PowerDesk is so slow.  I just upgraded from 8.3.1.9 to 8.4.1.4 and hoped that improve.  This was also a problem with 7.0.1.1 but it wasn't with 6.  I have some huge partitions with lots of files (music) but it's still slower than open two Windows of Windows Explorer and them reading the same drives.  It acts like a drive that is indexing files.  I have that turned off on all my drives.  Any changes I make moving, copying, renaming or deleting take much longer than doing the same in Explorer.  If I have PD open doing these changes it slows down Explorer.  As soon as I close PD Explorer speeds up.

I have just installed version 8.4.1.12, for those who have had problems installing, I'll lay out what I did, the installation went flawlessly.

FYI - I'm using Win7x64 and had the last install 8.4.1.11.

1) I used the Add/Remove feature in Win7 to remove the program and after removal it asked me to reboot.

2) After rebooting PD8 was no longer on my system (even though it leaves traces, it doesn't seem to interfere with a reinstallation)

3) I then re-installed my original program 8.05.1.0 and put in the serial number, it installed and asked me to reboot, which I did

4) After rebooting, I got the annoying welcome screen which I disabled, and proceeded to Live Update

5) Live Update came back with a list of several patches and updates and after clicking on the Update button it started installation and prompted me to install a progressively upgrading version which asked me to reboot several times until I got to the final version which is 8.4.1.12

Now comes the tricky part, since this is now an official Avanquest release, how well does it hold up under real world testing.

The truth is out there :)

I was just testing a couple of glaring problems that have been expressed over and over again throughout the long process of bringing this program back up to it's former glory

1) PD8 is slow upon opening, I measured it taking 20 seconds to start up the program.

2) PD8 is slow on opening sub-directories, I measured it taking 17 seconds to open a sub-directory that had 3,191 objects in it and 26 seconds to run a sort of the directory.

Wow...that is incredibly slow.

Also the still as yet to be explained reason why the programmers have changed how the program reacts to the creation of sub-directories.

I have asked several times why does the program put you into a newly created sub-directory instead of the normal procedure of leaving you in the parent looking at all the sub-directories you've just created.

I even asked if this is going to be the annoying way the program now works than at least why can't this be made a option for those who want to be put in the sub-directory immediately after creation and for those who don't.

This question has been met with the time honored tradition of "HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL", in other-words "Silence".

This is now an official upgrade...time to speak up

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I was really curious in comparing this version with one of the earlier versions of the program so I dusted of my old discs and I brought out my old version of PD4, not only to see if it runs on a Win7 platform but how does it perform.

I'm just using this as a test comparison of the program on the most basic of things, the very foundation of what this program was built for and for which it received accolades and that was "File management".

As you can see by my previous comment about the speed problems with PD8, I wanted to compare them to PD4.

Opening of the program itself

PD4 - 1 second (it could have been faster but whose counting milliseconds)

PD8 - 20 seconds

Opening of a subdirectory with lots of files in it (eg 3,191 files)

PD4 - 1 second

PD8 - 17 Seconds

Sorting the directory with lots of files in it

PD4 - 1 second

PD8 - 26 seconds

Creation of a subdirectory

PD4 - Traditional method of showing the subdirectory you created and not putting you into that directory immediately

PD8 - Nontraditional method

Now I know this is an unfair comparison of 2 versions of the same program, and the fact that PD8 has enormously more bells and whistles and is of course Win7 compatible.

The fact that PD4 is old technology and is supposedly not Win7 compatible (yet is still functions perfectly with the core File Management features), and of course it doesn't have the bells and whistles weighing it down.

Maybe it's time for the engineers to bring out an old version of PD4 if they can still find a copy of it and see what this program did right a long...long time ago.

Don't get discouraged and keep on working on PD8, I hope you can recapture the glory of this once beautiful program, It was simply elegant on what it could do.

I followed all of the instructions quite carefully, uninstalling 8.4.1.11, finding and removing the .stg files, rebooting, then installing my retail copy (8.3.19), more rebooting, then running live update, and more rebooting.

My observations so far:

1) Seems slower than the previous build for the program to start. This on Win7 64bit, i7-2600k running at 3.4GHz, 8GB RAM.

2) Opening directories with more than a few files is pretty slow.

3) Selecting large numbers of files once the directories open is reasonably fast now. File operations like delete, copy, and move seem pretty quick.

4) All of my context menu entries for dbPoweramp Music Converter are still missing. This is a crucial failure as Windows Explorer can see them, as do several other file managers (none of which enchant me enough to want to keep but for testing purposes). dbPoweramp is a registered, properly installed program. There is no reason these entries should not be present when right clicking any music file format. Indeed, the way the program is set up and intended to be used, the context menu is everything. These menus were always displayed in PDP6/WinXP.

5) Column sizes and order appear to be retained. However, if I open a second copy, it opens with the default two horizontal pane view.

6) PDP8 still stubbornly insists on displaying all known archive types as file folders. If I expand a folder that contains a lot of archives, my left hand pain becomes cluttered with an interminably long list of those archives. During set up I unchecked all the boxes associating archives with PDP, and unchecked the relevant boxes in Preferences, to no avail.

@Alan Whitley: I'd try my copy of PDP6 for comparison purposes, but I no longer possess the key. I do have a disc image of my old WinXP install, so if anyone knows how to retrieve a key from a mounted image, let me know how and I can try.

Please provide a link for the new (believe it is 8.4.1.12) FULL install file.  Given problems with update I find a remove and reinstall is the ONLY way to be sure this software stands a chance of working properly (such as it is)!

Thank you in advance for posting full (new version) install file links

I still have a free version of 6 that I can get to you.  Michael on the dbPowerAmp stuff seems to be working fine on mine when you right click on the file or folder.

Current Folder view keeps disappearing from PowerDesk Pro 8

I recently updated to version 8.4.1.12 via Live Update (paid version not demo). When I'm currently looking at the contents of a certain folder (say Documents), it auto refreshes and suddenly jumps focus to "Saved Games" folder under "C:\Users\User\". It didn't matter which folder I was currently viewing: it would always jump to "Saved Games" subfolder in about a minute. I even deleted the Saved Games folder but now it keeps jumping to the "Links" subfolder under "C:\Users\User\".

Environment: Toshiba Laptop Portege R700 brand new about 1 month old w/ Win 7 64-bit, MS Office 2010 Pro and PowerDesk Pro 8 v 8.4.1.12.

This is a big nuisance as I work on a lot of spreadsheet files and documents etc and affects my productivity. Any suggestions (other than uninstalling & reinstalling) will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance for your help!

@ Marc Neerman:

I still have a free version of 6 that I can get to you.  Michael on the dbPowerAmp stuff seems to be working fine on mine when you right click on the file or folder.

I'm still hunting for the key. I converted the disc into an image and cannot find the disc itself anywhere. I used to email myself with the program name as subject and include the key in the body, but it isn't in my Gmail account.

Which means it is in a stored Thunderbird mail profile from an old Cox.net account, and I haven't used Thunderbird in years. :)

So the dbPoweramp context stuff is working for you in the latest version? Using a couple of free alternatives, I see that all of them but one show the dbpa stuff in the first panel of the right click context menu, and one of them shows it under a cascaded menu depending from an entry called "X64."

But ti is not to be found on PDP8 at all, not in any of the versions I've used while trying to get the program to work properly. I've uninstalled and reinstalled DBPoweramp as well in an effort to see if that would force the context menu to appear. No dice.

I'll also add that the initial lag to open the program has extended to nearly 30 seconds.

My 8.4.1.12 update experience:

Uninstalled 8.4.1.11 - no problems.

Installed 8.3.1.9 - again, no problems (though the reported PD 8 version through the About box was still 8.4.1.11).

Ran built-in update - finally and again, no problems.

As a side note, I did nothing manually this time (removing files, etc.), I let the programs handle all related tasks.

Unrelated: Did this WEB Site log us in automatically in the past, but no longer does?  If anyone else has noticed this behavior, please inform me - I know my memory is getting worse everyday, but I'm positive I used to be logged in here automatically.  Thanks in advance.

I have the same problem as 2Much 2DO: The current folder view keeps disappearing, especially in the My Documents folder.

This is really annoying. Please fix it asap.

Comments on build 8.4.1.12

Incredibly slow to open.  It typically takes me 5 to 10 minutes to get a functioning directory window.  As noted above the earlier versions 6 etc are very quick. How do I fix this?

I don't know if this is something that's been around and I've just never noticed or if it's a new feature, but I don't remember it ever happening before:

When I double click a zip file within a zip file (in the file pane) I get the "Open for Editing" dialog box.  I only remember getting this on files that needed to be opened by other programs (.txt, .doc, etc.).

I have been using Powerdesk since the early Mijenix days and have used it in all its permutations. The last version I used was 8.2.1.9 which performed so poorly (VERY slow starting, VERY slow to read large directories to the point a "Not Responding" error was generated). In its present state it is totally unusable and I have been using Windows Explorer as a replacemnet. When Live Update showed an update to version 8.4.12 I responded. BIG mistake - Same old problem with speed.

