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SpaceObServer Changelog

What's new in SpaceObServer 8.1.1 Build 2043

Apr 9, 2024
  • Bugfixes:
  • Under certain circumstances (when users or AD groups occurred multiple times in the permissions of folders or files) it could happen that individual permissions were missing in the details columns “Permissions”, “Own Permissions”, or “Inherited Permissions”. This issue has been resolved.
  • The folder sizes displayed in the directory tree when using the "Show Previous Scan Sizes" function ("Tools" menu) may not have been calculated correctly. This problem no longer occurs.
  • When selecting the new "Permission changes" tab, there were also short delays for scan targets that do not save permissions in the database (scan option "Calculate Permissions (ACLs) and store in database"). This issue has been resolved.
  • In rare cases, an unexpected error could occur when viewing scan settings for certain scan targets in the “Configure Scans” dialog. This problem no longer occurs.
  • Under certain circumstances, an unexpected error could occur when closing the "File Search" dialog. This issue has been resolved.

New in SpaceObServer 8.0.1 Build 1956 (Sep 25, 2023)

  • When scanning file systems with symbolic links and mount points, it could happen that a link was incorrectly not followed. This error has been fixed. Unfortunately, this can cause an endless loop again under certain circumstances when scanning user profiles in the file system. If this happens to you, you can exclude the affected paths from the scan using an exclusion filter in the options.
  • The "Overview" selection box in the "View > Show or hide" ribbon could not be used and was always active. This issue has been resolved.
  • During the initial scan of a new scan target, the "Scanned Files" value in the "Configure Scans" dialog was not updated correctly. This issue has been resolved.
  • If the mode was changed to "Number of Files" in the "View" ribbon, the diagram in the "History" tab may remain incorrectly empty. This bug has been fixed.
  • In an automated report with email delivery, the option to completely show the entire directory tree in the report did not work correctly. This issue has been resolved.
  • For an automated report via email, the “Exported Elements” settings set under “Options > Export > Email” did not affect the report. This issue has been resolved.
  • An issue where an automated email report did not work using the "Use secure SSL connection" option has been resolved.
  • In the input field for email recipients, multiple addresses can now be entered again, separated by a semicolon.
  • The configuration of the user account in the “Configure Scans > Expert Settings” when using a MySQL database did not work correctly. This issue has been fixed.
  • An issue that could cause errors during a scan under MySQL has been resolved.
  • Small improvements to the display of the SpaceObServer user interface in dark mode.

New in SpaceObServer 8.0 Build 1932 (Apr 20, 2023)

  • New features:
  • More options for Data Lifecycle Management: you can now configure which type of file timestamp to use for maximum lifetime comparison. Choose between creation date and last modify date. This also works for existing Data Lifecycle operations.
  • Each scan target can now be assigned a display name of your choice. This name will then be used for a scan target in the user interface and in reports, instead of the path. This is convenient for very long paths and provides more meaningful label. (Your request in feature voting).
  • The ability to group scan targets into "containers" has been enhanced: containers can now be nested within each other. This allows you to create a hierarchical structure of containers. This is very useful if, for example, you want to structure scan targets correctly on departments including sub-departments. (Your request in Feature Voting)
  • SpaceObServer now has a Dark Mode, i.e. a dark theme for the user interface. In the options, the activation can be linked to the Windows color mode or can be switched on and off explicitly. (Your request in Feature Voting).
  • With the new "Change Owner" feature, you can now quickly set a new file owner for all selected files. This is very useful if, for example, you have found a group of files with an invalid or inappropriate file owner. The function can be found in the context menu of the "Details" list.
  • The demo version of SpaceObServer can now be activated by entering a license key to the full version. This requires an active internet connection. The version available via the customer area can still be installed without an internet connection.
  • The user interface is now also available in Polish, Turkish, and Czech. Please note, however, that we do not provide technical support and help files in these languages.
  • Improvements:
  • The automatic operations after the scan are now divided into two categories. In "Automatic Reports" you can now find, add and configure all actions that automatically send exports or reports via email after the scan. In "Data Lifecycle" you can configure file operations that are automatically performed after a scan. Both can now be found in the scan settings in the "Post Scan Actions" group.
  • The available columns of the "Top Files" have been significantly expanded. This list now has all columns that are available for the "Details" list or all export types. Note: The displayed columns can be easily configured by right-clicking on the column header, or in the options in the "View > Top Files" area.
  • In the "Duplicate Files" list, there is now an option in the associated ribbon to check-mark all list entries, uncheck all entries, or even for each duplicate group, checkmark all entries except the newest file.
  • File operations: The optional log file has been completely revised. If CSV is selected as the log format, the information is now logged well-structured in separate columns, which simplifies post-processing this data.
  • File operations: When using the log or undo script function, the information is now automatically written to an alternative file if access to the specified file is not possible.
  • SharePoint Online: The default authentication required for multi-factor can now be set in the SpaceObServer options.
  • The component for sending emails has been replaced. With the new component it is possible to support the OAuth2 as authentication method.
  • In the lists "Details" and "Top Files", if "Rename" is chosen in the context menu for multiple selected entries, the "Mass Renamer" integrated in SpaceObServer is now used, which offers many flexible possibilities to rename files based on rules.
  • Mass renaming gets a new feature: It can be used to convert file and directory names to upper and lower case.
  • Mass renaming gets a new feature: Position values can be evaluated from the right. This means that it is now possible, for example, to remove the last x characters from a file name.
  • Mass renaming now also supports regular expressions when deleting certain text from file names.
  • Other minor improvements have been made.
  • Bugfixes:
  • Under certain circumstances, the SpaceObServer scan service terminated with an error message "Duplicates not allowed". This has been fixed.
  • The "Check Data Consistency" button in the "Expert Options" under "Scan > Scan Settings" is now working again.
  • In the "Scan Settings" it was not possible to set the time of the scan correctly in the "Scan later" operation. This error has been fixed.
  • An error in the "Show older scan sizes" function has been fixed.
  • An error when editing post-scan actions configured for multiple scan paths was fixed.
  • Several other minor bugs were fixed.

New in SpaceObServer 7.3.1 Build 1824 (Sep 20, 2022)

  • Bugfix: Under certain circumstances a defined "File Lifetime" operation of a Post Scan Action affected too many files. This issue has been resolved.

New in SpaceObServer 7.3.0 Build 1821 (Aug 17, 2022)

  • New Features:
  • New feature for setting a maximum lifetime for certain files: In the “Post Scan actions” you can now also specify that certain files which reached a configurable maximum age are automatically archived, moved or even deleted after a scan.
  • (Your wish in feature voting)
  • The user interface is now also available in Norwegian, Bulgarian, and Vietnamese. However, please note that we do not provide technical support or help files in these languages.
  • In the "Extensions" list with activated "Group file types" option, information is now also displayed for file groups in the "Growth" column. This information about the storage growth of file groups was not available in previous versions.
  • OLE Automation: With the new function "FileOperation" in the OLE Automation interface of SpaceObServer, you can now automatically move, copy, archive, or delete files. A detailed description of the function can be found in the SpaceObServer help, as well as a helpful sample script in the "Demos" subfolder.
  • OLE Automation: With the new filter functions IncludePermissionsPattern and ExcludePermissionsPattern, directories can now be restricted to files and folders for which only certain users have permissions or for which specified users have no permissions. Note: As for all other filters based on permissions, the scan option "Calculate Permissions (ACLs) and store them in database" is also required here.
  • Improvements:
  • User interface components have been redesigned for a more modern Windows 11-style look.
  • The maximum number of concurrent scans can now be configured in the options under "System > Service > Service Options".
  • (Your wish in feature voting)
  • Implemented some improvements that improve usability, especially for first-time users. For example, the first scan created on an empty database is now automatically loaded into the user interface after creation. We hope this will improve usability, especially for first-time users.
  • The start time of the SpaceObServer user interface has been improved, especially when observing very large structures with SpaceObServer.
  • The duration of scans with the scan option "Calculate Permissions (ACLs) and store in database" enabled have been improved through optimizations in the database.
  • The “SpaceObServer Remote Client” now has its own trial version installer. In previous versions, there was only one trial installer for SpaceObServer and its add-on “SpaceObServer Remote Client”, with a configuration option within the installation process.
  • An option to "Abort all scan progress" has been added to the context menu of the list under "Scan > Configure Scans" (submenu "Expert options"). This option allows selected scans to be aborted even if the SpaceObServer scan service is not responding.
  • The setting for archiving the scan data under "Scan > Configure Scans > Additional Options > History" has been adjusted so that the desired period can now also be specified in weeks, months, or years.
  • Bulk renaming is now also available in the context menu of the “Details” list for selected files and folders.
  • The option to change the "User credentials for scans" is now also available in the context menu of the list under "Scan > Configure Scans".
  • Some other minor improvements have been made.
  • Bugfixes:
  • File Operations dialog: Fixed an error when creating the undo script where previously created symlinks/hardlinks were not properly deleted.
  • The "Hide items smaller than" option in the "Post Scan actions" did not work correctly. This issue has been resolved.
  • The "Expand to level X" option in the "Post Scan actions" did not work in combination with an additional filter. This issue has been resolved.
  • Fixed an issue that caused incorrect queries on Azure SQL databases.
  • Several minor fixes have been included.

