FreeCommander Forum

I recently installed the current version using the portable (paf) download. It installed just fine and appears to work correctly.

However, there is a problem with the ini file. And I believe that the issue is with the FreeCommanderPortable.exe launcher. The portable version's exe resides \freecommanderportable\ but it does some housekeeping, assigning defaults, etc, and then launches the actual FreeCommander.exe, which resides in the \freecommanderportable\app\freecommander\ directory. There is a freecommander.ini file in that directory, but the main directory for the ini file (including the default.ini file) is \freecommanderportable\data\settings\ directory.

All this switching and swapping has gotten me confused and I believe that the program is confused, too.

It insists on writing an ini file in the \portableapps directory and calls it "file" with no extension. If you look at "file" with a standard editor, it is a copy of a freecommander.ini file.

I've tried deleting "file" and it restores itself automatically. I've tried turning off automatic settings saves and it restores itself automatically. I've tried specifically pointing the save settings to the real ini file, but "file" restores itself automatically. I even tried using the command-line switches to load a "clean" version of filecommander and it still automatically restores the "file".

I believe that some of the housekeeping that freecommanderportable.exe does has caused this problem. I have installed freecommander from the zip file (instead of using the paf version) it works correctly.

There should not be any freecommander.ini file in the \freecommanderportable\app\freecommander\ directory, the complete housekeeping of .ini files is done in the \freecommanderportable\data\settings\ directory.

There is one potential exception: if you start freecommander.exe directly from the \freecommanderportable\app\freecommander\ directory, it will create a fresh .ini file in the same directory. But that one will not be used when freecommander.exe is launched by the freecommanderportable.exe (please check the time stamp of that ini file, when was it created or updated the last time?).

The whole story of "writing an ini file in the \portableapps directory and calls it "file" with no extension ..." I have no real explanation and I have not been able to reproduce this!

Could you do me the favor and copy your complete "FreeCommanderPortable" directory of the installation causing this problem into a zip file and send it to me as message in this forum? This will allow me to do some more detailled problem analysis!

One more question: is the behavior you are describing specific for Vista or does it occur under XP?
Regards,
Franz

This was under XP with service pack 3. I'm avoiding Vista for as long as I can.

After I posted the bug report, I killed the entire FreeCommandPortable directory, and I've been using the FreeCommander that I installed using the zip file.

I will reinstall the paf version, and then I can send it in. Should I drop it into this thread, or do you want it as a PM?

Jim

Hi Jim,

Please send it as PM or directly via email to the mail address I have sent you yesterday via PM!
Would be helpful, if you could build the zip file after the problem has occured at least once!

Thx,
Franz

I got the "file" again once, and when I tried to make it repeat it won't cooperate.

The file appeared when the installation showed something about checking for PortableApps.com platform.

Since I can't consistently reproduce the issue, I guess we should just drop it.

Sorry!

Jim

P.S. I lost electrical power last night and FreeCommander was open. The freecommander.ini now contains all dots (no letters or words) and all my settings have been lost. Seems as though the ini file was open and got trashed. It doesn't get read into memory and then closed?