topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Friday March 29, 2024, 2:49 am
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files  (Read 19325 times)

wreckedcarzz

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,626
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« on: February 09, 2009, 07:36 PM »
OK, here is a task that I hope someone can take on:

I need a program, somewhat like how DelEmpty works, for finding non-EN-US (changeable, for others) language files (INI, XML, etc) and listing them for review and one-click deletion. Is it possible to do this? If so, would there be any risks or drawbacks (other than not being able to switch from US English (or <your_language_here>)?

Any takers?

f0dder

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,153
  • [Well, THAT escalated quickly!]
    • View Profile
    • f0dder's place
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2009, 09:21 PM »
1) it'd be very hard to detect this (reliably, anyway)
2) there's a big chance of breaking stuff
3) disk space savings would be extremely small
- carpe noctem

wreckedcarzz

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,626
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2009, 03:32 PM »
Its more or less just something that bugs me - I don't see why installers ask you for the Language you want just to go and install them all anyways. It's just those stupid files that you never use kind of thing. But yea, I didn't figure it was doable (at least, in any simple manner).

f0dder

  • Charter Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 9,153
  • [Well, THAT escalated quickly!]
    • View Profile
    • f0dder's place
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2009, 04:04 PM »
Well, it does have the "advantage" that if you suddenly one morning wake up and feel French (DOYC forbid!), you'd be able to switch your installed programs over :P

I know where you're coming from wrt. not liking unnecessary crud being installed, I used to be pretty nazi about that (up to and including Win98 SE I knew what every single file on my harddrive was used for... with Win2k I knew about most of it... With the introduction of XP I had a rough idea... and now I pretty much have given up and don't care :)).

Anyway, language files/resources are usually pretty tiny, so I wouldn't worry about it. The biggest I've seen is "closecaption_french.txt" from Left4Dead, which is ~3MB.
- carpe noctem

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2012, 10:16 PM »
The space saving is the not that great, unless your are counting windows system files which there are usually distributed in multiple languages (see windows\winsxs and windows\software distribution)
On the otherhand SSD's benefit greatly from having less entries in the allocation tables. If you sync that folder, is also runs much quicker.

I wrote a small utility that does this.
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org
« Last Edit: November 21, 2012, 09:19 PM by dtsouers »

Ath

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 3,612
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2012, 01:33 AM »
I wrote a small program that does this.
Care to share a link? :tellme:

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2012, 08:15 PM »
- Install Microsoft .Net 2.0 SP2 on your computer.
- Make a full backup of your computer.
- Right-Click the app and click 'Run this program as administrator'.
- Wait, it will take a few minutes to run, even on my fast computer. Its scanning your entire drive.
- Review the files to delete, you can select only the ones you want to.

Some files may not be able to be deleted. You may have to download the Take Ownership of this File batch file found below:
http://www.howtogeek...click-menu-in-vista/

I would advise you to only remove a few of them at a time. Then run a few checks here and there.

DelLangFiles v0.0.1.1 build 11/23/12
DelReadmeFiles v0.0.1.0 build 11/29/12
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org
« Last Edit: November 29, 2012, 03:32 PM by dtsouers, Reason: Added newerd DelReadmeFiles build that had license/eula removal. »

Rick998

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2012, 07:15 PM »
dtsouers,

Thank you! This is an excellent utility, it works well.

Any chance you could change selection of individual entries from double-click to single-click and add shift-select so it wasn't necessary to select each entry individually?

highend01

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2011
  • **
  • Posts: 188
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2012, 04:09 AM »
It would be nice if it would allow to specify the drive which should be searched.

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2012, 09:17 PM »
Additions have been added!  8)
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org

Rick998

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2012, 02:08 AM »
dtsouers,

Wow! Thank you so much for additions and speedy response. Very much appreciated!

pilgrim

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 316
  • Cogito ergo ?
    • View Profile
    • Pilgrim's Page
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2012, 09:40 AM »
dtsouers,

I have only just found this thread and your utility and wanted to say thanks.

Removing foreign language files is something I started doing when I bought a Netbook and when I found out how many there were I have since done the same on my other computers.

I have just run your utility on my main computer and apart from system files only two programs, both recently updated, had any.
If I had found the utility before it would have saved me a couple of hours.

