Author Topic: did the latest update (2.10.01) affect file associations? (Read 15192 times)

cedardoc · « **on:** June 18, 2008, 10:53 AM »

I could have sworn that before this update, when I clicked a link to a text file from a FARR list, it would open in Ted Notepad (that's what I have the default application set as for txt files), but today they're opening in notepad.exe.

Any suggestions?

DP

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2008, 10:59 AM »

farr does not change any file associations.

HOWEVER -- i did change slightly the way far tells the system to open files.. and it may be that this method is not obeying some "open with" preferences that it used to? does anyone have any further cases of this or insight?

For what it's worth, my txt files still open in UltraEdit, my system-configured text file opening editor (rather than notepad).

[for the technically minded, i changed from ShellExecute to ShellExecuteEx, AND i added code to find the document class in the registry before invoking the "open" verb. i suspect it is this document class lookup that is causing the change in behavior, though i'm not sure why. the change was done to fix the problem some people were having with some documents not opening at all, and it seems to have solved that problem for them, but now it seems to have caused a strange change in behavior for others].

cedardoc · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2008, 11:02 AM »

There's definitely something different - its opening spreadsheets in open office when I have it set for excel

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2008, 11:34 AM »

this is very interesting.. as if you have two separate sets of file associations..

i could certainly put an option to toggle between old and new method of launching, but i'd love to know why it's doing what it's doing.

let's try this -- attached is the older version of my document launcher helper that farr uses to try to be smart and fast about opening documents. replace your current one with this and see if it makes it behave as before (no need to restart farr).

TucknDar · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:43 PM »

Maybe I'm on thin ice here, but sounds a bit like file associations may be read from a specific part of the registry, namely HKCR (aka HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\) while it's also possible to have user-specific (or per-user if you will) file associations in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\

Look at this post I made not so long ago: https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=13573.0

edit: The latter registry, HKCU\Software\Classes normally takes precedence (sp?) over HKLM\Software\Classes, but maybe FARR goes directly to HKLM?

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:48 PM »

That is an excellent guess Tuck.

I'm using HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT which is described here, and *should* use user customized settings and then falling back on system settings. But whether something is going wrong is possible.

cedardoc, could you check those two registry keys and see if you find differences in how your spreadsheet files are classified, and in what way?

TucknDar · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:56 PM »

Just tested this with a .doc file which is associated to MS Word in HKLM and Textmaker in HKCU, and it opened correctly in HKCU.

kartal · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2008, 01:44 PM »

Where is (2.10.01) ? ANy change list?

thanks

ptran · « **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2008, 02:53 PM »

Here's another data point. I used to be able to enter "cmd32" and FARR would run the cmd32.cmd batch file located in a directory that I had specified as a search folder. It worked on 2.07.01. With 2.10.01, entering cmd32 no longer launches the script. I replaced the quickdoclauncher.exe with the one from reply #3 and it's working again. Here's what the cmd32.cmd script does:

@if exist "%windir%\SysWow64\cmd.exe" (
start "cmd32" "%windir%\SysWow64\cmd.exe" %*
) else (
start "cmd32" "%windir%\System32\cmd.exe" %*
)

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** June 18, 2008, 03:07 PM »

what happens when 2.10.01 tries to launch it.. nothing? or some error or?

ptran · « **Reply #10 on:** June 18, 2008, 03:28 PM »

Sorry for omitting more details.

1. I restored the quickdoclauncher.exe from the 2.10.01 installation.
2. I type in "cmd32" and FARR lists it as match #1, cmd32.cmd.
3. I press return and there's a very, very brief hourglass before the normal cursor appears.

The FARR window is gone. No new command window show up. No errors that I can see.

I'll experiment a bit to see if I can confirm whether the batch file ran or not.

ptran · « **Reply #11 on:** June 18, 2008, 03:37 PM »

Here's my experiment. I created a batch file named "xyz.cmd" in the same directory as "cmd32.cmd". The file "xyz.cmd" contains just one line which is: calc.exe

With the 2.10.01 quickdoclauncher.exe, I enter xyz.cmd and the FARR windows closes without the calculator launching.

With the quickdoclauncher.exe from reply #3, I see a command window titled, "E:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe", on my desktop. That command window is showing one command: calc.exe. And the Windows calculator has launched. I close the calculator and it and command window that launched it disappear.

cedardoc · « **Reply #12 on:** June 18, 2008, 04:18 PM »

Hi, sorry - I've been away and now I can't download anything... stupid Vista!

When I can get that file going, I'll let you know what happens

Dave

s.newave · « **Reply #13 on:** June 18, 2008, 05:42 PM »

I can confirm that their is definitely something going on with file launching. None of my ms office file extensions are launching at all as well as any pdf and txt files. lnk, exe extensions still work however.

Also might not be a bad idea to keep links to the last two versions just in case the latest release is a little buggy one can go back a version. Cant work without FARR

jgpaiva · « **Reply #14 on:** June 18, 2008, 05:47 PM »

s.newave: The stable version (which is a few versions back) is linked at farr's web page

cedardoc · « **Reply #15 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:04 PM »

looks like the problem has been located, but for completions sake, I ran quickdoclauncher, and it didn't fix it.

Dave,

btw, it wasn't "stupid Vista" it was "stupid AVG"

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:04 PM »

s.newave: The stable version (which is a few versions back) is linked at farr's web page

it used to be but i made this the latest stable version. oops.

i may just go back to the old quickdoclauncher for now until i understand better why this behavior is occuring. so strange.

ptran · « **Reply #17 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:11 PM »

I'm open to running a version with some additional logging if the resulting data will be helpful.

cedardoc · « **Reply #18 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:15 PM »

s.newave: The stable version (which is a few versions back) is linked at farr's web page
it used to be but i made this the latest stable version. oops.

-mouser (June 18, 2008, 06:04 PM)

I'm not sure if this is what you meant by the above, but the version on the website that says its 2.07.01 is actually 2.10.01

I'll try it again tomorrow...

mouser · « **Reply #19 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:23 PM »

I've uploaded a new version which puts back the old quickdoc launcher. just redownload and reinstall to go back to the old method. I'll ask for more help testing the new mode before i try it again.