mailing methods
1.5 – Updated scanning engine to allow infinite level deep scanning
1.6 – Corrected some typos and interface layout issues
1.7 - Fixed the Error Code 53 problem and steamlined some processes.
2.0 - New user interface, ability to backup file prior to deletion, faster scanning process.

UPDATE:
--> New download site is here <--
UPDATE:

1. What is ANFS?
ANFS is an intelligent search and destroy tool with an easy-to-use interface. It has many powerful features to help you find and remove files based on criteria you supply.

2. Prerequisites
You will need Internet Explorer 5 or later installed as some of the components used are shipped as standard with this..

3. Remove ANFS Installation
Before installing the latest version of ANFS please ensure you fully remove the previous version using Add/Remove programs.

One day I might get around to doing this bit automatically.

4. Installation
Simply download the ANFS.exe file from the website and install. You can find it --> HERE <--

5. Configuration
Once installed goto Start -> Programs -> Admins Nasty File Search -> Admins Nasty File Search, this will launch the app.

The first time you run it most of the options WILL BE unavailable, this has been done to enusre you setup the app correctly first, the only option that will be available to you is "Applications Settings" click on this.

You will need to update your search folder (Where you want to search for those nasty files, please note you can not search network shares (this is smoething I am working on) however to get around this you can map a share a a local drive and it works fine)

You can, if you wish cahnge the directory that the logfiles reside in but it is recommended that you leave this as is. On average the logfile is not bigger than 400k and this was a result set of over 500,000 files found so over 7 days you would be looking at around 2Mb, not much really.

You can specify if any files found are deleted or not by ticking the Delete Files checkbox. It is recommended that you DO NOT tick this box, I would advise that you run a search first and then view the log, once you are happy that what has been found WILL NOT impact on the system i.e sytem files have been found, the go back set the Delete Files option and re-run the search this will then delete all files found.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a serious option to set as IT WILL DELETE ALL FILES FOUND, make sure you know what you are doing and you have taken all precautions. Don't come crying to me if you set the Search path to c:\ and youthen set Delete Files to yes, I think you can guess what happens next......

Last but not least the option to email logs to an administrator, sel explanitory really.

Once you have made the changes you need click on the save setting button, you will now be prompted that ANFS needs to restart, this is only required once, simply click ok and then restart the application at which point all the other options are now available

Now if you set the email log to administrator to yes inthe steps above you will need to now click on the Email Settings button, the window explains itself and should be straight forward as is the File Extensions option.

The other two options are view log files and About ANFS.

View Log Files will display all log files found is the folder specified in Application Settings. To view a log file simply double click on it in the list, if you want to delete a single log file place a tick in the box next to it and click on Purge Log Files, if you want to delete them all click select all and then purge log files.

About ANFS is merely the freeware licence and a link back to the website to check for updates.

Well I hope you all enjoy it and find some use out of it I know I have, if you have any comments please post them here good or bad feedback is always welcomed.

6. Known Issues / Problems
There are no known issues / problems

7. Thanks
To the edugeek crew for providing a superb resource.
To all those who have downloaded and used ANFS (1000 downloads and counting ;-))

[mark]

Amazing stuff! Thanks so much ICTNUT - really appreciate the effort you've put into this.

[ICTNUT]

@ Mark: Thanks for that.

I did forget to say before, you can run the application silent too.

Schedule the app to run at whatever time you want using the Windows Task Schedule tool and when you have selected the app simply add /S after the exe for example the application path would read:

C:\Program Files\Nasty File Search (NFS 2005)\FS2005.EXE /S

Also this app has been tested fully on the Following:

Windows XP SP1 & SP2 (With User who has Admin Rights)
Windows 2000 Server SP4 (Standard, Advanced & Datacenter)
Windows 2003 Server with and without SP1

[ICTNUT]

Post removed by ICTNUT due to change of direction ;-)

[iking]

NFS Looks great - sadly we are still using RM connect servers - has anyone tried it on NT4? Any problems?

[Ric_]

NFS Looks great - sadly we are still using RM connect servers - has anyone tried it on NT4? Any problems?

And I thought I was the last person to migrate away from the povvish clutches of RM! Sorry to hear about your situation iking

[ICTNUT]

It has not yet been tested on NT4 as overall support for it is no longer, but if anyone would like to give it ago... At your own risk of course ;-)

A PM from GrumblDook

Nice app ... many thanks for taking the time and coming up with another cracking tool.

A noted bug was that if I tried to search and automatically delete .DLLs it would crash with Error 53 when run through DFS or a box with DFS root on it.

Other than that it is brilliant.

A possible feature would be not just to have the text log report, but have it in the GUI so we have the option of choosing what we want to delete.

Also could there be and "archive" option where the requested files don't get deleted, but moved to another location. We generally deleted wma and mp3 files, but some of them are actually created and used legitamtely by students doing music or media.

GrumbleDook,

I'll look into the DFS issue today and post an update shortly.

Version 2 of NFS will contain a GUI report where certain files will be able to be viewed directly i.e. images and other media MP3's etc...

I agree an archive option would be great and will be included in version 2, version 1.x missed out on a lot of features as I wanted to concentrate on speed but that is not really an issue anymore given the flexability that people want.

[mac_shinobi]

Just out of curiousty what are you using to program NFS ? Visual Basic 6 , maybe 2005 ?

I have not tried the app out yet but I will in the next few days

[ICTNUT]

@Gecko: Sorry for the late reply mate but been busy with the start of term ;-)

The original NFS was knocked together using VB6 however the new version that I will be releasing the second week of Sept 05 will be in .Net (VB.Net)

[mac_shinobi]

no worries @ late reply there ict nut. Just that I really enjoy programming, not sure if you got my pm a week or so ago regarding the help in the programming area.

I have vb 2005 beta 1 and had a little go with that, I really liked the syntax of it and the way things are done in that.

I take it vb 2005 beta 1 is too unstable or something wrong with that then or you just prefer vb.net ?

Also is this going to be open source so to speak with regards to being able to see the code ?

[ICTNUT]

Gecko,

NFS is my little baby which will not be open source however will remain freeware for the forseeable future.

The group project that has been talked about on this forum is for an open source application that will be a colaboration of users on this forum with a view to providing an application that will be of benefit to all.

The uptake has been slow but we will press on nevertheless.

Depending on how things go I am may allow intergration of NFS into the application but who knows.

[mac_shinobi]

This is probably an obvious error but when I go into set file extensions and just click on save settings it comes up with runtime error 5 and just bombs out

<< thinks you should have a default one selected or default selection which can be changed that way the files that admins think or can agree on that should be deleted can be selected by default by the application hence no runtime error 5 or even if you do a check on what is selected so if nothing is selected that it just pops up with an error message saying you need to make a selection before you can continue

[Dos_Box]

Depending on how things go I am may allow intergration of NFS into the application but who knows.

But the script you based your app on was freely made available by Ric.

[ICTNUT]

@Dos_box: No it does not it is based on the original concept of the script that Ric did but none of the code has been used at all.

[SpuffMonkey]

Cool app - can't wait to try it. I've also found SequoiaView hany - as it shows the files in a graphical way - colour coding the music and other stuff really makes it easy to see who's being naughty.

Cheers