Delete archive on extract

[ArmedMonkey]

This is a feature I found useful in WinRAR and some other archivers. I think it is pretty simple to implement.

I’d like a switch to prompt for deleting the archive(s) involved after an extract operation.

I find myself downloading packages that are compressed, extracting them, and then deleting the archives right after. It’s small and silly, but I found the feature immensely useful.

[moles42]

indeed that is a common practice of mine also…:)

[ArmedMonkey]

Yeah, but for some reason this simple and intensely useful feature is not very widespread amongst different apps :(

[wulffra]

Yes, I agree with this.

Yesterday I extracted some 40-50 .RAR-sets, using the RMB.
Extract to \subfolder.
After extraction I needed to manually delete all files.

PowerArchiver should have an option like:

Delete .RAR’s after successful extraction”

Hope there will be more support for this feature request…

thanks!

[ArmedMonkey]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who misses this. Hopefully the devs will take notice and implement it soon; I don’t think it should be very hard.

[spwolf]

issue here is that we cant implement it properly and make 100% sure that it is 100% failsafe. Only way i can see that happening is crc checking each file, which is not that simple and might be quite slow on some archive…

[ArmedMonkey]

Are you speaking in terms of making sure that everything is properly extracted without errors prior to deletion of the archives?

It could be an optional feature, the prompt, as well as the CRC checking.

[drteeth]

By ‘delete’ I hope and assume that one means ‘move to recycle bin’. If that is the case, I don’t see any problem in having this feature available.

DrT

[ArmedMonkey]

You could configure that perhaps.

[spwolf]

@ArmedMonkey:

You could configure that perhaps.

and suddenly it becomes much more complicated ;-)

[manuangi]

I vote for this feature too. It would be great to have such a context menu entry as “extract + delete archive”…then in the options choose whether to move to recycle bin or delete for good.

[ArmedMonkey]

@spwolf:

and suddenly it becomes much more complicated ;-)

Perhaps, but I don’t actually care about all the complicated stuff. AFAIK WinRAR, which I’ve used for years doesn’t do anything complicated. It just detects which archives were used, and deletes them. No CRC, No Recycle, etc.

I’ve never had a problem with it in all those years, and would be perfectly happy if it was implemented to the same minimal extent.

(I’ve never in all my years had a compression program extract something wrong. I’ve had corrupted FILES, but that causes an error on extraction due to the built-in CRC checks that I’m sure PA already performs. It performs those, right?)

[spwolf]

@ArmedMonkey:

Perhaps, but I don’t actually care about all the complicated stuff. AFAIK WinRAR, which I’ve used for years doesn’t do anything complicated. It just detects which archives were used, and deletes them. No CRC, No Recycle, etc.

I’ve never had a problem with it in all those years, and would be perfectly happy if it was implemented to the same minimal extent.

(I’ve never in all my years had a compression program extract something wrong. I’ve had corrupted FILES, but that causes an error on extraction due to the built-in CRC checks that I’m sure PA already performs. It performs those, right?)

well you might not have an issue in the next few years either, but without properly doing it, someone might have an issue with it and someone might lose their files with it… this is why in general, we dont like deleting files without user interaction… something can always go wrong there.

[ArmedMonkey]

I understand what you’re saying and I appreciate your responses, but I’d just like to clarify. I never suggested that there be no user interaction. I mean a prompt that says “Delete?” at the end of each operation.

I’m not an expert on compressions, but if my memory serves me correctly, most compression formats store the uncompressed CRC hash of each file, I have received errors in 7zip, Winzip, and Winrar when the CRCs didn’t match up upon extraction. I haven’t used PA enough to encounter this, but I am assuming it does the check. So unless miraculously you have a combination of events which leads to a file being corrupted in the CRC table of the archive AND being extracted with an error in precisely the way which will cause the CRC to match up with the corrupted one, PA should detect that the operation failed and notify the user. Am I wrong?

With this said, in the case that your operation reports a success, the resultant files should be provably accurately decompressed versions of the bytes making up the archive(s) from which they were created.

At this point, what I am suggesting is, an option that users can enable (default is off), to show them a prompt when an operation has completed successfully, that asks if they would like to delete the archive(s).

[Big_Boss]

Yes, this would be a useful feature! SUPPORT! :)

How it could work: an option in the configuration menu something like “Prompt for archive deletion after extracting archive”. The default would be no, so by default there would be no prompts to delete the archive after extraction and the archive would not be automatically deleted. If you changed that setting to yes, then every time you have extracted an archive PA would ask “Do you want to delete this archive?” or “these archives” if you extracted multiple archives or multi-part archive. If you say yes, the archive(s) is deleted into the Recycle Bin.