New in SpaceObServer 7.2.1 Build 1716 (May 25, 2022)

  • When editing a Post Scan Action, the options path set for this action was not restored correctly, but the default path was used. This issue has been resolved.
  • Fixed a rare issue where the SpaceObServer scan service would shut itself down with an error message "Duplicates not Allowed".
  • When creating a scan in the SpaceObServer Remote Client in case the application was not started in elevated mode, there was a problem that the scan was not started automatically. This issue has been resolved.

New in SpaceObServer 6.1.1 Build 1482 (Nov 28, 2019)

  • Added support for Amazon S3 locations Mumbai, Bahrain, Canada, Stockholm and Hong Kong.
  • Bugfix: The columns "Observing Server" and "Database" in the "Configure Scans" list now show the correct content again.
  • Bugfix: The update installation of SpaceObServer could cause an unhandled error in case the backend database was not accessible. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: In certain cases, an unhandled error could occur while exporting the list of "Extensions". This issue has been resolved.
  • Bugfix: The export option "Export items larger than" did not work as expected. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: When exporting a list of files to the clipboard ("File > Export > Copy List of Files") the column headers are now again exported as human readable captions, instead as numbers.

New in SpaceObServer 6.1.0 Build 1472 (Sep 23, 2019)

  • New Features:
  • More user interface languages: In addition to English and German, the user interface is now available in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Slovenian. Please note that we neither provide support, nor supply a product manual in these languages. Thanks to all the translators who helped us translating the user interface.
  • Note: We are going to support more languages in the future. If you would like to help us translate SpaceObServer into your native language, please feel free to contact us!
  • The language of the user interface can now also be changed after the installation in the options under "Tools > Options > View > General > Language".
  • The scan of Amazon S3 Storage is now possible with SpaceObServer.
  • Scanning Linux and Unix servers using SSH is now also possible with the Standard Edition of SpaceObServer.
  • File system operations like "Delete" and "Drag & Drop" are now also possible for SSH scans.
  • It is now possible to export multiple reports concurrently.
  • The settings at "Tools > Options > Export" now offer a much more flexible selection for the level of detail of an export.
  • The new column "Alloctated" in the "Top 100 Files" list shows the occupied disk space of each file.
  • The "Similar Folders" list now offers two additional columns to show the absolute path of the folder pairs to be compared.
  • New Filters: With the new filter option "Find elements with empty inherited permissions" ("Search > Configure > Permissions") you can now find elements in your directory structure, for which permission inheritance has been disabled. Note: As for all other filters by permissions, the scan option "Calculate Permissions (ACLs) and store in database" is required.
  • File operations such as delete, copy or move are now also supported for "Containers".
  • The graph of the "Age of Files" statistics now displays detailed tooltips for each interval.
  • Improvements:
  • The dialog for adding new scans has been completely revised and now also offers the most important scan options, as well as options for scan scheduling in a clear way. The new dialog is now automatically displayed in case SpaceObServer is started for the first time with an empty database. The dialog is intended to improve the user guidance and usability of the application.
  • The columns "Containing Path", "Full Path" and "Allocated" have been added to the list of duplicate files. The "Files" column has been removed. The "Name" column has been adjusted. This column no longer displays the full path for individual files, but only the name of the file similar to the duplicate groups.
  • Support for monitors with high DPI values has been improved.
  • File system operations, such as deleting files from the "Details" or "Top 100 Files" list are now also considered instantly in the directory tree and other statistics of the SpaceObServer.
  • SSH scans now also support latest key exchange algorithms such as SHA-256 and SHA2.
  • The usability of selecting an interval for displaying disk space development has been improved.
  • The scan configuration "Observing Server" (Scan > Configure Scans > Expert Settings) now also allows fully qualified server names.
  • As in Windows Explorer, the key F4 now activates the directory dropdown in the upper left corner and allows the manual entry of a path.
  • Text exports and e-mail exports in text format are now easier to read. The exported column widths can be adjusted in the options. Shortened content that does not fit completely into a column is indicated by three dots (...). To take advantage of this improvement, use a non-proportional font in your email client. Our Knowledge Base entry explains how to set this up in Outlook.
  • The visual representation of exported reports in HTML format has been revised. This affects file exports as well as e-mail exports. In addition to these changes, there are now icons for files and folders, and the directory structure is also indicated.
  • The hyperlink format defined in the export options is now used in all lists for Excel exports.
  • Bugfixes:
  • Bugfix - Exchange Scan: The scan of an Exchange Server could not be executed in the context of a user if the char "?" was contained in the password of the user account. This problem has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: When adding many new scan targets (e.g. a complete server with many shares) unexpected errors in the user interface could occur. This problem has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: Under certain circumstances a scheduled scan was not started if the expert setting "Observing Server" contained several server names. This problem has been fixed.
  • Bugfix - Exchange Scan: A meaningful error message is now displayed in the "State" field if the user account name contains more than 20 characters. Note: For technical reasons, user names must not contain more than 20 characters for Exchange scans.
  • Other minor fixes and improvements have been made.
  • Changed Compatibilities:
  • Operating System: Support for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 has been discontinued.
  • Bitness: A 32 bit version of the SpaceObServer Remote Client is only available on request starting with version 6.1.
  • Databases: support for MS SQL Server 2017, MS SQL Server 2019 (CTP), Oracle Version 18c, MySQL 8.0.

New in SpaceObServer 6.0.3 Build 6.0.3.1241 (Jun 8, 2018)

  • Bugfix: Under certain conditions errors occurred in update scans, in case the scan option "Calculate Permissions (ACLs) and store in database" ("Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Options") was activated. This issue would have been shown in the "State" field of the corresponding scan. Parts of the data structure might have been stored incorrect in the database. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: It was possible that the scan setting "Use different credentials for scan" ("Scan > Configure Scans > Expert Settings") as well as the monthly update option ("Scan > Configure Scans > Update Options") was not persisted correctly to the database and therefore ignored in scans. These issues have been fixed.
  • Bugfix: The option "Limit to this Extension" on the ribbon tab "Extensions" is now also available in case a file type group is selected in the Extensions list.
  • Bugfix: The option "Colorize bars" on the ribbon tab "Distributions" will now be memorized and restored after an application restart.
  • Bugfix: The small size indicator bars shown in the background of each folder in the directory tree now visualize the correct percentage values for root folders grouped in a container.
  • Bugfix: The functionality to install the MS SQL Server Express Edition ("Tools > Options > System > Database") occasionally not worked correctly. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: We fixed some issues with missing mailboxes in Exchange Server scans in case the Exchange Server is used in the context of multiple domains.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 6.0.2 Build 6.0.2.1212 (Oct 19, 2017)

