Eradicator is my answer to a problem with MacOS 9 that has been gaining a lot of attention on the Mac Websites lately. It seems that, unlike previous versions of the MacOS, MacOS 9 does not delete temporary files from your computer's hard drive when the computer is shut down or restarted.
Many applications will put temporary files that they use while in operation into an invisible folder on your hard drive named, appropriately enough, "Temporary Items Folder". Applications are supposed to delete these temporary files when they are done with them, but many do not. Older verions of the MacOS would take any files it found left over when the computer is restarted in the "Temporary Items Folder" and put it into the trash in a folder named "Rescued Items from Macintosh HD". You were then free to delete these files, unless you wanted to save them (which you usually don't).
MacOS 9 doesn't seem to do this as reliably, and so these temporary files tend to build up on your hard drive, eating away at disk space, without your even knowing it (aside from your noticing that you have less and less room available on your hard drive).
Eradicator allows you to peek inside this invisible "Temporary Items Folder", see what files are in there, and delete those files, if you wish.
Version 1.6 adds the ability to look inside another invisible folder called the "Cleanup at Startup" folder. Items in this folder are normally deleted when the computer first starts up, but in at least one instance, some files do not get properly deleted (the recently released Photoshop 6 puts temporary files in this folder which are not properly deleted at startup).
How to use it
Simply double-click on the Eradicator icon to launch the program. Eradicator's main window will appear, showing you two folders, the "Temporary Items" folder and the "Cleanup at Startup" folder. When these folders are expanded, a list of files currently in those folders is displayed. This list lets you know the file's name, its size, the program that created the file, as well as whether or not it is being used at the moment.
There are two ways to remove files from the "Temporary Items" folder or the "Cleanup at Startup" folder: by trashing them or by deleting them. To remove a file, simply click on it in the file list. Then click either the "Trash" or "Delete..." button. If you click the "Trash" button, Eradicator will move the file from the appropriate folder to the trash where they will remain until you empty the trash. If you click the "Delete..." button, Eradicator will automatically delete the file, bypassing the trash.
If you want to delete more than one file at a time, simply highlight each file you want to delete by clicking on the file's name while holding down the Command key (the one with the apple on it). If you choose "Select All" from the "Edit" menu, Eradicator will select every file in the list that can be safely removed from the "Temporary Items" or Cleanup at Startup" folders. Note that files will only get selected if the surrounded folder is expanded.
Eradicator will not let you delete a file that is currently in use.
You can look at the invisible folders for each mounted drive by selecting the drive from the menu at the top of the window. Selecting a drive will cause the display to update with a list of all files in the new drive's invisible folders.
The "Info" button will display a small window containing additional information about the currently selected file. This option was requested by many different users of earlier versions of Eradicator. You can delete the currently displayed file from right in the info window by clicking on the "Delete" button (note that the "Delete" button will not be enabled if the file is currently in use). Note that only one info window can be displayed at a time. If more than one file is selected in the file list, Eradicator will not allow you to display the info window.
The "Refresh" button is used when you want to update the list of files in the invisible folders (such as when an application is launched, or quit, but Eradicator is still running). Note that when you delete a file or files from the "Temporary Items" or "Cleanup at Startup" folder, the list of files will automatically update.
What it does not do
That's all there is to this program. It doesn't do anything else, other than that described above. If you are looking for a full-fledged file manager, there are plenty of good choices available on the web.
Legal Disclaimer
This software is provided AS IS. I make no warranties in regards to the use of this software. I have done my best to make sure that this software is bug-free and it should not cause any problems with your computer, however, as with all software of this nature, use it at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage or other hardship that is caused in relation to the use of this software. If you are not comfortable with the concepts described above, please be extra careful, or do not use this software at all.
Licensing Info
Eradicator is freeware. Feel free to distribute this software as you like, with no restrictions, other than you may only distribute the original self-extracting archive, and not the individual files contained therin. Feel free to place this software on any software compilation, for-profit or otherwise. The only thing I ask is that if Eradicator is included on a for-profit software compilation (such as those CDs distributed with magazines), please e-mail me letting me know that you are including the software.
Version History
Version 1.0 - Initial Release
Version 1.1 - Added ability to select which drive to look at. Fixed a bug which would cause Eradicator to crash under MacOS 8.0/8.1.
Version 1.2 - Added the ability to display additional information about a selected file. REALLY fixed the bug which would cause Eradicator to crash under MacOS 8.0/8.1. Additional error-checking built in (Eradicator will now let the user know if a selected volume does not have a valid "Temporary Items" folder, instead of crashing). Better internal memory management. Boosted recommended memory partition.
Version 1.2.1 - REALLY, REALLY, REALLY fixed the crash under MacOS 8.0/8.1 (there were actually originally TWO bugs which caused this crash. 1.2 only fixed one of them. This version fixes the other).
Version 1.2.2 - Eradicator is now more international-OS friendly. When switching volumes, the file list now refreshes faster. Eradicator now automatically quits when the file list window is closed. Eradicator no longer copies files on volumes other than the startup volume to the startup volume before trashing them. Updated contact information.
Version 1.5 - Added a "Select All" command (by popular request). Note that "Select All" will not select any files that are currently in use. Added the ability to fully delete a file (without moving it to the trash first). Changed default label to "Trash" to distinguish from new "Delete" function. Added menu items (and command keys) corresponding to buttons. Menu Items and Buttons are now much more context sensitive. Extremely large file sizes are now displayed properly (instead of being displayed in scientific notation). Fixed a visual bug that would occur with the disk menu when the main window was resized.
Version 1.6 - Added the ability to look inside and delete files from the invisible "Cleanup at Startup" folder. Fixed a bug which would, under rare conditions, delete the incorrect file when the "Delete..." button was pushed. Fixed a bug in which, if an alias was in the file list, its original, but not the alias would get deleted.
