Editing a context menu

[omega]

Downloading now, it looks very useful, kinda big for me.

It's a 350k exe and a 640k ocx. Too bad about the ocx. Those always write
a load of debris into HKCR.

(Also, OCX's have a pattern of not unregistering cleanly, so
should be logged via TUN or similar, prior to activating.)

Forgot to comment in my other reply, re: 7-Zip.

I gravitated through Izaarc, Filzip, several others since Winzip days, finally
like/dislike 7-Zip. It does not properly work for me as executable, but installed the
context menu options are good, just too invasive a you said. I will use that data to
try to rein it in.

For the past fifteen months or so, I've performed the majority of
my unzip operations using the Tiny Unzipper shell extension.

http://www.lorriman.com/software/tinyunzipper/tinyunzipper.htm

It's for .zip files soley.

It does its task via a single (simple, quick, direct) click on your
context menu, with no dialogs or distractions.

You can select a group of .zip files and it does the instant extract,
creating folders for each based on their names.

Every once in a while, say 1% of the time (maybe less), it cannot handle
a zip file that I've handed to it. In those cases, I then just launch
a fuller unzip utility to do the job.

The program description emphasizes this is beta. However, fifteen months
and thousands of zip files later, it has proved to work very well on my
system.

Download size: 140k

 

[ms]

It's a 350k exe and a 640k ocx. Too bad about the ocx. Those always write
a load of debris into HKCR.

(Also, OCX's have a pattern of not unregistering cleanly, so
should be logged via TUN or similar, prior to activating.)

I found at that site a 1.6 MB (or so) install at that site, did I miss something?One other thing, 7-Zip does a better job of recreating folders in extracting a file
it archived. Better than the others, IMO.

For the past fifteen months or so, I've performed the majority of
my unzip operations using the Tiny Unzipper shell extension.

http://www.lorriman.com/software/tinyunzipper/tinyunzipper.htm

It's for .zip files soley.

Will certainly look at it, although I tend not to do much with shell extensions.

BTW, I found out on the W98 ng that W2K is (according to a real geek) not as stable
as W98SE, dunno as everyone else says the opposite, but Gary Terhune is surely an expert.

Mike Sa

 

[omega]

I found at that site a 1.6 MB (or so) install at that site, did I miss something?

I went to the site to retrieve the original package tonight.
http://members.shaw.ca/fworsley/ftm201.zip

The download file is big, yes, 2.6mb. That's because it's including buncho
VB runtimes.

There is a ruling conspiracy which dictates that all avid freeware users
are required to download the same VB runtimes, over and over, thousands
of times in their life.

There is one relief. I believe that trend is finally, at long last, on the
downswing. I see it more often in circa 99-2002 software. More developers
now let you download their VB program without all the huge bulk, maybe
providing an optional link, or optional setup package, for those users
that are unsure about whether they already have updated runtimes.

In place of that older trend, however, I'm noticing that in recent software
I've been having to download the large C++ runtimes + MFC dlls (msv*.dll
msc*.dll) over and over....

Unzipping ftm201.zip gives a small setup.exe, a setup.lst, and then a
large .cab. So then I extract the .cab contents (7zip says "hi!"). I
pull out the unique files. That's the program's exe and its ocx. Also
some html help files (html jpg css) which I put into their own subfolder.

What I leave behind -- delete -- are the redundant libraries which I
already have: msvbvm60.dll, comdlg32.ocx, msvcrt.dll, etc.

When I want to make sure my versions of the files are equal or newer, or
if it's something less familiar than the VB etc stuff where I've forgotten
whether I have a particular library, then I run NodeSoft's FileVer. I
drag the download files onto its window, to have it compare versions
against those in my sysdir.
http://www.nodesoft.com/Filever/

I also delete from the extracted cab, and the original zip, the files
related to setup or uninstall: eg, vb6stkit.dll st6unst.exe setup1.exe.
Truer to say I ignore them (the setup related files) initially. Then I
delete them once the prog has run successfully and proven that it wasn't
one of those oddballs that lacks the ability to write all the regkeys it
might need when it is run.

Before launching the program for the first time, I make sure that I have
an installation logger prepped up. For my purposes InCtrl suits me. I also
have my system configured to always have a TUN pre snapshot available in the
background, for cleanup rescue if a prog creates a really serious mess.

Then I launch. Since the prog has an OCX, and same as if it came with
registering DLLs, I watch to see whether it knows how to find them itself
and register them when run. My rough estimate is that about 2/3 of the
programs are smart enough to do this. If they fail that, there is usually a
program error dialog, and that is my immediate clue that I need to register
the libraries myself (regsvr32 or similar). The installer for such programs
would have done the register thingy, of course, but ugh, installers indulge
in also writing all manner of debris that is not needed.

