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Does anyone understand the story behind Process Explorer? For 10 years it's been an invaluable tool. But despite being developed by Microsoft you have to instal

Does anyone understand the story behind Process Explorer? For 10 years it's been an invaluable tool. But despite being developed by Microsoft you have to install it like third party software. Doesn't even come with an installer! How come it never got integrated into the main OS?

stinos 8y ago
Doesn't even come with an installer! Depending on whom you ask that is actually a good thing. There's already enough software which is completely portable by nature, i.e. just a directory or even single executable which you can put anywhere, but still gets shipped as an installer only. Which depending on who wrote it might or might not get rid of artefacts again. Apart from that: just like many, many other software it's easy to acquire via PowerShell's package management in which case it will even be in your PATH. If you've got everything setup it's Install-Package sysinternals. You might need Install-PackageProvider ChocolateyGet and Import-PackageProvider ChocolateyGet before that. How come it never got integrated into the main OS? I think the story goes something like 'Mark Russinovich created sysinternals, it was awesome enough for MS to embrace it, but deemed too technical and too much for power-users to be part of Windows'. A logic which is understandable in a way. Also if you opt for procexp to replace Task Manager it actually is integrated in the OS.
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
It originally started out as something from NTInternals. They were building small utils with capabilities similar to what they had become used to in their Unix background. Then they focused on all the low level tools which led to MS buying them. Not having an installer is actually a bonus. Far too many "simple" Windows programs seem to need Gigabytes of DLLs installing to Windows folder and spray themselves all over the system. /Windows bloats massively after a couple of years of active use. An exe I can keep in a folder, or drop into the path and simply delete if no longer useful.
- NelsonMinar 8y ago
  Well an Installer doesn't mean it has to install something bloated. Make a folder for it in C:\Program Files\, copy over the .exe and .chm, done. I can do this manually easily enough just think it's notable no one ever did it for this tool.

stinos 8y ago

Doesn't even come with an installer! Depending on whom you ask that is actually a good thing. There's already enough software which is completely portable by nature, i.e. just a directory or even single executable which you can put anywhere, but still gets shipped as an installer only. Which depending on who wrote it might or might not get rid of artefacts again. Apart from that: just like many, many other software it's easy to acquire via PowerShell's package management in which case it will even be in your PATH. If you've got everything setup it's Install-Package sysinternals. You might need Install-PackageProvider ChocolateyGet and Import-PackageProvider ChocolateyGet before that. How come it never got integrated into the main OS? I think the story goes something like 'Mark Russinovich created sysinternals, it was awesome enough for MS to embrace it, but deemed too technical and too much for power-users to be part of Windows'. A logic which is understandable in a way. Also if you opt for procexp to replace Task Manager it actually is integrated in the OS.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

It originally started out as something from NTInternals. They were building small utils with capabilities similar to what they had become used to in their Unix background. Then they focused on all the low level tools which led to MS buying them. Not having an installer is actually a bonus. Far too many "simple" Windows programs seem to need Gigabytes of DLLs installing to Windows folder and spray themselves all over the system. /Windows bloats massively after a couple of years of active use. An exe I can keep in a folder, or drop into the path and simply delete if no longer useful.

NelsonMinar 8y ago
Well an Installer doesn't mean it has to install something bloated. Make a folder for it in C:\Program Files\, copy over the .exe and .chm, done. I can do this manually easily enough just think it's notable no one ever did it for this tool.