tc2usb supporting PortableApps

[ghisler(Author)]

Some users have asked me to support the free USB menu from www.portableapps.com . I have now modified tc2usb to support PortableApps. If a folder x:\PortableApps is found on USB stick x:, the installer will now suggest to install to x:\PortableApps\Total Commander

The program will then actually be installed to x:\PortableApps\Total Commander\totalcmd , and the launcher will be placed in the parent directory and named Total Commander Portable.lnk. This way it will appear in the PortableApps menu.

It would be nice if someone using PortableApps could try this new installer. You can download it here:
https://plugins.ghisler.com/beta/tc2usb11beta.zip

tc2usb.exe must be double clicked in a running Total Commander installed on your harddisk (not within Explorer!), and it will then copy that Total Commander installation to the USB stick.

[rolandd]

Hey Christian,

I just tried installing it. Here is what happened:

1. I run the tc2usb.exe
2. The program starts
3. I click next and see this error:
Windows - No Disk
Exception Processing Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c
Cancel Try Again Continue
4. No I can click any button a few times and the installer continues.
5. My USB stick is I: but the installer does not see it. Not when I run the installer from my harddisk nor from the USB stick. So I input it manually.
6. Make all the selections
7. Now click next to start copying.
8. On the first file I get "Error copying file"
Installation failed!
Error copying totalcmd folder to
i:\portableapps\totalcmd\totalcmd
When I input the folder at step 5 I only specified totalcmd once.
9. I clicked Back to try the copying again
10. Click Next to start copying
11. The screen now shows an empty progress bar with the error message still from step 8 and only the Cancel button is available.
12. Clicked Cancel and the installer is closed.

Running Windows XP Home SP3 English

[HolgerK]

Quick test using Vista.

PortableApps installation failed on two different sticks (FAT32 and NTFS) with:

Code: Select all

---------------------------
z:\PortableApps\Total Commander\totalcmd\CABRK.DLL
---------------------------
Error copying file!
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------

Looks like the directory:
"z:\PortableApps\Total Commander"
isn't created by tc2usb.

After manual creation of the directory "Total Commander" the installation succeeded, and "Total Commander Portable" could be used from the PortableApp start menu.

One wish:
Is it possible to include the files:

Code: Select all

wciconex.dll
wciconex.inc

in the copy process?

Kind regards,
Holger

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks for your tests, I will check that.

[ghisler(Author)]

Please re-download the installer from the same address. The following has been changed:
20080718 Added: Also used on disks of type DRIVE_FIXED (e.g. USB harddisks) for PortableApps folder
20080718 Added: Also copy wciconex.dll and wciconex.inc
20080718 Fixed: Could not create folders multi-levels deep


2rolandd

3. I click next and see this error:
Windows - No Disk
Exception Processing Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c
Cancel Try Again Continue

I cannot confirm this. Do you have a removable disk drive like an Iomega ZIP on your system? Does the error go away if you insert a medium before launching tc2usb?

5. My USB stick is I: but the installer does not see it.

I assume that your stick is formatted as a harddisk, so it will appear as DRIVE_FIXED, not DRIVE_REMOVABLE. The new installer will look also on harddisks for the PortableApps folder now (see above).

[rolandd]

2rolandd
Quote:
3. I click next and see this error:
Windows - No Disk
Exception Processing Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c
Cancel Try Again Continue


I cannot confirm this. Do you have a removable disk drive like an Iomega ZIP on your system? Does the error go away if you insert a medium before launching tc2usb?

I have no Iomega ZIP on my system. However I have USB ports in my monitor. The USB stick is plugged in via there. The USB stick is plugged in before I launch tc2usb.

With the new version, I still have the same error about the No Disk. My system, has a CD drive and USB ports front and back of the case. The monitor has an Ipod docking station and a few USB ports.

Also tried installing via the desktop USB port, same error message about No Disk and the drive it suggests is n:\totalcmd. The N-drive is one of the USB ports on the monitor. There is nothing plugged in there. Does tc2usb search for the highest drive letter?

Changing the path manually now does install TC.

[ghisler(Author)]

USB ports are no problem as long as nothing is connected to them.