I am using it on a Pentium 4, 3.0ghz with 2gig memory. Windown Xp Pro Sp3 with all updates as of patch Tuesday April 2011. I have tried Powerdesk with minimal startup files and nothing works. I have pulled the network cable and disabled the firewall and antivirus.

So, I used Add/Remove to dump Powerdesk and Avanquest Update. What an amazing difference. The speed is back to normal and everything is re-enabled.

By the way, I also tested Powerdesk on a Windows 7 Pro Quad Core somputer with 8 gig of memory and it still doesn't work very efficiently.

My Conclusion:

The "Everything in but the kitchen sink" approach Avanquest has taken with all the bells and whistles that could possibly be included has ruined a magnificent work of software engineering.

I would advise anyone using Powerdesk to save their time and money and search elsewhere for a replacement.

Some of the good substitutes:

Q-Dir (Free}

Total Commander (Shareware)

Directory Opus (Shareware)

And of course, the old free standby Windows Explorer. Not fancy, but it did work beautifully as a replacement for Powerdesk. No speed problems whatsoever.

so many problems some people are having.

On the other side I'm using 8.4.1.11 version is the best so far. It could be faster but I'm very happy with it. I used it every minute to move around and do my job. And also at home.
It is simple and does the job. 

If somebody recommends Windows Explorer as an option that tells me they don't know what they are talking about. I have to help people using it and is still a nightmare.

I don't trust posts where at the end people try to sell other options. PD was offer as a demo. If you don't like it you don't have to buy it. I'm using it since version 5.0 and after some 'glitches' I expect to see a professional product in version 9.0.

Since newest update the "send to" and "copy to" functions are very slow when using usb drive or usb card reader. Some times the operation stalls out and the drive disappears from list structure. I have to close PD8 and open again to see the drive. I tried coping and send to in Windows Explorer and the operation is much faster. It seems the problem is when a large amount of MBs are being moved. I have experienced this on two separate computer with two different systems(desktop/WinXP Pro sp3 32bit and laptop/Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit sp1). Anyone else having this situation? GT

"x y" so I have but I PAID for the last two versions.  The free version 6 is vastly superior for what I need and YES two windows of Explorer are so much faster that I can't remember the last time I used PD and I won't pay for it anymore.  I'll go back to using 6 if they can't get these issues resolved.  

As people have said PD has added as this bloat and destroyed one of my favorite pieces and most often used pieces of software.  Also I have experienced just about everyone of the problems the others have mentioned.

Current folder view keeps disappearing with new release [8.4.1.12]: Same as 2Much2Do and Renato Richina. At first, this was preceded by sudden loss of access to multiple folders ("Access Denied," etc.), which was particularly bad, but after re-install just the change from the My Documents folder I was in, to "Saved Games"--repeatedly. Like them, I find this very anti-productive. I had no issues with the previous version, but after automatic LiveUpdate I am finding this a great nuisance. Is there an easy way to roll back to the previous version, while waiting for the solution to this? (Sadly, I did not manage to save a Restore Point before the upgrade). It would be useful have access to previous versions, to deal with experiences like this following an upgrade.

UPDATE: Uninstalled 8.4.1.12 and installed slightly earlier version: 8.4.1.4, downloaded from this site. So far, no problems. Will avoid upgrading again until this issue ("current folder view keeps disappearing") is fixed.

Hmm, It seems 8.4.1.12 is considered released but when I chatted with tech support they said it wasn't yet released and they couldn't provide any support for it. They directed me to a prior version to download and install.

That said, I've got 8.4.1.12 and it has issues. Most notably it will refresh itself for no apparent reason and attempt to change to directories for which it is not (according to Win7 error box) allowed access. It does this to a whole string of directories, like half a dozen in a row. The old versions never did this. As others have noted, it's really slow at starting and listing files. I've been a powerdesk user for it seems like forever, probably since the original version. I'm not to thrilled with this latest one.

Also, it seemed to have issues properly saving changes to existing "profiles" or whatever it calls them. I finally had to delete one I'd been using for years and recreate it.

I can't believe this is considered an acceptable release version and that PD9 is what's being worked on now. Totally unacceptable.

After spending many hours of installing/reinstalling and numerous reboots, to bring Powerdesk 8 Pro (Registered Version) up to the latest, it still has serious performance problems. I hate to give up on it because I have been a user of this software since Mijenix offered the original version. It is grossly over-featured, bloated, and totally unusable. 232 Mb install - Get serious folks. We don't need every bell/whistle available.

As a sidenote, I uninstalled Powerdesk 8 Pro and installed Powerdesk 6 Pro. Performance is now Outstanding on Xp Sp3. That's how file management should work. I guess Pdesk 6 won't work with Win7, so I shall look elsewhere. I don't particularly like using Windows Explorer, but it does the job quickly and doesn't crash or impact performance.

Time to Pull The Plug!

dave sanders says:

"As a sidenote, I uninstalled Powerdesk 8 Pro and installed Powerdesk 6 Pro. Performance is now Outstanding on Xp Sp3. That's how file management should work. I guess Pdesk 6 won't work with Win7."

Don't worry about PD6 not working with Win7....of course it will work.

I've recently reinstalled PD4 to test it vs PD8 and it works fine, I continue to use PD7 on another machine with Win7 and it works fine there as well, so PD6 shouldn't be any problem.

The only problem I've managed to come up with the Powerdesk series is that I was conned into buying PD8 for it's supposedly Win7 compatibility... (Compatibility: Yes, Usability: No)

Powerdesk was the best at file management which is the chief reason we bought the product in the first place.

Earlier award winning versions of this program all work because they all were based on the one thing that PD8 lacks which is good, simple, elegant programming...it does what is says it will do and does it very well...something that PD8 hasn't done since it's conception.

Avanquest has known about these problems for quite a long time and even though they have attempted to fix PD8 as noted by their endless list of corrected problems in each of their patch releases, These patches however seemingly continue to take 2 steps back for every 1 forward.

The reason for the downward spiral of this program is plain and simple...Avanquest was facing a dilemma... How could they continue to increase sales on a product without improving said product and how do you improve upon what was simply at the time the best product in it's field.

We have seen this happen not only with computer programs but other products as well....Consumerism and greed are a deadly mix.

The answer is PD8 was released as a money grab with a Win7 compatibility feature... because you can't have seriously tested this program before releasing it.

You would either have to have been blind not to notice all the problems or were directed to damn the torpedoes and release it as is...hence the term "Money Grab".

The Product Manager must have decided that in order to lure people into spending money to upgrade/purchase PD8 a further attempt would have to be made to have the program do other things rather then it's core function which is File Management.

Self Serving Justification...you can't ask people to pay money for an upgrade/purchase just by slapping a "New and Improved - Win 7 compatible" sticker on last year's product. So PD8 was born.

The only "New Thing" I've seen created regarding the latest incarnation in the Powerdesk series is all the negative comments regarding this product.

This is an total shame because I regard Powerdesk as my #1 core program of any computer I own.

So it's time to step up to the plate Avanquest...PD8 has become an unmitigated disaster and the prospects of selling PD9 no matter how good it is to disgruntled users and prospective new users keep slipping away with each day we continue to have problems with PD8. 

The latest official release of PD8 is slower than any of the previous test releases on what it does, how can this be justified as an official release?

Trust and confidence in a company and the products it produces is an absolute must in this industry... any lack of those feelings acts just like a computer virus, it destroys things and it's sometimes hard to get rid of the stink it creates.

Silence is not an answer or maybe it is regarding PD8, "HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL". Wise words from 3 little chimps, however in this case it should be "Larry, Curly & Moe"

The industry is literally waste deep with dead, non supported, incompatible, out-dated, and totally useless programs....please don't make Powerdesk one of them.

I hate being negative but how can I be anything else given the circumstances.

here we go again....

PD 8.4.1.11 is working find. Is a lot faster. For normal stuff it works just fine.

Some trolls love to write the same thing over and over and over and over again.

I used PD all the time, all day long, at the office and at home. Is working just fine.

Can it be faster?  sure. I can preview my Excel files without a problem.

No need to panic.

I'm a fan. A passionate fan of good programs.  PD 8.4.1.11 is a good program.

If I like something I will recommend it. I work with computers from before the PC came to the market.

I have two licenses and have Powerdesk installed on two computers. I have been using Power Desk since Version 2 or 3 

I have noticed that there are some others here who have been around a similar amount of time, which has to say a lot for the folks who first created Powerdesk.

Untortunatly like many others my road with the program has not been smooth the past year. There have been several offical versions that have been released since I upgraded right when the program came out from version 7.

However, none of thse releases have been entirely without problems. The new and harsher validation procedurses being used by Avanquest has not made these problems any more fun that they would normally be, if you call fun spending two days installing and unitalling the program, reading forums to see if there might be come good built out there, having the program kick out on upgrade or suddenly demand a new serial number to keep funtioning.

