What determines "Frequency of Use" and "Date Last Used"?

I just had an occasion to look at "Add or remove Programs" (doesn't half
take a while to fill now!), and wondered what other options there are in
the "Sort by:" dropdown (which defaults, reasonably, to "Name"). I find
there are four: Name, Size, and the above two.

I just wondered what sets them, as they're clearly wrong:

"Frequency of Use": this has rarely, occasionally, frequently, and
blank. Under rarely, it includes SpeedFan, which I use all the time (as
a monitor - I have a dodgy blower) and Winamp, my Synaptics Pointing
Device Driver, and my display driver, as well as lots that _are_ rarely
used. Under occasionally, it shows Chrome, VLC, Panorama, and Everything
- these I use most days. Under frequently, it shows both versions of
Brother's Keeper (genealogy software) - OK, I use 7.2 frequently, but
6.6 not since I installed 7, some years ago. Then there are the ones at
the bottom, which include several I use all the time.

"Date Last Used": display, audio, and pointing devices, 2009-5-18;
IrfanView, VLC, WinAmp, and Office, 2009-8-7; Pdf995 and System
Scheduler, 2010-7-8; Panorama and SpeedFan 2012-3-2; Brother's Keeper
6.6, 2012-11-6 (despite being "frequently"); Firefox, 2015-2-1;
BitMeter, 2016-3-25; latest anything, 2017-8-27. All of these (except
BK6 and pdf995) I use most days, many all the time. There are also lots
at the end of the list with no date.

I've wondered about these for some time, having observed that they are
wildly wrong, not only on my own system but on other people's, but have
never seen any discussion of them.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

`Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.' Pablo Picasso, 1968

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I just had an occasion to look at "Add or remove Programs" (doesn't half
take a while to fill now!), and wondered what other options there are in
the "Sort by:" dropdown (which defaults, reasonably, to "Name"). I find
there are four: Name, Size, and the above two.

I just wondered what sets them, as they're clearly wrong:

"Frequency of Use": this has rarely, occasionally, frequently, and
blank. Under rarely, it includes SpeedFan, which I use all the time (as
a monitor - I have a dodgy blower) and Winamp, my Synaptics Pointing
Device Driver, and my display driver, as well as lots that _are_ rarely
used. Under occasionally, it shows Chrome, VLC, Panorama, and Everything
- these I use most days. Under frequently, it shows both versions of
Brother's Keeper (genealogy software) - OK, I use 7.2 frequently, but
6.6 not since I installed 7, some years ago. Then there are the ones at
the bottom, which include several I use all the time.

"Date Last Used": display, audio, and pointing devices, 2009-5-18;
IrfanView, VLC, WinAmp, and Office, 2009-8-7; Pdf995 and System
Scheduler, 2010-7-8; Panorama and SpeedFan 2012-3-2; Brother's Keeper
6.6, 2012-11-6 (despite being "frequently"); Firefox, 2015-2-1;
BitMeter, 2016-3-25; latest anything, 2017-8-27. All of these (except
BK6 and pdf995) I use most days, many all the time. There are also lots
at the end of the list with no date.

I've wondered about these for some time, having observed that they are
wildly wrong, not only on my own system but on other people's, but have
never seen any discussion of them.

The breadcrumbs lead here.

"How does Add/Remove Programs get the size and other information?"

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/old...09-00/?p=38493

It's basically a feature, that tries to co-exist with the information
an installer would make available in 1995. Now, even though I read
parts of the page, I'm still not sure manually interfering with the information
the method uses, would actually make it work. What the text describes
is the fallback algo it uses. I'm still not convinced it works
properly with information correctly provided (as you note). The
text in the article, claims it counts usage, if you launch from
the Start Menu.

Paul

In message , Paul
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I just had an occasion to look at "Add or remove Programs" (doesn't
half take a while to fill now!), and wondered what other options
there are in the "Sort by:" dropdown (which defaults, reasonably, to
"Name"). I find there are four: Name, Size, and the above two.
I just wondered what sets them, as they're clearly wrong:
"Frequency of Use": this has rarely, occasionally, frequently, and
[]
The breadcrumbs lead here.

"How does Add/Remove Programs get the size and other information?"