Anyway, in the case of this program, FTM, it does know how to register its
OCX, automatic.

So, in essence (long story short at last):

You'd just pull from the .CAB the two main program binaries, ftm2.exe and
tcol2.ocx, plus the html help files.

 

[ms]

The download file is big, yes, 2.6mb. That's because it's including buncho
VB runtimes.

There is a ruling conspiracy which dictates that all avid freeware users
are required to download the same VB runtimes, over and over, thousands
of times in their life.

There is one relief. I believe that trend is finally, at long last, on the
downswing. I see it more often in circa 99-2002 software. More developers
now let you download their VB program without all the huge bulk, maybe
providing an optional link, or optional setup package, for those users
that are unsure about whether they already have updated runtimes.

snip

Thanks, Karen.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that saves your posts for reference.

BTW, maybe you remember the tread last year IIRC, when we talked about unpacking
installs to get executables. I didn't need to do it as I found a garage sale Dell 700
MHZ ME computer, can't get a modem to run, so I use it as a trial computer. Run
installs on it, copy, uninstall, and move the executables over to my P166. Nearly
always, the executable runs fine. Seldom, it installed on the ME computer and after
uninstall, on the other machine it still needs some file it left. Usually it becomes
history unless the function is really vital and the install is necessary.

I'm sure you've been there, done that.

Mike Sa

 

[ms]

When I want to make sure my versions of the files are equal or newer, or
if it's something less familiar than the VB etc stuff where I've forgotten
whether I have a particular library, then I run NodeSoft's FileVer. I
drag the download files onto its window, to have it compare versions
against those in my sysdir.
http://www.nodesoft.com/Filever/

This turns out to be the msi installer, not the file itself?
I try to avoid .net, torrent downloads and the msi installer.

But thanks anyway,

Mike Sa

 

[omega]

This turns out to be the msi installer, not the file itself?
I try to avoid .net, torrent downloads and the msi installer.

Oh I see that the download install file for FileVer is 1200mb+. Just
for a 190k exe. I believe it must be one of those that contains VB
related libraries. Here's a copy of the program itself:
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/filever/FileVer.zip (120k)

I found it works best to keep this executable in my sysdir. So that
I don't have to change paths each time to tell it to look there for
the compare. This is my workaround for its the fact that it does not
store user preferences. Also, I try to remember to checkmark the box
"Show All Copies."

Here is how I most often use it:

1 Drag files that I want to check into its window
2 Tools > Locate Files/Versions
3 Dialog that opens, showing path to my sysdir, I checkmark the box,
"Show All Copies."
4 The output results I sometimes copy for record; often to rtf, to
preserve the colors.

FWIW, here are some of my screenshots of it doing misc version-check tasks:
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/filever/filever.htm

 

[omega]

[correction]

Oh I see that the download install file for FileVer is 1200mb+.

Er.


(Well, you know what I meant.)

 

[omega]

omega wrote:

BTW, maybe you remember the tread last year IIRC, when we talked about unpacking
installs to get executables. I didn't need to do it as I found a garage sale Dell 700
MHZ ME computer, can't get a modem to run, so I use it as a trial computer. Run
installs on it, copy, uninstall, and move the executables over to my P166. Nearly
always, the executable runs fine. Seldom, it installed on the ME computer and after
uninstall, on the other machine it still needs some file it left. Usually it becomes
history unless the function is really vital and the install is necessary.

I'm sure you've been there, done that.

Yes. My story was something like this.

There was a period when I had a massive number of isolated apps scrambled
about on my removable drive, all of which my active system, my notebook,
had never me. In part, much stuff on the removable arrived as a result
of dumps from data recovery software on older formatted drives, in order
to gain back some data after two successive hard drive crashes on active
drives. And another part was extracted Ghost images from some shared
computer systems I'd been using.

Quite parallel to how you are using the old Dell:

I set up a temporary C partition, so as not to corrupt my active one with
a landslide of reg garbage and similar, and I launched all of those apps,
over time, one after another. As you found, the vast majority worked without
complaint. Showing that it's mainly a matter of myth to think there is much
general dependency on installer routines.

Occasionally an app would ask for some personal DLL it had stuck into the
sysdir when it was originally installed, so I'd go look for the file on the
old copies of the C drive, and then place it where it should have been in
the first place: same directory as the app. Or, every once in a while you
get a silly program that wants some particular entry in the reg to already
be there (eg progs that helplessly want their installer to write their
location to their custom hklm key before they'll start); but that kind of
prog design is minority, more the exception to the rule.