My latest problem came after I thought I had gotten through the worst of it. Support gave me two fresh installs of the current version and two new serials for my two computers and the two licenses I original bought which is fair.

The computers are both high end dual xeon workstations with OCZ solid state drives, 64 GB of memory and great graphic cards. They are similar althogh one is a more current breed of XEon.

Powerdesk works like a dream on one computer; On the other, it is a different story.  I am experiencing what others have reported on. The program times out while opening. If let go, it will draw and redraw the directory structure through refreshing, never quite maiming stability. When it "simmers down" it is somewhat unresponsive, opening something might cause another timeout.I tried the deleting the pfg files twice with no luck.

I tried reinstalling, tried to install earlier versions. So far, nothing has proven satisfactory. 

The have tried version 8.4.1.11 and 8.4.1.12 as well as a fresh install of current code. The only build I have not tried is 8.4.1.4 . I have tried 8.4.1.14 but that is not the build that Andrew Fletcher who posted above me in this thread said he liked. I would like to try it. If that does not work, I play to install my old Powerdesk 7 until someone get this right.

Anyone have a link to the 8.4.1.4 file?

Alan Whitely,

I completely agree with your analysis of the PowerDesk 8 fiasco and thanks for the tip about using it with Win7. Pdesk 6 works for me for the time being anyway. I also have been using the PowerDesk line of software for quite a long time and find it difficult to work without it.

x y,

I'm happy it works for you, really, but would rather not get involved in flaming, thanks anyway for your enlightening contributions.

.

I would like nothing better to not say anything bad about PD8, again as I've said many times, it's the first program that I want on my systems.

However I can't sit ideally by and watch a program that was perfect in the way it did file management be rendered virtually useless.

If you have the program sitting around having the hourglass constantly rotating and the "Not Responding" sign pop up even when doing the simplest things...this is WRONG.

I don't think a position of "Not Responding" to this problem is going to change it or push Avanquest to fix it....

After all, Avanquest eventually wants to sell PD9 but with it's track record on PD8, let's just say "Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me".

8.4.1.14 does work, sure, but only if you can put up with it's incredible slowness, which productively I cannot.

I've been forced to go back to Powerdesk's earlier versions in which file management was not the issue.

Let's see how the next patch fixes these ongoing problems or is Avanquest going to abandon PD8 (due to the enormous time and effort it's taken to get this far and because it's still such a Problem child) and move on to PD9.

Time will tell

How do I keep missing these new updates?

I check this forum daily and the built-in update utility.  This is where I was told to look last time I missed the 8.4.1.12 patch.

Now I see a 8.4.1.14 update - where is it - the built-in utility says I'm up to date with 8.4.1.12.

Got PD6 back on my Xp & W7 64 bit machines after testdriving 8.4.1.12.

What a relief, I finally got some work done.

PD8 is useless in this state, the slowness is unbearable.

Actually Powerdesk v7 works quite well. No need to go to version 6 if you purchased 7 and upgraded.

What I am looking for is this version 8.4.1.4 as mentioned above which I wanted to try before downgrading.

I've applied for a refund. Hopefully that runs more smoothly than PDP8.

@ x y:

Some trolls...

We're deliriously happy that PDP8 runs so perfectly for you. Trashing those who have legitimate complaints as trolls is low class. In fact, it has a distinct whiff of trollishness about it.

PDP8, for a significant number of users, is borked. That's a software tragedy, to be sure, because the best paid alternative I can find is three times the price. But your ecstatic experience with the current version isn't universal. It's rather dimwitted and shortsighted of you to refuse to recognize that.

LINK TO 8.4.1.4

To those that are looking for version 8.4.1.4, which I referred to in my above post, here is the link:

http://www.avanquestusa.com/download/PowerDesk_8414_full.exe

The page that contains this link, with explanations as to what it is, can be found here:

http://www.softcity.com/contribution/1ETM0QzN/view/powerdesk-8-preview-release-p3

Let me know what you think--I'm sure you will!!

Thank you for that Andrew Fletcher. I did a complete removal of every trace of the Powerdesk including deleting any related folders and registry entries. By now, I know every on of them but there are many in usual places so its a bit of work unless you know them.

I installed the 8.4.1.4 and it works well. The file manager constant refreshing and redrawing issue was illuminated. The build does not feel entirely solid but it works for me. 

I have one great install and one decently working install of Powerdesk now. I will continue to watch this board for updates but probably will not post again until a new version or patch is released.

As other people have commented, I hope that Avanquest gets things right before trying to move people to a new version. I sincerely hope they do get version of the program that works for most people before moving on to Version 9.  As some of the others here have said, Powerdesk is one of my most important programs.

I have looked at the other alternatives and none of them do file management as well. The file finder in Powerdesk is also one of the best and with Windows Search broken, about the only way to find things.

I use a web based file storage site called sugarsynch. Although i much prefer powerdesk to windows explorer, there is an importnat function in windows explorer that powerdesk does not seem to have. I keep a library of pdf files at sugarsynch and freq I want to share them. In explorer, if I right click on the article, a sugarsinych link is in the dropdown, and one of the links lets me copy a public URL to the file that I can then pastte into outlook and the recipients can download. THis link does not appear in powerdesk

@steve prouty:

Are you running a 64bit version of Windows?

Is the program you are talking about not appearing in the context menu a native 64 bit program?

@michael Clyne

thanks for response .  I am running windows7 64 bit.  I am not sure how to determine if sugarsynch is native 64 bit.  THis is a web based file storage - sharing site -- below is something I found at the site - not sure if it helps.   Whatever the situation is for sugarsynch, the context menu works in my windows explorer, but not in powerdesk (version 8.4.1.12) 

The SugarSync service is hosted at https://api.sugarsync.com; all access to the service is via HTTPS.

The service generates and accepts XML input encoded using the UTF-8 encoding. All XML generated by the service includes an explicit designation of the character set being used; likewise, the service expects its input to be marked accordingly

@steve prouty:

That link doesn't work for me.

If you have a context menu entry for Explorer, I presume there is some helper app you had to install in order to access sugarsynch? If that app is native 64 bit (usually installed to C:\Programs instead of C:\Programs(x86)) it will not show in the context menu of PDP8. It will not show in the context menu of any file manager that is not explicitly 64 bit. I've tried all the major free ones, and only those which are actually 64 bit coded software can "see" context menu entries from 64 bit programs. The rest cannot.

Which means, and I am no coder, that PDP8, while alleged to be fully windows 7 64bit compatible, in fact is not, since context menu operations are, at least by my lights, a core function of a file manager.

Or it is so broken they cannot make this function work.

None of my true 64 bit apps' context menu items display in PDP8. All of them appear in windows Exploder and free, 64 bit file managers that I have used.

This failure was one of several reasons I applied for a refund, which is already turning out to be an adventure of a different sort.

@Michael Clyne

I checked the location of the sugarsynch installation and it is C:\Programs (x86).  Your insight has finally answered this question for me.  As you state, PDP8 must not be fully windows 7 64 bit compatible, as evidenced by this lack of context menu that is otherwise available in windows explorer. (I wonder if this context menu would show up in windows 7 32 bit or windows XP?).   Becasue of this, I stopped using PDP about a year ago.  One thing I really liked about PDP was the two windows for easy file sorting with drag and drop.  I have been using 2 windows in windows explorer to do this.  I thought that updating my version of PDP would help, but this seems to still be an outstanding issue.  I guess I will continue to use windows explorer

Andrew Fletcher,

Thanks and sorry, but that link is not the one I was looking for.  You linked to 8.4.1.4 which is an old release back from January of this year.

People are talking about version 8.4.1.14, I am currently at 8.4.1.12 - your link would back me up version-wise.

So, the question is, is there actually a 8.4.1.14 release, or is this a mix up somewhere?

Mark, Doug, a little help and clarification would be great at this point.

Oh, and BTW, I am not quite ready to give up yet.  My computer world revolves around file management and PD has always been a large part of this.  I agree with all the arguments and feel I've been burnt on the the PD7 and PD8 updates, but I am still willing to give Mark and Doug a chance.

Having said this though, I will need a STRONG incentive to shell out money for PD9 - a VERY STRONG incentive (this translates to dollars).

I have to add to this, having just experienced incredibly poor performance with Powerdesk 8 version 8.4.1.12. I do not know when the program updated (itself) to this version. I have not been using it much (I forked out more $ for Directory Opus, which works FAST, although I have not had time to learn all its powerful features. Point is, I have over a decade of Powerdesk use and familiarity, and would LIKE to use Powerdesk, if it were more reliable or simply worked as it should work (and as it once worked.)

Powerdesk took quite a long time to load, with screen flashes like "hiccups." Then, reading here about long time to display folders if they contain many subfolders, I clicked on a folder with a lot of subfolders and files (1,370 subfolders, 630 files,) and Powerdesk took 50 seconds (!) before displaying the contents on the right-hand pane, with processor usage spiking and program bar indicating "program not responding" (and the streaming music I was listening to started to stutter.) To compare by using Directory Opus, I clicked the same folder and it opened and displayed contents instantaneously.