[spwolf]

@Big_Boss:

Yes, this would be a useful feature! SUPPORT! :)

How it could work: an option in the configuration menu something like “Prompt for archive deletion after extracting archive”. The default would be no, so by default there would be no prompts to delete the archive after extraction and the archive would not be automatically deleted. If you changed that setting to yes, then every time you have extracted an archive PA would ask “Do you want to delete this archive?” or “these archives” if you extracted multiple archives or multi-part archive. If you say yes, the archive(s) is deleted into the Recycle Bin.

sure, gang up on me!

[RJWaring]

@spwolf:

sure, gang up on me!

If its what the customers want Spwolf… :)

I have to admit it would be a useful feature for the future.

[ArmedMonkey]

Sorry spwolf. Being a dev myself I know how you feel :P. You guys probably have your hands full with bigger stuff. But look on the bright side, all we actually want is a very simple implementation of what you’re talking about. Like I said, I personally don’t even care if it goes to the Recycle Bin, which is just a smidge harder than outright deleting the file.

[spwolf]

@ArmedMonkey:

Sorry spwolf. Being a dev myself I know how you feel :P. You guys probably have your hands full with bigger stuff. But look on the bright side, all we actually want is a very simple implementation of what you’re talking about. Like I said, I personally don’t even care if it goes to the Recycle Bin, which is just a smidge harder than outright deleting the file.

it is same if we delete to recycle bin or not, but when it comes to how complicated it is in total, it is as complicated at any other new feature… but we will put it on our list, cant promise anything else… thank you.

[davidsplash]

this feature is dangerous. the most safest way is to do this manually.

[drteeth]

@davidpslash - So don’t use it!

Driving is dangerous. The most safest way is to walk everywhere.

DrT

[Serhiy]

I lost my brakes while driving today because of a damaged brake cylinder :eek:

[drteeth]

Told you walking is safer!

[TBGBe]

@drteeth:

Told you walking is safer!

Not if NTFS is driving :p

[spwolf]

@drteeth:

@davidpslash - So don’t use it!

Driving is dangerous. The most safest way is to walk everywhere.

DrT

so you walk around and Serhiy hits you with his car and no brakes ;-)

[drteeth]

This post is deleted!

[drteeth]

@spwolf:

so you walk around and Serhiy hits you with his car and no brakes ;-)

That’s called ‘fate’ :eek:.

DrT

[wulffra]

I am a simple ‘enduser’ without knowledge of .rars and .pars and the complexity behind it.

This being said,I think deleting archives is welcomed specifically when extracting rar-sets, with 10, 20 or more .rars.

In most cases they come with pars as well.

My experience with PA (I can’t judge other archive utilities) is that if something is ‘wrong’ with a .rar-file, like being incomplete, missing, PA warns about this and users can stop the processa and take actions to correct this.

But once PA runs through the entire set without warnings and everything is extracted, then I wonder what would be against deleting the .rars (and .pars)…

Or, in other words, what would be the use of keeping all the rars/pars ?

Last but not least, deleting that stuff still is an option not PA’s default behaviour. If, for whatever reasons, users wish to keep these files then they should tag this option.

[Micke]

@wulffra:

Last but not least, deleting that stuff still is an option not PA’s default behaviour. If, for whatever reasons, users wish to keep these files then they should tag this option.

Maybe I’m one of the few people in this thread that think this is a very bad idea to implement in PA. I see no reason at all to even have the option of deleting archives after successful extraction. It’s much safer and better if the user have to do this either manually after extraction or creating a script that can do this.

Personally I don’t even want the possibility of deleting a archive automatic after successful extraction from PA, because extracting data from a archive is a read operation of the archive and I then expect the source to be intact after extraction.

Even if this will be an option in PA that’s turned off by default, it will increase the risk of that the user might loose data either by mistake or if something goes wrong.

Kind Regards
Micke

[RJWaring]

Seems that the Needs of the Many out weigh the needs of the few…

If users are worried about this feature it will be defaulted to not delete on completion. PA Could even ask on extract “Do you wish to delete archive?” on each extract if needed.

There are many ways to make this safe and clear for users and if Admin dont want it they have the ability to Fix it so users cant change it within the registry.

[DKJones]

Perhaps I misunderstand Sir Richard’s post . . . but I agree with Micke.