The only ongoing problem is Firefox extensions, NoScript alone has over 50 language files. I get at those with 7-Zip.

Thanks again.
I spent 25 years training to be an eccentric then I woke up one morning and realised that I'd cracked it.
I've not had to try since.

I wonder what happens if I click on thi

skwire

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 5,286
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2012, 10:30 AM »
Nice work, dtsouers.   :Thmbsup:  I'm going to mark this thread as done and move it to the Finished Programs section.

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #13 on: November 21, 2012, 09:50 PM »
Just wanted to let you know, I updated the program in the prior post.
It should now scan faster and find a few more missed language files.
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org

Rick998

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2012, 06:25 PM »
I love how this utility has matured. A final tweak for me would be for the 'Pwn!' button to be renamed to something like 'Do it!', 'Delete' or 'Remove' and placed to the right of the 'Select All' button of a slightly widened default main dialog. For example:
suggested.jpg

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2012, 11:54 PM »
Your additions have been added.

Pilgrim-Which files are these?
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org

pilgrim

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 316
  • Cogito ergo ?
    • View Profile
    • Pilgrim's Page
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2012, 02:55 AM »
Your additions have been added.

Pilgrim-Which files are these?
To indicate the one I mentioned above the location in Windows 7 is:
C:\Users\Pilgrim\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\sheq54fh.default\extensions\{73a6fe31-595d-460b-a920-fcc0f8843232}\chrome\noscript.jar\locale\
In XP the path is through Documents and Settings.

To edit the file and remove the unwanted language files I have to use 7-Zip.
Nearly all FF extensions are the same but some only have one or two language files, No-Script with over 50 is one of the highest counts.

EDIT

I just ran your latest version and it appears that it is picking up at least some of these folders as it found:
C:\Users\Pilgrim\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\sheq54fh.default\extensions\{d37dc5d0-431d-44e5-8c91-49419370caa1}\chrome\locale\
When I ran the program it left the ES and MN files.
I noticed when the program opens there are a number of languages it omits, is there any way to have an option to only leave English?

Many thanks.
I spent 25 years training to be an eccentric then I woke up one morning and realised that I'd cracked it.
I've not had to try since.

I wonder what happens if I click on thi
« Last Edit: November 23, 2012, 03:08 AM by pilgrim-online »

dtsouers

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • Posts: 11
  • Derek.Souers.Org
    • View Profile
    • Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #17 on: November 24, 2012, 03:17 PM »
Hmm, I'll have to download Firefox and think of a good way to do that.

I did cobble together a new utility to remove readme files too, and have added that to the prior post.
Take a look at my website of Derek Souers - Senior .Net Web Sofware Developer:
http://derek.souers.org

pilgrim

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 316
  • Cogito ergo ?
    • View Profile
    • Pilgrim's Page
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #18 on: November 25, 2012, 07:26 AM »
I do not know if later versions are any different but I still use FF 3.6.28 as I will not get involved in Mozilla's pissing contest with Google Chrome.

I just ran your 'readme' utility on my Netbook (XP) and I'm sure I heard a sigh of relief from the speakers. :D

To go back to the language files, the only ones I have left, apart from the few the program excludes, are Windows files in Windows 7.
I tried taking ownership of them but the first attempt made no difference. There are only a couple of dozen of them and one batch is under C:\BOOT.
I ran an online search and found this: http://www.makeuseof...ers-cboot-windows-7/ which might be of interest to some.
I spent 25 years training to be an eccentric then I woke up one morning and realised that I'd cracked it.
I've not had to try since.

I wonder what happens if I click on thi

Rick998

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #19 on: November 25, 2012, 08:33 AM »
DelReadmeFiles is another excellent utility! Thank you. I was amazed how many readme.txt files it found.

PS - DelLangFiles keeps English, Spanish, French, German and Italian by default. Any chance we could create our own default? For example, I would like to be able to remove ALL language support except for English so an option to do that (checkbox in menu bar? INI file?) would be great. For example:
DelLangFile_Suggestion.jpg

Rick998

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2012
  • **
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: DONE: Scan computer for foreign language files
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2012, 07:26 AM »
dtsouers, the recent update to DelReadmeFiles, i.e. selection of license/EULA files, is excellent! Many thanks for adding this functionality.

These two utilities just keep getting better and better.