Opening .cida files

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Robert2
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Opening .cida files

Post by Robert2 »

Quick Start help:
Actions | Write contents creates a file with .cida extension and writes location information for all the items in a scrap pane. You can reopen such saved files at a later time and restore the scrap container, just like as if it was a shell document. xplorer² registers .cida files for its own use so you can open them by merely double-clicking on them even when xplorer² isn't running.
I created a .cida file containing the results of a search through a folder. That .cida file is meant to display a list of files containing a specific word.
If I double-click on that .cida file, Windows only opens a second instance of xplorer², but the contents of the .cida file are not displayed.
If I right-click that .cida file, and choose “Open With”, Windows wants to know which application it should use to open such files. If I direct it to xplorer², I also get a second instance of the initial dual panes of xplorer². But the contents of the .cida file are not displayed.

The only way I found to open .cida files is to click “Window | Scrap container”, then use the Open button from the scrap container, and direct xplorer² to the .cida file of interest.

Nikos, what gives?
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nikos
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by nikos »

did you install xplorer2 properly? or is it in portable mode?
Robert2
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Re: Opening .cida files

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The current version (5.2.0.1 ULT x64 15/05/2022) was installed through “Help | Check for updates”. It’s not in portable mode. It was purchased on 28/02/2021.
Should I uninstall and reinstall? How do I save, then restore my current settings? Or do I need to reconfigure everything?
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by nikos »

if you use regedit to check the registry key
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\x2scrap.Document\shell\open\command

do you see a command that looks like this?
"C:\Program Files\zabkat\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe" /F:1 /M "%1"
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Re: Opening .cida files

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I searched through the registry for "x2scrap.Document". I only got the following result:
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > "x2scrap.Document_.cida" > value 0 (see screen capture).
https://e1.pcloud.link/publink/show?cod ... NwUjEGfTLX
I found nothing under "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\x2scrap.Document\”.
But I found 6 weird Asian (?) entries associated with the .cida extension (see screen capture):
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\�ũ"
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\됀嶪꬀耀folder"
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\된嶮관耀吟䠥̞箔䷃ㆱ䛩䲴햍"
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\베�ũ"
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\翾"
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\䫘濘翾"
https://e1.pcloud.link/publink/show?cod ... NwUjEGfTLX
As I understand things, the .cida file extension is exclusively associated with xplorer². I don't use any Asian language on my PC, even though I once installed support for Asian languages (or so I believe).
These entries appear to be in Japanese. Here are the Google translations for them (see screen capture).
https://e1.pcloud.link/publink/show?cod ... b3e79aVShX
I don't know any Ningxuan Yu, and cannot imagine how he got into my registry associated with .cida files!
I also searched for ".cida" through the registry. I found the following:
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cida" > value "cida_auto_file"
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\.cida" > value "cida_auto_file"
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > DWORD 32 bits "Applications\xplorer2_64.exe_.cida" > value 0.
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > DWORD 32 bits "cida_auto_file_.cida" > value 0.
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.cida" > STRING > undefined value.
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Classes\.cida" > STRING > value "cida_auto_file".
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > DWORD 32 bits "Applications\xplorer2_64.exe_.cida" > value 0.
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > DWORD 32 bits "cida_auto_file_.cida" > value 0.
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts" > DWORD 32 bits "x2scrap.Document_.cida" > value 0.
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.cida" > STRING > undefined value.
"HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500_Classes\.cida" > STRING > value "cida_auto_file".
Nikos, what can I do?
Note that I launch xplorer² through the following command-line (taskbar shortcut):
"C:\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe"
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by nikos »

try to reinstall again and leave all default options set
Robert2
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by Robert2 »

I reinstalled with all default options. No luck! Same problem…
I’ll uninstall completely, and try to install afresh.
I’ll be keeping fingers crossed…
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Re: Opening .cida files

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I uninstalled using the official uninstall command-line. I reinstalled with all default options. No luck! Same problem with the .cida files.

I uninstalled a second time using the official uninstall command-line. But I also manually cleaned all the registry entries associated with "xplorer²" and "xplorer2" that the official uninstall had left over. Tons of them…

Even then, Windows refused to remove the following entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\bam\State\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\editor2_64.exe
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Users\Administrateur\Downloads\xplorer2_setup64_ult.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\bam\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\State\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\editor2_64.exe
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Users\Administrateur\Downloads\xplorer2_setup64_ult.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-4213287350-1166707532-2458168612-500
REG_BINARY \Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe

For unexplained reasons, these entries were off limits…

I also removed the Japanese entries related to .cida files. They did not make sense, even though it seems there is a software engineer at Microsoft named "Ningxuan Yu"…

I then reinstalled xplorer² with all default options. Bingo! .cida files are now automatically opened with a double-click from both Windows Explorer and xplorer².

I now have to reregister xplorer² and reconfigure my settings… Quite a job!
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by nikos »

I'm not sure what is happening, too much tweaking I suppose :)
for your settings, it's always a good idea to keep a backup
www.zabkat.com/blog/13Apr08.htm
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Re: Opening .cida files

Post by Robert2 »

I don’t usually tweak either my system or xplorer².

I think there are 3 reasons why my registry might look a mess at times:

A. I initially bought Windows 8 and installed it on a new PC. When Windows 10 was released, Microsoft offered to upgrade my system for free. Of course I agreed. I have since installed all available updates to Windows 10 for free. So my system is Windows 10 built on a previous install of Windows 8.

B. I am now running xplorer² Ultimate x64, but it was installed on top of the previous versions of xplorer ² I had. Maybe this created too many registry entries…

C. Previously I had always installed xplorer² to "C:\Program Files\xplorer2_ult\xplorer2_64.exe", systematically bypassing the “zabkat” top folder. This time, I did not bypass the “zabkat” top folder. I installed to the default “C:\Program Files\zabkat\xplorer2_ult”.

Browsing my hard drive yesterday, I realized that I had created a backup of my settings after I had configured xplorer² to my convenience a few years ago. I gave them a chance. Xplorer² is now running smoothly with my old dual pane configuration. The .cida files are behaving as if nothing untoward had ever happened. :D

All is well that ends well! :beer:
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