I tried setting Powerdesk to display generic icons, clicked on the same folder, it took the same amount of time before displaying the folder contents. Of course the program becomes completely unresponsive between the time I click on the folder (or any folder) and when it finally displays contents. One cannot simply choose to abort and click another folder - once a folder is clicked, one has to wait the absurd amount of time until Powerdesk displays it before clicking anything else.

Just clicking the Powerdesk menu items has a delay before the menus appear (and I have Windows performance options set to NOT fade or slide menus, etc.)

With Powerdesk performing this way, it's a liability and not worth using. I hope this feedback leads to a solution.

(My system: ThinkPad T61p, Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, 3GB RAM, 500GB 7,200 RPM drive.)

I'm using 8.4.1.11 and it is working faster than previous builds.

I've seen Directory Opus and the mechanics are different. PD is much more efficient.

For now, I'm very happy with this version.

I just point to a folder with 1,258 items and took 0.5 seconds.

I'm also using 8.4.1.11 (unofficial release) and based on the feedback of 8.4.1.12, I'm not inclined to go through the hassle of changing to the official release. I don't see the performance with 8.4.1.11 that Robert Johnson sees, but it doesn't seem to be any worse than PD 7 (I have no experience with earlier versions). However, I was hoping for an improvement. At this point, buying PD 8 was a mistake.

I don't know about y'all, but I think Avanquest should offer a free upgrade to PD 9 for those who purchased PD 8, given what we've endured.

Randall,

I've been working with Avanquest for many months now on fixing these problems.  After being burned on 7 and 8, I tend to agree.

My patience has worn very thin indeed.  I'm tired of being magnanimous and defending PD!

The natives (ie users) are restless.... and they will continue to be when all we get is SILENCE from Avanquest, You would think that after all this time, when so many problems keep cropping up, and then having Avanquest have the audacity to release an official product upgrade that is even worse then some of the previous test products (it's like they never bothered to test it), It has to make you wonder what is Avanquest's motives at this particular phase of the product is.

I wouldn't even mind one of their representatives to say "Ooops...we've screwed up, Sorry", I could live with that and have us help them to get back on track...but to be silent is arrogant, "Ok, we took your money, and released a lemon, but we will continue to sell this lemon to the unsuspecting public till we get it right....Wait for PD9 dammit, We'll get that right...Trust us!"

Trust has to be earned and from where the users stand at this moment you are going to have to go along way for us to trust any new incarnation of this product.

I now have PD7 working on one of my Win7-32bit systems, awesome...not a problem.

I have PD6 working on my Win7-64 bit system, and it works super fast,

PD8 is also on the Win7-64 system but now has been relegated to non-use since it is no longer an effective or efficient File Manager.

I will still upgrade it when new upgrades occur to see if it can replace one of the earlier (Non Win7 Compatible but works anyway) versions but at this point...I can't see that happening for a long while.

The earlier versions of this product were fast, efficient and the top of the File Management software available, and amazingly they still are.

So here we stand or sit or tapping are fingers waiting for someone to speak up from Avanquest, not one Avanquest representative has made any comment in this thread since it was opened up by them about a month ago... Silence speaks volumes of non-support.

Alan, your post is accurate, and also ironic in how it echoes sentiments of dedicated, loyal users that really want to support a product (and by extension, the company) if only the company would communicate back, even to let us know they are listening. This is the only official support forum, correct?

Perhaps advice for me specifically? Given the extreme slowness and (freezing) of the program in the form that is installed on my system (see 5 posts above,) should I fully uninstall? Then what? The original install version I have, purchased and downloaded in September 2010, is named "PowerDesk_8219" Should this be installed first, followed by what, exactly?

Thanks for anyone who can guide me to a build that at least might be functional enough to use.

Howie

Howie,

Unfortunately, no one can.  It seems each working installation is different for each person - even with the same basic machine.

I don't think there is a right combination of installations that will get you up and running, it seems to be a hit or miss deal.

Sorry, that's all I got.  The latest version is working - sort'a - for me.

Troy Dalton, Sorry I mislead you--I know 8.4.1.4 was going back--that was what I was trying to do. The last automatic update took me from OK (version 8.2 ... I believe) to unacceptable (8.4.1.12), and there seemed no easy way to go back, until I found that relatively recent link that got me back to normalcy. I have not seen an 8.4.1.14--but, given the problems and upset with the current release, I hope a significant and WORKING upgrade appears soon!

I've kept separate copies of each of the upgrades, it's a habit of mine since I was burned once by a new and improved piece of software and when it went down in flames, I couldn't find any of the last working upgrades, so I either had the choice of the original version or the latest upgraded version (no intermediate versions were available) and neither one was acceptable.

I think 8.2.1.9 was ok and I think I made a comment at the time, praising Avanquest for finally putting PD8 in the right direction.... (boy do I hate eating crow).

As you can tell with so many upgrades (or should I say downgrades) to this program it's hard to tell which version was semi-acceptable.

I will try and review the best of the pre-subdirectory screwed-up versions vs the post-subdirectory screwed-up versions.

I'll will try to let everyone know the results however...since work is very busy right now, it may be awhile...but probably not as long as Avanquest takes to make an appearance in this forum.

Can you clarify, is this correct: Avanquest does not provide downloads to the various versions for *existing* customers, except for 1) pre-release versions and 2) downloadable purchased version as it exists on day of purchase ?

After that, as far as I could tell, the only way to upgrade versions was to use the program's internal LiveUpdate feature?

Given how unusable my current install is, would the users here suggest I fully uninstall, and then try the link at the top of this thread, for (PowerDesk_84111_setup.exe) and go from there, or do any of you have links to the other versions being discussed?

Thanks!

Howie,

The versions here are not ready for public release, they're supposed to be beta.  After compiling and releasing to us, we give feedback.  If everything seems OK, they are then supposed to go live.  So far only one version was deemed ready.

My prediction is that Avanquest will be releasing no more versions of PD 8, that their PD 9 is close to being ready for release so all of their efforts are going into that.  This is what we are stuck with (a hole in our wallets - during a recession - and a barely functional piece of software).

I was hoping they would at least fix the problem of being put into a directory after it is created.  We've been complaining about this for many versions.

As we are getting no feedback, it's just a waiting game.  I haven't decided my direction yet - giving PD 9 a chance or looking elsewhere.  I haven't been on the computer as much lately, but when I do, I will be forced to choose.

I think they are convinced that PD 9 will blow our socks off and we will fall over each other trying to obtain it.  After reading all of the entries, I don't see that happening.

Howie,

I recommend you do a full uninstall of whatever version you have, and remove all traces. Here's a link to an earlier post for manually uninstalling any left over traces:

http://www.softcity.com/contribution/1kjMzQzN/view/manual-removal-of-powerdesk.

Once you've done that, you can reinstall your paid for version, and run LiveUpdate to update to 8.4.1.12 the current official version. However, based on feedback in this thread, it might be a bad idea. Although it works for some but not others.

Or

Use the link at the top of this thread to install the latest unofficial release 8.4.1.11. For me, this version is passably working, and I don't see a need to upgrade to the official release.

Good luck!

File properities window comes up underneath the main window.  This was introduced in the previous build.

Now you I can only change file attributes on one file at a time, regardless of number of files selected only the last file selected will change.

Been using this program for many years, unfortunate that each new release seems to be buggier than the last.

Think I may go back to version 7 today.

An open letter to Avanquest and Brian Doud

Hi Brian...I've noticed that you continue to ignore the comments made about Powerdesk 8 and it's latest incarnation in the forum that you created.

Is this the way you want the program to be remembered as....a slow ineffectual program, or are you going to finally explain the reasons behind this latest release that is worse then it previous developmental programs.

Is all of your efforts focused on releasing PD9, and would rather not comment on PD8 any further?

Silence about this will not make it's problems or comments go away, and will only drive dedicated users to go and find a more effective program or revert back to one of the earlier versions of Powerdesk that was less buggy.

It also is not an effective way to show Avanquest in a good light, that they are willing to stand behind their products.

Acknowledgement about the condition of your product is the first step in gaining the trust of the consumer.

Promoting benefits or exposing shortcomings are all part of the process in creating a better program, and with the help of users of this program maybe a solution could be found or at least some compromise with the existing users who paid for the program only to feel that they have been mislead.

Powerdesk 9 is not a solution to the problems that PD8 faces but a slap in the face to users of PD8 who by judging by the comments in the forum feel they have been taken for a ride and ignored.

True, plenty of bugs have been fixed but to what end, A lemon is still a lemon.

Now I hate having to rant on this repeatedly, but the longer Avanquest and yourself ignore talking to us the more this situation will become polarized.

And still we keep waiting and waiting......do you hear that....the distant sounds of crickets, that maybe all you be hearing when you try to sell PD9 without acknowledging you've failed with PD8.

its true. some people are ranting about the same issues repeatedly.

They should let it go. Enough is enough.

