Copyright: ShortCutter for Windows95   ver 2.0


Contents Stuff
ShortCutter for Windows95

version 2.0

What is ShortCutter?

What does ShortCutter do?

How do I use ShortCutter?

How do I contact Golden Frog Ent?

How was ShortCutter written?

ShortCutter for Windows95 v2.0 ©1996 Golden Frog Ent.

This program may be freely distributed and used so far as all three files (ShortCutter.exe, ShortCutter.hlp and Readme.txt) are distributed together and the files are not changed in any way.  If you have any questions regarding the copyright laws and how they apply to this program, please contact us at GoldenFrog@msn.com.


What is ShortCutter?

Windows95 added a new type of file called shortcuts.  These are files that point to another file.  This gives the user the capability to place a shortcut in a separate location (the desktop, for example) from the actual file.

This added a problem, though.  If a shortcut has been created, then the file it is referencing gets deleted, you are left with a broken link.

ShortCutter checks your hard drive for broken links.  When it find one, it can check to see if the target has been moved, then deletes the shortcut if not.

As an added bonus, ShortCutter also has the capability to find and delete any empty folders and zero-byte files it comes across.

See What does ShortCutter do? for more information

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How do I use...?
How do I use ShortCutter?

Menu Options

Toolbar Buttons

Preferences

File Type View

Items View

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What does it do?
What does ShortCutter do?

Since ShortCutter looks at every file, and looks even harder at links, obviously the more files you have and the more shortcuts you have, the longer the scan will take.

There are a couple of options / programs that will create more shortcuts than you may realize you have.

Windows95 Password Feature

The individual login feature within Windows95 creates a separate Desktop folder and Startup folder for every user of the system.  This can quickly add to the total amount of shortcuts on your system.

Norton Navigator for Windows95

Norton Navigators’ Documents Management feature keeps a shortcut to every file you open within a special folder.  When you access the documents subfolder to the Start Menu, you see this list.
Also, expect to see a great many broken links since every file you have accessed that ends up deleted will be broken.

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How do I contact Golden Frog Ent?

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please address them to:

GoldenFrog@msn.com

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List View
Items View

The items view shows all ‘Found’ items from the most current scan.  This list is cleared out each scan.

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Tree View
File Types View

Clicking on any of these views shows all items of that ‘type’ found during the most recent scan.  These items are cleared out before each new scan.

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How was...written?
How was ShortCutter written?

ShortCutter was written using Microsoft’s Visual C++ version 4.0 and version 4.0 of the Microsoft Foundation Classes.

(all of which are excellent programs…..  Give them a try)

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Menu Bars

File

Begin Scan	(ctrl + S)

This initiates a scan of the directory selected (same as Start button)

Cancel Scan

This cancels a scan in progress (same as Stop button)

Empty Recycle Bin

This ‘deletes’ all items that are currently in the ShortCutter recycle bin.

Exit	(alt + F4)

Closes the program

View

Previous Folder	(Backspace)

When viewing one of the child webs of Files, this option backs the view to the Files directory.

Options	(Ctrl + O)

This opens up the Preferencesdialog.

Log

This opens displays the ShortCutter log file.

Edit

Select All	(Ctrl + A)

Selects all items currently in the list view

Rename	(F2)

Allows Renaming on the currently selected item.

Delete	(Delete)

Deletes all currently selected items.

Restore	(Ctrl + R)

This undeletes any currently selected items in the recycle bin.

Execute

‘Execute’ actually runs the currently selected items.  If an item is a broken link, however, no execution is possible.

Help

Help	(F1)

Opens up this file.

About ShortCutter

Displays the ‘About ShortCutter….’ Dialog.

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Toolbars
Toolbar

Most of these buttons perform the same functions as the entries under the Main Menu

Begin Scan

This initiates a scan of the directory/directories currently selected in the toolbar Combo Box

Cancel Scan

This cancels a scan in progress

Location Combo Box

The Location Combo Box allows you to choose which directories or drives are scanned:

  ‘Quick Scan’ -- This option will only check the Windows directories and it’s children.  99% of your links will be located in these directories

  ‘My Computer’ -- will check all local hard drives on your system.