  • Bugfix: A right-click on a file, located on a unreachable file share, caused it to be marked as "deleted" in the database. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: When using exclude filter for a scan ("Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Filter") with multiple filters applied to full paths, not all of the filters used where applied correctly. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: Modifications on the “File Groups” ("Tools > Options > View > File Groups") used for the "Extensions" statistic had not been persisted after a restart of SpaceObServer. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: When expanding 1st level folders in a "Container" the size of the expanded folder was reset to zero when the included roots were located in a different database ("Scan > Configure Scans > Expert Settings > Database"). This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: The "Details" list might show fewer files after using "Delete" from the context menu of this list. This issue has been fixed.
  • Bugfix: Using the "SpaceObServerCmdLineParser" for exporting the "Duplicate Files" now again exports the Duplicate groups including single files, as was the case in former versions.
  • Added support for text-only export of the "History", "Age of Files", and "Size of Files" statistics.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 6.0.1 Build 6.0.1.1201 (Sep 5, 2017)

  • Bug fix: Adding a complete server to the SpaceObServer database might result in strange errors ("Out of Memory") or even unhandled errors.
  • Bug fix: When using exclude filter for a scan ("Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Filter") and all filters applied to full paths, the scan did no longer see any files.
  • Bug fix: Sorting the "Users" list by the column "Size Growth" works correctly now.
  • Bug fix: Sorting the "Details" list by one of the columns "Growth last Week", "Growth last Month", or "Files Increase" works correctly now.
  • Bug fix: Fast clicking on the arrow buttons in the "Select history interval" panel (contextual tab "History") now no longer closes the panel.
  • You can now enter multiple paths into the folder combobox, separated by semicolon. Paths that already exist in the database will be loaded, new paths will be added to the database.
  • Activating "View > Show size changes in tree" for a Container will now also activate this option for all included scans.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 6.0 Build 6.0.0.1190 (Aug 17, 2017)

  • New Bitness:
  • Native 64 Bit: SpaceObServer is now available as a native 64 Bit application. This applies to the user interface as well as the scan service (SpaceObServer Agent).
  • New Filter:
  • SpaceObServer can now store access permissions (ACL) of files and folders in the database. This enables users to easily create filter criteria (e.g. user name, permission type, owned or inherited permissions) and use them on a scanned folder structure.
  • User Interface:
  • Ribbon User Interface: The new ribbon-style user interface of SpaceObServer is more than just a cosmetic measure: Easy navigation and feature selection secure user-friendliness.
  • A new preview pane has been added to the right side of the "Details" tab. This pane shows a summary of the most important information of the selected file in the Details list, as well as a preview of the file content (in case this is supported/available for this type of file).
  • The performance when loading scans in the SpaceObServer user interface has been optimized, especially for very large scans.
  • We adjusted the names of some columns in the "Details" list, to match their corresponding columns in the Windows Explorer.
  • The "File Search" panel of SpaceObServer has been revised. The available filters are now grouped in a more logical and structured way.
  • Many more improvements implemented in the user interface enhance the look and feel and match modern Windows operating system styles.
  • Charts:
  • The "Tree Map" chart can now optionally show single files, file extensions, or extension groups inside the chart.
  • Database:
  • If you do not have a real SQL server database to use with SpaceObServer, the software no longer uses an MS Access desktop database as default. The new database type "SpaceObServer Embedded" is a customized Firebird database, which shows much better performance than MS Access and supports concurrent usage of the database.
  • We do now store timestamps like "last modified" and "creation date" of files and folders in UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) format in the database. This ensures data consistency across time zones and multiple machines. Please note: This might cause a longer run duration for the first update scan of existing scans.
  • Official support for MS SQL Azure has been added.
  • Please note: Support for IBM DB2 Database has been dropped.
  • Scan Engine:
  • We optimized the performance of update scans by using less complex update statements in the database. This applies especially to very large scan structures and to scans with many modifications on the scanned directory tree.
  • Thanks to early dissolving of network dependencies, the performance of SpaceObServer's local shares scans has been increased.
  • New Export Options:
  • The PDF and printed exports have been completely revised. This also applies to the printer preview pane. These exports do now look more like TreeSize Professional and can now include the various charts that SpaceObServer offers. The PDF and printed export can include single files now.
  • The Excel export can now include charts (as known from the HTML export). Charts are included in separate sheets in the exported Excel file.
  • The HTML, Excel, Email, PDF, and the printed export can include the various list statistics (Top 100 files, Extensions, Users, Details, and Duplicate Files) that SpaceObServer supplies.
  • The new configuration section for the PDF export now enables users to configure the PDF documents. In former versions, the PDF export used the same settings as the printed report.
  • Exchange Server Scans:
  • Exchange Server scans can now optionally break down scanned mailboxes into organization units (OUs).
  • Email subjects are now by default shown in the "Name" column of the Details list and all exports. You can activate the new option "Anonymous email subjects" for Exchange scans to hide email subjects.
  • Thanks to the optimized usage of the internally used paging, Exchange Server scans now run faster.
  • Please note: Support for Exchange Server 2003 scans has been dropped.
  • OLE Automation:
  • The existing OLE Export functions have been enhanced to optionally include additional lists and charts when exporting to HTML, Excel, Email, or PDF.
  • Human-readable strings for each "Information Type" which can be used in functions instead of integer values have been introduced.
  • The new function "UpdateAnnotation" to set the "Annotation" field of files and folders has been included.
  • Changed Compatibilities:
  • Support for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 has been dropped.
  • SpaceObServer v6 (Enterprise und Standard Edition) will be offered in 64 Bit only. If you require a 32 Bit version of SpaceObServer, please send us an inquiry.
  • Support for MS SQL Azure has been added.
  • Support for IBM DB2 Database has been dropped.
  • Support for Exchange Server 2003 scans has been dropped.
  • .Net Framework: 4.5 required.
  • Miscellaneous:
  • When using "Tools > Show previous scan sizes" SpaceObServer now also lists files which are already deleted, but existed in the previous scan.
  • Introduced function "Hide folders smaller than X MB" to exclude small directories from the directory tree.
  • The functionality "Load XML reports" to show former saved XML reports has been removed.
  • The "Full Path" column of the "Details" list and all exports now always end with a trailing path delimiter for directories. The shown/exported information is now similar to TreeSize Professional.
  • The "Optical media size" has been removed from the available values to be shown directly in the directory tree.
  • The "Wasted Space" column has been removed from the Details and all exports.
  • Bug fix: The exclude filter of a scan did not match if the used pattern ended with a white space. This has been corrected.
  • Several minor improvements and fixes have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.3.1.1068 (Jan 14, 2016)

  • Bug fix:
  • An exception occurring when loading a "Container" while "Top 100 Files" was active has been fixed.
  • Fixed an error which occurred when deleting a folder from the directory tree while the pie or bar chart was shown.
  • Size changes were not calculated for all folders when exporting the directory tree with size growth column included.
  • Using the OLE Automation function "ExcelReport" with a file name including the variables "�TE%" or "%TIME%" did not work correctly.
  • Sometimes size values shown in the directory tree were cut when the option "Show Size changes in tree" was activated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.3.0.000 (Jan 14, 2016)

