UseEverythingInstance and Everything options [SOLVED]

[cmd4ever]

=================================================================================
EDIT: working solution to get TC to talk to an Everything NamedInstance (ie Everything -instance)
wincmd.ini:
Everything= [path\Everything.exe] -instance [InstanceName] -admin -db [Instancedbpath]
UseEverythingInstance=[instancename]

==================================================================================
With TC 32bit 11.57R5

I couldn't find "Run indexing process as administrator" so I did launch it as an admin prior to launch TC.

EDIT
TC do not appear to use the ini parameter UseEverythingInstance=TC
If everything is not running when TC is launched, it lauches it with -startup only without including the -instance TC parameter.
Regardless if the proper instance is already running or not.

I couldn't reproduce the UAC flood.

See image below. Two instances of Everything running.
Left launched by TC (ignoring the UseEverythingInstance=TC wincmd.ini line)
Right launched by my beloved Servant Salamander with the wanted commandline.
Image: https://i.imgur.com/bJyGGQ8.jpeg

[Horst.Epp]

With TC 32bit 11.57R5

I couldn't find "Run indexing process as administrator" so I did launch it as an admin prior to launch TC.

This is clearly the fifth entry in Everything options under General

[tuska]

With TC 32bit 11.57R5

I couldn't find "Run indexing process as administrator" so I did launch it as an admin prior to launch TC.

This is clearly the fifth entry in Everything options under General

Also - which version of 'Everything' are you using?

Version 1.4.1.1030

Run indexing process as administrator
Everything 1.5.0.1319a adds a Run indexing process as administrator option. ...

[ghisler(Author)]

"Run indexing process as administrator" is only in Everything 1.5.x. The error happens with just the setting "Run as administrator" in 1.4.x.

TC do not appear to use the ini parameter UseEverythingInstance=TC

It doesn't add any parameters - if you want extra parameters, set them in Everything=
See:
viewtopic.php?p=482166
So you need to both change Everything= and UseEverythingInstance= in wincmd.ini.

[cmd4ever]

"Run indexing process as administrator" is only in Everything 1.5.x. The error happens with just the setting "Run as administrator" in 1.4.x.

TC do not appear to use the ini parameter UseEverythingInstance=TC

It doesn't add any parameters - if you want extra parameters, set them in Everything=
See:
viewtopic.php?p=482166
So you need to both change Everything= and UseEverythingInstance= in wincmd.ini.

I don't want any parameter per say. I just want the integration to work as it was meant to.

If I check Anything in TC I expect TC to validate if UseEverythingInstance (see prior posts) is running and if not then launch it once (with the instance specified in UseEverythingInstance) for TC to use it until TC is closed. Then TC should close the UseEverythingInstance ONLY if it was not running when TC validate it. Because I bet most users never bothered to have instance specific to TC. So you don't want to close their main and only Everything instance.

What I don't expect: TC to tell me Everything is not installed and offer me to download it when it is installed but just not running with the UseEverythingInstance.

(English is not my mother tongue, I don't mean to sound rude. )

Logic:

Code: Select all

Set EverythingCount to 0 When TC Launches

When TC needs Everything
If (Everything with UseEverythingInstance isn't running AND EverythingCount=0 then 
   launch Everything -Instance UseEverythingInstance
   EverythingCount = EverythingCount +1
   (optional safety: keep track of process handles TC launched)
Else 
  if EverythingCount > 1 then Huston we have a problem
end

When TC closes, makes sure Everything process handles that were launched by TC are also closed (ie EverythingCount >=1).

[tuska]

2cmd4ever

Although I have since uninstalled Everything 1.4 and have been using version 1.5a with Everything instances for quite some time,
I still remember the following about version 1.4, or rather, this is how I understand the concept of instances.

Basically, a distinction is made between the main instance and additional sub-instances.

Multiple Instances
... By default there is only one instance of Everything. ...

Named instances
... By default Everything uses the unnamed instance.
Assign unique names to Everything instances to use multiple instances.
There can only be one instance for each unique name. ...

For example:

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\Everything\TC\Everything.exe -instance "TC"

Service
By default Everything will install a service for each instance. ...

Everything 1.4 Options
☑ Start Everything on system startup
☑ Everything Service

wincmd.ini - section [Configuration]

Code: Select all

Everything=C:\Program Files\Everything\TC\Everything.exe -instance "TC" -startup

Everything= ... This optional entry in the wincmd.ini file is useful if ‘Everything’
is started only occasionally by hand and not automatically with Windows.
The Everything instance “TC” is started here as the main instance and NOT as a subinstance - please see the explanations below...