The rest of the options reflect drives, whether local, network, CD, or removable, currently connected to your system.  Selecting one of them will check that drive and only that drive in the next scan operation.

Preferences

Selecting this option opens the Preferences Dialog

Select All

This selects all items currently in the List View

Delete

Deletes all currently selected items.

Restore

This undeletes all currently selected items.  Must be in the recycle bin for this option to be available.

Execute

‘Execute’ actually runs the currently selected items.  If an item is a broken link, however, no execution is possible.

View Log

Selecting ‘View Log’ will display the ShortCutter Log file in the default text editor. (usually notepad)

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Preferences Dialog

The preferences dialog give you the capability to modify the way ShortCutter runs on your system.  It is broken into three parts:

General Options

Advanced Options

Internet Options

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Internet Options

This feature is not yet enabled.  Windows95 has the ability to save links (or shortcuts) to addresses on the Internet.  ShortCutter currently displays these under the folder URL.

A future update to ShortCutter will have the ability to open up a connection to the Internet and check these links as it does with local ones.

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General Options

Actions:

Show Results

When a scan is complete, a dialog will be displayed showing the counts of each item found. (default ON)

Confirm Actions

When this option is selected, the scan routine will prompt you whenever it needs to delete or search for an item. (default OFF)

Find Link Target

The scan routine will detect when a link is broken.  With this option, however, ShortCutter will go one step further and attempt to find the target in case it has been moved.  This will provide a more thorough scan, but will take a little more time.  (default ON)

Find URL Target

This option is not currently selected.  In a future release of ShortCutter, when a URL link is found, a connection to the Internet will be opened up and the validity of the shortcut will be checked.

Delete

Selecting these options will instruct ShortCutter to automatically delete any of the trouble items it discovers.  Deselecting an option will still give you the ability to manually delete the item after the scan is completed

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Advanced Options

  Advanced Options

Target Check:

When ShortCutter discovers a link, it attempts to find the target to determine if the link is still valid.  If the link points to a drive that is not currently available (like a floppy, CD, or Network Drive), the link will be considered broken.

ShortCutter gives you the ability to not search for the targets of these links.  Instead, they are always considered active (not broken).  You then have the ability to manually search for, or delete the shortcuts after the current scan is completed.

Log:

Keep Log

If this option is selected, ShortCutter will keep a record of the results of each scan.  This log captures the type of scan (manual or automatic), the date and time, and the counts of each type of file found.

Detailed

The basic log file contains the items described in the previous paragraph.  When ‘Detailed’ is selected, however, a line is added for each trouble item found.  This includes broken links, empty files, and zero-byte files.  The entry tells what was found and if it was deleted.

View Log

Selecting ‘View Log’ will display the ShortCutter Log file in the default text editor. (usually notepad).

Clear Log

Choosing ‘Clear Log’ does just as it says.  This deletes any entries in the Log file and readies it for further scans.

AutoRun:

Enable AutoRun

AutoRun is one of the most useful features of ShortCutter.  When this option is selected, ShortCutter will execute itself every time you start Windows.  The program will run automatically and, depending on options selected, will automatically close itself when done.

Run Minimized

You have the option to have ShortCutter run minimized when it enters AutoRun.

Close After…

With this option, an AutoRun session of ShortCutter will close itself after the scan is completed.

Show Results

With this option selected, the results dialog will be displayed after the AutoRun scan, even if Close after is selected..  Once ‘OK’ is chosen on the dialog, ShortCutter will close itself.

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A link (or shortcut) is a file that points to another file


A broken link is a shortcut who’s target has been deleted or moved.


The file that a shortcut points to is called it’s target file or just target


 A file that is completely void of data


 A folder that contains no files or subfolders


 The Recycle Bin is a place where Windows95 temporarily holds deleted files.  This allows you to recover something you accidentally deleted