  • New Statistics:
  • Introduced a new "Similar Folder" statistic. It provides an overview of identical directory trees (trees, which have the same content and structure) or nearly identical directory trees, which have nearly the same content and/or structure. These statistics enable you to identify similar or duplicate folder structures which are e.g. created by copying.
  • You can activate the generation of the new "Similar Folder" statistic in the "Configure Scans" dialog for existing or new scans.
  • Please note that activating this statistic will generate more workload on the SpaceObServer scan service ("SpaceObServer Agent") and more space allocated in the SpaceObServer database.
  • Charting:
  • All pie, bar and line charts provided by SpaceObServer have been completely redesigned. They have been replaced with MS Chart from the .Net framework. Therefore, SpaceObServer now requires the .Net framework 4.0 or higher to be installed on the system on which it is executed. The SpaceObServer installer will download and install the .Net framework 4.0 if it is not installed on the system.
  • You can now activate interpolation for line series shown in the "History" chart, to get a smoother size development curve.
  • The "History" and "Distribution" chart can now be exported in a textual format (Text or CSV file).
  • Faster User Interface:
  • The SpaceObServer user interface loads faster now. This is especially noticeable when a large number of scans is stored in a database.
  • SpaceObServer now uses internal caching mechanisms when building "History" graphs or calculating "Size Growth" information. This improves the speed of the user interface when working with these values.
  • New Export Options:
  • The exports of SpaceObServer have been improved and are now nearly identical to TreeSize Professional.
  • The HTML export has been revised: Enabling JavaScript generates a dynamic view which allows expanding and collapsing each level of the folder structure. Subfolders are now properly indented. Folders are formatted as hyperlinks; clicking on them will open the folder.
  • You can now choose whether an Excel export of the directory tree will have expandable / collapsible levels ("Tools > Options > Export > Excel > Formatting").
  • If the number of exported elements exceeds the number of rows an Excel sheet supports, the export is now continued on a new sheet.
  • The author is now set in exported XLSX files.
  • New Options dialogue:
  • The options dialog has been completely redesigned to provide a clearer and more intuitive user experience.
  • Each export type now has its own configuration page. This simplifies the configuration of export settings.
  • A dedicated export type for CSV files has been introduced. CVS exports are now available in the main menu ("File > Export > Save to CSV file") and the context menu of the directory tree (sub menu "Export").
  • All export formats can be configured to export the same columns as the "Details" list. This is the default value for new installations.
  • The settings for exported HTML files and HTML emails can now be configured independently.
  • You can now configure which charts will be exported along with a HTML export and which charts will be sent as email attachments.
  • The separator used for exports to CSV files can be configured.
  • The appearance of date time values can now be configured more precisely (date only, date with time, time with or without seconds).
  • Exchange Server Scans:
  • Archives in mailboxes and public folders can now be scanned.
  • Mailbox addresses will be fetched from multiple Active Directories in trusted domains and forests of the current machine.
  • Existing email aliases were scanned redundantly in the past. Now, only one mailbox (primary email address) will be scanned. The owner of mailboxes and public folders will be retrieved from the Active Directory.
  • OLE Automation:
  • Added the procedure "ExcelReport" which exports various lists and charts to an Excel file.
  • Added the procedure "ReloadAllRoots" which forces the refreshing of all roots.
  • Introduced the function "GetIDByPath" which queries the identifier (ID) of a directory for a given path.
  • Added the function "GetFolderInformationByPath" which queries the directory information for a given path.Added the optional parameter "Charts" to procedure "HTMLExport" which enables the user to export charts along with the HTML report.
  • The procedures "ChartExport" and "ChartExportEx" now support the export of users statistics and extensions statistics as pie chart or bar chart.
  • The order of the parameters "Height" and "Width" of the function "ChartExportEx" has been changed. The function call is now ChatExportEx(ExportPath, ChartType, Width, Height).
  • Changed behavior of the parameter "ObservingServer" in function "AddRootToDatabase": "localhost" can be passed in order to use the executing machine. Leave the parameter value empty ("") if any available server shall execute scans for the selected directory.
  • The procedure "SetRootProperty" now supports the new parameters "ScanUser" and "ScanPassword". Via these properties the user can set the user name or password of the scan credentials of a root in the database.
  • The function "GetRootProperty" now supports "LastError". If the last scan was not successful this function returns the related error code. Otherwise the function returns 0.
  • Miscellaneous:
  • MS SQL Server 2014 is now officially supported.
  • The name of the columns "Last Change" and "Last Access" have been adjusted to "Last Modified" and "Last Accessed". This applies to the lists "Details", "Top 100 Files", and "Duplicate Files" as well as all export types.
  • Several minor improvements and fixes have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.2.1.941 (Jul 21, 2014)

  • SpaceObServer now provides more meaningful "owner" information for mailboxes and emails of an Exchange Server 2007 and higher
  • OLE Automation: A new optional parameter "UserAcess" has been added to the function "AddRootToDatabase", enabling you to configure a list of users and/or groups which are allowed to see and access the scans and the scanned directory structure
  • Bug fix: The duration of the initial scan was unusually high when using a MS SQL Server database
  • Bug fix: A double click on a file in the "Top 100 Files" list led to an unhandled exception
  • Bug fix: Adding a new scan for Exchange Server 2003 ("Scan > Configure Scans > Add Scan > Exchange > Exchange Server 2003") led to an unhandled exception
  • Bug fix: Update scans on a MS SQL Server database using compatibility mode 80 (MS SQL Server 2000) led to errors in the Windows event log and the SpaceObServer Agent was stopped
  • Bug fix: Update scans were not executed correctly in case the option "Purge data older than 0 days" ("Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Options") was used in combination with a different "Database" for scan data ("Scan > Configure Scans > Expert Settings")

New in SpaceObServer 5.2.0.924 (Jun 16, 2014)

  • Reporting & Exports:
  • A new menu entry "Send by email" in the "File" menu enables you to send scan reports instantly via email. The email settings can be configured via "Tools > Options > Email". Additionally, an "Email" button is now available on the toolbar of each tab ("History", "Charts", "Details" etc.). It can be used to send the tab's content via email.
  • A new column "Cost" hast been introduced to the "Details" list and all available export types. It can be used to easily calculate costs for occupied server space and e.g. break them down to department level. Please note: You can configure the used value and unit to calculate the cost for each scanned share or drive in the configure scans dialog ("Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Options > Cost").
  • You can now configure a list of users and/or groups which are allowed to see and access the scans and the scanned directory structure in the SpaceObServer user interface ("Scan > Configure Scans > Expert Settings > User Access"). SpaceObServer will hide the scans (i.e. not show them in the user interface) from all other users.
  • The columns "Quota Limit" and "Quota Usage" have been added to the "Users" list. They offer a quick overview about the usage and limit of the built-in Windows quota features from within SpaceObServer.
  • The tree map chart now shows the size value configured in the "View" menu in addition to the folder names.
  • The size value "Wasted Space" in the "View" menu has been replaced by "Optical Media". Additionally, the bar chart no longer shows the wasted space in an extra bar when "Allocated space" is activated.
  • The new column "Hardlinks" has been added to the "Duplicate Files" list.
  • The columns "Full Path" and "Path" in Excel exports of the "Details", "Top 100 Files", and "Duplicate Files" list now contain hyperlinks.
  • Hyperlinks for single files in the Excel export now point directly to the single file (previously they pointed to the parent directory).
  • Database:
  • Optimizations in the database maintenance lead to faster update scans for shares and drives with an extensive scan history.
  • The check states of files and folders can now be saved to the database to restore them at a later date or in another SpaceObServer Remote Client.
  • Navigation:
  • New forward and back navigation buttons for the directory tree have been added to the "Scan" toolbar ("View > Toolbars > Scan").
  • File Search:
  • You can now easily define a filter for all files owned by an unknown or no longer existing user account ("Search/Filter > Configure > Owner/Attributes > File Owners > Check invalid file owners").
  • Move Checked Files:
  • The function "Move Checked Files" is now always available. When using this function, the option "Show Checkboxes" will automatically be enabled.
  • Checking of large folders in the directory tree or the details list no longer results in a blocked user interface.
  • If no files or folders are checked via checkbox, the checkboxes of the currently selected files and folders will be enabled automatically.
  • OLE Automation:
  • The new function "EmailExport" enabling users to send the scanned directory tree, lists, or charts via email has been added.
  • The new function "AddContainer" has been added.
  • The function "AddRootToDatabase" now accepts Exchange and SSH scans. Additionally, a new optional parameter "Container" has been added to this function, enabling you to assign a scan directly to a new or existing container.
  • Configure Scans:
  • It is now possible to add scans to a container or to move them to another container via the context menu.
  • When changing the database of a container in the "Expert Settings", you can now tell SpaceObServer to use the selected database for all included scans.
  • Containers will no longer automatically be expanded or collapsed when moving or adding scans in the "Configure Scans" dialog. Additionally, these settings are now stored when the dialog is closed.
  • Installer:
  • You can now pass the database connection string to use via the command line (/CONNECTIONSTRING) when executing the installation file of SpaceObServer.
  • Miscellaneous:
  • You can now select multiple files at once in the "Top 100 files". Please Note: Context menu operations (e.g. "Delete") are applied to all selected files in a list. Additional export operations (e.g. "Save to File") of a list will export only selected files as long as more than one file is selected in the list.
  • Scans already included in a container can now be moved to other containers via the context menu of the directory tree.
  • A context menu for the SpaceObServer scan service icon in the status bar has been implemented. You can start, stop, pause, and continue the service via this menu.
  • The context menu entries "Move Checked Duplicates" and "Deduplicate Checked Files" in the "Duplicate Files" have been moved to the context submenu "SpaceObServer".
  • The "Last Access" and "Owner" columns on the "Duplicate Files" tab are now deactivated by default.
  • Bug fix: Under certain conditions the "SpaceObServer Agent" caused an increase of the number of handles and the memory consumption of the "lsass.exe" process. This is no longer the case.
  • Several minor improvements and fixes have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.1.2.830 (Sep 6, 2012)

  • Bug fix: Fixed an error that could occur when replacing duplicate files by hardlinks, via the "Deduplicate" function.