I think the needs of the many are to not have this feature. Perhaps the needs of a few super users is to have this feature. However, I assume that is not your basic clientele.

More than once I have gone to one of the config screens and found a box checked that I did not remember checking. It was likely just sloppiness on my part, but if so, I suspect I am sloppy in just the way others are.

If I lost a valuable file because of this, I would not be happy.

Clearly some subset of people will want this. However, I cannot imagine that most ordinary users will.

In any event, here’s an idea.

Do NOT put this as an option; but explain to those who DO want this option how to edit the registry to have this option.

If someone then edits their registry to automatically delete a file, only to find they don’t want the file deleted . . . then they knew the risk when they delved into their registry.

Just a thought.

[TBGBe]

I also don’t have a use for automatic delete - but cannot really justify arguing against an option for it.

I keep thinking on all the “lost password” type requests/complaints with encrypted archives.

I wonder if a blatant warning such as
“Enable this option and there will be no help given to retrieve files that have been deleted - so don’t even ask!”.

May not be true but still …

[spwolf]

people should pass IQ test before encrypting archives ;-). We had some poor folks crying about losing their password on important stuff that should never have been encrypted in the first place.

;-).

Anyway, my point is that warning windows do not matter, people click on Yes before they even see it, heh…

[wulffra]

@DKJones:

If I lost a valuable file because of this, I would not be happy.

Likewise you may also feel unhappy when deleting a file manually, after extract.

But again, this all is an option

Users can tag to

Autodelete files after processing

Use Recycle Bin

If they want to delete the files manually, fine.

Then nothing to be tagged.

All upto the user… ;)

[simonarch]

Yeah this is the same process i follow… Good to read through all the user comments on potential issues.

[wulffra]

spwolf, ref your request to update the existing threads
see: http://www.powerarchiver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4419&page=2

i’d like to bring this up again - wondering whether this is being considered or whether there are too many ‘oponents’ so the idea likely will have no success…?

thanks

[drteeth]

@spwolf:

people should pass IQ test before encrypting archives ;-). We had some poor folks crying about losing their password on important stuff that should never have been encrypted in the first place.

;-).

Anyway, my point is that warning windows do not matter, people click on Yes before they even see it, heh…

www.darwinawards.com

DrT

[alextorex]

Hi,
I was looking for a 7zip front-end alternative.
I am quite dissapointed by PowerArchiver.
The name “PowerArchiver” implies that it’s powerful and useful for power users.
And indeed has plenty of features but…
some basic feature of deleting archives after extract which is implemented even in free software is unavailable.
Also 7zip functionality is crippled:

• can’t lower priority of archiving process (for 7zip)
• can’t choose number of threads
• cant specify spanning volume size in bytes
• LZMA2 unavailable
• 64bit not avaliable
  PeaZip has these features.

Only thing that attracts me to PowerArchiver is the queue.

[RJWaring]

@alextorex:

The name “PowerArchiver” implies that it’s powerful and useful for power users.

If you have followed PowerArchiver from the very start of its Development it has come from a small Free Zip program to what it is now. You will gain an understanding that it is now more than ever expanding its features for normal and “Power” users.

You can also read the meaning of “Power” as a Noun - capability of doing or accomplishing something. And that is does do! But no Person or Program can do Everything!

However, the development team read through Hundreds of emails and forum requests every day! And the Alpha Team test new deveopments and changes regulary to see if it works well and benifits the users on release.

So maybe in the near future PowerArchiver will have the capability of doing something you as a user will benifit from.

And the speed we make updates and release new versions of PA as a program is quite frankly Amazing! So I am sure these areas around 7zip will be in PowerArchiver before to long.

[alextorex]

Consider the following scenario:
I have limited space on HDD and I must archive lots of folders to make space.
I start archiving each folder using queue. The problem is that folders are not deleted and soon I ran out of hdd space.

So the queue functionality is rendered useless and I must archive each folder one by one and do manual delete for hundreds of folders.

[RJWaring]

General Question. What file type’s are in these folders? and are these folders created automatically by a software program?

I had a small scenario like this with An Access database that imported Large csv formats from a SAP extract but once access had them imported these files were technically Redundant, I used PowerArchiver to Compress a backup of these for about 1 month but the primary files in this folder were now rubbish.

So what did I do? I simply downloaded a free program called CCleaner and setup that Folder to be cleared at a specific time or at shutdown.

