There has been suggestions that a newer version is on the horizon… any idea when this may be?
Hiya! We’re hoping to have it available sometime on Thursday, but it could be delayed once again until next Tuesday, depending on how the current “final testing” goes. But it’s imminent.
The delay has been entirely my fault … I’d hoped to have had it done almost two months ago, but a number of things have cropped up which have thrown the proverbial wrench into the works. Largest one was that “mystery problem” involving BOClean wedging after a couple of weeks in “autoupdate mode” in XP. Turns out to have been a problem in how XP allocates memory, and then once released by software is not released by XP. There were a few other issues with that because the autoupdate code had been optimised for Vista and XP unfortunately worked differently. That finally got fixed a few weeks ago, but each change to our code required testing it for a minimum of 3 weeks only to find that the problem recurred in one way or another. This last round of modifications has finally resolved that so people can once again use the autoupdate without having to turn it off when this problem has occurred.
Adding to the “fun” was the release of Vista SP1 and the continuing rumours of XP SP3 being released “tomorrow” which caused us to once again hold up release in hopes that any issues with SP3 could be resolved prior to release. Fortunately, I obtained the actual “final beta” which will be the “RTM” so no longer any need to hold up release on that basis. So once I’m satisfied with this last round of testing, I’ll sign off on it and let it fly away onto your machines. 
I’m loathe to “public beta test” BOClean simply because so many of my former customers were quite used to our code not being released until it had been throughly tested and their expectations that when we did release, it wouldn’t be “try this and let’s see what happens” code.
But here’s what you can expect - just wrote this up and submitted it to our web folks so you can have an idea of what’s changed, and what’s been fixed …
General: -------- Changes to code for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 compatibility
Fixes and enhancements to Excluder:
- Fixed incorrect saving/disappearing of icons for excluded programs
- Fixed “always on top” problem which sometimes obscured display screen
- Quicker access to excluder upon warning of changed or missing excluded item
- Better explanation of why excluded item may have changed and instructions
- Now remembers display mode and any sortings of display in excluder
- Restart of BOClean no longer required after changes in excluder
Fixes and enhancements in manual and automatic updater:
- Fixed memory leak which caused BOClean hang after a few weeks continuous use
- WEB downloading instead of FTP to resolve firewall connectivity problems
- Removed “rollback” button with automatic re-download if download is corrupted
- Added new traybar icon status indications (downloading/success/problem)
- Added detailed messages to manual updater notifying of problems and solutions
- Downloads automatically checked upon downloading rather than at load time
Fixes and enhancements to BOClean itself:
- Faster access to excluder and manual update checking
- Clearer, more specific alert messages and recommended actions
- Detected items must be either deleted or excluded or BOClean will re-detect
- Status icons for updater now visible on traybar when automatic updates occur
- Spread scanning to reduce CPU spiking with NAV/KAV/NOD32 antiviruses
Fixes and enhancements to BOClean installer:
- Clarified first screen to indicate need for “clean install” and instructions
- Automatically sets requirements for administrator mode and installs or complains
- Permissions for databases, reports and configuration automatically established
- Uninstall now configured to require administrator permission to remove all
But won’t be much longer, just want to be certain all’s well before it goes out the door …
Thanks for the update Kevin. (B)
And THANKS for the kind words! Just so folks know, the (ahem) “user experience” (heh) for BOClean 4.26 will be quite familiar - aside from the missing “rollback” button, nothing else has visibly changed. Everything which has changed is all “under the hood” stuff and will be most subtle. Most folks won’t notice any difference in the new version other than a bit more “smoothness.” Just wanted to point that out as well lest anyone expect all sorts of new “features” and “gewgaws” … there’ll be none of that.
Now it’s (hopefully) on to BOClean 5.00 somewhere soon since this is likely to be the last one of this generation hopefully … all SORTS of neat stuff to come - this version is more a “fix” than anything else, and there was a lot which needed to be fixed, dating back many, many versions of BOClean …
Hi,
I’m glad to hear that BOclean is being actively worked on and has not fallen behind the scenes due to the up and coming CAVS 3 (hopefully), TC and future Firewall versions.
BOclean is an interesting program and one I keep coming back to - it’s a little program that really does do it’s job very well.
Thanks for all your hard work,
Jim
Yes, nice to know a new version is comming
Greetz, Red.
Thanks Kevin
As a user however I’m slightly concerned by this new fix/option:
“3. Detected items must be either deleted or excluded or BOClean will re-detect”
Does that mean that if there is a F/P we have to choose, right then and there, whether to delete or exclude? I’d hate to exclude only to find out it’s not an F/P. Personally I like the way the current versions have worked, you can choose to continue if you’re relatively sure it’s ok to. Of course as long as it doesn’t re-detect immediately. However you might have other inputs that have changed your mind.
