Author Topic: Cannot delete single clips (Read 19020 times)

Jesper Hertel · « **on:** October 02, 2013, 06:08 PM »

I just noticed that I cannot delete any single clips from Clipboard Help+Spell.

I right-click a clip and select "Delete selected clip". The focus then moves to another clip, but the clip I right-clicked is still there.

Selecting a clip and pressing the Delete key has exactly the same effect – or lack of effect.

It doesn't matter what clip I choose – none can be deleted.

Deleting *all* clips in a group works. But deleting a single clip – or a selection of clips – doesn't.

IainB · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2013, 07:53 PM »

It should work. Pressing the Delete key also works by deleting the clip(s) selected.
As a longtime CHS user, when I find something inexplicable/odd like this happens in CHS, the quickest workaround is to shut CHS down and restart it.
You will invariably find that does the trick and the problem has gone away.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2013, 06:37 PM »

Sorry for the late reply – I didn't see the notification.

I agree that it should work.

But it doesn't. Restarting Clipboard Help+Spell doesn't work either. It still won't delete any single clips. Only the "Delete all clips in this group" menu item works.

IainB · « **Reply #3 on:** October 07, 2013, 02:16 AM »

Odd. Deleting via right-click+delete or via Delete button are usually consistently reliable.

One suggestion left: When I have had "sticky" problems with CHS like this, I use blind panic and run:
View | Options | Backup Maintenance | Verify or Repair Database
- after backing up the database, of course (JIC).

Otherwise I am at a loss, sorry. Maybe someone else on the forum will be able to assist.
It might be of some use in diagnosis if you posted an image clip of the:
View | Options | Statistics

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** October 07, 2013, 03:27 AM »

Jesper are these clips in a normal group? is there anything special about them (are they marked as favorites?)
are they in the recycle bin?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2013, 07:43 AM »

IainB, I am sorry, I should have told that I already did View | Options | Backup Maintenance | Verify or Repair Database (as well as tried to restart Clipboard Help+Spell) before writing this bug report in the first place. None of it worked. But thanks for the tip!

Here is the CHS statistics:

Information:
   Database File: C:\Users\Jesper\Documents\DonationCoder\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database\ClipboardHelpAndSpell
   Temp Directory: C:\Users\Jesper\Documents\DonationCoder\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database\Temp (0)

Totals:
   Text Clips Added To Database: 4533 (645.57kb)
   Image Clips Added to Database: 23 (548.25kb)
   Items Pasted: 205
This Run
   Text Clips Added To Database: 22 (1.14kb)
   Image Clips Added to Database: 0 (0b)
   Items Pasted: 0
This Run, Total Detected Clipboard Events: 55
   DB Retryable Errors: 0 (0)
   ClipEvents Triggered: 63
   ClipEvents Processed: 55
   ClipEvents TooSoon: 20
   ClipEvents Identical: 11
   ClipEvents Duplicate: 1
   ClipEvents Ignore: 2
   ClipEvents TooBig: 0
   ClipEvents BadFocus: 0
   ClipEvents BadMutex: 0
   ClipEvents IgnoredEvents: 0
   ClipEvents TooFast: 0
   ClipEvents GetUrl: 0
   ClipEvents GetUrlException: 0
   ClipEvents Exception: 0

One strange thing about the "Database File" is that there is no file or folder called "C:\Users\Jesper\Documents\DonationCoder\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database\ClipboardHelpAndSpell" on my computer. But the folder "C:\Users\Jesper\Documents\DonationCoder\Clipboard Help+Spell\Database" is there and contains:

Files (dir)
Temp (dir)
CHSDatabaseLockFile.lck
ClipTable.bbk
ClipTable.blb
ClipTable.dat
ClipTable.dbk
ClipTable.ibk
ClipTable.idx
GroupTable.bbk
GroupTable.blb
GroupTable.dat
GroupTable.dbk
GroupTable.ibk
GroupTable.idx
README.txt

Is that as it should be?

And mouser, the clips are simply in All/Clipboard/Old and All/Clipboard/New. And none of the ones I tried to delete were Favorites.

When I try to delete from the Recycle Bin, I do get the warning that they will be permanently deleted – but still, after saying Yes to that, the clip stays. The "line cursor" ("current record marker") goes to a completely other place in the Recycle Bin, but the clip I wanted to delete was not deleted.

All the clips are written in a grey font, I noticed, which seems a bit odd. I don't remember if that is normal in Clipboard Help+Spell? I would expect just a normal black font... Is that some kind of indication that they cannot be deleted (that they are "greyed out")? But if so, why would I get the warning...

Because of all my special settings and adjustments over the years I don't feel very much like uninstalling Clipboard Help+Spell, deleting all settings, and starting all over with a clean install to see if that helps. But is there perhaps some way to export my settings in text form, so I can easily get them back after such a clean reinstall?

mouser · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2013, 08:53 AM »

The file names seem fine and shouldn't make a difference.

The grey color just means that the clip is in a child group of the one you are currently in; it shouldn't effect anything.

Let's see.. another question to ask would be to confirm that the clip is really still there even on restart.

SO you try to delete a clip and it stays visible. If you exit and come back, is it still there?

And can you add new clips?
Can you MOVE clips by dragging and dropping them into different folders?

And what operating system is this?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2013, 12:48 PM »

The grey color just means that the clip is in a child group of the one you are currently in

But how come, then, that no matter what group I switch to, all clips are grey? Even in groups without any children like All/Clipboard/New and All/Clipboard/Old? Well, except for the Quick Paste group, where all clips are blue. I cannot delete from the Quick Paste group either, by the way.

If you exit and come back, is it still there?