Code: Select all

UseEverythingInstance="TC"

UseEverythingInstance=
If an instance name is entered here, e.g., "TC", then this instance becomes the MAIN INSTANCE
(even though it may have been intended as a subinstance)!

This is evident in the options, e.g., in the ☑ Everything Service option.
If this option is checked, then it is the main instance.

If a “dash” is displayed instead of the checkmark, then it is a sub-instance
(even if this instance was supposedly intended to be the main instance)!

As a rule, nothing needs to be specified under UseEverythingInstance=.

You can have a main instance and also start another “real” subinstance as described above:

Code: Select all

C:\Program Files\Everything\TC\Everything.exe -instance "TC" -startup

In the Task Manager, under “Services,” the entries in this case for Everything Services are as follows:
- Everything      -> for the main instance
- Everything-TC -> for the subinstance

Total Commander does NOT close Everything, you have to do that yourself.
However, Total Commander can launch Everything for you using the parameter: Everything= (please see above).

---

Windows 11 Pro (x64) Version 25H2 (OS build 26200.8246) - 2026-04-14
TC 11.57rc5 x64/x86 | 'Everything' 1.5.0.1408a (x64)
Search queries: Total Commander <=> 'Everything'
Everything 1.5 for beginners

[cmd4ever]

2tuska
I followed the Everything links you gave to make sure I was using instances properly (you made me doubt).
The Everything documentation confirmed my understanding. Everything can be run with different instances and each will have dedicated settings, databases and services. So I don't know what to make of your input.

Back at the TC end of it. The only thing I know is that there are two ini parameters
Everything=(until Christian said we can stuff launch parameters there. I thought it was used to specify where the program was)
UseEverythingInstance=(I could have swear it was to specify which instance TC was going to use)

I'm expecting TC to use UseEverythingInstance and it does.
What it doesn't do properly is giving the proper error message when the instance is not running (says Everything is not installed instead of just launching it).

When UseEverythingInstance has no value: TC takes the "main" instance ie everything.ini everthing.db

Here's the trick. Since I know how Everything works. I don't even have a main instance. All I got are dedicated/secondary instances.
I didn't install Everything. I just dropped the portable files where I wanted them. Then I launched Everything -instance A, B and C. So I have Everything-A.ini, Everything-B.ini but no Everything.ini (same for .db)

I wonder what TC will do without UseEverythingInstance. Probably seeking the nonexistent main Everything instance. Worst case, launching it which would cause Everything to create a default/empty Everything.ini with no search index. That probably explain why my first attempt with TC and Everything was not working. TC didn't find anything simply because it was using a blank .ini file with nothing to index.

I'm old school, When you run a program that starts other processes to complement its works. Then those other process should be closed when that program is closed. Basic hygiene. So while Christian is working at fixing the "DOS flood", it would required very little extra code in that area to address proper Everything instance launching to be available for TC and closing it when TC closes.

[petermad]

Unfortunately I just noticed that I didn't port this to 64-bit yet. Please only test with the 32-bit version.

I have now tested as described here:viewtopic.php?p=483002#p483002 with Everything 1.5.0.1408a (x64) and TC 11.57rc5:and manual space calculation:
In 64 bit TC I get up to 4 UAC prompts when pressing Shift+Alt+Enter after upstart
In 32 bit TC I get up to 1 UAC prompt when pressing Shift+Alt+Enter after upstart

In both 32 and 64 bit TC - If I don't do any space calculation after upstart, but instead I Press Alt+F7 and click the unticked the "Everything" box in the Find File dialog I get one UAC prompt, and the message:

---------------------------
Everything
---------------------------
'Everything' is a search tool and search index for the NTFS file system.

'Everything' isn't installed! Do you want to download it now?
---------------------------
Ja Nej
---------------------------

I then press Nej (No), and then I have to click the "Everything" box one more time to get it ticked - this is unexpected - that I both get the message and I have to click the box one more time

[ghisler(Author)]

I have now tested as described here:viewtopic.php?p=483002#p483002 with Everything 1.5.0.1408a (x64) and TC 11.57rc5:and manual space calculation:
In 64 bit TC I get up to 4 UAC prompts when pressing Shift+Alt+Enter after upstart
In 32 bit TC I get up to 1 UAC prompt when pressing Shift+Alt+Enter after upstart

Great, so the fix for the space calculation is doing what it should.