I use Powerdesk almost every minute of my working hours and is working just fine.

I'm sure Powerdesk V.9 is going to be fantastic since the people in charge talk about they were re-writing the code, starting from scratch.  I'm assuming the silence in this forum is because they already explain what they were doing 3 times and they must be working hard in PD9. I got that. Not everybody got it.

"x y" If PD8 is ineffective for many of us, and we paid for it, why would we even think about PD9?  Unless it's a free upgrade and I still would be very reluctant to give it a try.

"x y" I also use Powerdesk all the time (home/work)...and if you noticed the comments by the majority of users here, it ISN"T working fine, since it's quite slower than it's predecessors and still has many unresolved bugs.

As for PD9, you assume it will be fantastic, just because the "people in charge" talk about re-writting the code, well isn't that just dandy...but wait aren't these the same people who sold us PD8 and released it before it was ready.

Of course what it boils down to is whether the new product works or not, and whether you have trust in the company that's sellling the product whose trust level has obviously been brought to an all-time low with PD8.

The purpose of these forums are to share ideas (bad, good, indifferent, & rants can be expected when expectations are not met, or in this case...met with silence).

So where do we go from here, the open letter I wrote before was to provide an opportunity for Avanquest and they're point-man Brian Doud to explain what is going on with this product, why they have not commented on the program since this forum was opened by them on April 4th, why support has been slow or non-existant or met with silence and finally to explain why should we trust a further incarnation of a product when it looks like they have abandoned the existing product.

There is nothing more I would love is this file manager to regain it's status as the best on the market since I find it the one utility that's critical in my day to day computer use...but if the cost is alienating it's existing clientele, what does that tell you about the company and it's trustworthiness.

Greetings all,

I have not posted for a while.. but have followed what has been going on with interest. I see some of you continue to have problems that are either not addressed in the patch or are more likely a mismatch of DLLs, etc. (i.e. bad installations). There are still others who have additional issues that they would like to see addressed--like Alan's create a directory and then being placed inside of it. Yes, it is a feature and yes it should be an option.

At this time we are not planing any additional patches to PowerDesk 8. Thats said, we do intend to create an interim release between now and the release of PowerDesk 9. This release will provide some enhancements to PowerDesk 8 and more importantly a new completely re-written Size Manager that will use the new PowerDesk 9 developed engines. If you think about what Size Manager does you'll realize that it covers the basic needs for engines in a new PowerDesk--it must scan quickly, provide ease of navigation and present information and give you options as to what to do with the information.  We think using Size Manager as a basis and a means of tuning for performance is the best way to get a solid platform for PD 9.

I encourage all of you to who continue to have problems to do a clean install of the software. It is very easy to get a mix of DLLs in a beta program and when that happens it produces strange results. I will work with Brian to see if we can do anything to help clean up the systems and provide a full build that can be downloaded.

Thanks all for your feedback.

I see some of you continue to have problems that are either not addressed in the patch or are more likely a mismatch of DLLs, etc. (i.e. bad installations).

And:

I encourage all of you to who continue to have problems to do a clean install of the software. It is very easy to get a mix of DLLs in a beta program and when that happens it produces strange results.

Bad DLLs. Beta? This is a joke, right?

Please stop blaming users for your crappy software.

Seriously. Enough already.

Some of us jumped through every hoop imaginable to make the software work, including hunting down every stray bit of PDP8 and removing it before trying multiple patched and full release, paid retail versions.

I went so far as to install it on a second machine, clean, and it had all of the same problems.

Tech support has been exceedingly unhelpful, vanishing when the easy fixes didn't work. I'm embarrassed on your behalf that you continue to charge money for Power Desk Pro 8 and pretend it comes close to fulfilling even its most basic functions, as advertised, on the target platforms in anything approaching a usable, stable manner.

It may seem sly to couch it the way you do, but blaming users and "ghosts in the machine" for your company's apparent competence at wrecking core functions of what was once an excellent file manager is really quite shameful.

Stop it.

some people listen to voices that don't exist.

Mark didn't blame any user. For one million installations there must be 100,000 variations depending of what you have in your PC.  Mark's post was very nice. It won't be nice to people that think PD8 should cure cancer for the price we paid.

Mark wrote "mix of DLLs" and someone read "bad DLLs". This is common knowledge. Maybe some users should consult with somebody else before installing software.

"Enough already"? are you serious. Do you want users to make donations, give you your money back if you promise not to come to this forum anymore?.

"Stop it"? really? Life is more complicate than buying a software that didn't work as intended. 

Did anybody complain when PD5 was free? no? calm down. Post some feedback once in a while. I mean different ones.

Mark... keep the good work. I can sense that PD9 will be just perfect for everybody to enjoy.

@x y:

Maybe some users should consult with somebody else before installing software.

You too can join in blaming users for unusable software.

Go away, little troll. I'm a very experienced user, and a long time user and fan of PDP. The broken software isn't my fault, much as you'd like to believe it is.

What is common knowledge at this point is that PDP8 is utterly borked.

That it is being offered for money is absurd, given the problems and vanishingly low level of support. If the support were even a little better than the half-hearted bits I and others received, we might not be so irritated.

As for "curing cancer" and your other OT nonsense, blow your straw man, little troll.

PDP5 has nothing to do with anything, but feel free to change the subject - it is your sole M.O. here. I'd argue PDP5 worked, which is something at least, given PDP8 is a long running, sick joke.

No need for a collection - I was quick enough to apply for and eventually receive a refund for PDP8. I did so based on the fact of a terminally broken program, lack of support here, via email, and then a conversation with one of the folks attached to the company that made it clear they view anyone who paid for the program as nothing more than just another sucker. It was obvious nothing was going to be properly addressed. "Wait for version 9, it'll be AWESOME!"

It's ridiculous.

Then Mark's post came up in my inbox and it was just a little too much to stomach.

You see, all the troubles stemming from the use of PDP8 are solely due to orphan DLLs, or bad installs, or some other variable that they just can't seem to account  for, except they all point at the users, not the authors of the program. It isn't remotely possible that their software is in any way at fault, that they took what was, through V6, a pretty great program and rendered it unusable.

No, that could not possibly be it. All down to the users. Funny, that.

I can sense that PD9 will be just perfect for everybody to enjoy.

Clairvoyant, are you? Because the evidence is strongly running against you on this one.

Thanks Mark for finally stepping up to the plate and responding on behalf of the company...it's been a long time coming...see it didn't hurt that much.

It comes as no great shock that there will be no more patch upgrades to PD8 (I guess there is only so much juice you can squeeze from a lemon).

It seems for a great long time that any support for this product came from only the users side (right... "x y"), and not from the company since up until now...Silence seemed to be the motto.

I'm glad that you have finally cleared the air on the disposition of PD8, even though in certain ways it's not the answer we were looking for and it definitely doesn't make up for the grief that the program has caused.

This product and the support it has received has left a lot of us distrustful of any future products in this series, we don't want to get burned again by false promises and poor performance.

I wish you luck in trying to prove to us that PD9 might come even close to what this program was originally designed for and at one time was very good at doing.

Giving the latest track record...you'll have a very huge uphill climb to do that.

Originally I had hoped that posting the open letter would prompt someone from Avanquest into at least commenting on the status of the Powerdesk series...and I am satisfied that it has......for now.

I hope you and your colleagues, take it to heart about being silent in the future.

Silence builds distrust.

Michael.... let it go... let it go...let iiiiitttttt gggggoooo...

Alan, I'm sure PD8 was a vane intent to write code on someone else software that backfire. The last patch is finally working... for me.  Sometimes I prefer to do a new program from scratch than modify an old program. That's why I have faith in PD9. In any case, you can download the demo is see for yourself.  If PD9 doesn't work will be a big lost for Avanquest. PowerDesk is the best file manager. If PD9 does what is suppose to do with a good marketing campaign and a good price it should be purchase just fine.

@x y:

Relax, Miss Cleo. According to your dubious gifts, all will be well. :)

Mark,

I suggest that only paid members can post in this forum.

Michael got his money back. But that was not enough. He wants to destroy Avanquest.

They say "if you don't vote, you can complain about the government"

I say: "if you got your money back... go away"

....

now all is well :)

@x y:

He wants to destroy Avanquest.

LOL.

Now that's plain paranoid. Suddenly I have super powers? I'm going to "destroy" a software company?

Your clairvoyance is failing you.

Let's ask a question.

If, as you repeatedly say, your PDP install is letter perfect 24/7, why have you been haranguing and trolling other users (Alan comes immediately to mind) who have posted legitimate complaints in this and other threads?

What's your stake in this?

I voted with my dollars. I voted with my dollars years ago on a different version. I may yet vote again for a future version of PDP with my dollars.

My request for a refund within the time period specified by Avanquest was also another type of vote. One of no confidence in the current product. I get to do that, and adhering to the TOS here I get to speak about why I did that, if I so choose. You have no say in the matter.

None whatsoever.

@ xy:

"I'm sure PD8 was a vane intent to write code on someone else software that backfire. The last patch is finally working... for me."

