Everything.db.tmp file at shutdown

[LucasFrance]

Hi there,

Sometimes, not always, I get an "Everything.db.tmp" file created at shutdown time in the application folder .

What can I do to avoid this file creation ?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

BR,

[void]

Everything will save your index to disk on shutdown.

The index is saved to Everything.db.tmp, then renamed to Everything.db

This file should be stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Everything

If not, please make sure Everything is installed correctly and running as a standard user:

• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the General tab on the left.
• Check Store settings and data in %APPDATA%\Everything.
• Uncheck Run as administrator.
• Check Everything Service. (Please make sure this is tick-checked and not square-checked)
• Click OK.
• Exit Everything (from the File menu, click Exit).
• Restart Everything.

The database location can also be customize under Tools -> Options -> Indexes -> Database location



If there is a Everything.db.tmp file after you restart your PC, then Windows is likely killing Everything before the entire index is saved to disk.
Everything 1.5 will create a shutdown block which will help prevent this.
For Everything 1.4, you'll have to reduce the number of files in your index, or in the registry editor, set the dword value String value

WaitToKillAppTimeout

in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

to

30000

The default is 5000.



To disable the creation of Everything.db.tmp on shutdown: (not recommended)

• You will need Everything 1.5
• In Everything 1.5, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the Advanced tab on the left.
• To the right of Show settings containing, search for:
  save
• Select: db_save_on_exit
• Set the value to: false
• Click OK.

Disabling db_save_on_exit will prevent Everything from writing the index to disk on exit or shutdown.
When disabled, the next time you start Everything it will have to update from the NTFS USN Journal.
This will take longer and longer each time, but it is done in the background.
Eventually, the NTFS USN Journal will be too old and Everything will have to do a reindex in the foreground.

[LucasFrance]

Many thank for your extended reply.

I changed the registry key "WaitToKillAppTimeout" value but the problem remains the same.

For information I have about 4.4 millions files indexed by everything on the scanned disks.

What is strange is that the problem only occurs when I boot on my Win 11 25H2 partition but not at all when I boot on the other systems (Win 7, Win 10, Win11 24H2). They all see the same disks and same indexing number of files.

Is there anything specific to Win11 25H2 that could create the issue ?

Thanks in advance.

BR,

[void]

Thanks for trying WaitToKillAppTimeout.

Sorry, I did say to create a dword value, but this is wrong.
WaitToKillAppTimeout needs to be a String value instead.
Please delete the registry value WaitToKillAppTimeout under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop and recreate it as a string value.
Set the value to 30000 and see if it helps.

Is there anything specific to Win11 25H2 that could create the issue ?

My guess is busy apps are timing out earlier on Windows 11 25H2.
What version of Everything are you using?

[LucasFrance]

Yes I already corrected yesterday the registry key format (String) but no joy...
I'm using the last version 1.4.1.1032 (x86)

[LucasFrance]

I also increased the WaitToKillService from 5000 to 10000 but no effect...

[therube]

How big is your .db?
Maybe 150 MB?

Something like that takes only a few seconds to save on my end (& I run rather old hardware).

If you manually quit Everything (File | Exit) the .db gets written to disk.
Confirm that it correctly saves to .db (rather then to .db.tmp)?
(It will still create the interim .db.tmp.)

How long does it take to save the .db to disk?
Time it. You could do a 1 1000 2 1000 ... should be close enough.
Is it only a few seconds or is it taking more 30 seconds?
(Those 5000 / 1000 / 30000 numbers equate to 5 / 10 / 30 seconds.)

[NotNull]

I'm assuming you use Everything 1.4, not 1.5.?

I have about 4.4 millions files indexed

Expected database size: around half a gigabyte (about 100 bytes per file/folder)


Make sure Compress database is disabled (under Menu => Tools => Options => Indexes).
Compressing can take quite some time.

Also make sure the database is stored on a local disk, not somewhere on a network or a slow medium.