New in SpaceObServer 5.1.1.827 (Aug 21, 2012)

  • The "Age of Files" statistic on the "Distributions" tab now uses the current date (without time) as reference value. This ensures consistent statistics within the same day.
  • Placing checkmarks on directories containing a large number of files is much faster now. Activate the option "View > Show Checkboxes" to provide checkboxes in the directory tree and the "Details" list.
  • Bug fix: An export of the directory tree to an Excel file ("File > Export > Save to Excel File") with file extension ".xls" (format before Excel 2007) led to an error message loop, if more than 65,535 rows were exported.
  • Bug fix: Fixed an error that occurred on the first start of SpaceObServer when using MS SQL Server 2000 as backend database.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.1.0.817 (Jul 25, 2012)

  • MS SQL Server 2012 is now supported.
  • You can now add scans for all shares of a complete server at once. Enter the server name with two leading backslashes (e.g. "\\Server1") in the edit field above the directory tree, or use the "Add Scan..." function of the "Configure Scans" dialog. All shares will be grouped in one container.
  • The Exchange Server scan has been enhanced. The scan is more stable and much faster now.
  • Please note: This is a breaking change, so unfortunately your "History" data of previous Exchange Server scans will be lost. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
  • The performance of update scans, especially for scans of large data storages, has been increased: the post processing mechanisms have been optimized.
  • Move Checked Files: It is now possible to burn the checked files to an optical media.
  • The Deduplication feature of the "Duplicate Files" list now has an enhanced dialog: It shows the number of all checked duplicate files and the disk space that will be recovered. You may specify a log file that logs all performed operations in detail. Furthermore you may configure in detail how to handle duplicates that are not located on the same volume: Since hardlinks cannot be used you can choose to use symbolic links or to simply leave them as they are.
  • The new columns "Inherited Permissions", "Own Permissions" and "SHA256 Checksum" are now available in the "Details" list and for all types of exports.
  • If "Number of Files" is the chosen view type ("View" menu) and the option "Show size changes in tree" ("History" tab) is activated, the directory tree now shows the changes in the number of files.
  • Move Checked Files:
  • It is now possible to copy all checked files to a different location instead of moving them.
  • Introduced new option "Include directory with drive letter to avoid name collisions". Activate this option to avoid name collisions when moving files from several drives.
  • You can now rename containers within the context menu of the "Configure Scans" dialog ("Rename Container...").
  • You can now configure the scan options (e.g. "Follow Links Mountpoints and External Symbolic Links", "Track NTFS Alternate Data Streams and NTFS Hardlinks",...) for all included scans in a selected container at once in the "Configure Scans" dialog.
  • OLE Automation interface:
  • You can now assign container names to the property "RootDirectory".
  • With the new methode "AddRootToDatabase" it is now possibility to add new roots with extended settings (e.g. NTFS Change Journals, calculate MD5 checksums,...).
  • The "List of Scans" shown below the directory tree can now be exported using the function "ListExport".
  • Additional note: SpaceObServer V5.1 has been successfully tested on Windows Server 2012 RC, using ReFS.
  • Several minor improvements and fixes have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 5.0.1.623 (Feb 23, 2011)

  • Bug fix: When using SpaceObServer with a MS SQL Server 2005 database scans did not run successfully

New in SpaceObServer 5.0 (Feb 23, 2011)

  • SpaceObServer is now available in two different editions: The Enterprise Edition includes all the known and new features. The lower-priced Standard Edition only scans one server and includes the functions relevant for this application range (without SSH and Exchange Server scans, no OLE Automation interface)
  • Scans can now be grouped in so-called "Containers" to generate merged statistics like "Duplicate Files", "Extensions" or "History" for several scanned shares. Containers can be added and configured using the context menu of the directory tree or in the "Configure Scans" dialog using drag & drop operations
  • SpaceObServer is now able to scan and archive the storage of Exchange server mailboxes (only "Enterprise Edition")
  • Firebird can now be used as a backend database for SpaceObServer
  • By optimizing the build up and update process of the backend database, the performance of the scans has been increased, especially for the initial scans (increase of 20 - 30%). Please note that scans newly added by SpaceObServer V5 cannot be used with SpaceObServer V4.x
  • The "Extensions" list can now be grouped by file types like "Audio Files", "Video Files", "Office Files", etc. This feature can be turned on or off by a new toolbar button. The file groups can be configured on the new tab "File Groups" in the Options dialog ("Tools > Options")
  • The scan scheduler ("Scan > Configure Scans > Update Options") has been enhanced so that you can now also schedule monthly or weekly scans (e.g.: on the 1st, 15th and 30th of every month or every week on Monday and Friday)
  • Scans can now use any user credentials instead of the login of the scan service "SpaceObServer Agent" to scan network or local shares. The user name and password can be entered on the new tab "Expert Settings" of the Configure Scans dialog. In this new tab you can also configure some enhanced options which were formerly only accessible from within the context menu of the list above
  • All lists can now be saved in HTML and RTF format by choosing the appropriate format in the "Save" dialog
  • You can now deduplicate checked files in the "Duplicate Files" list by using the new context menu entry "Deduplicate Checked Files" or the new button in the duplicates toolbar. The deduplication replaces existing files with links to reduce the allocated disk space
  • Now the "Number of Files" is shown in the "History" graph if this view type is chosen in the "View" menu
  • The new options "Preserve directory structure" and "Automatically rename existing files" have been added to the "Move Checked Files" dialog ("Tools > Move Checked Files")
  • The size unit TB (Terabyte) has been added to the "View" menu
  • The information types "MD5 Checksum" and "Path Length" are now available in the "Details" list as additional column and for all types of export
  • Improved the look of the user interface when using large system fonts
  • In the Configure Scan dialog ("Scan > Configure Scans") you can now choose "Purge Data older than 0 Day(s)" in the "Scan Options" to execute only initial scans for the selected share. Note: In some cases executing only initial scans will be more efficient than updating existing data in the database. In this case there will be no "History" or size growth information available for these shares
  • The new function "Copy as Text" has been added to the context menu of the "History" chart. This function enables you to export the values of the history chart as text to the clipboard
  • The "List of Scans" beneath the directory tree can now be exported as a text file by using the new context menu entry "Save List..."
  • The printed tree report now also uses the colors shown in the directory tree if the option "Use bold Text and Colors for Printed Reports too" ("Tools > Options > View") is activated
  • File Search: The attribute "encrypted" has been added to the file attribute include/exclude list (tab "Owner / Attributes")
  • Modifications of the scan configuration ("Scan > Configure Scans") of any scan are now no longer applied immediately, but by clicking the new "Apply Settings" button
  • You can now use environment variables like "%APPDATA%" in the "Scan Path" edit field (above the directory tree)
  • If any entries in the "Duplicate Files" list are check-marked, the sum of all checked files is now shown in the status bar, as it is already done in the "Details" list
  • Introduced a context menu with functions to (un-) check all entries in the list of visible export columns ("Tools > Options > Columns / Export")
  • The shortcut for copying the selected entries of the Details list to the clipboard is now "Shift+Ctrl+C". "Ctrl+C" in the Details list now copies the selected files or folders to the clipboard, just like the Windows Explorer
  • When changing the sort type of SpaceObServer ("Sort" menu) the position of top level directories are now no longer changed in the directory tree
  • The support for Windows 2000 has been dropped because Microsoft dropped it in July 2010. SpaceObServer V4.3.2, which is compatible with Windows 2000, remains available in our customer area for registered customers with valid maintenance
  • Bug fix: A selected "[Deleted]" node in the directory tree (these nodes are shown if "Show Size Changes in Tree" is activated) caused incorrect size growth series shown in the "History" chart
  • Bug fix: The update scan now correctly regards if any directory within a scan has been replaced by a symbolic link with the same name
  • Bug fix: When deleting a file or folder from the "Details" list that no longer exists, the file was not removed persistently from the "Details". This could lead to inconsistent sizes in the directory tree and the Details list
  • Several minor improvements have been incorporated

