Set TC as default file manager?

[Fla$her]

Could you tell me which is the file that i need to text edit?

You can use/edit the discussed reg, but I wouldn't change anything for zip by deleting the last lines starting with ";; *.Zip folders".

[Dazzer]

You can use the discussed reg, but I wouldn't change anything for zip (last lines, starting with ";; *.Zip folders").

I don't understand what that mean.

What is the "discussed reg"?

Is it a file on my PC that i can open with a text editor? If so, where on my PC is it?

If not, could you give a "dummies" explanation that doesn't assume any prior experience with making these sorts of changes?

Thanks!

[Fla$her]

2Dazzer
The screenshot you provided shows that you have already pasted the code into notepad. After replacing the path in bulk, you need to save it with the reg extension and press Enter on it in the file list.

[Dazzer]

Aha, i think i understand now!

Are these changes upper / lower case sensitive?

[Dazzer]

OK, so i got a first step working, but actually this isn't what i want.

So, i ran a .reg of the text below, and now if i open a folder on the desktop (for example), it open TC instead of Windows file browser.

What i actually want to do (as an example) is when i go to file > open in Photoshop, it will open TC, instead of the Windows file browser.

So i will use the TC interface to navigate to the file i want to open (and it will only display allowable file types for Photoshop, so JPG and PNG but not WAV and XLSX)

I thought that was what this whole thread was about, but perhaps i'm mistaken, is it only about opening TC when you directly open a Windows folder?


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\open\command]
@="v:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD64.EXE"/O "%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\open\command]
@="v:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD64.EXE"/O "%1"

[Fla$her]

So i will use the TC interface to navigate to the file i want to open (and it will only display allowable file types for Photoshop

If we are talking about Photoshop's own menu, then it's unlikely that this applies to the registry. It needs its own patch. I've already written:

It all depends on the settings and interface of the programs themselves.

The registry is usually concerned with a similar Explorer menu, which can be called in some programs. Or the program can initialize a system opening rather than its own.

[Dazzer]

Just to be clear, your answer was to a very specific question from me:

"When you use TC as your default, in-program file browser, does it only show the allowable file type you're looking for?"

So your answer seemed to suggest that it was possible to call TC to browse a file in-program, but whether it showed only allowable file types was in doubt.

But from your latest post, i think you're saying it's probably not even possible (at least not by the methods outlined in this thread) to use TC as an in-program file browser, correct?

[Fla$her]

Just to be clear, your answer was to a very specific question from me:
"When you use TC as your default, in-program file browser, does it only show the allowable file type you're looking for?"

This question is not entirely clear to me. What does it mean "only show the allowable file type"? Why should TC show only this file type? What's the point of that?

But from your latest post, i think you're saying it's probably not even possible (at least not by the methods outlined in this thread) to use TC as an in-program file browser, correct?

You cannot use any file manager, including Explorer, to manage files from any program. All that is potentially possible is to open a folder or navigate to a file in the TC lists, which is what TCShell exists for.

[Hacker]

Dazzer,

I thought that was what this whole thread was about, but perhaps i'm mistaken, is it only about opening TC when you directly open a Windows folder?

Indeed, the whole thread is about opening TC when you open a folder.

What i actually want to do (as an example) is when i go to file > open in Photoshop, it will open TC, instead of the Windows file browser.

So i will use the TC interface to navigate to the file i want to open (and it will only display allowable file types for Photoshop, so JPG and PNG but not WAV and XLSX)

That is not possible, as far as I know. However, there are several utilities that enhance this dialog for better navigation, e.g. adding folders from TC's directory hotlist for quick access. I am sure other members will point you to their favorite utilities.
Or perhaps there is some other way I am not aware of.

HTH
Roman

[Dazzer]

Ok, thanks guys, i misunderstood what solution was being offered here.

The benefit of only showing allowable file types is that many programs generate auxiliary files, which you really don't want to see when you browse for your file.

For example, In Samplitude (DAW), if you load in a WAV, it'll create:

Vandals Final Mix.wav
Vandals Final Mix.H2
Vandals Final Mix.HDP

So next time you load a WAV from that folder, you'll see all these useless files (well, not useless, they have their purpose), but you don't need to see them.

Also, you might purposefully have different filetypes in the project folder, and again, you only want to see the loadable filetypes.

So my goal was to have access to TC's powerful features (search, favorites, sort etc) when loading files in various programs.

Could anyone tell me what i need to replace v:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD64.EXE with to get back to the normal, open-Windows browser behaviour (so, how it was before i did the regedit)?

Thanks

[Dazzer]

[which is what TCShell exists for.

Is this addon safe? Seems like it hasn't been updated for 10 years and Windows throws a fit if i even try to download it!

[Fla$her]

The benefit of only showing allowable file types is that many programs generate auxiliary files, which you really don't want to see when you browse for your file.

Temporary files usually have the "hidden" attribute. To prevent them from being displayed in TC panels, it is enough to execute cm_SwitchHid or cm_SwitchHidSys. Alternatively, you can add files (including by mask) to the ignore list (cm_IgnoreConfig). How this relates to managing files from programs is completely unclear to me.

Could anyone tell me what i need to replace v:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD64.EXE with to get back to the normal, open-Windows browser behaviour (so, how it was before i did the regedit)?

You can delete new keys and parameters (run reg delete /? from cmd), but you can return the previous values only using the recovery file, which must be created before making changes. No one knows exactly what you had before.

Is this addon safe? Seems like it hasn't been updated for 10 years and Windows throws a fit if i even try to download it!

The author of the utility is a well-known plugin developer. If your browser or antivirus sees a threat, it means it doesn't like some signatures, which is obviously another false positive.
10 years is not a sentence at all. There are a lot of useful and relevant utilities much older.

[Dazzer]

I didn't say temporary files!

If i managed, with one simple regedit to instruct Windows to open TC when opening a folder, it must be an equally easy edit to change it back again.

Anyone?

[Fla$her]

And how do the auxiliary differ from the temporary ones? Do they not disappear after the program is closed?

I have already written how you can delete new keys. Example: reg delete HKCR\Directory\shell\open /f

[Horst.Epp]

I didn't say temporary files!

If i managed, with one simple regedit to instruct Windows to open TC when opening a folder, it must be an equally easy edit to change it back again.

Anyone?

At least for my own modifications, the following reg file sets Explorer defaults.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]
 @="none"
 
 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
 @="none"