Directory Opus 10 - Out Now

[Lloyd_mcse]

The latest version of my favourite software

Directory Opus 10

File Manager
zip handler
Image handler
Sound Handler
FTP/SFTP Client
Windows Explorer Replacement

And lots more, superb software.

[Lloyd_mcse]

Screenshot

[Lloyd_mcse]

Loving this new version, but there is a problem using the secure ftp (SFTP) where the upload download speeds won't go above 150KB/s. There's a new beta update that may help, so I'm going to try it later.

[Lloyd_mcse]

Something I forgot to mention, it has imageshack and Flickr integrated so one click uploading of pictures which is very handy.
If you haven't tried Opus before you should download the trial and give it a go

[Lloyd_mcse]

I've been looking through the Opus Zip tool, it's much better than in Opus 9. You can now have a cascaded right-click menu with

"Add to folder-name.7z"
"Add to folder-name.zip"
"Add to folder-name.zipx"
"Add to folder-name.RAR"

which is great. In testing it was the fastest out of WinRAR (to .rar file), WinZip 16 (to .zipx) and Opus 10 to .zip.
The best compression was WinZip 16. Compressing a 721MB folder containing .pst files, and internet explorer exported favorites to..

721MB -> Compressed with WinZip 16 to .zipx -> 419MB
721MB -> Compressed with WinRAR 4.01 to .RAR -> 434MB
721MB -> Compressed with Opus 10 to .zip -> 477MB
721MB -> Compressed with Opus 10 to .7z -> 420MB

I should have timed it really, when I get some time I will make a thread with full timed results, and test the Opus Zip engine with .7z, RAR etc.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that Opus 10 was quicker, given the fact it has compressed the folder less than the others, but it was also very quick when using Opus to compress to .7z.

[Lloyd_mcse]

All of those results were gained with "one click" archive with all settings at default.
I did however get Opus to compress the folder with .zipx to 420MB but I had to set compression method to LZMA, so ....

721MB -> Compressed with Opus 10 to .zipx -> 470MB (default)
721MB -> Compressed with Opus 10 to .zipx -> 420MB (LZMA Compression Method)

[Lloyd_mcse]

Some important news I just received from Opus ...

Warning about CNet / Download.com bundled installers

Until very recently, if you downloaded Directory Opus from CNet / Download.com you may have received a bundled installer, filename starting with "cnet_", with unwanted extras such as advertising, browser toolbars, browser home-page modifications or other junk. (The exact modifications varied.)

In some cases these modified installers triggered anti-virus warnings, and quite rightly so.

Due to the way the CNet / Download.com installers were packaged and presented, they may have given the impression that the unwanted extras were endorsed by, or even part of, Directory Opus. This was not the case. The modified installers hosted on Download.com were created entirely without GPSoftware's knowledge or permission.

After battling with their support team, CNet have finally agreed to remove their modifications and return to hosting proper, untainted versions of Directory Opus on their site. We still make this announcement so that anyone affected by CNet's actions knows the story and to help spread the word to other developers whose software may still be on Download.com in a modified state.

The official installers for Directory Opus have always been available from GPSoftware directly and have never contained anything but the product itself. If you ever need to verify that a Directory Opus installer is unmodified, check its digital signature. If the digital signature is missing, invalid, or created by someone other than GPSoftware, you should delete the file and download a replacement from GPSoftware or an official distributor:

GPSoftware downloads (International)
Haage & Partner downloads (Germany)

CNet's modifications have been done to many other software products listed on Download.com. For background reading, and to give credit to those who brought this issue to wider attention, please see here:

NeoSmart Technologies: Open Letter to CNet (Updated)
ExtremeTech: Download.com wraps downloads in bloatware, lies about motivations
Hacker News: Discussion
Nmap Hackers mailing list: C|Net Download.Com is now bundling Nmap with malware!

With news of this spreading, CNet sent an email to developers explaining that the scheme is in its early stages and that next year we'll all be able to share in the profits. We have told them that they can either host our installers unmodified or not host them at all. We have no interest in profiting by pushing unwanted junk on unsuspecting users.

We know that bundling browser toolbars and other garbage would be a way to make a quick buck but we also know it would devalue our product and disrespect our users. We hate seeing that rubbish when we install other products, especially ones we paid good money for, and we're not about to push it on anyone else. We make Directory Opus good enough that people choose to install it; we don't build Directory Opus as a lure to trick people into installing other junk on behalf of third parties whose products are not good enough to sell themselves. It may be unfashionable but we believe in selling our product, not selling our users.

Like many others, we are extremely disappointed that CNet have been adding this nonsense to our work and in such a dubious way, making an extra profit at the expense of our users and our reputation. It is ridiculous that these modifications were done without notification, let alone authorisation. CNet had no right to use our intellectual property or trademarks in this way. The scheme should never have been "opt-out" in the first place and it is absurd that it took us several emails, bordering on legal threats, to actually opt out. It is still a problem that so much other software hosted on CNet / Download.com will continue to be modified in this way until its authors find out and assert their rights.


While I'm here...

If you search Download.com for Directory Opus, the third hit you get (after the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Opus) is a program called iSysCleaner Pro. It is included in the results because it claims to clean up "Third party applications junk files (Acrobat Reader, AVG Anti-virus, Directory Opus, Microsoft Terminal Server Client, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera)."

Intrigued by this, and not finding any further details on its website, I downloaded the tool to find out what it does. Its configuration file reveals that it simply looks for and deletes the Directory Opus thumbnail cache:

[Directory Opus]
version=1.1
selected=1
display=Directory Opus Thumbnail Cache
items=1
0.folder_include={localappdata}\GPSoftware\Directo ry Opus\Thumbnail Cache
0.extension_include=*.db
0.subfolder=0

The thumbnail cache is not what I would call "junk" data, but if you do wish to clear it or disable it entirely, you don't need a third party tool. Just go to Settings -> Preferences / File Display Modes / Thumbnails, click Adjust cache settings and then Empty. After doing that you can also clear the Cache thumbnails checkbox to disable caching.

Link

[Lloyd_mcse]

I never download anything from those sites anyway, I'd rather go to the suppliers site. Anything I post here for example comes from the original site and not cnet or download versions.
I should probably post it in the security section to.

Personally I don't like the way they have the download pages setup, they allow adverts with big "Download now" buttons that look like they are for the software u want but are just adverts, and how many ad services have been compromised - loads!!!

[Lloyd_mcse]

Some more news from Opus..

Windows Blinds breaks Opus (and other software)

[Lloyd_mcse]

Directory Opus 10.0.5.0 Highlights video

[Lloyd_mcse]

New video - Creating Complex Directory Structures

[Lloyd_mcse]

Directory Opus 10.2 is out now!

Download Directory Opus 10.x