WAD Minor long-standing install problems

[Roedy]

The installer always tries to get me to install Take Command on drive C: even though it exists already on F:. Installers traditionally prefer the existing drive.

When the installer is done, it offers to show me the readme file. I click yes, and it says the file does not exist. I think the reason is the file is called F:\Program Files\JPSoft\TCMD13x64\readme.txt
and it gets confused by the spaces in the file name.

It always discards my TCC icon with a custom image on the task bar by default. Ideally it should leave what is there (task bar icon, desktop icon, menu item) by default. It may be possible to keep it if I pay more attention during the install. However, Take Command updates more frequently than any other program, so I tend to go unconscious during the update.

 

[Steve Fabian]

The installer always tries to get me to install Take Command on drive C: even though it exists already on F:. Installers traditionally prefer the existing drive.

When you get to the installer page showing the path, use alt-down (or click on the down arrow), and it ought to show - in addition to the default location - all directories where the product has been installed previously. Select the one you want from the list. Almost as simple as if the default were the last installation's location.

I have no answer to the rest of your post, except to say I never display the readme.txt file (it is not usually changed for each build, only for new versions).

 

[rconn]

The installer always tries to get me to install Take Command on drive C: even though it exists already on F:. Installers traditionally prefer the existing drive.

That's the Windows Installer doing that; I have no control over it. (Are you selecting "search for and replace", or "install side by side"?) Usually the previous installation directory will be listed in the combo box (did you look there?).

When the installer is done, it offers to show me the readme file. I click yes, and it says the file does not exist. I think the reason is the file is called F:\Program Files\JPSoft\TCMD13x64\readme.txt and it gets confused by the spaces in the file name.

Not reproducible here -- it shows readme.txt in my default .txt file handler (EditPad Lite). Do you have an association for .txt files?

It always discards my TCC icon with a custom image on the task bar by default. Ideally it should leave what is there (task bar icon, desktop icon, menu item) by default. It may be possible to keep it if I pay more attention during the install. However, Take Command updates more frequently than any other program, so I tend to go unconscious during the update.

That's Windows Installer again. Installer doesn't know (or care) if you have a custom icon; it's going to use the app's default icon. There isn't any way to disable that in the Windows Installer.

 

[Charles Dye]

That's Windows Installer again. Installer doesn't know (or care) if you have a custom icon; it's going to use the app's default icon. There isn't any way to disable that in the Windows Installer.

You can rename the customized shortcut, or set its Read-only attribute.

 

[Roedy]

T
Not reproducible here -- it shows readme.txt in my default .txt file handler (EditPad Lite). Do you have an association for .txt files?

Ah yes. set up to invoke visual Slick edit which would want quotes around such a file name on its command line. Perhaps what I have to do is build in some quotes in the association.

 

[JohnQSmith]

When you get to the installer page showing the path, use alt-down (or click on the down arrow), and it ought to show - in addition to the default location - all directories where the product has been installed previously.

Thank you! This one is a pet peeve of mine. I mean, how hard is it for the computer to remember where it last installed a program.

Almost as simple as if the default were the last installation's location.

<soapbox>
Still a pain in the ass. "I installed the program in that location, just put it in the same place as last time!" If it's because "the installer doesn't work that way", then CHANGE THE INSTALLER! I mean, free installers, like Nullsoft Installer and Innosetup, remember what's happened in the past. I would think that software you PAY for would at least have the same minimal functionality.
</soapbox>

 

[Steve Fabian]

T
Still a pain in the ass. "I installed the program in that location, just put it in the same place as last time!" If it's because "the installer doesn't work that way", then CHANGE THE INSTALLER! I mean, free installers, like Nullsoft Installer and Innosetup, remember what's happened in the past. I would think that software you PAY for would at least have the same minimal functionality.

Oh, but those installers compete with Microsoft's - how could they be used for Microsoft certified products? Just because the are better, have more features, etc.? Yes, with Innounp I used to extract the files myself, and copied them to all registered machines, all with a simple TCC batch file. Now it must be done interactively. Microsoft does not believe in automated installations for products not sold by them... Just as Wordstar 20 years ago had many features not available to this day in MS-Word, others so well hidden that most users are not aware they exist.