I don't have a tool to suggest, but for USB work it would be nice to have a tool which watched for CHANGE in the file count & size in various directories, such that one could be prewarned of problems.
For example, I just ran Open Office & edited a Calc file (loaded as the Portableapps.com bundle). Before, the OO directory held 2460 file in 357 directories with 171MB of data (but chewing up 228MB of space). After there were 2461 files ... hmm, where was the extra file created? Is it an abandoned temp file? Am I going to gain 1 file every time I run OO?
Second example, I just ran across a bug or incompatibility between FireFox and a USB-based virus scanner. This caused FireFox to create and abandon up to 2MB of temp files per hour. I noticed only because I had seen previously that FF consumed about 38MB of disk space ... and later I saw it was 61MB so investigated.
It would nice to have a tool which would watch for such enlargement of files in places not expected. I suppose a backup tool like SyncEXP can be used indirectly for this since I'd see (if I looked) it backing up new files in a program directory I won't expect to change. However, it seems like a useful application in itself to be used for say daily monitoring of changes in USB space.
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For example, I just ran Open Office & edited a Calc file (loaded as the Portableapps.com bundle). Before, the OO directory held 2460 file in 357 directories with 171MB of data (but chewing up 228MB of space). After there were 2461 files ... hmm, where was the extra file created? Is it an abandoned temp file? Am I going to gain 1 file every time I run OO?
Could be a file OOo creates when it runs, like FX and TB's parent.lock, though probably for a different purpose.
Second example, I just ran across a bug or incompatibility between FireFox and a USB-based virus scanner. This caused FireFox to create and abandon up to 2MB of temp files per hour. I noticed only because I had seen previously that FF consumed about 38MB of disk space ... and later I saw it was 61MB so investigated.
Cache, maybe?
Check \Data\profile\Cache\.
Vintage!
The issue with Firefox is caused by your Avast instance as we've already discussed in the forums, there's no need to post about it again as the problem is not with Firefox Portable. If you can get them to fix their issue, great. If not, you'll either have to live with it or use a better AV product.
OO uses a lock file while running, just like Firefox does. OO will occasionally use temp files... these are stored in OpenOfficePortable\Data\temp. The directory is not automatically cleared as it may or may not have something to do with recovering a document after a crash. This will be examined at a later time.
OO may also created other config files while running if you change certain settings from the defaults (with the defaults, OO doesn't need a file to remember anything). These are on the order of 1K each and nothing to even think twice about. Nearly all apps do this at some point when you change something.
In short, your only issue is with Avast at this point. You know it's the culprit. So, the choice is to either just deal with it or stop using it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I didn't realize this was the forum to criticize suggested applications by just suggesting one-off work arounds. I guess who needs FTP when you can drive to the remote site with USB stick? Maybe we shouldn't have FTP clients then.
I am no longer using Avast! But being an engineer I prefer to SOLVE problems in general, not just fix symptoms AFTER they are detected. I'm not paid to take the easy way out. (Bahamut - they are in ...\Data\profile .. been there, done that).
I do not believe Avast! is the only tool which will cause FireFox to abandon temp files - file indexers, power failures, file-sync/backup tools ... all of them could hit the same concurrency issue and cause files to be lost.
The Avast! + FireFox combo will not be the LAST situation that causes this loss to raise its head. I'd prefer to tool to detect this over time in real time.
Best Regards
Lynn August Linse; Industrial Specialist
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx
All these tools are great as portable tools. But the one you're looking for specifically is File Monitor, although Process Monitor will do it too (but covers a wider scope than you want).
Signature automatically removed for being too awesome.