Well, if is something which I really miss in my "portable" life is a recycle bin for memory cards, including USB thumb drives.

As you know, the Windows only put in the recycle bin files deleted in hard drive disks. In all other media devices the files are "really" deleted. I can recover the files using good portable software, but do not help if you use programs that keep writing information on the portable drive (and overwrite your lost file). Many users like me enjoy just clean the recycle bin after a determined time, just to be sure that anything important can be easily recovered if necessary.

And, like me, we are all human beings, not machines: so we can commit mistakes anytime, including deleting the wrong version of important archives.

Since my last code practising was Clipper in the 90’s (anyone remember that? Old times…), I do not have any idea how to start a project like this today.

The idea for this “Portable Recycle Bin” is:

- A small program which works like C.A.F.E. (by the way, a amazing software), which verify the source object and just execute the task if the source object match the verify process (this mean, verify if the file to be erase choose by the operator is in the same drive of the “Portable Recycle Bin”. If yes, the file is not erased, but moved to a special folder inside of the portable device).

- A tray icon is always present in the taskbar when the program is running. A double click in the icon opens the special folder that keeps all the files “erased”. A right click opens a menu, which you can choose empty the bin and open a dialog box to configure the settings of the software.

- The settings of the portable recycle bin include: empty automatically the bin determined by time event; choice of the size limit of the bin; turn on/off the option which determine if the program keep the path of the deleted file in a database or not (If on, this mean when the program move the “erased” file to the special folder, a special extension is added in the end of the filename. This extension is recognized by the program with a double click on the file, which automatically verify the database, retrieve the file path and open a dialog box to confirm the restoration. If no entry is found in the database, the confirm box is replaced by a dialog box to choose the destination of the file); turn on/off the use of dialog box to confirm the “erasing” procedure.

- The software recognize when the user try to deleted files inside of the special folder, leaving this process for the operational system.

- When the program starts, the database of “erased” files is re-indexed, which eliminate any missing entry when the file is not found in the special folder.

- If the special folder is almost full, the program opens a warning balloon.


What you think? Anyway to produce this program using a easy language code?

Sounds interesting. And CAFE is a good starting point (CAFE MOD is probably a bit worse - has much more code which is unnecessary here).
If AHK is easy enough for you - you can try to modify it yourself. I can't think of any easier solution.

I think the first step is to better define some things in order to understand how Windows works.

I have a 250 GB portable drive that, when I delete files, these files are stored in the recycle bin and can be recovered. I have a 4 GB USB drive that does not store files in the recycle bin when deleted.

So the real problem is that Windows only puts in the recycle bin files deleted from devices (including portable devices) labeled as type "Local Disk". I think this is a hardware problem as I don't know of any software that can change a media's type from "Removable Disk" to "Local Disk". But if there was, your problem would be solved.

Interesting side note: Truecrypt encrypted virtual drives are considered type "Local Disk". So if you encrypted your USB drive, files deleted would be stored in the recycle bin and could be recovered (as long as the encrypted virtual drive is mounted, not sure if it only has to be on the original computer it was deleted on...)

Well, it's barely portable.

I agree. No better solution than a program that simulate the "recycle bin" for your thumb drive.

USB hard disks are considered "local drives"?

If yes, another good point to produce this software.

I do not want left deleted files in a public computer.

Something I learned using TrueCrypt is that if a volume is mounted as "removable", Windows will not create a "Recycle Bin". Conversely, if volume is mounted "fixed" then Windows creates not only a "Recycle Bin", but "System Restore" data as well.

So, one possible work-around is to put everything important in a TrueCrypt container and mount it as a "fixed" volume.

Of course there are simpler solutions like "Think before you click." and "Keep a backup of everything you care about." Personally, I don't let a portable device be the sole source of any more than a couple hour's work.

FG

For how it works in Windows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycle_Bin_(Windows)

(copy whole address above, don't click on marked selection)

Good resource. Thanks. I will apply this methodology to start this project.

The software will be coded with AutoHotkey language, which remember me the “ancient” Q-Basic.

Cheers to M^2 by the tip.

I came with these names to the software and I accept any suggestion of your guys:

RecycleIT

or

KnapSack

or

iBin

or

Garb-G

Has attended the dBase and flowchart class in the 90's help me now develop the project:



[edited]

http://studio26a.blogspot.com/

I found this comment on http://portableapps.com/node/13453



I think that's what you need. I've just tried it,it works, it moves a file in trash dir on delete button, but it's on french...

EDIT:
I managed to set english language in ini file but I have problems with restoring folders from portable trash. Instead of restoring a folder with few files in it, it actually just created empty file with name same as directory (file without extension) and deleted those files from folder in trash dir. And t.r.a.s.h. only catch delete button in explorer.exe, I didn't find option to add additional programs like in c.a.f.e. I'm using nexusfile as file manager, which unfortunately does not move files in recycled dir on my portable hard disk, and explorer do,but I don't use explorer... So I really need somehow to enable t.r.a.s.h. to catch delete in nexusfile too (c.a.f.e. catch doubleclicks in freecommander and nexusfile when I set "fenetresAdditionnelles=ahk_class TfcForm, ahk_class TfMain.UnicodeClass" in cafe.ini).

I used t.r.a.s.h. from cafe-0.1.3.2a.zip made on 2008-Aug-15.

hi,

you might want to check this out, someone has taken the trouble to design a portable trash bin and it's working very well!

http://portableapps.com/node/15830

I recall a discussion with someone at Lexar that some of their devices can be toggled between local disk and removable media

allusion
http://www.winvistatips.com/difference- ... 80198.html

a few minutes of web searching and voila

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=15923
http://www.pendriveapps.com/lexar-usb-f ... -bit-tool/

cross manufacturer application
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html#partition




and some dated fun about controllers
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=15776
http://www3.sympatico.ca/gtopala/about_siw.html


social engineering pressure recipients
http://forum.corsair.com/v2/showthread.php?t=75465

** I hope more people DEMAND UFD manufacturers add physical write protection switches to future products **

Trouble? Poor Wraithdu... He/she just used few AutoIT pre-ready templates to assign a single function in the Del key.

I had a fun time developing my own version.

Thanks to m^(2)! One year and half ago this guy gave me the right direction: Autohotkey.

But I did expect an ex- girlfriend and a broken foot in the process... This both incidents mess up my mind and I left the portable bin project away from my focus. I also started other project, the NetKeeper Suite, which was much more complex.

I finished the first version of the portable iBin today after three long weeks (with many splifs and drum and bass music). I am releasing it for download. This is my Christmas gift for all that live the portable life-style. Hope everyone enjoy it.



Download it all, share with all and give me all the feedback:

firsttoylab@live.co.uk

iBin



Open my webpage and look for the iBin project...

http://www.autohotkey.net/~FirstToyLab/

...or if can't keep waiting, just download here:

http://www.autohotkey.net/~FirstToyLab/project_iBin_download.htm

Interesting.. I'll try it soon