New in SpaceObServer 4.3.2.494 (Feb 23, 2011)

  • Before a new update scan is executed, SpaceObServer checks if the needed database indices are applied correctly. Missing indices led to very slow scans in former versions.
  • Improvements when using the SpaceObServer user interface with a none administrator account.
  • Bugfix: The function "Expand Folder over: x MB" ("Branch > Expand") did not work as expected, but led mostly to a collapse of all directories.
  • Bugfix: The function "Expert Settings > Synchronize Database Values" from within the context menu of the "Configure Scans" dialog ("Scan > Configure Scans") did not work for scans for which another database had been set (context menu "Expert Settings > Set database for Root").
  • Bugfix in "Search / Filter": When using the option "Check also Paths" for more than one "Exclude file name pattern" (Tab "File Name Pattern") the filter did not work as expected.
  • OLE Automation:
  • - The property "ReportTitle" now also modifies the title of an exported graph. Set "ReportTitle" to an empty string ("") to revert this modification.
  • - Bugfix: The filter "IncludeUserNamePattern" did not work as expected.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 4.3.1 (Nov 23, 2009)

  • Bugfix: When choosing one of the predefined search filters (menu "Search / Filter") an error message occurred.

New in SpaceObServer 4.3 (Nov 23, 2009)

  • SpaceObServer has passed the "Compatible with Windows 7" logo test.
  • The Details list now also shows size changes for single files.
  • File Search: You can now search for files where the full path is longer than a certain number of characters. This allows to find paths longer than 255 characters which cause problems e.g. in the Windows Explorer. The new predefined search "Search / Filter > Files with Long Path" will list those files.
  • File Search: We introduced new "Import" and "Export" buttons to save and restore file searches to/from XML files. The new buttons are located next to the "Reset" button on the "Overview" tab.
  • Users list: Added column "Full User Name" (by default visible) and "User Comment" (by default not visible). Use the column header context menu to adjust columns.
  • Details list: Introduced new columns "Title of Scan", "Full User Name" and "User Comment". This information is now also available for all other export types ("Tools > Options > Columns / Export").
  • Top 100 Files list: Added columns "Creation Date" (by default visible), "Attributes", "Version" and "Permissions" (by default not visible).
  • Under "Tools > Options > Columns / Export" there is a new export type for CSV files now. This way CSV files can now be configured independently from the text export.
  • You can now save any chart of SpaceObServer to a PNG file.
  • The colors used in the bar and treemap charts are now memorized for the next usage of SpaceObServer.
  • Added a new entry "Reset Chart Colors" in the context menu of the "Charts" tab.
  • You can now zoom the active chart by using the mouse wheel while the "Ctrl" key is pressed.
  • You can now scroll the treemap by keeping the space bar pressed while dragging the treemap using the left mouse button, similar to imaging software (e.g. Photoshop).
  • Details, Extensions and Users list: When "[Files]" are selected in directory tree, the "Percent" value shown in the list is related to the total size of these files, no longer to the size of the parent folder.
  • SpaceObServer now stores its user settings in an XML file in the user profile, instead of the registry.
  • OLE Automation:
  • Introduced new function "ExportPDF".
  • Introduced new function "ExportAllFiles". Use this function to export the full paths of all files that are located in the selected directory in any depth.
  • You can now export the treemap chart by using the OLE function "ChartExport".
  • The function "ListExport" now supports exports to Excel files ("*.xls" and "*.xlsx").
  • Introduced new property "ColumnVisible". Use this property to configure the visibility of columns for any kind of export.
  • Introduced new function "ExpandToSize". Use this function to expand all directories of a certain size in the selected directory branch.
  • Bugfix: When using the "StartScan" or "ScheduleScan" function with a root directory that was already scanned before, an error occurred and the script stopped.
  • Bugfix: The export of very long lists (e.g.: Details list in "flat" mode) took an unreasonable long time. We now improved this behavior so that also very long lists are exported quite fast.
  • Bugfix: The "List of Scans" showed an allocated space of 0 MB for scans whose data tables were located on a different database ("Configure Scans > context menu > Expert Setting > Set Database for Root"). The sizes were refreshed correctly after the directory was loaded to the directory tree.
  • Bugfix: When using "Export to SQL Server" to export from MS SQL Server to My SQL Server, an error occurred.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 4.2.1 (Jul 17, 2009)

  • SpaceObServer can now identify duplicate files by comparing the MD5 checksum of the file content.
  • Added the new column "Owner" to the "Duplicate Files" list.
  • Several minor improvements and modifications in the tree map, bar, pie and line charts.
  • Colors of the charts are now customizable.

New in SpaceObServer 4.2.0 (Jun 25, 2009)

  • When using a MySQL database the user does now no more need to set up ODBC data sources manually. All you need is an installed MySQL ODBC driver (See: "Options Dialog").
  • File Search: When you search for file name pattern and activate the option "Check also folder paths", it is now possible to search for a combination of folder paths and file names, e.g. "*Windows*.exe".
  • You do no longer have to take care of the character set used in your MySQL database. The character set of the tables used by SpaceObServer is now always "UTF8".
  • When you try to connect to a MS SQL server ("Tools > Options > Database"), SpaceObServer now also checks if this could be an MS SQL Express version and automatically adds the postfix "SQLEXPRESS" to the server name, if needed.
  • You can now hide/show columns in the list shown in the "Configure Scans" dialog ("Scan > Configure Scans") by the new right click menu of this list's header.
  • OLE Automation:
  • Introduced new properties "RootCount" and "RootPaths" to query the already scanned root directories.
  • Introduced new functions "GetTotalDiskSpace" and "GetFreeSpace" to query disc space information of the scanned root directories.
  • The new example script "RootsDemo.vbs" shows how to use the new properties and functions.
  • Bugfix: When exporting the directory tree or the "Details" list, the size growth information ("Size Growth", "% Size Growth", "Size Growth last Week" and "Size Growth last Month") were not always exported for each directory. Now all needed information is calculated before exporting.
  • Bugfix: When exporting the "Details" list while it shows all files in "flat" mode ("View > Show Details Flat") sometimes the column "Full path" contained just the file name instead of the full path for some entries.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 4.1.1 (Apr 29, 2009)

  • If the option "Tools > Options > View > Show files deleted since last scan grayed" is deactivated, the SpaceObServer user interface will now no longer try to access the scanned file system directly.
  • Bugfix: The priority of the "SpaceObServer Agent" shown in the task manager did not match the setting made in the "Options" dialog ("Tools > Options > Service > Priority of the System Service").
  • Bugfix: If the deinstallation was canceled, the system service "SpaceObServer Agent" was deinstalled anyway.
  • Bugfix: If an initial scan was started while this root directory was shown in the directory tree, a yellow exclamation mark was shown on the directory icon instead of the hour glass, which usually indicates the initial scan.
  • Bugfix: If the view type "Percent" ("View > Percent") was selected, there was sometimes no value shown for the root directory in the tree when an update scan for this root was in progress.
  • Bugfix: If a scheduled scan terminated while the "Configure Scans" dialog ("Scan > Configure Scans") was open, the field "Next Scan" was not updated to the next scan date.
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 4.1.0 (Apr 3, 2009)

