New beta release v11.3.0.9.3/4/5 - Special Folders locations updated
Jean Lalonde > 2021-06-20 09:29
In this beta release, I revisit the code storing the Special Folders locations to the settings file. This code was written at the very beginning of Folders Popup development, ancestor of Quick Access Popup, in 2013 under Windows XP. This code was later updated in QAP as Microsoft added, moved or removed Special Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 10.
In previous versions of QAP, some Special Folders locations were saved using the actual path to the folder (for example "C:\Users\UserName\Downloads"). As it became easier in Windows 10 to move these special folders to a different location, the favorite in QAP with the old location stopped working after the user moved a Special Folder.
This release solves this issue. All Special Folders are now saved with codes (for example "{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}" for the Downloads folder) that will continue to work even after special folders are moved. Existing favorites locations are also replaced with the new codes.
Note 1: This conversion is NOT backward compatible. If you need to revert to an older version of QAP, the location for the updated Special Folders will not be recognized in the older version. They will show as "* Unknown Special Folder *" (with a random number to make the menu entry unique) and you will have to delete and re-create these Special Folders entries.
Note 2: If you used Shared menus containing Special Folders, make sure all users of the Shared menu run QAP v11.3.0.9.3 more recent.
Version BETA: 11.3.0.9.3 (2021-06-20)
Special Folders
- in the settings file, replace some Special Folders "hard-coded" locations with codes that will continue to work even after user moved the Special Folder to a new location
- more precisely, replace "hard-coded" paths with one of the following codes: environment variables, Known Folders IDs or ClsIds; Special Folders updated are: Desktop, Common Desktop, Common Start Menu, Common Startup Menu, History, My Music, My Video, Pictures, Programs Folder (Start Menu), Public Folder, Public Libraries, Quick Launch, Recent Items, Start Menu, Startup, Templates, Temporary Files, Downloads and Windows directory
- replace existing Special Folders favorites locations with the new codes
- when a desktop.ini (hidden file) is found in a Special Folder, retrieve the localized name and icon from this file, else continue as before and retrieve them from the Windows Registry or use default names and icons set by QAP
Various
- when getting the name for a regular favorite folder, check if we can get it from a desktop.ini file, else continue as before and use the last part of the path
- fix bug when opening a favorite from a dynamic menu (like "Recent Folders") and when that favorite is not found
- fix bug trying to open the favorite not found if user selected to edit the favorite
- add menu item "Share QAP" under "Help" menu to open QAP website referrer page
- Russian language file update
Version BETA: 11.3.0.9.4 (2021-06-27)
Add Multiple Favorites dialog box (various improvements)
- when loading favorites from a QAP Settings file (flat view), load all item's properties (parameters, etc.), not only name and location
- when adding from QAP features, extend filter search to features descriptions in Content column
- when adding from Special Folders, stop showing the codes in the content column and show their default names instead
- when loading a Special Folder favorite having for name "Unknown Special Folder", replace the name with the Special Folder default name if its internal code is valid
- when loading favorites from a QAP Settings file (tree view), fix bug when adding an item in an existing submenu, stop creating a duplicate submenu
Special Folders
- when saving favorites, create a backup of the settings file if a Special Folder location was updated
- this backup file is named, for example, QuickAccessPopup-HOME-backup-special_folders-20210627121611.ini (where "20210627121611" is the year, month, day and time of the backup file)
Various
- in Edit Favorite dialog box, for Application favorites, stop updating the short menu name when the location is changed; update the name only when the location is changed using the "Running applications" dropdown list
- in the "Add/Edit Favorite" dialog box, when adding or editing a favorite in a sorted menu, in the menu options tab, fill the position dropdown list with the message "menu sorted automatically"
- in "Options, Alternative Menu Hotkeys", rename the button "Reset default modifiers" to "Reset to saved modifiers" (to restore modifiers to their currently saved value) and add a new button "Reset to default modifiers" (to reset the modifiers to their default value)
- create backups for Shared menus ini file (one per day for the last five days)
Version BETA: 11.3.0.9.5 (2021-07-18)
Special Folders
- add new Special Folders "Send To" and "System32"
- fix bug when opening in file dialog boxes some Special folders changed in v11.3.0.9.3
- when Directory Opus is the selected file manager, fix bug getting Special Folders paths from new codes introduced in v11.3.0.9.3
Other
- fix a display bug in "Options" when opening the "Popup Menu" tab using the link "excluded applications" under the "Popup Hotkeys" tab
- fix bug when changing folder in a CMD, PowerShell, ConEmu or Terminal windows when file manager preferences is set to "open in the current Windows Explorer window" (or "the current tab" for Total Commander or Directory Opus users)
Thank you for testing this.
Download link:
(link removed) This beta phase is now over. Thanks for your help.