With the new version, I still have the same error about the No Disk.

As I wrote above, I did not hange anything about that because I don't know yet what could be causing it. Therefore I need your help.

Currently TC2USB does the following: It checks all drive letters from A: to Z: whether they are of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE or DRIVE_FIXED. If a drive is of this type, I call FindFirstFile with x:\PortableApps, where x: is the drive letter of the checked drive. If the directory is found, that drive is added to the dropdown combobox, so the user can choose it. If the directory is not found, and the drive is of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE, then TC2USB adds x:\totalcmd to the list. TC2USB then chooses the last drive letter found as the default.

My guess is now that you have a drive which has a drive letter, but isn't accessible, e.g. a card reader or so. When TC2USB then calls FindFirstFile with that card reader, you get this strange error (although FindFirstFile should not show any such error!).

You write that drive N: is an USB port. USB ports do not have any drive letters, so what is it? An empty card reader as I'm suspecting?

[Peter]

I tested quickly the (new) installer - it works fine, but all ini-file wheree I have absolute paths are unchanged and still display the path to my PC, not to USB.

Peter

[ghisler(Author)]

2Peter
This is normal, the installer cannot know what programs you are using. For example, if your button bar refers to Winword on your harddisk, it will still point to it because it cannot know whether you installed some portable version of Winword or so...

[HolgerK]

Please re-download the installer from the same address.

Hmmh, tried several times, but the downloaded zip contains always:

Code: Select all

readme.txt	1.9 k	15.07.08 11:11	-a--
tc2usb.exe	80.0 k	15.07.08 10:58	-a--

Caching problem, or is the link outdated?

Regards,
Holger

[rolandd]

2ghisler

As I wrote above, I did not hange anything about that because I don't know yet what could be causing it. Therefore I need your help.

Of course, I am here to help

You write that drive N: is an USB port. USB ports do not have any drive letters, so what is it? An empty card reader as I'm suspecting?

Correct.

Your message contained a lot of pointers and here is some more info:
1. USB hub turned off -> tc2usb no longer gives the error message
2. USB hub turned on -> tc2usb gives the error 4x which is as many drive letters the USB hub cardreader has.
3. The I drive IS found as I can see it in the dropdown box. Just me not realizing it was a dropdown box With the USB hub turned off, the I-drive comes up as the only suggestion.
4. With the USB hub turned on, the cardreader drive letters are all shown as possible install paths.

Let me know if you need more info or if I need to test more. Thanks for the help

[ghisler(Author)]

2rolandd
Thanks for your help too!

The error should be suppressed now in beta 1.12. Tc2usb will now pick the drive with the highest drive letter which is accessible, and either contains a PortableApps folder, or is removable, or both.

You can download the tool again at the same address from the first post. If you have troubles with the above URL, try this one:
https://plugins.ghisler.com/beta/tc2usb112beta.zip

[Peter]

2Peter
This is normal, the installer cannot know what programs you are using....

Yes - and no, because the software knows source and target of the "TC-duplication".
I think it would be an improvement to check all path-entries in all ini-files with the logic

"[face=courier]If there is a path which contains the current-source of TC then (ask to) change it to the current target-path.[/face]"

Peter

[HolgerK]

The error should be suppressed now in beta 1.12. Tc2usb will now pick the drive with the highest drive letter which is accessible, and either contains a PortableApps folder, or is removable, or both.

I was able to reproduce the empty card reader error with 1.11, and can confirm all fixes, listed in the readme for 1.11 and 1.12.

One point:
My card reader creates 4 drive letters (h:, i:, j:, k: ), but only one drive (j: ) is actual accessible (SD-card 2GB).
Tc2usb provides all 4 drives as possible installation destinations.

Wouldn't it make more sense to hide the 3 empty drive slots from the combo box?

Otherwise selecting the wrong drive results in:

Code: Select all

---------------------------
h:\totalcmd\CABRK.DLL
---------------------------
Error copying file!
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------

without any further explanation (no media in drive h: ).

Thanks for adding the wciconex

Regards,
Holger

[rolandd]

Confirmed, all working great now.