  • SpaceObServer can now identify duplicate files by comparing the MD5 checksum of the file content. The MD5 checksums are optionally stored in the database (“Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Options > Calculate MD5 checksums”). You can tell SpaceObServer to use the checksums for comparison at "Tools > Options > Duplicates".
  • We added the new column "Owner" to the "Duplicate Files" list. The "look and feel" of this list has also been improved.
  • We made several minor improvements and modifications in the tree map, bar, pie and line charts.
  • You can now customize the used colors in the tree map, bar and pie charts by a new color picker in the toolbar of the "Charts" tab.
  • When showing "Allocated Space" in the directory tree ("View > Allocated Space") the bar chart now shows the "Allocated Space" instead of the "Real Size" plus the "Wasted Space".
  • File Search: The search for file name pattern has been improved. Especially when the option "Check also folder paths" is used, the performance is much better now. It is now possible to use patterns that include path fragments like "*Windowssystem32*".
  • Within the silent installation of SpaceObServer ("/SILENT") Now you can use the command lines "/SERVICEUSER " and "/SERVICEPWD " to configure the login. If you do not use these parameters, the local system account is used, which could result in access issues when scanning network shares.
  • The selected History interval ("From" and "To" dates) is now also shown in the "Overview" panel ("View > Toolbars > Overview").
  • The "Edit Annotations" function has been added to the context menu of the directory tree (sub menu "SpaceObServer"). The annotations are saved in the database and can be displayed in column "Annotation" the "Details" list.
  • Bugfix: The shown results when using "Automatic Units" (menu "View") has been improved.
  • Bugfix: In rare cases, when using more than one instance of SpaceObServer with the same database, it could happen that a scan was executed by the wrong scan service.
  • Bugfix: When a file search, or a filter by extension or user, was activated, the "Details" list did not show any owners, attributes or annotations for directories.
  • Bugfix: When using the function "Copy Files to Clipboard" from the context menu of the directory tree with an activated file search, an error could occur in some cases.
  • OLE Automation:
  • Introduced the new properties "HistoryIntervalBegin" and "HistoryIntervalEnd", to configure the interval of the "History". "FileAgesCount" and "SizeDistributionCount" have been added, that holds the number of currently configured distribution intervals.
  • Introduced the new Filter "ExcludeUserNamePattern" to exclude files owned by certain users.
  • You can now use the variables "�TE%" and "%TIME%" in the Excel export also for the "SheetName" parameter.
  • Bugfix: The function "ScheduleScan" did not work with all kind of time formats for the "ScanTime" parameter. Valid formats are "HH", "HH-MM" or "HH-MM-SS".
  • A few minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 4.0.2 (Jan 23, 2009)

  • Supports MySQL server now.
  • Decreased space allocated by SpaceObServer database (~40%).
  • Scan Linux/Unix shares via SSH now.
  • PDF export.
  • A new list of scans shows an overview of all scanned shares.
  • New column "Size Growth" added to "Extensions" and "Users" list.
  • Excel 2007 export.

New in SpaceObServer 4.0.1 (Dec 15, 2008)

  • Bugfix: Occasionally a database error occurred when building up the "Tree Map" or the "History" and at the same time a long tool tip was shown in the directory tree.
  • Bugfix: The function "Export to SQL Server" (Scan > Configure Scans > context menu > Export) did not work correctly when migrating an existing MS Access database to MySQL Server.
  • Bugfix: When changing the size unit while the "History" chart was built, an error message was shown if the "Average" series was not activated.
  • Bugfix: The SpaceObServer Remote Administration Client was not able to read information from a SpaceObServer V3.x database. Connecting an instance of SpaceObServer to this database resolved the problem.
  • Bugfix: When scanning a NetApp server with SpaceObServer the error "Could not get Access Control List" could occur when file permissions were queried.
  • Bugfix: Fixed a memory leak that occurred on Windows Vista when scanning, having the scan option "Track NTFS Alternate Data Streams and NTFS Hard Links" (Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Options) activated.

New in SpaceObServer 3.3.2 (Jul 11, 2008)

  • Bugfix in OLE Automation interface: When using a sub folder of a scanned directory as "Rootdirectory", the scanned directory was used instead.
  • Bugfix: The function "Remove Node (temporarily)" from the context menu of the directory tree (sub menu "SpaceObServer") could cause an error.
  • A few minor bug fixes have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 3.3.1 (Jul 4, 2008)

  • Now SpaceObServer supports the Unicode character set also when using an Oracle database.
  • It is now possible to include the files when exporting the directory tree. You can activate this option for each export type separately at "Tools > Options > Columns/Export > Include single Files in Export".
  • OLE Automation interface: Use the new function "ScheduleScan" to schedule scans in a daily, weekly or X days interval, at a configurable day time and start date / Now you can use environment variables like "%TEMP%" when passing paths to SpaceObServer.
  • The "History" chart now optionally shows marks with the size values. The chart now also shows more accurate size values for the first and last scan time.
  • A new option has been added to the toolbars of all tabs containing charts, which allows to switch the chart surface between solid colors and patterns. This option is useful when printing the chart on a monochrome printer.
  • When the small bar chart is shown on the bottom of the "Extensions" or "Users" tab, now a color icon is shown for each list item, indicating which bar corresponds to which extension/user.
  • The "Top 100 Files" list now provides a new column "Owner". This column provides the user name of the file's owner, like the "Owner" column in the "Details" list does.
  • Exports that include information about "Path", "Full Path" and/or "Directory Level" now run faster.
  • It is now possible to use complete paths in the scan exclude list (Scan > Configure Scans > Scan Filter).
  • The function "Copy Files to Clipboard" is now available in the context menu of every directory (submenu "Export").
  • A new function "Open containing Folder" has been added to the context menu of the "Details" list.
  • New functions "Expand to Level 5" and "Expand to Level 6" have been added to the "Branch > Expand" menu.
  • For the "Distribution" tab you can now choose interval borders larger than 2 GB. The Distribution intervals are customizable at "Tools > Options > Distribution".
  • Bugfix: When "View > Show Details Flat" was active, the "Details" list did not always sort correctly by the columns "Directory Level", "Path" or "Full Path".
  • Bugfix: The Configure Scans dialog now no more freezes when using the function "Synchronize Database Values" form the context menu (submenu �Expert Settings�).
  • Some other minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 3.2 (Apr 23, 2008)

  • The speed of the scans, especially the update scans, has been remarkably increased. Also analyzing the NTFS Change Journals does now need less performance and less size in your database.
  • The compatibility with 64Bit operating systems has been improved.
  • The directory tree, the "Details" and the "Top 100 Files" lists now support dragging and dropping of files. You can now also rename files directly in the �Details� and �Top 100 Files� lists, as you are used to do in the Windows Explorer.
  • The new size unit "Mixed Units" uses for each file/folder an appropriate size unit (KB/MB/GB) automatically.
  • In the "Configure Scans" dialog you can now select more than one root directory and configure all selected roots at once. You can now also copy a list of selected roots to the clipboard (context menu / Copy to Clipboard).
  • There is a new sub menu "Expert Settings" in the context menu of the "Configure Scans" dialog. This menu includes the known options "Set Observing Server" and "Change Directory", as well as the new options "Set Database for Root" and "Synchronize Database Values".
  • With the option "Set Database for Root" you can now decide to store the file system sizes of the selected directories in a different database on the connected SQL server. This way the collected information of different directory branches can be easily separated and the access permissions to these data are configurable through the database access rights.
  • The new option "Rebuild Cached Values" can be used to synchronize the shown folder sizes, when a scan did not finish successfully.
  • The Windows Explorer context menu is now also available for Root folders and "[Files]" items in directory tree.
  • The chart "Distributions" now shows the real size, allocated space, wasted space or number of files, depending on the size that is shown in the directory tree.
  • If the Option "Show Size Changes in Tree" is activated on the "History" tab an additional item named "[Deleted]" is shown in the directory tree. This item shows the size of all subfolders deleted in the chosen History interval.
  • In the chart "History" the areas before the first and after the last scan are now drawn in a transparent grey color, to indicate that these values are estimated.
  • You can now select more than one entry in the Extensions and Users list.
  • The export function "Copy List to Clipboard" now copies the complete list only if one or no item is selected in the active list. Otherwise only the selected items will be copied. The shortcut "Ctrl-C" now triggers this action.
  • All save dialogs now have a new check box "Open File after Saving".
  • In the printed report a little arrow in the column header now indicates the sort column and direction.
  • You can now use the new feature "Expand Folders over: X MB" (Branch / Expand) to expand all folders that are larger than a certain size. The size can be configured by "Set Minimum Size" (Branch / Expand).
  • For the "Hide small Folders� filter (Tools / Options / View) you can now also configure an absolute folder size instead of a percentage value as minimum size border.
  • Mapped drives are now converted to their UNC name and stored this way in the database. We do this to prevent name conflicts if SpaceObServer is used on multiple machines in a network environment.
  • BugFix: When exporting the "Top 100 Files" the "Path" column was not always filled for all entries.
  • BugFix: In the "Details" tab for the "Average File Size" always 0 was shown.
  • Some other minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 3.1.1 (Mar 5, 2008)

  • BugFix: If your server uses a print spooler service and this service is not running, SpaceObServer shows an error "The RPC server is unavailable" on startup.
  • BugFix: While an update scan was running, in some cases the "History" chart did show the minimum date "01.01.1899".
  • BugFix: If a scanned directory was deleted from the database and added again, there could be an error message "Error while creating new database tables" if any of the tables from the former structure still existed.