I also used the strategy of the temporary C partition to launch a large
number of mystery setups that had been sitting around for years. (In
year 2003, I even finally got around to checking into a bunch of stuff
that I'd downloaded from AOL's software section back in 1995. Yikes.)
That enabled me to not get loaded up with the installer debris, and then,
once on my active partition, log the changes made by the program only
when it is run, since that is what matters, that is what is recurrent.

These days I try to extract from installers wherever possible. If not
possible, then I submit to running them, but rarely keep any of their
changes. Only, if they try to put DLLs or OCXs of theirs into my sysdir
during install time, I move those out, place them in the directory with
the app. Last and main step, I log the program's behavior on my environment
when it is actually run. This enables good uninstall; (and for me, I use
that info in batch for those many programs that I collect but use rarely,
to automate cleanup after they exit).

 

[omega]

about on my removable drive, all of which my active system, my notebook,

had never me.

Had never met.

 

[ms]

Oh I see that the download install file for FileVer is 1200mb+. Just
for a 190k exe. I believe it must be one of those that contains VB
related libraries. Here's a copy of the program itself:
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/filever/FileVer.zip (120k)

I found it works best to keep this executable in my sysdir. So that
I don't have to change paths each time to tell it to look there for
the compare. This is my workaround for its the fact that it does not
store user preferences. Also, I try to remember to checkmark the box
"Show All Copies."

Here is how I most often use it:

1 Drag files that I want to check into its window
2 Tools > Locate Files/Versions
3 Dialog that opens, showing path to my sysdir, I checkmark the box,
"Show All Copies."
4 The output results I sometimes copy for record; often to rtf, to
preserve the colors.

FWIW, here are some of my screenshots of it doing misc version-check tasks:
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/filever/filever.htm

Thanks for the file and data.

BTW, my new computer OS may change, if as I hope, it may still run W98SE.

Mike Sa

 

[ms]

Thanks for the file and data.

BTW, my new computer OS may change, if as I hope, it may still run W98SE.

Mike Sa

Turns out FileVer wants to use RICHTX32.ocx, I have it, but since the new install,
it's not registered. I have a neat small util to register dll files, not ocx files.

Do you have a recommendation in hopefully a no-intall?

TIA

Mike Sa

 

[omega]

Turns out FileVer wants to use RICHTX32.ocx, I have it, but since the new install,
it's not registered. I have a neat small util to register dll files, not ocx files.

Do you have a recommendation in hopefully a no-intall?

Myself, I often just invoke regsvr32 via context menu.

-------------OCXcontext.reg-------------------
REGEDIT4

// adds register & unregister to context menu for .ocx files

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ocx]
@="ocxfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register]
@="Register"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register\command]
@="regsvr32.exe \"%1\""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister]
@="Unregister"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister\command]
@="regsvr32.exe -u \"%1\""
;
-------------/OCXcontext.reg-------------------


.. . . . . . . . . . . .
You could download and merge a .reg file that has entries like this.
Here's one place:

http://www.geocities.com/izenkov/product-regcom.htm

Or there are an abundance of downloads around to do something similar,
and some I think offer a wizard type thingy to also remove the entries if
you later change your mind. I don't generally pay much attention to those,
though, so better if someone else had a particular preferred download that
they'd consider worth recommendation.


.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Or, if you're looking something external and GUI?

Couple such progs that I've looked at (not deeply):

regunreg.exe
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/reviews/screenshots/we_w95_regunreg32.gif
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/vb_runtime_files.html
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/regunreg.exe (32k)

Twins Register Service
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/regsvrs/trs.png
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/index2.htm
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/downloads/trs.exe (900k)

 

[Al Klein]

Myself, I often just invoke regsvr32 via context menu.

-------------OCXcontext.reg-------------------
REGEDIT4

// adds register & unregister to context menu for .ocx files

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ocx]
@="ocxfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register]
@="Register"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register\command]
@="regsvr32.exe \"%1\""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister]
@="Unregister"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister\command]
@="regsvr32.exe -u \"%1\""
;
-------------/OCXcontext.reg-------------------

Copy that to an additional section (all 11 lines, starting at
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ocx]), change ocx to dll in the copied lines, run
THAT reg file, and you'll be able to register dll or ocx files from
the context menu.

As an aside, I wonder if there are any freeware installation programs
(like Inno) that easily allow the programmer to allow the end user to
specify the location of dll and ocx files (and will register them in
the new location). Even a choice of <%windir%>\system32 or <%appdir>
would be nice. (I've never used a free installer, but I might just
consider one.)

 

[ms]

Turns out FileVer wants to use RICHTX32.ocx, I have it, but since the new install,
it's not registered. I have a neat small util to register dll files, not ocx files.