Yep!

And can you add new clips?

Yep!

Can you MOVE clips by dragging and dropping them into different folders?

Nope!

And what operating system is this?

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2013, 12:56 PM »

I just tried taking a backup of the current database and then restoring the oldest version I have easy access to – a backup from July 11, 2013. Same issue there – and all clips are grey there too. I guess I rarely delete clips from the database, so that must be why I never discovered it before. But I accidentally put a password on the clipboard so I wanted to delete that – that was how I discovered that I couldn't.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2013, 02:45 PM »

Now I tried restoring miscellaneous backups from 2008 to 2013. Some make Clipboard Help+Spell crash, and in the ones that do not crash, the problem is the same.

I guess I will have to do a reinstall.

IainB · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2013, 12:33 AM »

I wouldn't perform a reinstall if you don't need to.
What version of CHS do you have? Do you update it with DCUpdater?
The version should be as per the latest version shown in the DCUpdater = 2.19.01.
I have 2.20.01 (which is a test ß or something).

If you did do a reinstall of the latest/current version, it shouldn't blow away your settings. CHS reinstalls are usually OK like that.

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2013, 03:27 AM »

Try this:

Download the portable version of CHS and just unpack it into a directory you have write access to (somewhere in your mydocuments).

That will give you a new clean CHS install with a separate database. See if the problem is solved there.

That will tell us if it might be something messed up with your old database or configuration settings, or if it's something more pernicious.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2013, 05:01 PM »

What version of CHS do you have?
2.19.01

Do you update it with DCUpdater?
Yep.

Download the portable version of CHS ...
The portable, clean install (also version 2.19.01) works perfectly – no problem deleting clips in that one.

mouser · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2013, 08:41 PM »

And have you run the repair database function on your main normal database?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:17 AM »

And have you run the repair database function on your main normal database?
Yep. I just tried it again, and Clipboard Help+Spell said the database was found free of errors. But still, no single clips can be deleted.

Can I do a reinstall where I get to keep my settings but start over with a new, fresh database in some way? Or do the settings also live in the database?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #15 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:21 AM »

Oh yes, I found the ClipboardHelpAndSpell.ini file which must be the settings. I will try to delete the database (I have backups) and reinstall and see what happens.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:28 AM »

Okay, I did that: Reinstalled latest version (2.19.01), deleted all ClipTable.* and GroupTable.* files, then started Clipboard Help+Spell. I got a fresh, clean database that way.

Still I can't delete any clips!

So I guess the problem must reside in the settings? Or in some files shared with other programs perhaps? DLL files? Libraries?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:33 AM »

Here is my ClipboardHelpAndSpell.ini file for the normal installation (which does not work).

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:34 AM »

And here it is for the portable version that works.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:37 AM »

Hm, when I tried to copy the ClipboardHelpAndSpell.ini for the non-working installed version to the portable version directory, so the portable version would use that, the portable version still works and I can delete clips with that...

So then what can it be?

I would rather use an installed version of Clipboard Help+Spell than the portable one, so that I get the semi-automatic updates through DcUpdater...

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2013, 10:49 AM »

Not even when I copy both the Database directory and the ClipboardHelpAndSpell.ini file to the installed version's directory (C:\Users\Jesper\Documents\DonationCoder\Clipboard Help+Spell) does it work.

Isn't that weird?

And the two ClipboardHelpAndSpell.exe files for the installed version and the portable version are binary identical – I just checked that. And they are both dated 2013-06-12 18:13:46 (well, one of them have the time 18:13:48).

mouser · « **Reply #21 on:** October 09, 2013, 12:26 PM »

Okay, I did that: Reinstalled latest version (2.19.01), deleted all ClipTable.* and GroupTable.* files, then started Clipboard Help+Spell. I got a fresh, clean database that way.
Still I can't delete any clips!

now THAT is very surprising!!!!! and a HUGE clue.

check this, do you have a configdir.ini in your installed CHS directory? if so delete it. and try again.

----

and, here's a great test:

copy the entire Clipboard Help and Spell directory from your installed Program Files\ directory (even the copy with the old database), and copy it to a directory in your documents subdirectory.

see if deleting works then.

you can see what i'm getting at -- i'm trying to see if it has to do with the permissions in your installed directory.

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #22 on:** October 12, 2013, 09:43 PM »

Sorry for the late reply – we had big internet connection problems here the past few days, so no matter how much I wanted to answer, I couldn't.

do you have a configdir.ini in your installed CHS directory? if so delete it. and try again.
I did. All in it was commented out (it was a default version from 2008). But I removed it anyway and restarted Clipboard Help+Spell. No change.

copy the entire Clipboard Help and Spell directory from your installed Program Files\ directory (even the copy with the old database), and copy it to a directory in your documents subdirectory.
I did. No change. Still can't delete clips.

mouser · « **Reply #23 on:** October 13, 2013, 03:27 AM »

Ok it's definitely the clip database then.

Have I already asked about the Recycle bin group in your CHS?
Are there items in it? Do you have a Recyle Bin group and then a group inside the Recycle bin group called "Ungrouped"?

Jesper Hertel · « **Reply #24 on:** October 13, 2013, 03:58 PM »

Ok it's definitely the clip database then.
Maybe you are right, but how can that be when the problem is there too when I use a completely fresh, new, empty database (cf. comment #16 above)?

Have I already asked about the Recycle bin group in your CHS? Are there items in it?
Yep, and I can't delete them. I get a warning about permanent deletion, but when I say Yes to that, nothing happens, nothing is deleted from the Recycle bin.

Do you have a Recyle Bin group and then a group inside the Recycle bin group called "Ungrouped"?
Yep!