New in SpaceObServer 3.1 (Feb 7, 2008)

  • Improvement in processing NTFS Change Journals: In rare cases the journal entries were not processed correctly. We recommend to perform a manual scan if you schedule updates through NTFS Change Journals only.
  • Treemap improvements: A new visualization named �Cushion Treemap� is now available in the 3D view. You can now zoom and scroll the treemap to provide a more detailed view. Moreover, there is a possibility to show a legend for better orientation. Some graphical changes result in an improved appearance of the topology.
  • The tabs "Extensions", "Users" and "Distribution" now offer a feature to list all files of certain extension, user or distribution interval.
  • The new export function "Copy to Clipboard" (File / Export) copies detailed information about the whole expanded directory tree to the clipboard. This function is also available in the context menu of the directory tree, which will export the selected branch only.
  • A new function in context menu of the directory tree enables you to copy the full path of the selected folder to the clipboard.
  • New close button for the extensions and users chart were added.
  • Bugfix: Sometimes the option "Show size changes in tree" on the "History" tab did not display values for all directories, or the values were not refreshed when the History interval was updated.
  • Bugfix: When a scanned removable drive or external hard disk was removed, the name was removed from the root combo box.
  • Bugfix: If the columns order of any list was modified, this modification was not considered when exporting the list.
  • A few minor bug fixes and several minor improvements have been included.
  • OLE Automation interface:
  • The new function "GetValueForDate" enables you to query former directory sizes.
  • Now you can add new scans ("StartScan"), schedule scans ("ScanRootDirectory") and remove scanned directories from the database ("RemoveRootFromDatabase").
  • Date values can now also be passed in ISO format "YYYY-MM-DD".

New in SpaceObServer 3.1 (Feb 7, 2008)

  • Improvement in processing NTFS Change Journals: In rare cases the journal entries were not processed correctly. We recommend to perform a manual scan if you schedule updates through NTFS Change Journals only.
  • Treemap improvements: A new visualization named �Cushion Treemap� is now available in the 3D view. You can now zoom and scroll the treemap to provide a more detailed view. Moreover, there is a possibility to show a legend for better orientation. Some graphical changes result in an improved appearance of the topology.
  • The tabs "Extensions", "Users" and "Distribution" now offer a feature to list all files of certain extension, user or distribution interval.
  • The new export function "Copy to Clipboard" (File / Export) copies detailed information about the whole expanded directory tree to the clipboard. This function is also available in the context menu of the directory tree, which will export the selected branch only.
  • A new function in context menu of the directory tree enables you to copy the full path of the selected folder to the clipboard.
  • New close button for the extensions and users chart were added.
  • Bugfix: Sometimes the option "Show size changes in tree" on the "History" tab did not display values for all directories, or the values were not refreshed when the History interval was updated.
  • Bugfix: When a scanned removable drive or external hard disk was removed, the name was removed from the root combo box.
  • Bugfix: If the columns order of any list was modified, this modification was not considered when exporting the list.
  • A few minor bug fixes and several minor improvements have been included.

New in SpaceObServer 3.02 (Oct 26, 2007)

  • Supports OLE Automation interface (VB, C#, Delphi).
  • New hierarchical chart, tree map, shows the whole tree structure including subdirectories.
  • New charts show file age and size distributions.
  • Approximated size development trend for the future.
  • Supports NTFS hard links.
  • HTML export.

New in SpaceObServer 2.4.2 (Dec 27, 2006)

  • Scans are running faster and with a higher fault tolerance
  • The database structure has been optimized to increase performance of scans and user interface.
  • You can now track the progress of an update scan.
  • File Search: 'Temporary Files' search is now more precisely.

New in SpaceObServer 2.3.0.164 (Aug 19, 2006)

  • Several aspects of the 'File Search' have been revised. It now has its own main menu item, where you will also find the new option 'Deactivate File Search', to remove all active search filters.
  • You can now add exclude patterns to your file search (Filename Pattern) and optionally ignore system files (Owner / Attributes).
  • The results of the predefined 'Temporary Files' Search are now much more accurate.
  • In the new tab 'Scan Pattern' of the 'Configure Scans' dialog you can now define a list of file name patterns that should be completely ignored during scans.
  • The new option 'Remove Node (temporarily)' in the context menu of the file system tree allows hiding complete directory branches from the SpaceObServer views. The statistics will be updated accordingly.
  • Also new is the option 'Reload Directory' in the context menu of the file system tree. This option reloads only the selected directory branch, without reloading the entire scanned directory.
  • When you export a directory to Excel the 'size changes' are now exported as well, if this option was activated in the 'History' tab.
  • The lists 'Details', 'Top 100 Files' and 'Duplicated Files' are now filled faster, especially when a file search is activated.
  • Several minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 2.23 (Jul 18, 2006)

  • Duplicated files are now listed on an additional tab on the right pane. With this list you can easily locate all files that have the same name and size. With the same functions as in the Details view, files can be easily removed or archive.
  • The top 100 largest files of the scanned path are now shown on an additional tab on the right pane.
  • SpaceObServer is now able to save scanned directories to an XML file (File / Save Report as XML) and to load it again later (File / Load XML Report). The XML files are compatible with TreeSize Professional V4.
  • A new column in the details view shows Annotations for files/folders. You can add annotations using the toolbar or the context menu of the Details view (SpaceObServer / Add Annotation). The annotations are saved in the database and shared among all users of SpaceObServer.
  • Two new columns for MS Office files have been added, that show the MS Office author and the MS Office last change date.
  • You can now hide files in the Details view. Activate this option in the context menu of the tree (Hide Files). This option is activated by default for XML imported directory trees.
  • Toolbars were added to the Details, Extensions, Users and Top 100 Files tab.
  • The two tabs Chart and Parts are now merged to one tab "Charts". You can switch between the bar and the pie chart using the View menu or the toolbar.
  • Bugfix: The 'Last Duration' field of the roots list in the Configure Scans form was shown in a wrong time format (with A.M. / P.M.).
  • Bugfix: The 'Dir Level' of files in the Details view was not calculated correctly when the 'Show Details Flat' mode was activated.
  • Some minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.

New in SpaceObServer 2.2 (Jun 7, 2006)

  • Duplicated files are now listed on an additional tab on the right pane. With this list you can easily locate all files that have the same name and size. With the same functions as in the Details view, files can be easily removed or archive.
  • The top 100 largest files of the scanned path are now shown on an additional tab on the right pane.
  • SpaceObServer is now able to save scanned directories to an XML file (File / Save Report as XML) and to load it again later (File / Load XML Report). The XML files are compatible with TreeSize Professional V4.
  • A new column in the details view shows Annotations for files/folders. You can add annotations using the toolbar or the context menu of the Details view (SpaceObServer / Add Annotation). The annotations are saved in the database and shared among all users of SpaceObServer.
  • Two new columns for MS Office files have been added, that show the MS Office author and the MS Office last change date.
  • You can now hide files in the Details view. Activate this option in the context menu of the tree (Hide Files). This option is activated by default for XML imported directory trees.
  • Toolbars were added to the Details, Extensions, Users and Top 100 Files tab.
  • The two tabs Chart and Parts are now merged to one tab "Charts". You can switch between the bar and the pie chart using the View menu or the toolbar.
  • Bugfix: The 'Last Duration' field of the roots list in the Configure Scans form was shown in a wrong time format (with A.M. / P.M.).
  • Bugfix: The 'Dir Level' of files in the Details view was not calculated correctly when the 'Show Details Flat' mode was activated.
  • Some minor bug fixes and improvements have been incorporated.