That way PowerArchiver kept a small Archive of those sap extracts and I had use of that Primary folder all day untill shut down or at a specific time of day.

Maybe in the future Powerarchiver will incorporate the ability to clean or erase folders it Compressed properly but until this time I just used a free cleaner to help me.

The advantage of using CCleaner was that I could select other folders and files that were not backed up by PA. So really it was better to use this method than to rely on Powerarchiver to do everything outside the Archive process.

[Luxor]

+1 from me for CCleaner solution. Very handy for getting rid of the junk files lying around your HD.

[TBGBe]

@alextorex:

Consider the following scenario:
I have limited space on HDD and I must archive lots of folders to make space.
I start archiving each folder using queue. The problem is that folders are not deleted and soon I ran out of hdd space.

Why not use “move” to archive instead of “add” - that is what it is for :)

[spwolf]

@TBGBe:

Why not use “move” to archive instead of “add” - that is what it is for :)

he is using 7zip, and 7zip’s engine does not have move option.

additionally, you can lower the process priority for all formats in PA by minimizing progress bar to tray.

[TBGBe]

@spwolf:

he is using 7zip, and 7zip’s engine does not have move option.

oops - then I misunderstood when he said he was looking for an alternative to 7Zip :o

[RJWaring]

@TBGBe:

oops - then I misunderstood when he said he was looking for an alternative to 7Zip :o

:rolleyes: Tut! Just can’t get the staff these days! :D

[alextorex]

Hi I need this feature quite badly.
For example, I need to delete archives immediately after a archive is extracted so I can free up space for extracting another archive.
Also in case of creating archives I need to delete automatically files archived.
I don’t see how some other tool/script can do this since it does not know when Power Archiver finished an archive job in queue.

Please check “Extract Now” free software which supports this feature very well.

As a suggestion you could consider adding ability to run scripts triggered by events (archive job finished) and pass parameters to script with name of archive extracted (in case of extraction) or name of folder archived (in case of archiving).
I can understand that this feature can be quite problematic to implement but would give me some solution to write my own script.

[drteeth]

Just rearrange all your files in folders. Cpmress a folder then delete a folder. And resolve not to get your hard disk so clagged up again ;-).

DrT

[RJWaring]

Well All I can Say is that we have suggested Multiple ways to continue Compressing these folders then to clear them up at a specific time using another free application.

Obviosly, this is an additional feature that might be considererd. However, I wouldnt expect it to be on a high priority just yet due to the work currently being carried out for the next major release.

If I were you I would consider implementing what has been suggested for the time being.

But if this is being a constant pain in your backside because of disk space then it might be worth considering purchasing a bigger hard drive to handle this constant flux. In the UK you can get a 2 Terebyte hard disk for less than £100.

[alextorex]

Ok thanks.
Just bought a hdd.

[scorpy]

@alextorex:

Hi I need this feature quite badly.
For example, I need to delete archives immediately after a archive is extracted so I can free up space for extracting another archive.
Also in case of creating archives I need to delete automatically files archived.
I don’t see how some other tool/script can do this since it does not know when Power Archiver finished an archive job in queue.

Please check “Extract Now” free software which supports this feature very well.

As a suggestion you could consider adding ability to run scripts triggered by events (archive job finished) and pass parameters to script with name of archive extracted (in case of extraction) or name of folder archived (in case of archiving).
I can understand that this feature can be quite problematic to implement but would give me some solution to write my own script.

Extract Now is truly the solution that I’ve been looking for… thank you so much for this recommendation!

Power Archive was such a good software to use for most things and for many years have been following its progress, but given that the most important thing we dont have these days is time, the feature that Extract Now gives for free is actually one of the top feature that I would have easily be willing to pay for… I’m so compelled to post this message because I feel strongly that this feature is a huge time saver and should be integrated into PA asap… the feature to ‘move’ original archive files ‘after’ its been extracted so that its not instantly deleted would have solved a lot of the concern people have of loosing something they’re not aware, it gives them the ability to double check that the extraction was successfull then they can just simply delete the ‘extracted archives’.

If most of the feature from Extract now could be build into PA, Power Archiver will be indeed the archiving software that is truly powerful. Right now I can breath easier knowing that things are going to be better for me after I found Extract Now… a software I would have been willing to pay good money for, even if its free its worth supporting. Currently letting it go thru the whole folders of archives and doing stuff that I would have normally had to do manually that is, unzip and delete over and over again. (could have written a batch file in dos probably to take care of it, but couldnt be bothered)