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/old...09-00/?p=38493

Thanks. So (a) it only gets them when you start things from Start,
Programs [so desktop or startup locations don't count] and (b) the size
entry is likely to be wrong too.

It's basically a feature, that tries to co-exist with the information
an installer would make available in 1995. Now, even though I read
parts of the page, I'm still not sure manually interfering with the information
the method uses, would actually make it work. What the text describes
is the fallback algo it uses. I'm still not convinced it works
properly with information correctly provided (as you note). The
text in the article, claims it counts usage, if you launch from
the Start Menu.

Paul

As many of the followup posts say, it'd be better not to have the size,
frequency, or date fields, than to have them mostly wrong. Ho hum, it's
not going to improve for XP, of course.

Are they still as bad (and as slow) for 7, 10, etc.?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Why doesn't DOS ever say "EXCELLENT command or filename!"

On Thu, 21 Sep 2017 11:45:46 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I just had an occasion to look at "Add or remove Programs" (doesn't half
take a while to fill now!), and wondered what other options there are in
the "Sort by:" dropdown (which defaults, reasonably, to "Name"). I find
there are four: Name, Size, and the above two.

I just wondered what sets them, as they're clearly wrong:

"Frequency of Use": this has rarely, occasionally, frequently, and
blank. Under rarely, it includes SpeedFan, which I use all the time (as
a monitor - I have a dodgy blower) and Winamp, my Synaptics Pointing
Device Driver, and my display driver, as well as lots that _are_ rarely
used. Under occasionally, it shows Chrome, VLC, Panorama, and Everything
- these I use most days. Under frequently, it shows both versions of
Brother's Keeper (genealogy software) - OK, I use 7.2 frequently, but
6.6 not since I installed 7, some years ago. Then there are the ones at
the bottom, which include several I use all the time.

"Date Last Used": display, audio, and pointing devices, 2009-5-18;
IrfanView, VLC, WinAmp, and Office, 2009-8-7; Pdf995 and System
Scheduler, 2010-7-8; Panorama and SpeedFan 2012-3-2; Brother's Keeper
6.6, 2012-11-6 (despite being "frequently"); Firefox, 2015-2-1;
BitMeter, 2016-3-25; latest anything, 2017-8-27. All of these (except
BK6 and pdf995) I use most days, many all the time. There are also lots
at the end of the list with no date.

I've wondered about these for some time, having observed that they are
wildly wrong, not only on my own system but on other people's, but have
never seen any discussion of them.

Those information only applies to applications which are installed using
Windows Installer, AND whose program shortcut files points to a special
Windows Installer namespace (e.g. product, feature, and component).

An example for the latter one is when you open the property of a shoftcut
file, its "Target" field doesn't point to a file system path and is not
modifiable.

When you open such shortcut, the shell let Windows Installer handles the
application execution. Also, sometimes a small dialog box with a progress
bar will be shown. So, Windows Installer knows when you use an application,
and for how many times; then update the appplication installation database.

All applications that don't use Windows Installer to install itself and
create Windows Installer namespace based application shortcuts, their usage
can't be tracked by the Add/Remove Programs control panel. Such applications
will always have its usage shown as "rarely".

In message , JJ
writes:
On Thu, 21 Sep 2017 11:45:46 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I just had an occasion to look at "Add or remove Programs" (doesn't half
take a while to fill now!), and wondered what other options there are in
the "Sort by:" dropdown (which defaults, reasonably, to "Name"). I find
there are four: Name, Size, and the above two.

I just wondered what sets them, as they're clearly wrong:
[snip]
Those information only applies to applications which are installed using
Windows Installer, AND whose program shortcut files points to a special
Windows Installer namespace (e.g. product, feature, and component).

An example for the latter one is when you open the property of a shoftcut
file, its "Target" field doesn't point to a file system path and is not
modifiable.

I don't _think_ I've got _any_ of those (Target field greyed out) here.
(I've seen some such at work with my previous employer.)
[]
All applications that don't use Windows Installer to install itself and
create Windows Installer namespace based application shortcuts, their usage
can't be tracked by the Add/Remove Programs control panel. Such applications
will always have its usage shown as "rarely".

No, some show as "occasionally" and some "frequently" - including one
I've not opened for a long time.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

No, I haven't changed my mind - I'm perfectly happy with the one I have, thank
you.