blog: open folders with xplorer2

[nikos]

here's the comment area for today's blog post found at
http://zabkat.com/blog/11Jan09-default-folder-association.htm

[snakebyte]

Why can't the checkbox to make xplorer² default file browser be added to the options dialog?

As a new user I may want to try out X2 before making it my default browser and if I don't like the behavior, I could simply uncheck it any time without jumping through hoops.
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Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's universe simulator.

[nikos]

this is a tweak that requires admin privileges and the best moment is during installation. If you use the REG script I have in today's blog you can "undo" the change without uninstalling x2

[Cosmo]

Where is the deeper logic, that a REG-file can (and must be) executed with admin privileges, but the same setting via settings editor (that was my suggestion already some time ago) shall not? The settings editor has the advantage, that it is a 2 way road, you provide a one way ticket. (I agree, that the options dialog would be the wrong place, as a limited user does and should not start x2 regularly with elevated rights, so he would not be able to do anything in the actual session of x2 about that.)

Further more it would be time to fix the bSingleWindow bug I have already reported in the past.
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Thomas

[nikos]

no matter what i do you can't be happy, can you cosmo?

[lian]

The big problem with this choice of using xplorer2 as default explorer comes when upgrading the program: to get the .exe you need to open a folder and when launching the .exe the program says "What's the ..., there is a xplorer2 running, you have to kill it !".
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french user-1.7.2.6 [Unicode] Win XP pro SP2

[Cosmo]

[RickyF]

I use both X2 Pro and Vista's Windows Explorer. I like Windows Explorer's left-side (drag and drop capable) favorites navigation pane. I like its breadcrumb menu. I prefer its more rationally organized menus to X2's somewhat haphazard menu structure.

If I had to decide upon one or the other I would choose X2 Pro, but...

If I understand the current installation situation, I can choose to make X2 the default file browser or not, only at the point of installation. If I choose to do this and then change my mind I must either uninstall/reinstall or run the REG file.

I do not think this is a good set of choices. I believe a new user is unlikely to know how to answer this installation query. If they select X2 as the default and are then put off by X2's complexity they can only uninstall it to reverse the situation. I do not believe they will know about the REG file (http://www.zabkat.com/blog/bpic/open_x2_off.reg) placed on the blog post. Many won't know what to do with a REG file even if they do find it. Once they uninstall X2 they are much less likely to reinstall X2 and take the time to discover its incredible feature set.

It seems to me that this should be an option under Tools > Options (perhaps footnoted to explain that Administrative privileges are required).

[fgagnon]

[narayan]

I agree with that.

Rather than restarting the system, it is better if the changes take effect when just the x2 is restarted (this is x2's association, is it not?)

And even if it is necessary to restart the system, it is well worth it.
This option would be changed very rarely, anyway!

BTW will that affect Windows autorun also?
Currently we have to add x2 to the AutoRun using tweak UI.
This is a awkward method for a result  that should be achievable with a simple checkbox in the Program Options.

[fgagnon]

because the affected registry entries are under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, not x2 settings, I believe it reuires a system restart.  

[admsupport]

[nikos]

no it doesn't require a restart!
look, this goes in the usual x2 philosophy of "simple is best" (hello Ocham). If you tell me of one eventuality not covered by the additional explanations in said blog post, I'll oblige!

[Cosmo]

I confirm: no restart of the system required.

@narayan: I am not really sure, what you mean:
if you mean startup, than this could simply be done by dragging the shortcut to x2 into the startup-group. But this has nothing to do with TweakUI and I am sure you know this yourself.

Or do you mean Autoplay? I am not able to find "AutoRun" in TweakUI. But there is an option to set handlers for Autoplay. In case this is what you mean: With x2 as default file manager (at now only via newly installing) this should automatically work. But perhaps you only want this for certain media types or drive types?

Let me bring back to remembrance (because all here, who use x2 with English language, will never notice this problem): A new installation of x2 just for changing the default file manager is especially an annoyance for non-English users, because they get "punished" by copying back every time the language files from x2extras! And also for English users: You have to copy the manual each time again. Probably even more action is needed for people who like to use the skins; I don't, so I am not sure about this. (And in general a strange method of changing settings. Similar, as if you would have to make a repair-installation of Windows to change the default browser or mail-client or whatever.)

I repeat my voting for using the settings editor for that setting. There is plenty room, to place the options, as they are really needed and it is easily possible even for limited users to change this issue by starting the editor via "run as". Also via settings editor it should be easier understandable, that this is not a x2-setting (what all settings inside x2 options are supposed to be), but a Windows setting.
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Thomas

[nikos]

but this isn't something you would be changing every other day!? Either you want it default or not.