I glad that the last patch is working for you, I never said I had a problem with the installation of the last version 8.4.1.12, in fact I had a flawless installation unlike many other users.

What I have a problem with is PD8's performance, it's has gotten so bad that...dare I say it...MS Explorer outperforms it in certain ways...excuse me while I go wash my mouth out with soap. :P

That's why PD8 has been relegated to a program on my system that no longer get's used, I have went back to 2 earlier versions that I bought. On one system I have PD7 and on the other PD6, both work fast & flawlessly despite not being "Win7" compatible.

Sometimes new technology can be a great thing, but as the old saying goes, why mess with a good thing. Avanquest messed with a good thing and PD8 was the result.

This saying goes as well for other old technologies, I'm a big music collector, and have thousands and thousands of LP's, and still collect and listen to them. I would explain what an LP is to those too young to remember them, but why bother since they are the MP3 (Compressed Sound) Generation.

All I know is LP sales are up and CD sales are down....Old technology can be and still is viable and may even sound better too :)

So I guess now we await the interim release of PD8 before the initial release of PD9.

Both the PD8 interim release and the PD9 pre-release Demo will probably be the most severely tested product Avanquest has ever released.

All the members of this forum are extremely passionate about this program and whether the product succeeds or fails may come down how you treat them since they not only represent the continued success of the Powerdesk since they'll will undoubtedly be the first to either purchase or not to purchase the new product, especially if it's another lame duck such a PD8 since all that would do is to create such a whirlwind of bad publicity, that I doubt the product could survive.

I believe that Avanquest also should be prepared to take into consideration all the pain and suffering that PD8 has inflicted on it's purchasers when they go about asking us for more money, that consideration may or may not happen, it's just a suggestion.

So the ball is in your court, don't disappoint us.

PS

I'm now in preparation for the May "Two-Four" long weekend (inside joke) and since I AM CANADIAN (Beer and Hockey and Ranting are on the agenda)

So here's one last message to everyone who reads and writes in the forum, get out from behind your monitors every once and a while and enjoy life. Remember a day without laughter is a day wasted.

So enough of the criticisms for at least a weekend or so and here's to all my favorite "F" words

Family...Friends...Food...Forgiveness

Enjoy

Firstt of All, I'm very sad to see how we, users are fighting each other, instead of blaming the company. I've been using PD since PD2, such a long, long time ago, and I'm so sorry to say instead of listening to the company to say how sorry they are, for having lunched a so pooooooor program. We are fighting an dreaming about the virtues  of PD9. That's not the point, PD8 behaves lousy, and that is a fact! And you may belive or not but hurts me a lot, I've always been so proud of using PD. So I went back to PD7, running W7/64. And now the company is telling us that we users are fools and guilty for the  poor behaviour of PD !!!!! O.M.G. And of couse asking us to buy the new PD. That this one is going to fullfil all our expectations, so they are admiting that PD8 does not!!!! They don't won't to admit it in public, but between lines they are. I know this is business, but a really bad one.

Regards

I have been using Pd6 as a substitute for Pd8 because of its extremely poor performance. Like others here I even reverted to Windows Explorer at times for heavy duty file management. Pd6 fills the bill for me anyway, so I will continue to use it. If you visit Avanquest's website you might notice that Pd8 is buried so deeply that it would be difficult for a beginner to find. Online support is similar - another website buried among confusing old and new threads.

I would assume from all this that Avanquest has relegated this particular software offering to orphan status and is more concerned with sales rather than support. I even wonder if the upcoming Pd9 is nothing but vaporware.

I also use PD6 now, not 7 or 8.

I will not comment on Mark's response because my post would be deleted for the language used.

I waited to buy PD8 because I felt burnt on my PD7 purchase and had read bad reviews on PD8.  I bought it right before Christmas because of the patch released and the implied promise of a corrected mistake.

After I bought PD8 I was going to get my money back, but I was assured by two Avanquest employees that these issues were being addressed.  The 30 days came and went months ago.

I'm still waiting.

Since there was a little confusion over version numbers, I wanted to comment quickly on that.

There were some comments referring to version 8.4.1.14, which does not exist.

At the top of this thread is a link to the release build of 8.4.1.12 if you want to do a clean uninstall and reinstall without using the online updates.

Hello Brian.  Thanks for posting the release build.  I had tried to use the upgrade method to move from 8.4.1.1.1 to 8.4.1.12 carefully following the instructions and had strange problems and memory errors from time to time.  I went back to 8.4.1.1.1 and all problems went away.  When you posted this new release build I installed it and everything is great! This version has fixed all the issues that were on my list!

I would like to add my voice to those requesting that a future fix be made to ensure that when I create a new sub folder, focus stays in the directory that the sub folder was created in.  This was never a "deal breaker" issue with me but I would like it addressed.

Power Desk has been my tool of choice for many years.  I'm glad we are off the bumpy road now! 

A warm Texas thank you!

A Trivia Side Note:  Before I started using Power Desk way back when, my favorite file manager was from a company named "Central Point Software".  For the life of me I can't remember the name of the actual software package.  Getting old sucks!  Anybody out there know what that software was called?

Roger,

I think the software was named PcTools. I remember using that a LONG time ago back in the MsDos days.

Why have there been no posts since May 22nd?  Am I on the wrong page?

Just so you all know, "x y" is an alias for Fernando from way back in this conversation.  After a deserved verbal whipping by Alan Whitley, Fernando changed his posting name, so as to become anonymous...Ha!

I thought at one time that he was a plant from Avanquest, but have since changed my mind - not sure what his motivations are though.  Not sure where he works where he uses PD8 everyday with ease, but spelling and grammar must not be prerequisites for the job.

Yes, it is sad that this conversation sometimes digresses to flaming others, but it is an unusual sort of support that "x y" provides to PD8.  He seemingly is the only one of us that seems to have no issues with PD8.  It seems to make no difference to him that others continue to have issues - he simply denies it - weird!

As for Mark and his group, I, like Troy, will have to refrain from any comments about his post because it would most likely be deleted.  I have followed this entire conversation for a long time and made my feelings clear early on, only to be put off by Mark as someone to not be taken seriously.  I honestly can't believe he is still at the helm of this ship - unbelievable!

The ONLY reason I continue to follow this conversation is the hope that they will somehow, some day fix the issues, but we recently found out from Mark that that is not going to happen.  So it's time for me to move on for good.  I cannot believe they still attempt to sell the current PD8; and oh, by the way, it's even discounted for the month of June!  What a deal - too bad there will be unsuspecting suckers.

We all vote with our dollars everyday.  It's now time to vote for other programs whose companies actually care about their customers.  If they are still selling PD8 with all of its issues, do you really think that you will be able to believe them when they tell you that PD9 is ready and waiting for your hard earned dollar, and that all the previous problems have been fixed?  Don't bet on it for a minute!  Quit wasting your time and money, because not only have they shown that they cannot fix PD8, but that they don't really care if they ever do, as evidenced by their lack of interaction in this conversation.  Again, why on earth do you have any faith that they will get PD9 right?

Same problem as 2Much 2Do

This is NOT what I paid for.

PD was the second program I load when I buy or build a nue PC (right after AV)

Not any longer.

Am now looking for a program that functions liek PD V6, i.e. fast and no problems.

The recurring problems with V8 almost seem as if Avantquest is intenionally writing bad code in the hopes of selling V9.

As the saying goes "Fool me once.......

I was wondering when the apathy parade would stop and someone would continue this forum...it must have been because of the holidays (Victoria day up here in Canada and Memorial day down in the States), but now that that's over...

As I said before in this forum and the one previous to it and the one before that, Avanquest and those personnel who promote/sell/mislead the public into purchasing the inferior product "PD8", continue to show they have no moral obligation to the buying public other then to feed the bottom lines of they're business.

Since there is no way they can defend they're position with PD8, the position now becomes "No Comment will be made about PD8 by any Avanquest personnel...period"

They have to defend the party line or be thrown overboard.... Avast you scurvy dogs, We be pirates... arrggg. :)

All kidding aside, If Avanquest seriously wants us to buy PD9, they will have to bring us on board NOW!...if they can.

The new product should be seriously discounted to people who have purchased PD8 especially to people who have contributed to the various forums about PD8.

Who else can you seriously trust to promote the product, surely not Avanquest with it's nicely worded, lawyer edited, manicured self promotional write up. We've seen and read that with your promotion of PD8 and surely you know we can see right through that.

If you want this product to be a success then you will have to try to sway this critical crowd about your product not alienate them as you are doing now.

If you can do that you've got a lot going for you.

The Core Users of the Powerdesk line of products through all of it's ups and downs...are the people who will work with the company to make it a better product, but trust will play a very important role and judging by this forum and others, you are going to have to work hard in restoring that trust.

We already have bought this product in various versions several times throughout it's existence, from the steady upgrades of versions 2, 3 & 4, through the great times of versions 5 & 6, the shaky but workable version 7 and unfortunately the still-birth of PD8.

