Settings - Interface - "Purge now" removes the contents of the 'History=' field in the [Start] section in xnview.ini, (with some limitations per bug https://forum.xnview.com/viewtopic.php? ... 9aa1b28fc2), but it does not remove several important file history entries in the same xnview.ini (and obviously that shows elsewhere in the program), leaving a false sense of minimum security. This is a significant loss of privacy, for those who expect to clear at least the files paths and names after using the program, because that info is shown in various parts of the program anyway. Of course, this is relevant only to any users that are interested in any privacy settings. This may even be critical in usage within a work environment.
More especifically:
1. After having used xnview to view a significant amount of files in different directories, and having performed operations such as batch rename, batch convert, the xnview.ini file will keep the following entries, regardless of having checked "Purge Recent files and folders on exit" and clicked "Purge now" in different scenarios (with or without Browser tab open, Viewer...), and regardles of having done what is recommended here: https://forum.xnview.com/viewtopic.php? ... 42#p171747
So, in the file xnview.ini:
In the following sections and fields, the content is not removed (on exit or on purge), and it definitely should, when the user clicks Purge* and on exit when the option is checked:
[Search]
default=... (this content)
folder=.... (this content)
[Start]
LastFilename=.... (this content)
PathBrowser=... (this content)
The above part is a bug, because purging only some path/file entries and leaving many others equally visible in other places is not desirable to whom trust the purge feature.
The next part, however, is more a feature request of options that don't exist, but which should definitely be there to make sense of the above, or else the purpose of the previous feature is defeated:
2. In the same xnview.ini file, the following entries (at least) should have the option to be cleaned as well, to complete the privacy features offered by xnview. Better if that would be located in the same place where Purge is, (perhaps a "super purge" option?) or perhaps individually in each respective menus, may make more sense, but should always be easy to find:
[Convert]
Filename=...(this content)
Path=...(this content)
list_folder=...(this content)
[Rename]
replace=....(this content)
with=...(this content)
[Print]
headerInfo=...(this content)
UPDATE 2024-06-20: I have made the following corrections to the original post (sorry for overlooking those, my bad): 1. Fixed typo: originally I mistakingly wrote "[History]", now it's corrected to "[Convert]". 2. The [File] -> History field can be cleaned in the GUI with the little button "Clear history entries". 3. The [Rename]->template field can be cleaned in the GUI with "Clear Templates" button. This one, however it does not clear the 'replace' and the 'with' fields, which it should be possible to do.
*) Or any other adequate cleaning button or checkmark, easily found
1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
Moderators: XnTriq, helmut, xnview, Dreamer
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 12:11 pm
1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
Last edited by xnviocumo on Thu Jun 20, 2024 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Author of XnView
- Posts: 45337
- Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2003 7:31 am
- Location: France
Re: 1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should

?? There is no [History] section2. In the same xnview.ini file, the following entries (at least) should have the option to be cleaned as well, to complete the privacy features offered by xnview. Better if that would be located in the same place where Purge is, (perhaps a "super purge" option?) or perhaps individually in each respective menus, may make more sense, but should always be easy to find:
[History]
Filename=...(this content)
Path=...(this content)
Why?[Rename]
replace=....(this content)
with=...(this content)
[Print]
headerInfo=...(this content)
Pierre.
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 12:11 pm
Re: 1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
Thank you so much for having a look at this.
In order to help new readers of this thread, I will fix the original post, explaining the mistake.
[Rename]
replace=...
with=...
[Print]
headerInfo=...(this content)
For an user who is not concerned with privacy issues, that would be totally irrelevant, as it would be the reported bug altogether.
For an user who is interested in not leaking certain information these are also important for the same reason as above:
Example 1 (replace field):
- A file is named: "Photo of my boss engaged in secret love affair with the accountant.jpg"
replace: "my boss engaged in secret love affair with the accountant"
with: "my dog taking a dump"
Example 2: (replace and with field):
- A file is named: "plant of the secret facilities at BlurBla.png" and you want to send it to a rival organization spy with a secret code "whore's house":
replace: "secret facilities at BlurBla"
with: "whore's house"
Later, the secret code "whore's house" is compromised and a witch hunt starts in your organization.
Spy jokes appart, anyone can imagine a lot of cases where either "replace" and/or "with" fields could leave an undesirable trace of unwanted expressions that may not have to do with secrets of the State or 007 agent, but with things that just shouldn't be there. That is, IF and only if the user cares at all about having a clean history in their computer. Otherwise, neither these "nice to have" nor the "bug" part make any sense alone or together.
About [Print] -> headerInfo
Even if I wouldn't use examples as above, which could be self-explanatory, there could be a simple case where one once used a header info that is not convenient any more, or is obsolete, or purely wrong, or it was a temporary only thing, etc. Again: this is only relevant for anyone who is interested at all in any of the previous features. Otherwise, none of them make any sense: why would anyone want to clear only some privacy info but not be able to remove several others relevant there?
