MD5Hash 2.9

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.3 Now has /main command line switch.  Only one param should be specified on the command line.  Either the switch /main (not case sensitive) or the name of a file or folder.

When run with /main, MD5Hash attempts to set itself up as the "main instance" of the application. If it succeeds it will show MD5Hash Main in the caption bar instead of just MD5Hash.

With a Main instance running, if you select 20 files in Explorer, right click and choose MD5Hash in the context menu, each copy that loads will send the file or folder name to the main instance, then close, instead of getting one result in each copy.

If you want to have more than one copy running, for example if you have more than one physical hard drive and want to process a large file on each drive, simply start MD5Hash in the normal way with no Main copy running.

To start a Main copy, if you don't like command line, I recommend creating a shortcut with the /main after the exe name as in this Target line:
c:\md5hash\md5hash.exe /main


Note: when file or folder name is specified on the command line, do not wrap with quotes even if it has spaces. This will cause processing of that item to fail.  The entire command tail is read as one string so quotes are not needed.

edit: Readme files updated.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.4 Updated label on main dialog.

MD5Hash is also available for download on Softpedia.  I just informed them of this update.  But since they just link their download to my site anyway, whichever download link you use gets the same zip file.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.5 Version 2.5 is functionally the same. It uses a semi-transparent skin on Windows 7.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.6 Bug fix.  Some controls weren't properly disabled when a filename was sent by a secondary instance of the application.

Now handles WM_DWMCOMPOSITIONCHANGED Windows message.  If Aero or transparency is toggled while the app is running it should adjust to remain usable.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.7 The /main command line switch has been dropped.  The first MD5Hash to run sets itself as the main instance automatically.

If you have the switch set in any shortcuts please remove it to avoid errors. I found the main way I launch the app is using the Explorer Context Menu. I originally used the "/main" command line switch due to race condition paranoia(one copy may run and try to create the hidden window, then the other might get there before the window class is registered and stuff may not work blah blah.)  But other bugs are much more likely to happen than this theoretical race condition.  So, I just removed the test for the switch and if the message only window does not yet exist, it launches a thread to create it and service the messages, so that command lines from later copies of the app can be passed along.

What's it mean? If stuff works, then forget about it.  If you notice weird stuff instead of normal stuff, please let me know. I tried it on both my machines and it seems to work the way I want.  So I'll try it as is for now. If it really needs to be fixed I can always stick a semaphore creation routine on.  But I suspect creating the window will work just as well.

The upshot is, now you don't need to have a copy already running to avoid Explorer opening like 100 if you right click on 100 files.  100 will open, but 99 will close after the command line is passed along.

[MilesAhead]

I'll be updating to 2.8 later today.  I have this sorted now. The first copy of MD5Hash will try to set itself up as the "main instance" no matter what.  Subsequent copies, if they have anything on the command line, will send the command line to the main instance.  If a copy is started with no command line params, it will be allowed to open.

This way you can still open a copy to feed on another drive or whatever.  Just drag & drop files to it, or use the Browse Button to select files etc..

Launching from the Context Menu will supply a command line.  So if you launch from a shortcut or command prompt with no command line, I assume you want another copy open.  No need for .ini file or registry setting or option checkbox. It just logically follows.

I'll post a notice when 2.8 is uploaded.

[widgewunner]

Regarding the topic of file hash utilities, have you looked at HASHTAB?

It is one of the most useful programs I've come across in a long time. Worth a look-see.

[MilesAhead]

(please delete)

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.8 As of version 2.8, the first copy of the app to run will attempt to set itself up as the "main instance" of the application.  Any copies started after that, that have something on the command line(for instance, launched from Explorer Context Menu) will just send the command line to the main instance, then quit.

If, however, a secondary instance is started with nothing on the command line, it will be allowed to remain open.  This gives more options without having to toggle some .ini file option or use a command line switch.

If you have a multi-core PC and select 20 tiny files in Explorer to launch from the context menu, there's a chance you'll get multiple copies with a result showing in each copy.  The way to avoid this is to select a single file or folder and start it going. Then make additional selections.  They will be added to the job queue instead of starting new copies.

I think this approach is a good compromise.  You don't have to toggle settings.  You get both "main instance" benefits and the ability to launch another copy to do a separate job.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash 2.9 I enhanced monitoring of composition changes.  On Vista the dialog is now a semi-transparent blue. On XP the default dialog theme is used.

Edit: btw if you are on XP and got an error trying to run MD5Hash 2.9 please download MD5Hash again.  The glitch has been fixed.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash now includes a compiled program, MD5Context for adding or removing MD5Hash to/from the Explorer Context Menu.

It's a super advanced GUI .. meaning, it has an Add and a Remove Button.

Here's a screen shot in case anyone needs a chuckle

[f0dder]

Where's the skinned UI and fancy animations, Miles?

[MilesAhead]

Where's the skinned UI and fancy animations, Miles?

-f0dder (November 04, 2010, 03:16 AM)

I thought you were gonna' make me a kit so all I need to do is one function call?

[f0dder]

Where's the skinned UI and fancy animations, Miles?

-f0dder (November 04, 2010, 03:16 AM)

I thought you were gonna' make me a kit so all I need to do is one function call?

-MilesAhead (November 04, 2010, 12:01 PM)

Last time I played with custom GUI stuff in C++ was years back, optimizing some bitmap->region stuff used for skinnable apps... not a one-function-call solution, though ;P

[MilesAhead]

Where's the skinned UI and fancy animations, Miles?

-f0dder (November 04, 2010, 03:16 AM)

I thought you were gonna' make me a kit so all I need to do is one function call?

-MilesAhead (November 04, 2010, 12:01 PM)

Last time I played with custom GUI stuff in C++ was years back, optimizing some bitmap->region stuff used for skinnable apps... not a one-function-call solution, though ;P

-f0dder (November 04, 2010, 02:26 PM)

If it was, there'd probably be 52 params.

I started to look at some of the GDI+ stuff. I saw something about it all being done in software.  I lost interest at that point.  Ok for something like RocketDock where the app is likely to sit in one spot but I wouldn't want all my desktop apps bogging the CPU down just to be pretty.

[f0dder]

As I understand it, GDI+ is basically a C++ wrapper (and added convenience stuff) around GDI. So if GDI is hardware accelerated, GDI+ should be. IIRC, GDI has been accelerated pretty much up to and including XP, with Vista (WDDM 1.0) going mostly-software (for GDI), and Win7 (WDDM1.1) adds hardware acceleration back.

It's all a bit messy

If you want hardware acceleration, you'll want your bitmaps in GPU memory, and direct access to pixels are going to be slow - if you need pixel access, do stuff non-accelerated in system memory and blit when you're all done.

[MilesAhead]

Thanks for the tips.

[MilesAhead]

MD5Hash itself has not been updated, but I've added a note and html link to the Readme file.  In Windows Seven, even though an executable is only opened in read-only mode, if the exe was downloaded this can cause that Security Dialog to pop up when MD5Hash computes the checksum via Context Menu.

Don't ask me why.  As noted in the Readme, this tutorial shows how to kill off the security dialog.  The tutorial includes a .reg file download. I just did it on my machine and it worked fine.  The .reg file you want to download and run is:

Enable_Unblock_Open_File_Security_Warning.reg.reg

After running you'll probably need to log off, then back on, for the registry setting to go into effect.

Here's the link to the tutorial:

http://www.sevenforu...ock-file.html?filter[2]=Security%20System%20Tools