:BNC woohoo new BOClean
i attach one of reasons why we need new version (:TNG)
today after right clicking on BOC icon, i move its pop up window, and voila… BOC loses its body ;D
[attachment deleted by admin]
Former customer here, Kevin, having just celebrated my 5th year of having BOClean on every machine I’ve run! I wouldn’t feel right if BOClean wasn’t installed. Thanks for the always-good work, Kevin!
erm, why does it say Last Update (UTC)
2007-11-26 14:04:33 on my BOClean
I read through the list of changes but I did not see anything about the current issues I have with Vista.
I use the Task Scheduler (TS) to start BOClean with Administrator Rights. My account is an Administrator, but as you know UAC prevents me from having admin rights unless I specifically ask for it. I start BOClean with TS because that is the only way to have it start with full admin rights which is needed so it writes to “Program Files” directory instead of “Virtual Store”. This is important so that updates are written directly to the “Program Files” Directory instead of my “Virtual Store”. I have multiple users on my system, so now all settings are universal and all updates as well. Is this issue with Vista fixed? Or do I still need to use TS in order to start it with Admin rights so it copies updates to the correct directories?
Thanks.
Great news - and a great product.
Thanks for the info Kevin (:CLP)
??? have you tried clicking “reload/test update” button?
Dear Kevin ,
Thank you for the comprehensive update.
i like the programme because it just sits in the background working away without me having to fiddle with it!!! Hopefully I won’t need to manually update anymore once it arrives.
Once again , thanks for taking the time and trouble to reply .
Overfifty.
(:CLP)
Hey folks
I just heard that the release of BOClean 4.26 will not be today, but probbably next Tuesday
Greetz, Red.
Yep … make that official … I was kinda nervous about doing it the PREVIOUS Tuesday since that was “April fools day” which just happened to be the first anniversary of COMODO acquiring BOClean in the first place - then there was all that drama of changing the FTP server because updates had become less reliable due to server overload as a result of the popularity of “free BOClean” which required us all to “add more” resulting in a temporary meltdown over all the new servers. 
Folks are used to BOClean being “READY-ware” as opposed to “let’s test this new version and see what happens” which would only honk off those who’ve been with BOClean for a while. Saw an anomoly, not sure of quite what it is as yet and determined “NOT ready yet” until I know WHY that happened. So blew off the “official release” until next Tuesday so I can have some time to determine the old “WTF?” factor on it. Probably NOT a real problem, but ONE internal beta tester went belly-up, and I want to know why before we release the new version.
Stay tuned … should have it fixed in one or two days, but as I indicated, we’re NOT “Klingon programmers” here. (grin)
Here’s the deal on that, and apologies for the confusion. IF a nasty is detected, BOClean will kill it. The reason for what I explained has to do with people insisting on “testing BOClean” by running a nasty, then BOClean kills it, but they opt to NOT delete it. Then they run it AGAIN. Originally, the code in BOClean was designed to deal with the temporary use of KNOWN malware or software that was often used in “pseudo rootkits” such as MIRC and other “remote control proggies.” BECAUSE admins WANTED BOClean to leave them alone to use such after we’d detected it, BOClean would take the “NO” on the “remove it?” question to mean INTENT to use it “for now.”
Alas, clueless “security experts” used that against BOClean because “we tested this trojan and BOClean detected it. However on the NEXT try, it FAILED to detect it.” The design I mention above was the REASON for it, but they just dissed BOClean without ever asking US why it did that. Since there’s been MORE of that nonsense recently, I’ve decided “enough is enough” and if you choose to NOT delete it after it’s been stopped, or fail to EXCLUDE it, and you run it AGAIN … we’d BETTER detect it again or we’ll get MORE “bad reviews” …
That’s all that’s about. BOClean will STILL kill it, but a decision needs to be made. If it’s LEGIT and you WANT to run it again, then exclude it. If you expect it’s bad, then DELETE it. IMPORTANT system files WILL be replaced by Windows if deleted. As far as FP’s go, I’m the very FIRST to admit WE ■■■■■■■ UP there. And anyone who’s paid attention will ALSO note that we’ve been VERY good about that lately. ALL of the FP’s I’ve seen lately have been very SERIOUS “reasonable doubt” with what WAS detected, and the most recent ones are CONFIRMED bad stuff. Even the most recent one with “Bushbot” despite the protests of those involved. Using KNOWN trojans to write games … well … YOU decide. If it’s a trojan, and the author who uses it uses it anyway, do you REALLY want that on your machine? :-\
Often, BOClean’s “FP’s” were real in the first place even if nobody else in the anti-malware “biz” gets it or detects it.
Hey what are you doing here :o You should be in your dungeon busy with coding 
Greetz, Red.
Thanks Kevin for that full explanation, I feel up-to-date now as to BOCLean’s Development.
Thanks for such a great product! I wouldn’t live without it!
E
Kevin
I do remember some of the posters/threads on DSLR who were commenting about that very thing. Seems to me at the time BOC, once a nasty was ignored, it would not alert again until it was stopped and restarted. Another thing was the 10 seconds between resets where as if you poked BOC again before the 10 second reset period it would not alert again. Some people just didn’t seem to understand that concept.
I understand your thoughts on this.
As others have said I never put a system online without CBOC running. I think in some cases it is better than an AV app so depend on CBOC as my primary Anti-Malware app.