Using voidtools in the workplace

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johnsmith
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:03 pm

Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by johnsmith »

Hello,

I want to use voidtools in the work environment. Unfotunately, I don't have admin's rights there (and to the network discs).

Is using "install service" stealth?
Will somebody notice that I used everything?

Cheers
SuperDude
Posts: 219
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:57 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by SuperDude »

Even if you run “Everything” as a Service, it will be visible in Task Manager. In fact, there will be at least 2 instances of the “Everything” process in the list of processes. One will be the process running as a Service, and the other as the regular Everything process.

If you use a much more powerful Task Manager replacement, (like “Process Hacker”), you can see the command-line parameters as well. For example, on my computer, the “Everything Service” process command-line is “D:\EVERYTHING\Everything.exe" -svc” while the other Everything process is shown as “D:\EVERYTHING\Everything.exe

You can get Process Hacker here: https://wj32.org/processhacker/nightly.php
johnsmith
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:03 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by johnsmith »

Hmmm... I think there is small misunderstanding bettwen us :P
Please be considerate, I'm not nerdy.

I'm more concerned about leaving some files, "bad logs" adter using Everything as service.
Soemthing easy to spot by IT guy.

In this company nobody pays attention to the processes run on computers (I think so).

Edit: I mean... If Everything starts to creating index file based on files on network discs (on computer without admin rights) - will be there any red flags for admin?
NotNull
Posts: 5167
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by NotNull »

johnsmith wrote:Hello,

I want to use voidtools in the work environment. Unfotunately, I don't have admin's rights there (and to the network discs).

Is using "install service" stealth?
Will somebody notice that I used everything?

Cheers
First of all, in most cases it is best to talk to the "IT guys" first. You would be surprised how much is possible.
But maybe this is not the case in your company. So ...


To answer your question: to install the Everything service, you need to be an administrator. A bit of chicken-egg situation.
This service is 'only' helpful for "NTFS indexing", on the local disks in *your* computer (C:). For network shares you need to use "Folder Indexing. Luckily you can also use folder indexing for your local disks. And you don't need to be an administrator for that!


Here's what to do (my suggestion):
- download the PORTABLE version of Everything (I never used the installer version, but I guess you need to be an administrator for this to install it.
- extract the files to some folder
- start Everything.exe
- Choose "Do not index NTFS volumes"
- In Menu:Tools > Options > Indexes > Folders, configure the disks /folders you want to index.
- Conigure a scan interval for each volume.

This scaninterval is rather important. If you are scanning a very large folder on the network, this will take some time (and network resources).
Do NOT schedule this to happen in "network rush hours". That is: in the morning when everyone comes in and logs in and thus create enormous amounts of network traffic.
Lunchtime is also not a good time. That is the moment that in the background a lot of IT-stuff is going on, like synchronizing data, creating backups, etc.
My suggestion: scan network shares once a day around 15:00. That way you will be "under the radar".
- Another very important setting: in the Everything search bar, type:

Code: Select all

/folder_update_rescan_asap=0
followed by <Enter>
This injects a setting in your Everything.ini.
This is what this setting does: (source:https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/ini/)
folder_update_rescan_asap
Rescan folders when starting Everything if a scheduled folder rescan was missed.
Set to 1 to rescan immediately. Set to 0 to rescan at the next scheduled time.
This means that when you leave the office one day at 14:00 - so your computer is not running at 15:00 - it will NOT start a schedule the next time when you start your computer (which will probably be the next morning, in "network rush hour" ...

There's (a little) more to it, like starting Everything when you log on, but that has to come later.

Good luck!
johnsmith
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:03 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by johnsmith »

Thanks!

One more question: is such scanning ("Folder Indexing") taking much resources and bandwidth?
NotNull
Posts: 5167
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by NotNull »

johnsmith wrote:Thanks!

One more question: is such scanning ("Folder Indexing") taking much resources and bandwidth?
No.
(That's the non-technical, non-nerdy answer ;-))
johnsmith
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:03 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by johnsmith »

Can anyone provide good book for layman where it's described what kind of traces actions such going through multiple folders (like done by Everything) leave? Thanks in advance.

Environment: Win7.
horst.epp
Posts: 1332
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:24 pm

Re: Using voidtools in the workplace

Post by horst.epp »

johnsmith wrote:Can anyone provide good book for layman where it's described what kind of traces actions such going through multiple folders (like done by Everything) leave? Thanks in advance.

Environment: Win7.
Its wasting time trying to hide program usage from the IT staff.
You will always leave traces of some kind using a tool like Everything.
So talk to your Admins what is allowed.
If you don't want to do that I assume you are trying some illegal hacks to systems you are not own.
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