blog: backup or transfer your settings

[nikos]

This thread was originally posted  in the xplorer² Professional forum.        
Moved here 19-May-2010 =fg=
=====================================================

here's the comment area for today's blog post found at
www.zabkat.com/blog/13Apr08.htm

[johngalt]

So, the /I switch works with all versions, and can be used to load said .REG file for settings, and it will not 'import' them into the registry, but use them only for that session?

[nikos]

no, /I will just overwrite the registry with the settings file (in fact it first deletes the old information and then imports the REG file supplied)

the portable version will clear the registry after you quit xplorer2 so that no traces are left

[johngalt]

Thanks for the clarifications.

[Squirrel1971]

If you have your code write the following line first in the *.REG file you create with Actions > Export Settings , it will first delete the reg key so you effectively clear your previous settings in order to restore the EXACT configuration you were expecting to get when you double click the file and merge its contents into the registry:

Code: Select all

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabaraKatranemia Plc]

putting a minus before the HKEY deletes the whole key in *.REG scripts, but you can also use =- to delete individual values, e.g. the following would delete the szCustomDateFormat value from the registry

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[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\xplorer2_UC]
"szCustomDateFormat"=-

[nikos]

that's a good idea, i'll add these -HKEY statements to the reg file saved by xplorer2

[Ian]

Maybe this is off topic, but still regarding portability and settings.

Is it possible to make Xplorer2 handles file-types differently than Windows Explorer?
With that, for those who have Xplorer2 and their fave apps on USB could browse any PC with their fave apps by double clicking normally within Xplorer2.

And for those who have PC that reset state (DeepFreeze, etc.) upon reboot, could just easily change the settings in Xplorer2, not Windows Registry.

Apologize if it is done already or have been discussed before.

[nikos]

custom file associations are not supported, but you can do the next best thing: define user commands (Customize menu) that launch programs with the selected file as an argument, e.g. >notepad $n

these will be part of your settings and will be available wherever you happen to be working

[Ian]

User commands, does it means I would need to have one toolbar-button for each program?
Sometimes I have more than 1 program with the same usage, like 3 video players, 2 text editors, etc.

Can the user commands read the extension and gives us different menu instead being fixed?
I think it can be done quite easy by using automation script like AutoIt that would read the ext and then gives appropriate menu of apps.

Thanks, nikos.

[nikos]

the most flexible you can get with user commands is using the $? token when you're going to be asked for an optional argument, but i doubt that's what you want

[Ian]

I think I already got what I wanted.

Code: Select all

>notepad $n

$n Is the path to a file that I selected from ATL:BrowserListView, right?
Then use something like a script that can read arguments being thrown at it (in this case the path to the file or $n), and will read the file's extension. Then the script will create a menu that already determined before based on that extension.
With FrizzleFry info regarding set x2path=%~dp0, I think it can work on usb too.

So, whether I choose a .avi; .mp3; or .txt, I only need to click on that user command and I will get appropriate menu for that file.

[nikos]

$n is the name, but if you allow x2 to set the current directory (normal behaviour), then it's all you need, otherwise use $f

for a full list of tokens see http://www.zabkat.com/x2h_7.htm#dos_tok

[Ian]

Ah yes, $f is exactly what I needed. However, I was thinking about virtualization for better implementation with file type.
Anyway, thank you for the info and good luck with your excellent file manager.

[admsupport]

The net piece of information! This is not new, since I have opened a thread related to the app settings.

In the risk to repeat myself, this particular blog's content deserves to figure somewhere in the "Quick Start guide" for the sake of the newcomers.

[Bob Sandford]

I am using using xplorer2 pro on my current Win XP Pro 32-bit computer which i will soon be replacing with a Win 7 64-bit computer and i want to transfer my xplorer2 pro settings to the new computer. I have exported the explorer2 settings from the old computer. Once I've installed explorer2 64-bit on my new computer, can I safely merge the (32-bit Win XP) exported reg settings to the new (64-bit Win 7) computer?