It now up to you Avanquest.... unfortunately you're still bound and gagged by corporate politics...where loyalty to the purchaser goes only as far as the time when payment is confirmed. After that......

W7x64. I've installed the latest version 8.4.1.12, it's not sooo slow, but far away from how it should beahve, still has many bugs, most of them stil reported.

Roger Marble, try Total Commander at least is Reliable and Fast. I think that is what all of us excpect of PD.

My serial number stopped working for some apparent reason. I had installed and uninstalled Powerdesk several times with all of these updates. How do I get a new one? How many times can it be installed before this activation error comes up? Does Powerdesk "call Home" regularly or only upon installation?

"It appears that the serial number [XXX] you selected when installing PowerDesk was already used or you have reached the maximum of installation allowed. Therefore, this software cannot run with this serial number. For more information, please contact the customer service or click here:"

Boxtop, sorry I have to be the one telling you this but you are writing in a PD forum. I think you meant to write in your Diary. That was a long post and no new information. We know you hate PD8. As much as you thought I was a plant from PD (no, I'm not... I just hate people that exaggerates sooo much)  I thought you work for a PD competitor (just because of the way you finish all your posts).

I have issues with PD8. It just got much better. Still can drag a file out of a zip file without my PC crashing.

Another BUG

Every time I start PDP there is a pop-up telling me to check for updates. I have gone to Help/Live Update/Configure Live Update and checked Manual and un-checked Use Wizzard then OK.

The change never actually occurs so I always get the Pop-Up window.

RE problems with B8.4.1.12 I got to the latest version using the provided Update Wizzard so there is no way I made any install errors.

Due to all the problems with V8 I suggest the least Avantquest could do is offer a roll-back to V7 to those of us who have paid for the broken V8 software.

New problem.

Well I removed V8 following the instructions. Downloaded & installed V6 and somehow it messed up all my links on the desktop. Anything I click opens up PowerDesk.

I can't even open Control panel to allow me to uninstall PowerDesk. This is like a virus.

Side issue. I asked for a link to DL an earlier version of PD and the dimbulb provided links to dl V 8.4.1.12. Obviously can't read or compriehend English.

@Roger,

I have had this problem before and if I open PD and choose "Options >Preferences >General Settings", then in the section called "Replace MS Explorer", uncheck the box at the bottom of that small window that says "Use PD to open My Computer and folders", that has generally taken care of the issue after restarting PD.  Hope that's all it is for you.

After trialling 11 possible replacements, having been a user since Mijenix; being the first to defend PowerDesk, I am compelled being a professional software developer (not on PC's) to give up.

PD6 - opening my music folder of about 2300 files - 1-2 seconds

PD8 - 1+ minutes if it doesn't crash

Hangs all the time.

Don't see 1/2 of my context menu items (yes I know why - because PowerDesk is NOT 64 bit compatible and therefore doesn't show context entries installed by REAL 64 bit apps) - so I go to Explorer for my context menu - what the hell is this?

So I'd finally decided to try to find a file manager that was ALMOST as good as PD USED TO BE.

I tried this one and that one - most sucked really bad as far as functionality is concerned, but they didn't crash, or hang or take minutes to open a folder.

Then I came across FileBoss. It is a real 64 bit app, works very similar to PD, but is in my opinion better than PD ever was; and it works; and for $50, all the members of your house can use it on one licence. FileBoss to me is now the only real serious professional file manager for Windows. I'm not affliliated with them at all. I'm a professional I.T. professional who's been in love with PD for many years - first s/w I install after the OS, but I've seen the light. FileBoss - try it - my impression right from the git go was "this feels familiar"; yes a bit of a learning curve - it is not exactly the same. League all its own. Tried XYExplor2 and all of the other similarly named softwares - they sucked; tried Directory Opus, but didn't have a year to take off to learn how to do the most basic things. No I take no pride on writing this comment - I feel like I'm crapping on a long comrade of mine. But PD has been passed around to too many companies only interested in making a buck. PD8 never worked. I would never have paid for V9 - I didn't get functional s/w when I paid for V8. $50 - FileBoss. Check it out.

reply to gary green

thanks for the very informative post -- I iagree with the lack of context windows (when using windows 7, 64 bit). a showstopper for me. I tried fileboss per your recommendation. Although it seems pretty good, there is another showstopper for me, and that is lack of a preview pane that can automatically preview any file type (which windows explorer (in windows 7) does very nicely. I asked tech support and they said this would be implemented in the fall. I will try fileboss again at that time.

The Dialog Helper now works in many of my programs where it didn't on the retail version. That's been great.

However, using DH does not put the cursor at the "file name" box on either the "Save As" or "Open" dialog boxes on Excel or any other program where, without DH, you get a blinking cursor to type a file name. This is annoying since I often type in file names to call up some files.

The post just before mine reminded me I had meant to uninstall (and manual 'cleaning' of remnants,) and re-install using the  8.4.1.12.   build at the top of this thread.  I used to love Dialog Helper but it seemed less and less functional as windows moved from 2000 to XP to Vista to Win7.  But hey, I thought I'd try a reinstall and be optimistic.  But what is the result: The program is making things worse than ever:

First after install it starts telling me it can't read folders in my user name (as in, My Documents, Downloads etc. and creates garbage characters for folders, and then they disappear (luckily only within the PD8 GUI, they don't seem to be damaged in reality.)  Second attempt to run program and open folders, PD8 just crashed within seconds of accessing my own user folders.  Lovely, right?

Then, by pure chance, I came across 2 documents I printed from web browser in XPS format (using MS xps printer.)  I wanted to try to re-print them using a PDF printing option.  Well, every attempt at printing, even to my laser printer, XPS viewer would crash.  I finally looked at the problem description and there was faulting module: pddlghlp.exe - in other words, Powerdesk Dialog Helper was somehow crashing the XPS viewer.  I used task manager to end the Dialog Helper process, and XPS viewer worked flawlessly.  

I think I'm at that point where I'd be an idiot to keep working with Powerdesk.  I'm DONE, truly DONE this time.  10+ years of using decreasingly functional piece of software, it's just not worth it if components not only don't work properly, but start to crash other apps.  I have no problems with Directory Opus, I just have to set aside 1/2 a day to sit and read/learn how to fully use it.  Avanquest, I would say "get your act together" but you've proven you can't or you wont'.   Best of luck to all the other contributors (victims) here.  

hi there,

I am still using 8.4.1.12. there has been no chatter lately and I am wondering what is happening. Will there be any other updates?

I for one have been using windows explorre in Windows 7 as well as the file fnder fom powerpoint to do all of my file mamngement Powerdesk remains way to slow, especially when working over a network. Powerdesk also looks tired and old.

I have been using powerdesk for years and hope that the next version will reflect a major update. otherwise, I will have to look elsewhere

dave

Dave & All,

Yes, I hope Avanquest is still working on a new release after 8.4.1.12. I'm still using it and it does have several bugs that need to be worked out. Dialog helper "works" in Excel 2010, however just the icons appear - they don't do anything. They show folders and paths but they just don't work.

Also, when you customize the toolbar, none of the settings take so you're stuck with the default settings.

None of these programs are without fault. Windows Explorer doesn't seem to know how to refresh after you delete a file. Then, what is most annoying to me, the folder tree doesn't scroll when you roll your mouse over it. You have to click on something then scroll (it's always been that way but I would have hoped they changed that).

I gave Fileboss a short try (as suggested above). One glaring problem was that I've created a number of Library entries with folders in them. Fileboss expands one the folders - just in the libraries that I created. It works fine for pictures and documents (all the default library entries) - but not the ones I made.

That leads back to PowerDesk... And, yes, it looks outdated because they disabled the custom "skins."

So, as loud as I can muster here "HEY AVANQUEST - THROW US A BONE HERE!

Ross,

the scroll in the folders works for me. It could be mouse related. I don't like to combine companies, but here it is: I'm using the Logitech Marathon and I have no problems.

I'm using PD 8 with the slow down and everything. Better than the alternatives (I tried them). My company switch to McAfee and it seems slower than before, but could be the settings since everything is slower, except that Windows Explorer seems to read the folder almost instantly.

I would appreciate a word from Avanquest with a Roadmap like FireFox does. I don't have a problem with delays (like in FireFox if there is a good explanation) but I like to have something to look forward.

thanks

Robert,

I don't think I made myself clear. The scroll works fine in PD, I was pointing out the annoying issue with Windows Explorer. Funny, I haven't seen that much of a slowdown. I would bet it has something to do with networking. I'm only connected to a home network and leave the other computer off most of the time.

I agree with you, some feedback would be nice. To just leave everyone hanging doesn't seem like a good way to treat volunteers. We volunteered to debug this, it would be courteous let us know they're at least still working on it.

Thanks for responding!

Ross and others, doesn't look like you will be getting any feedback.  They are done with Ver 8, as Mark said a few posts above: "At this time we are not planing any additional patches to PowerDesk 8."