In both 32 and 64 bit TC - If I don't do any space calculation after upstart, but instead I Press Alt+F7 and click the unticked the "Everything" box in the Find File dialog I get one UAC prompt, and the message:

Confirmed, it seems to happen because Everything launches, but doesn't create the communication window when set to launch as admin. Instead, it launches itself as admin and then closes the non-admin version. This causes an UAC dialog. While this dialog is up, Total Commander can't communicate with Everything and assumes that it either terminated itself, or a wrong program was launched.

I think I found a solution: I will show the "waiting for everything" dialog also when the launch succeeded but there is no communication possible. To detect that the user canceled the UAC dialog, I will wait for up to 2 seconds after re-gaining focus, and then stop waiting when the Everything tray window still doesn't exist.

[tuska]

2cmd4ever

Thank you for your explanations.
Based on your last post, I understand the topic better now.

---

---

EDIT
TC do not appear to use the ini parameter UseEverythingInstance=TC

Since you also brought up this topic, I have now taken this test (EV 1.4.1.1032).

Code: Select all

UseEverythingInstance=TC

wincmd.ini - [Configuration]
Everything=C:\Program Files\Utils\Everything\everything.exe -instance TC -startup
UseEverythingInstance=TC

Command line: C:\Program Files\Utils\Everything\everything.exe -instance TC
Command line: C:\Program Files\Utils\Everything\everything.exe -instance A

Both Everything instances have been set up and shut down.

Results

1. If the Everything Services: Everything (A) or Everything (TC) are running in the background in Task Manager
   and a search query is performed in Total Commander, then the ‘Everything’ option is UNCHECKED! (due to EV shut down)
   
   When you perform a search in Total Commander -> click the “Start search” button,
   Everything is then opened by TC in the background as follows:
   “C:\Program Files\Utils\Everything\everything.exe” -instance TC -startup   <- please check in Task-Manager > Processes...
   and the search results are displayed in Total Commander.
   As a result, the correct Everything instance (TC) was automatically opened in the background.
   I.e., in my case, in Total Commander (x64) 11.57rc5, there is NO message indicating that the Everything program is not installed.
    
2. If the “Everything” service was NOT checked for the Everything instance in TC and a search query is performed in Total Commander
   using Everything by clicking the “Start search” button, then Everything is launched in the background, the “Everything” option
   is checked, and the search results are displayed in TC. After clicking on Everything in the system tray,
   the default option “Install the ‘Everything’ service” is displayed with the checkbox selected.
   After confirming the prompt with “OK,” the UAC prompt must be confirmed.

For me, 'UseEverythingInstance=TC' works as expected.

[AntonyD]

2tuska
You mentioned that there are two instance options TC & A when calling the program with help of params,
And for this, in the example you have command lines given twice and both of them are mentioned there!
BUT for some reason, there is only one and the same instance in the INI parameters for the Total...
typo? Or I still haven't figured out how to get a program call for instance A.

[petermad]

My experience is:

If path-to-everything\everything.exe -instance A -startup is ALREADY executed before you start TC then you ONLY need:

Code: Select all

UseEverythingInstance=A

in wincmd.ini

If path-to-everything\everything.exe -instance A -startup is NOT executed before you start TC then you need:

Code: Select all

Everything=path-to-everything\everything.exe -instance A -startup
UseEverythingInstance=A

in wincmd.ini

[AntonyD]

I honestly still don't understand - why enter a repeat of the same option in the call management section,
for which another parameter is responsible?

Code: Select all

Everything=path-to-everything\everything.exe -startup
UseEverythingInstance=A

So then we start process we use this new exec string:
"path-to-everything\everything.exe -startup -instance A"
which was created by combining BOTH nonempty params: Everything + UseEverythingInstance

If we just seeking the proper instances - we again - look only for value of UseEverythingInstance param

[ghisler(Author)]

I honestly still don't understand - why enter a repeat of the same option in the call management section,
for which another parameter is responsible?

Because I want to give the user full control over the entire parameters.

[tuska]

2AntonyD

In my example, the/my goal was to recreate a test scenario for the Everything instance TC (user: cmd4ever).

The assumption is:
- that Everything is not running and that a search query should be performed in TC using the Everything instance TC.
  -> Everything=C:\Program Files\Utils\Everything\everything.exe -instance TC -startup
- that Total Commander must use the Everything instance TC from among several Everything instances.
  -> UseEverythingInstance=TC

For the “Command lines,” I set up two buttons for testing purposes.

petermad explained how to use the Everything instance A.