Do you have a recommendation in hopefully a no-intall?

Myself, I often just invoke regsvr32 via context menu.

-------------OCXcontext.reg-------------------
REGEDIT4

// adds register & unregister to context menu for .ocx files

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ocx]
@="ocxfile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register]
@="Register"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Register\command]
@="regsvr32.exe \"%1\""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister]
@="Unregister"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ocxfile\shell\Unregister\command]
@="regsvr32.exe -u \"%1\""
;
-------------/OCXcontext.reg-------------------


. . . . . . . . . . . .
You could download and merge a .reg file that has entries like this.
Here's one place:

http://www.geocities.com/izenkov/product-regcom.htm

Or there are an abundance of downloads around to do something similar,
and some I think offer a wizard type thingy to also remove the entries if
you later change your mind. I don't generally pay much attention to those,
though, so better if someone else had a particular preferred download that
they'd consider worth recommendation.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Or, if you're looking something external and GUI?

Couple such progs that I've looked at (not deeply):

regunreg.exe
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/reviews/screenshots/we_w95_regunreg32.gif
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/vb_runtime_files.html
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/regunreg.exe (32k)

Twins Register Service
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/regsvrs/trs.png
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/index2.htm
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/downloads/trs.exe (900k)

Thanks, Karen

Several things to try.

Mike Sa

 

[ms]

snip


Or, if you're looking something external and GUI?

Couple such progs that I've looked at (not deeply):

regunreg.exe
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/reviews/screenshots/we_w95_regunreg32.gif
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/vb_runtime_files.html
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/regunreg.exe (32k)

Thanks, this works like a charm.

Twins Register Service
http://www.redshift.com/~omega/clips/regsvrs/trs.png
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/index2.htm
http://twinssoftware.bizland.com/downloads/trs.exe (900k)

Will see if these work as executables.

BTW, I'm now in the "chasing my tail" mode again since the new install. Years ago, I
solved all these missing file issues. I just ran FileVer and now it wants another
file, so it sure takes awhile to recover from a new install. Funny thing- I ran
RegSeeker and see lots of "dead" registry keys, yet I installed very little since the
new install several weeks ago, unstalled nothing as I needed everything I installed.
And today got a screen freeze, this on a undemanding usual task and a really clean
registry. Dunno, a surprise on a clean machine.

Mike Sa

 

[jmatt]

Here's another way Mike.

Start > Find > Files or Folders, type in winsock.
Go to where the file is located.
Start > Find > Files or Folders, type in regsvr32.
Drag and drop winsock.dll onto the regsvr32 icon.
You should get a message saying "winsock.ocx registration successful"
or something to that effect.

 

[ms]

Here's another way Mike.

Start > Find > Files or Folders, type in winsock.
Go to where the file is located.
Start > Find > Files or Folders, type in regsvr32.
Drag and drop winsock.dll onto the regsvr32 icon.
You should get a message saying "winsock.ocx registration successful"
or something to that effect.

Thanks, John. I will save it for reference. In the Ubuntu thread, you mentioned
you have broadband, if I lived in Australia, I'd ask if you could download the Simply
Mepis, it sounds good, and mail me the CD, but the postage to the US would make that
impractical. I don't happen to know anyone here that uses broadband.

Mike Sa

 

[ms]

snip
Karen, if I may, a few more questions-
Every so often, I run a file, get the screen: "missing MSCOREE" (IIRC)
What does that signify, other than a missing file?

How to uninstall the MSI installer? Yesterday I installed it, find it is not listed
in Add/Remove.

Some programs on install need reboot, most do not. What is the implication when an
install demands a reboot to be effective?

Was your experience with W2K that it is:
a. more stable than W98SE

b. more resistant to software caused crashes than W98SE, easier to recover?

Thanks,

Mike Sa

 

[someone]

Thanks, John. I will save it for reference. In the Ubuntu thread, you
mentioned you have broadband, if I lived in Australia, I'd ask if you
could download the Simply Mepis, it sounds good, and mail me the CD, but
the postage to the US would make that impractical. I don't happen to know
anyone here that uses broadband.

Mike Sa

Hi Mike. Surely there must be a local (to you) computer users club\group.
The guys are generally very helpful and friendly.
I`m sure someone would d\load and burn for you.

 

[David]

Thanks, John. I will save it for reference. In the Ubuntu thread, you mentioned
you have broadband, if I lived in Australia, I'd ask if you could download the Simply
Mepis, it sounds good, and mail me the CD, but the postage to the US would make that
impractical. I don't happen to know anyone here that uses broadband.

Mike Sa

Whereabouts in Australia? I'm in Adelaide.