Just a small gripe with most software installation programs...

[NuclearNed]

Most programmers don't have a freaking clue what a status bar is about. I'm installing software today, and the installation wizard has a status bar. Why is it that every time the status bar hits 100%, there is still 20 minutes of processing left???

 

[Drakkon]

most status bars represent % done when it comes to unpacking the files...it does not represent the amount of time it takes to put keys in the registry, register dlls, etc. I can't even to begin to image how difficult it would be to put a % on that with the amount of crap some people have installed/running on their systems.

 

[jjones]

My problem is not so much with installation as it is with unistallation. Some programs are very good when it comes to removing all the files and registry data, others absolutely suck at it.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
most status bars represent % done when it comes to unpacking the files...it does not represent the amount of time it takes to put keys in the registry, register dlls, etc. I can't even to begin to image how difficult it would be to put a % on that with the amount of crap some people have installed/running on their systems.

That is a piece of cake to do.

Start: 0%.
Copy files: 20%.
Unpack files: 40%.
Put keys in registry: 60%.
Register dlls: 80%.
Done: 100%.

Sure, the status bar may slow down and speed up, but at least it is a useful status bar.

My pet peeve is when each of those steps has a status bar that fills up and you have no idea how many more status bars will appear.

 

[Pepsi90919]

or the windows vista status bar which is just a wave of colour. like that's any use.

 

[Syrch]

Originally posted by: jjones
My problem is not so much with installation as it is with unistallation. Some programs are very good when it comes to removing all the files and registry data, others absolutely suck at it.

QFT!

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed
Most programmers don't have a freaking clue what a status bar is about. I'm installing software today, and the installation wizard has a status bar. Why is it that every time the status bar hits 100%, there is still 20 minutes of processing left???

This could simply be down to something like the installer has finished 100% of it's tasks, yet windows is just clearing up behind the scenes like temp files, backups, restore points etc stuff that the installer doesn't deal with before windows hands control back to the installer to show the final finish screen. A further note is that a very small percentage of programmers will make their own installer, they'll use an off the shelf product like installshield which will only give them a finite amount of control and granularity of the install progress.

My most frustrating aspects are already mentioned by jjones (clean-up/un-install), and dullard (multiple status bars with no overall progress bar).

 

[revnja]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
or windows vista which is just a wave of colour. like that's any use.

fixt

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: jjones
My problem is not so much with installation as it is with unistallation. Some programs are very good when it comes to removing all the files and registry data, others absolutely suck at it.

for that, i use programs like Total Uninstall. it makes a snapshot before and after installation of a program and then after i uninstall the said program, i can get rid of all the additional crap that the app left behind.