Pchelpware vs vnc sc filesizes

[joe3k]

Hi guys,
I was using UltraVnc SC and I have now setup pchelpware. I like them both!
However I have heard pchelpware is supposed to superseed vncSC... is this correct? The filesize of pchelpware for me is 350k, compared to the 200k I get using SC. In fact SC can go right down to 166k, but I'm happy enough with 200k. As you can imagine that is a huge increase in filesize for users to download and thus SC may be a better option? How can I reduce the filesize of pchelpware... is it possible?

I also want to personalise the program so users don't know what I'm using to view their pc (i.e. they just assume I wrote a little program myself). I also want it to be as simple as possible. Literally download from my site. Double click the link and hello I have access to your pc. What is the best way of me achieving these goals. I currently have changed the icon, the background and logo. SC seems to connect straight through better than pchelpware and also in a cleaner fashion.

So whats the theory lads... pchelpware for me or should I stick with sc?

[photoman]

joe - The best way to reduce the size of the file is by changing the background. You said you changed the background, the icon and the logo. I changed my background and doubled the size of the file, but that's because I included our company logo and motto. This resulted in more detail and more colours, and hence a larger file size (I suggested that in future versions, it could support the likes of GIF files, which would help reduce the size). I had a go at changing the icon and it went from 1K to 17K, so I binned that idea (again, too much detail).

With regard to personalising so that users don't know what they are using, this is more problemattical. I responded to another forum member about this issue:

[topic=10288][/topic] - see the comments from dado023 and below.

I don't mind people knowing I'm using PcHelpware. Just adding our logo makes it more 'professional' looking.

So far as making it as simple as possible, you can modify the PcHelpware.exe located in the create_server folder. I made a short tutorial on this and it's posted as a sticky:

[topic=10324][/topic]

Although the tutorial doesn't cover it, you could remove the Login and Password fields and only leave the Connect and Quit buttons. Read through the tutorial and at point 7, you can select the two fields and just delete them, and then continue from point 9.

[joe3k]

Hi, thanks for the reply and the suggestions. I willll llook into implementing them. However even without editing, the filesize of pchelpware is still 325k. Manageable I guess, but not as nice as the 166k of SC.

[joe3k]

Ok. I have managed to get it with only the connect and quit buttons and it has a nice slick look and feel to it. I can live with it displaying pchelpware. My only real issue now is: How do I get the filesize down. The default background is a whopping 83.4kb and I suspect this is causing the large 324kb filesize.

[photoman]

joe - I knew my background image was bigger than the original, but on reading about your file size, I decided to check mine. I haven't used SC, so a 300kb download to me seems small compared to the retail products out there.

Anyway, I rebuilt the server with the original 84kb background and got a server size of 326kb. I then rebuilt it again using my modified background and came up with a server size of 329kb. That's only 3kb bigger. But, and this is a big but, my modified background image is 246kb in size. That isn't a typo, it is 246kb.

So it seems that the size of the background image has very little impact on the server size.

[joe3k]

hmm ok... thats interesting. Maybe I shall customise my background some more in that case. Wonder what is causing the large filesize and if it can be cut down in any way.

[photoman]

joe - Just opened up the server app with WinRar to see what's inside.

The following files had zero compression - 1SCDLL.dll, helpdesk.txt, icon1.ico, PcHelpWare.exe and SCHook.dll

The file background.bmp went from 85,426 to 8,946 bytes.

However, the really interesting one is 1CHATDLL.dll which went from 86,106 to 279,078 bytes. For some reason, this file increases in size quite significantly.

The total file size uncompressed is 1,562,891 bytes but 333,525 bytes in compressed form.

I haven't used 7z as a compression tool, but if you could apply different compression settings to just 1CHATDLL.dll, that might reduce the file size.

[joe3k]

Very interesting. Not sure what that 1CHATDLL.dll is about. I think I'll have to just live with the 300+kb. On a broadband connection it isn't too bad anyhow, so long as both parties have broadband. I've been reading pchelpware is slower than SC though, which is concerning. Must look into this also, as speed of use is more important than initial download size (within reason of course).

I shall start proper testing of how good pchelpware is over the coming days/weeks.

[redge]

Not sure what that 1CHATDLL.dll is about.

is a text chat while viewer connected to server, allow you to request chat to server for wrote something interactive mode without voice.

[photoman]

joe - Good luck with your testing. My big problem will be getting our IT people to allow us to use PcHelpWare to help our customers, so my time will be spent preparing a document justifying its use

redge - Any idea whether PCHW will run without the 1CHATDLL.dll? I would usually be talking to the user on the phone anyway, so wouldn't need the chat facility.

[photoman]

redge - Ignore last comment. Decided to rebuild it without the 1CHATDLL.dll file, and the server won't run without it. Oh well, was worth a try.