Thanks again, I hope these ideas make sense as features to improve xnview user experience.
Sorry, my mistake, this was a copy/paste error from my notes. The intended section was: [Convert].?? There is no [History] section
In order to help new readers of this thread, I will fix the original post, explaining the mistake.
About the "feature request" part of my post:Why?
[Rename]
replace=...
with=...
[Print]
headerInfo=...(this content)
For an user who is not concerned with privacy issues, that would be totally irrelevant, as it would be the reported bug altogether.
For an user who is interested in not leaking certain information these are also important for the same reason as above:
Example 1 (replace field):
- A file is named: "Photo of my boss engaged in secret love affair with the accountant.jpg"
replace: "my boss engaged in secret love affair with the accountant"
with: "my dog taking a dump"
Example 2: (replace and with field):
- A file is named: "plant of the secret facilities at BlurBla.png" and you want to send it to a rival organization spy with a secret code "whore's house":
replace: "secret facilities at BlurBla"
with: "whore's house"
Later, the secret code "whore's house" is compromised and a witch hunt starts in your organization.
Spy jokes appart, anyone can imagine a lot of cases where either "replace" and/or "with" fields could leave an undesirable trace of unwanted expressions that may not have to do with secrets of the State or 007 agent, but with things that just shouldn't be there. That is, IF and only if the user cares at all about having a clean history in their computer. Otherwise, neither these "nice to have" nor the "bug" part make any sense alone or together.
About [Print] -> headerInfo
Even if I wouldn't use examples as above, which could be self-explanatory, there could be a simple case where one once used a header info that is not convenient any more, or is obsolete, or purely wrong, or it was a temporary only thing, etc. Again: this is only relevant for anyone who is interested at all in any of the previous features. Otherwise, none of them make any sense: why would anyone want to clear only some privacy info but not be able to remove several others relevant there?
Thanks again, I hope these ideas make sense as features to improve xnview user experience.
-
- XnThusiast
- Posts: 2142
- Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 9:37 am
Re: 1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
It should be separate feature, eg "Clear tools history" as "Purge now" is in Recent files group.
However, I doubt this is worth implementing, as the scope of this functionality is too uncertain - whether it should work for every tool, for every user input with history (and there are a lot of them).
Anyway, you can already achieve this behavior by making xnview.ini read-only.
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 12:11 pm
Re: 1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
Sure, as long as it is somewhere in a logic place.It should be separate feature, eg "Clear tools history"
This assertion is not correct or fair.I doubt this is worth implementing, as the scope of this functionality is too uncertain
First, if you refer to the rather exotic examples, then you would be missing the (rather obvious) fact that those are mostly metaphores. I wouldn't need to make a drawing for any user understand what exactly is the usefulness of this. If it not obvious, or still useless for you, however, then good for you. But that is far away for being a statement that represents all users. The proof is easy: I am an user. Since more than a decade. And if it is important to me, an user, it's more likely to be useful for many others, rather than for nobody else.
Secondly, missing this feature, as I said before, makes the whole "Purge now" idea absolutely pointless. Why would any one want to "Purge" only part of something? Either you are interested in cleaning after your use, or you are not. I am proposing to complete a feature, not to make it pointless.
That is even worse. Of course for an advanced user there are many things they can do: everything since making any kind of bash scripts (sed, python, whatever) as sofisticated as they want, to do manual cleanings, etc., etc.. I myself do have scripts to help me. But it's a pain to be writing and maintaining code for something that could be a trivial option. But: More important than me, or you, who have resources, I am talking about normal users, who are the huge majority and would need a procedure written by someone. Many people won't even know anything about permissions or what the heck is `sed`. In fact, I am also talking about users that potentially are in a work environment. And no, it's not just about having compromising pictures of the boss or anything like that. Again, if you don't understand it, that's fine, but please don't assume that all users are the same. It is an option, and it is a very valid, well justified and welcome option for many people, not for all, even if you don't see it for yourself. It's arguably a more important option or feature than several others that are only interesting for certain niche users, though that would be an endless and pointless discussion.you can already achieve this behavior by making xnview.ini read-only.
Finally: Adding a simple feature like this, is a great opportunity to make xnview a much more powerful and attractive tool to existing and to future users: it's a demonstration of interest in one of the most hot topics in many countries where privacy concerns are becoming paramount among people and even among governments -- think of the European Union, and several of its more advanced countries, to say the least. It's an important topic.
Anyway, thanks for your comments, even if we don't agree 100%, it makes this topic much more rich and interesting!

-
- Author of XnView
- Posts: 45337
- Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2003 7:31 am
- Location: France
Re: 1.7.2 - Purge doesn't remove all what it should
This problem is supposed to be fixed in XnView MP 1.8.0. Please check and confirm the bug fix here.
Pierre.