[LucasFrance]

My db file size is about 167MB and no tmp file is created if I exit everything manually but only sometimes at shutdown.
When I exit manually it takes about 1 sec to shutdown properly. I have only very fast NVMe drives.
Everything version is 1.4.1.1032 (x86). Compress database is OFF and db file is on local disk.

[void]

Anything reported in the Event Viewer? (Start -> eventvwr )
Look under Windows Logs -> Application and Windows Logs -> System.

[LucasFrance]

Nothing special or related in the Event Viewer...

[void]

Are you running Everything with the debug console shown?

To toggle the debug console:
In Everything, type in the following search and press ENTER:
/debug

If the debug console is shown, Windows will likely terminate Everything on shutdown.



Please try leaving an Everything search window opened before shutting down.
Perhaps Windows is terminating Everything if no windows are opened.



How large is the Everything.db.tmp?
If it is about 167MB, then maybe the rename is not getting flushed to disk on exit.
To confirm, before you start Everything (if already started, just terminate Everything), delete your Everything.db, rename your Everything.db.tmp to Everything.db and restart Everything, if Everything loads instantly without a rebuild, then the db was completely written to disk and the rename was not.
This might indicate a deeper ssd flush issue.



See if disabling fast startup helps:
Control Panel -> Power Options -> "Choose what the power buttons do"
Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable"
Uncheck "Turn on fast startup"

[LucasFrance]

Let me launch the /debug console before reboot several times and I'll report back here.

For information, the size of the tmp file is just about 1KB when it is created at shudown.

The Fast Startup Option is turned off on my systems.

Thank you.

[therube]

the size of the tmp file is just about 1KB when it is created at shutdown

That's strange, cause you'd expect it to be 167 MB.

Which means what, that it is not even being written to?

[LucasFrance]

After several reboots having everything /debug console running, I haven't got the tmp file anymore.

What changes are introduced by the /debug console to solve the problem ?

Thank you.

[LucasFrance]

When created, the tmp file size is about 10MB (not 1KB as wrongly wrote before)...

[void]

What changes are introduced by the /debug console to solve the problem ?

None.
I noted that *showing* the debug console will likely cause the issue because Windows will terminate the debug console on shutdown, which will bring down Everything.



I wonder if debug logs will capture anything..
Leave the debug console off, (uncheck Tools -> Options -> Debug -> Console)
Start debug logging under Tools -> Options -> Debug -> Start Debug Logging...
(you'll have to do this each time you shutdown your PC)
Shutdown your PC.
If a tmp file still exists after a reboot, could you please upload your %TEMP%\Everything Debug Log.txt in a bug report.



Maybe the Everything database is corrupt and Everything is silently crashing.
Please try a fresh index:

• Exit Everything (File -> Exit)
• Delete your %LOCALAPPDATA%\Everything\Everything.db
  (Everything-1.5a.db for the alpha version)
• Delete your %LOCALAPPDATA%\Everything\Everything.backup.db
  (Everything-1.5a.backup.db for the alpha version)
• Restart Everything.

[LucasFrance]

I don't have the "Debug" in the Options menu here...

Already tried to delete the Everything.db file but it doesn't solve the issue.

Thank you.

[void]

For Everything 1.4, before shutting down your PC, type in the following search and press ENTER:

/debug_log

Shutdown your PC.
If a tmp file still exists after a reboot, could you please upload your %TEMP%\Everything Debug Log.txt in a bug report.

[LucasFrance]

So far, after activating "/debug_log" I never go the tmp file again.
Seems to have the same effect than the debug console... making the problem not appearing anymore.

[void]

Debug logging should have no effect on Everything.

I wonder if its something to do with interacting with Everything before the shutdown?

Before shutting down, open a search window, then shutdown and see if the issue persists.

[LucasFrance]

I give up for now. Will check with the next official release...

Thanks,