Lots of duplicate volumes?

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Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

I still have this old issue (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6966) / viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8404): I have 64 volumes shown in the NTFS-Tab in "Options" although I only have about 20, 30 (fixed) drives. I assume, one of the disadvantages of that is that Everything needs some time (more) to load all of the (double) volumes not needed and that it uses (much) more RAM to keep them loaded (often about 1 GB RAM and more) and of course wrong search results.

In the new version 1.5 is there a way to get rid of all these double volumes not needed automatically? With one or two clicks / in an easy way? And / or to avoid that? Or will it (both of that) not be possible and I would have to do it manually, so I should / could try to remove these not needed volumes already now manually anyway? Will the names of the voulumes be available of the Offline Disks (so one could distingish between the ones needed and the others?
void
Developer
Posts: 16751
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by void »

Is enabling "automatically remove offline volumes" from Tools -> Options -> NTFS an option?
Or, would you like to keep certain offline drives in your index?


-If you double click these offline drives under Tools -> Options -> NTFS, does Everything show a unique GUID for each one?
If so, we should address the issue of the GUID changing.


In the new version 1.5 is there a way to get rid of all these double volumes not needed automatically?
I am most likely missing something here.
Would a "Remove All Offline" button help?
Is there some offline volumes you would like to keep?

If you want to keep some offline volumes and not others, it will be very difficult for Everything to make the correct decision for which volumes to remove.

What about an option that removes offline volumes that have a path that is currently online?
For example, if you have the following volumes and "remove all offline":
E: (online)
E: (offline)
E: (offline)
F: (offline)
Only the two offline E: drives would be removed because there is an online E: drive.
The offline F: drive would not be removed.


Will the names of the voulumes be available of the Offline Disks (so one could distingish between the ones needed and the others?
Yes, Everything 1.5 will keep the known volume label for offline volumes.
Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

Is enabling "automatically remove offline volumes" from Tools -> Options -> NTFS an option?
Or, would you like to keep certain offline drives in your index?
Yes, always keeping all ofthe offline drives.
-If you double click these offline drives under Tools -> Options -> NTFS, does Everything show a unique GUID for each one?
No, nothing happens when double clicking here:
Image
In the new version 1.5 is there a way to get rid of all these double volumes not needed automatically?

I am most likely missing something here.
Would a "Remove All Offline" button help?
If that button would remove all of the duplicate volumes of the same drives (what it doesn't sound like), yes, it would. If it would remove all of the offline volumes (not being duplicates) it would not.
Is there some offline volumes you would like to keep?
Yes, I always want to keep all of the offline volumes besides of the duplicates.

Suppose I have 30 drives, then there should be 30 volumes, I guess. One volume for each drive I have. If two drives are running ALWAYS there ALWAYS should be 28 offline volumes, I guess. But there are 64 volumes altogether. 34 ones too much. These ones must be duplicate volumes of different volumes of the 30 volumes (I want to always keep).
If you want to keep some offline volumes and not others, it will be very difficult for Everything to make the correct decision for which volumes to remove.
I want to keep ALL (without a single exception) of the offline volumes which are not a duplicate and which have the correct drive letter (so if the drive letter of a drive is R: I want to keep its offline volume having the drive letter R: and not the offline volumes duplicates with the drive letter D: or other or the even the same drive letter). So I want to keep one (not more) offline volume of each (of the 28 offline) drives. And the two volumes of the drives always running anyway. So there should be 30 volumes in total.
What about an option that removes offline volumes that have a path that is currently online?
I assume, that should work to remove some of the duplicate offline volumes (if their paths really is the same).
I have these drives / SSD / partitions running ALWAYS:
Image

So I suppose each offline volume with the same drive letter of one of these drives running always must be a duplicate volume (as I should have used the same drive letter only once). So this option should remove one offline C: volume (a duplicate of the online C: volume that always runs):
Image

And an offline I: volume:
Image

So this option would remove two of the duplicate volumes of 64 volumes, I assume.

Everything shows 20 offline D: volumes. But there is only one D: drive, a DVD player. So I do not have a hard drive with the drive letter D: (because it is always used by the DVD player).
Image

I assume, respectively if I remember it correctly, after a reinstall of Win or for other reasons Win automatically assigns the drive letter D: (if not already in use) or E: to the first external drive plugged in (even if it was drive G: before or any other) and so on with the next drive letter for the next drive plugged in (while the first one is still running) without storing the assignments, so the next time another drive (than the one before) might get D: and so on. That assignments information is not available anymore for Win after a reinstall of Win, I assume, and not stored in the external hard drives or not usable or whatever for Win (although the names I gave them are unique).

