Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

den4b · 2009-11-15 21:42

Narayan, I'm puzzled here.

I tried to reproduce your steps, but did not encounter any issues. I read your description dozen times, and the more i read the more uncertain I become regarding the actual problem. So what is the problem right now, in few words? Is it the "minimize when click on close" option not working after reboot? (Can't reproduce it...)

P.S. In any way, thanks for the details so far.

narayan · 2009-11-16 02:24

Is it the "minimize when click on close" option not working after reboot? (Can't reproduce it...)

Yes, that's it.

I put the other details to check if I followed the steps right.

(e.g. I did NOT clean up the registry; and I did NOT put both Shutter copies in the Control panel's startup). Apparently these things do not matter...

But there is a difference between our experiments: you did a clean start, where as I had originally run two instances of Shutter with two different tasks; and then created two more copies of the Shutter folder (thus ending up with THREE Shutter folders in all.). Probably this difference is critical.

I will now clean up the registry and then try the whole expeiment afresh.
Could you please tel me where the Shutter keys are stored (especially in a multiple copies+multiple instances scenario)?

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by narayan (2009-11-16 02:27)

den4b · 2009-11-16 13:32

As you already know, my applications don't use Registry to store the settings. It is always an INI file in the same folder as the application. All of the settings for Shutter.exe would be stored in the Shutter.ini. If you rename executable to ShutterCopy.exe (for example), then settings would be stored in ShutterCopy.ini.

Only the options which require usage of registry do write to it, such as autorun, file associations, etc. In Shutter there is only 1 such option that affects the registry, which is the Autorun option. It is always the same location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

As I mentioned it in the previous post, each physical copy (not instance) will create a key in the registry path when you enable the Autorun option. The key will be in the following format:

"C:\Program Files\Shutter\Shutter.exe" = "C:\Program Files\Shutter\Shutter.exe"

Prior to the last modifications in Shutter Beta, the format used to be:

"Shutter" = "C:\Program Files\Shutter\Shutter.exe"

Hope this helps...

P.S. Are you sure you are not confusing instances with physical copies in your findings?

narayan · 2009-11-16 14:25

@instances v. physical copies:

I described my steps in details just to overcome that doubt.

Here is a briefest recap.

First I deleted all 3 original Shutter folders; so all INI files were deleted.

Then I unzipped Shutter in two empty folders. Then I double-clicked on the shutter.exe files in these two folders to run them.

I set one Shutter to start the target application and the other Shutter to close the window of the target application.

I think my method is OK. Only our results are different.

I will conduct more experiments and let you know. If you'd like to know process parameters, I can capture those and send you (including a screencapture video if necessary)

Thanks!

Last edited by narayan (2009-11-16 14:39)

narayan · 2009-11-16 15:42

Deleted all Shutter folders. Got a fresh beta from site and unzipped the exe+dll in two separate folders (one for starting the target app, the other for closing the target app)..

I can confirm that the problem continues: After the PC is restarted, the Shutter windows pop up. However, when they are closed, they do not go to systray.

Here, I have some new observations:
The shutter applications still keep running (as observed in Process Explorer).
But their presence cannot be seen either in systray or in the task bar.

So I cannot for example open their windows to stop and edit settings.

Further, when they close a target application, even that application keeps running just like Shutter applications themselves: Seen in process explorer, but cannot be seen in task bar or system tray.

If I restart the shutter applications in Process Explorer, they start working normally.

Could it be possible that my AVG antivirus is not letting these shutter process autorun properly?

*****
[Edit]

I disabled the "autorun when windows starts" option in Shuter.
Then I added these tasks to Windows startup.
Even then the same problem continues.

***
BTW I had mentioned in my first post that Windows startup does not allow to run two shutter programs. I discovered now that startup needs a unique alias for each task to be started. I had entered the same name in two tasks ("shutter"); which the startup was not allowing.

So your solution of putting the entire path in the key may not be warranted.

Last edited by narayan (2009-11-16 16:04)

den4b · 2009-12-05 21:51

I did few more tests, but could not get them to misbehave.

I had 2 copies of Shutter, each in its own folder (Shutter1 and Shutter2). I setup the settings: autorun, minimize when program starts, minimize on close, start events when program starts. Rebooted. Both instances started properly, with their individual events. Both instances minimize to tray when I click on the close button.

Here is a screenshot of the settings:

narayan · 2009-12-07 03:07

As stated above, I have unselected the Autostart at windows Startup/logon option, and added both copies to the Control panel's Startup menu. (I use a freeware called Startup Control Panel, which makes it easy to control this.).

Except that, my settings are identical. (In my case, the Restart events after actions have been triggered option is selected.)

Strangely, I am not facing the problem any more: When I restart the PC, both copies start and work normally.

BTW I always use the latest beta. Probably something changed between the version for which I reported the problem and the latest beta?

Last edited by narayan (2009-12-07 03:11)

den4b Forum

#11 2009-11-15 21:42

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#12 2009-11-16 02:24

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#13 2009-11-16 13:32

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#14 2009-11-16 14:25

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#15 2009-11-16 15:42

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#16 2009-12-05 21:51

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

#17 2009-12-07 03:07

Re: Two instances will share same settings, autorun issue

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