That's the reason there is no activity - most of us have written this off as a bad investment (I am sorry to say, truly sorry).  I still haven't found (or can't afford) a suitable replacement.  We are stuck with what we have.

Looking for suggestions for a good File Management program.

I have a Win-7 64 bit system and a Vista 32 bit laptop and want to run the same software on both.

I gave up on PD8 due to numerous crashes, problems and slow response.

PD6 crashed Win and forced a hard drive re-format and complete reinstall of everything. I am still suffering the effects 6 weeks later.

Will never try anything from Avantquest again as they turned a nice quick functional program into something that acted more like a Trojan Horse / Virus than a helpful filemanagement program.

Roger,

Some free file managers I suggest in order of preference: Q-Dir (32 & 64 bit), FreeCommander or FreeCommander XE (Beta). Some not free: SpeedCommander ($63 USD)  or Total Commander ($46 USD). Q-Dir works quite well for me. I didn't like FileBoss, XYPlorer or Xplorer2 and although I liked Directory Opus it's way too expensive ($93 USD). BTW, most 32 bit programs work on 64 bit OS.

Well...I haven't seen anything posted here in quite a long time, except for the promotion of other products other than Powerdesk... We all are in agreement that PD8 was a ripoff, created by Avanquest to get more money from us...and for that trust delivered us the still-born P.O.S. called PD8.

But aside from Mark and Doug sounding more like "Bob and Doug McKenzie" (Two Hosers from the Great White North) and giving us a load of BS about some vaporware called PD9 and generally not responding to the basic questions/complaints about PD8.

Is it proper that software brand managers of a product still being sold should tell us that they are finished with PD8 and are essentially now abandoning that product.

That strikes somewhere close to quoting Douglas Adams "Goodnight, and thanks for all the fish", where fish is the codeword for money.

I guess they feel that Silence is Golden....especially when people keep unsuspectingly buying this obviously inferior product.

So what happens to us as uber-users and former promoters of this product going to be able to do to inform the unsuspecting public about this piece of software that ranks up there with....let me see....hmmmm....I've got it...."SPAM".

What can we do as users to have Avanquest talk to us.

Maybe the Chairman/CEO Bruno VanRyb can send out a statement...or Group General Manager, Roger Politis ....or maybe Brand Managers such as Mark and Doug...hell...I'd even settle for a word from the midnight security guard.  

The Avanquest group achieved sales of €88.2 million in 2009/10...

Wow....can we YELL......REBATE.....

Part of the mission statement from the company is as follows

"Our Vision"

"Avanquest was created from the combination of “Avant” and “Quest” to symbolize the constant quest of founders Bruno Vanryb and Roger Politis for innovation and excellence."

Noble words.....and PD 2,3,4,5,6,7 all fell in the category of innovation and excellence, unfortunately it ended there and so I believe the ethics of this company did as well!

Well goodnight for now and thanks letting me Rant about some dirty truths.

@Alan Whitley:

FWIW, I tried all of the free alternatives, and the most useful one for me was Explorer++, if you use the nightly builds. Not as full featured as PDP was, but it does a fair number of things right, is reasonably configurable, and has a native 64 bit version which solves the context menu problem. Q-Dir is also pretty good.

In the end it wasn't enough for me so I moved on to trial versions of other retail file managers. They all did many things well, others not so well, and after consideration none felt like they were worth the money (US $35-65 range). So, knowing it was expensive, I got a 60 day trial license for Directory Opus. I only waited three days before paying the full cost of the license. It is stable, clean, fast and configurable in every way imaginable. It is true 64 bit Windows 7 compatible. There is a bit of a learning curve in getting it set up to taste, but it is a fine piece of software. Unfortunately, at current exchange rates, the $85 Australian price tag translates to $90+ USD.

Thing is, it just works. No fussing with reinstalls, patches that solve nothing, crashes or hangs, lame tech support, and an inability to perform the most basic of functions in a useful, reasonable manner. DO is, far and away, the best file manager I have ever used on any platform. The price is high, but it is one of two programs open on my machine from boot up to shut down, so I consider the expense worth it.

I still hope Avanquest gets its act together and manages to fix PDP, but I honestly hold little hope for it based on what transpired with version 8.

I am an old user of PD since PD4, and PD is my n°1 program; so I approve the previous posts about PD8, concerning the PD8 problems and the bad attitude of Avanquest/Softcity.

If I have well understood (I am french), I have to wait PD9 (how long time ?). I don't care to spend a few euros, if the issues are corrected.

My major issues in PD8 (that were not in previous PD) are :

1) Mouse scrolling does not work

I use PD with 2 horizontal panes, and in each pane there is the folder "part" and the file "part".

When i put the mouse cursor on either of the 4 "parts", and made a scroll (with the mouse roll), PD8 does nothing, and I have to first select a thing (folder or file) in this "part" and then make the scroll. It's a lost of time, and have side effects when working fastly (move of folders, ..).

2) The new handling of renaming (file/folder) in PD8

I often use the F2 key, to rename (or to copy the name of) a file/folder. But, in this case, PD8 only highlight the name of the file without the extension, so i have manually to select the full name. Furhermore when I change the extension of a file, I have a new warning windows, with a sound, that make me crazy. Could this new handling be an option (in Menu Options/preferences).

3) PD8 is too slow, and freezes ("PD not responding" and white screen)

A French version will be available in PD9 ?

Could the "Synchronisation folder" fonction be improved ?

I have never been satisfied by this fonctionality. I still use an old version of Explorer2000 (En/Fr/Ge trial version downloaded at  http://www.delldownloadstore.fr/Description-du-logiciel-essai-REF-11787-1-Explor2000.html) that makes the comparison of the files within the main windows. It's really easier.

Is there any news of an update? I stopped using the software months ago and have been hoping for some news???

WELL!!!??????

To dukang John & wholesalebra billaa...this forum is to discuss Powerdesk software and though it might be as crappy as the stuff your trying to sell, This is not the proper place to peddle your wares and all it just goes to show that you don't give a **** about Internet ettiquette and are being in general... arseholes. "May you come to the attention of powerful people."

wow!  I got this link to a VIP place where POWERDESK PRO 8.5  is being offered:

                    http://tinyurl.com/6ol8rqo

I thought PD 9.0 was going to be the next release.

What does this means?

Is PD 8.5 faster? 

Does is has all the fixes that 8.4.1.11 has and more?

Is this a release to make old customers happy and PD 9.0 will have more improvements?

I just installed V8.5 yesterday and have not seen any problems so far.  The upgrade price was $9 which seems OK to me.

Jim,

thanks for the 'no problems so far'.

What about the speed moving through different folders?

Speed seems good.  I have not had any of the problems (and there were many) I had with V8 .  I had reverted to V7 till this 8.5 came out.

Great to know about the upgrade. But I have a Question.

If one already has version 8.4.1.12, why should they have to pay for the 8.5? 8.4 is buggy, slow and crashes allot. Is 8.5 really a new version or is it just a fix for all of the bugs in 8.4?

Before I read this forum information I just got off the phone with Avanquest customer service. They told me it would cost $14.00 as an upgrade and Robert Johnson's link shows it is $9.00. 

All of the software I have purchased over the years, I always got free updates if it was in the same version. Since 8.5 is in the same version it should not cost a penny.

If it was version 9 them I could see an upgrade price.

The pricing for in Version versus next version is a realistic question to ask and I can't answer it.

  It's $9 if you want to just download it with a short window (maybe a month) of download availability.  For $14 you get an extended window, I think it's a year.  I like PDP enought better then any of the others I've looked at that I was willing to cough up the $9.

Jim, Did you have to uninstall the old version, or did the new install remove it for you?

Did you get a new serial # for 8.5 or did you use the one from your previous version 8?

$9 or $14 is not OK for a maintenance bug fix release. Most reputable software companies don't charge for these, and only charge an upgrade price for major versions. This should be a free upgrade for 8.4.xxx customers. Obviously, Avanquest thinks little of it's customer base and is only looking to pilfer more money from them.

I had gone back to ver 7 and I uninstalled that before installing 8.5.  They gave me a new serial number for ver 8.5.

If this helps anyone:  I decided to spend the $9.  After purchase you get a completely new serial number and download link.  The download file is approximately 140MB in size.  I spoke to an Avanquest rep, and he said it is always advisable to uninstall previous versions before installing the new version.  I have not actually had time to install version 8.5 but I will comment back here when I do, if anything seems worth commenting on.  

I paid the $14 and installed 8.5 tonight. Seems to load directories and sub folders quicker. My first immediate feedback is that the File viewer is faulty. In 8.4 I could view most avi, and wmv files fine. But in 8.5 those same files display cut off in the file viewer preview screen. MPG seem to show OK (not MP4).

Please fix this. I use that feature fairly often for video files, as well as stills.

So far, video preview problems are a step back from 8.4.

I've been a PD fan for a long time. Please get me back to where I was with this feature.

How can these useless posts that have nothing to do with the current topic be stopped?

Why doesn't SoftCity monitor these posts?

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