And I just see (may be there is a connection to this issue) the offline volume of the N: drive is gone again (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11502). It seems sometimes it is kept for some time and sometime removed. I had removed the two N: offline volumes (one of the a duplicate). Then Everything added it again (like it should be) but obviously always or sometimes removed it after plugging off N: each time.
Yes, Everything 1.5 will keep the known volume label for offline volumes.
So one can see the name ("I 10 TB Hauptdaten WD Elements") of the drive then and distinguish by that the offline volumes from the duplicate offline volumes? So it would be quite easy and fast to remove the duplicate offline volumes?
Image

It appears one can remove only one volume at a time. So if I want to remove all of the offline D: volumes I had to do it one by one? And not in a single step (by marking / selecting all of then and remove them altogether)?
Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

Although there are many duplicate volumes (in any case volumes with the same drive letter) in the NTFS list in "Options" there are shown only a few of them in the result list:
Image

I have removed all of the D: volumes. And an offline C: volume from the options.

There are some E: offline volumes in the NTFS list in "Options" but there is only shown one in the result list:
Image

Is it like it should be?
void
Developer
Posts: 16751
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by void »

Thank you for your reply Biff,

Could you please:
Make sure duplicated drives are showing under Tools -> Options -> NTFS.
Please send your %APPDATA%\Everything\Everything.ini to support@voidtools.com


If the volume GUID is changing, it will be difficult to remove the correct offline drives.


And I just see (may be there is a connection to this issue) the offline volume of the N:
Please send your Everything.ini
Everything might be trying to automatically remove moved volumes.
Do you ever see any Corrupt DB error messages in Everything?


So one can see the name ("I 10 TB Hauptdaten WD Elements") of the drive then and distinguish by that the offline volumes from the duplicate offline volumes? So it would be quite easy and fast to remove the duplicate offline volumes?
Yes, in Everything 1.5, the label is shown in the volume list. (even when offline)
You would still need to remove offline volumes manually.

Removing offline volumes with the same label would not be reliable.


It appears one can remove only one volume at a time. So if I want to remove all of the offline D: volumes I had to do it one by one? And not in a single step (by marking / selecting all of then and remove them altogether)?
Currently, yes.
Only one drive can be selected at a time.


There are some E: offline volumes in the NTFS list in "Options" but there is only shown one in the result list:
Is it like it should be?


General, no.
There should be multiple E: drives in your index.
This might occur if you delete your Everything.db or the Everything.db is corrupt.



I will look into a "Never remove this volume when it is offline" option for each volume.



Would a tool like USBDLM be useful?
I know some users find this useful to keep the same drive letter for USB drives.
Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

Many thanks!
Make sure duplicated drives are showing under Tools -> Options -> NTFS.
So I just have to check or is there anything I should do? I yesterday or so removed all of the D: volumes. The other ones are still there.

Just sent the file to you.
Do you ever see any Corrupt DB error messages in Everything?
No, I cannot remember to have seen such ever.
Yes, in Everything 1.5, the label is shown in the volume list. (even when offline)
You would still need to remove offline volumes manually.
OK, but that would be enough, it will be done quickly then, I assume.
There are some E: offline volumes in the NTFS list in "Options" but there is only shown one in the result list:
Is it like it should be?

General, no.
There should be multiple E: drives in your index.
This might occur if you delete your Everything.db
I never did that (intentionally).
I will look into a "Never remove this volume when it is offline" option for each volume.
Ah, that sounds great, thank you!
Would a tool like USBDLM be useful?
I know some users find this useful to keep the same drive letter for USB drives.
Thank you. I mean having used this before, can't think of a reason why I don't do it anymore. Maybe it didn't work here somehow. I'll just try again.
void
Developer
Posts: 16751
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by void »

Thanks for the Everything.ini

No need to change anything.

There are some duplicated volume GUIDs and automatically remove moved volumes is disabled.

If you are not using SUBST volumes, consider enabling automatically remove moved volumes:
  • In Everything, type in the following search and press ENTER:
    /auto_remove_moved_ntfs_volumes=1
  • If successful, auto_remove_moved_ntfs_volumes is shown in the status bar.


I don't have a good solution at the moment.
For now, you will need to manually remove the offline volumes.

I am working on an option to always keep selected volume in your index.
Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

Thank you very much for your help.
If you are not using SUBST volumes, consider enabling automatically remove moved volumes:
Sorry, what are SUBST volumes?
I am working on an option to always keep selected volume in your index.
OK, many thanks!
void
Developer
Posts: 16751
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by void »

Sorry, what are SUBST volumes?
Volumes mounted with the SUBST command.

For example (from a command prompt):
SUBST x: c:\windows
This will map your X: drive to c:\windows


Using SUBST volumes can cause issues with detecting moved volumes.
Biff
Posts: 1158
Joined: Mon May 25, 2015 7:09 am

Re: Lots of duplicate volumes?

Post by Biff »

Ah, OK, no, I have never used such.
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