XY does not show the Carbonite right-click menu option

[Cynthia Moore]

I just downloaded and installed XY this afternoon. Just now, I discovered that the right-click menu options (on a file) do not include the Carbonite options. In WE, if I right-click on a file, I get a Carbonite option with the right arrow (triangle) that opens up to 4-5 options. In XY, there is no Carbonite option at all.

[admin]

In XY you can decide whether you want to show the 32-bit or the 64-bit context menu. Play with the following setting to see which is the one you need:

Configuration | Shell Integration | 64-bit Windows | Show the 64-bit context menu

[RalphM]

And the other one is always just another click away.
One of the entries in both context menus is to show its sibling.

[bdeshi]

And the other one is always just another click away.
One of the entries in both context menus is to show its sibling.

That's not entirely correct. you can get to the 64bit menu from the 32bit one, but not the reverse.

[Cynthia Moore]

In XY you can decide whether you want to show the 32-bit or the 64-bit context menu.

Are you talking about the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the OS? I'm running Win XP. I'm pretty sure it's a 32-bit OS.

Play with the following setting to see which is the one you need:
Configuration | Shell Integration | 64-bit Windows | Show the 64-bit context menu

Why do I have to "play with the settings"? Why can't XY get the right-click menu option to work just like they do for WE until and unless I change them?

[admin]

Well, you don't have to "play with the settings" when everything is left at the factory defaults. My assumption had been that you had played with them already at least once before.

In other words: If this does not work out of the box then I'd call it a bug. (But I doubt there is a bug here.)

[Cynthia Moore]

Well, you don't have to "play with the settings" when everything is left at the factory defaults. My assumption had been that you had played with them already at least once before.

I installed the program and started learning how it works. I changed no settings other than the view settings for the panels. At least I didn't change any intentionally. But then you could have asked that instead of just assuming that I changed something. Or you could have asked me to restore the factory defaults. Is there a way to do that?

In addition, I am also getting runtime errors after right-clicking. This sure looks like an XY bug to me. This can't all be my fault.

In other words: If this does not work out of the box then I'd call it a bug. (But I doubt there is a bug here.)

So now what? I'm still willing to give XY a try and even help chase bugs so long as I get treated with respect. Otherwise, I'm outta here.

[PeterH]

Are you talking about the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the OS? I'm running Win XP. I'm pretty sure it's a 32-bit OS.

Don: didn't you notice this? So: nothing with 32 or 64 bit context menus...

[bdeshi]

@moore, based on a bit of lazy googling , it seems Carbonite's shell extension(s) might be one of those specifically built with Windows Explorer in mind, and doesn't like many of the alternative file managers (even some of the top alternatives)...

[mwb1100]

it seems Carbonite's shell extension(s) might be one of those specifically built with Windows Explorer in mind, and doesn't like many of the alternative file managers

This might be an important indication of that:

Our software was designed to work with Windows Explorer. While it is possible that Carbonite and Directory Opus will work together to a certain degree, some features may not be available when using Directory Opus as a file manager replacement. Specifically, the Carbonite Backup Drive is an extension of our interface designed with Windows Explorer in mind. Since the files in the virtual drive are not actually "files" but shortcuts to the files on the backup servers, Directory Opus does not know how to handle the shortcuts properly, which is why you may not see the Carbonite context menus.

[Cynthia Moore]

So it sounds like the Carbonite right-click menu options are not going to work with XY, at least for now. Right?

Does this mean that there is nothing you can do to make it work? How can it be that WE can make it work, but XY (and DO and others) cannot?

This is not an absolute show stopper, but it is a serious drawback. Is there a workaround? Is there a way in XY to add a right-click menu option that will fire up WE and then invoke the Carbonite menu?

Now that you know that this is a limitation, I suggest you mention it somewhere on the website, along with any workarounds, so prospective customers don't have to go through the hassle of testing the product only to find out that it won't work as expected. This would also put some pressure on Carbonite to improve how they implement their menus. I do plan to complain to them about this as a customer.

[j_c_hallgren]

How can it be that WE can make it work, but XY (and DO and others) cannot?

based on what has been posted above, it seems it more of a case that Carbonite was built to work only on/with WE so nothing other products can do to fix that...there are some other cases that are similar...

I'd make an analogy that: you've asked why a Firefox extension only works with FF but not with Chrome or IE...ok?

[Cynthia Moore]

How can it be that WE can make it work, but XY (and DO and others) cannot?

based on what has been posted above, it seems it more of a case that Carbonite was built to work only on/with WE so nothing other products can do to fix that...there are some other cases that are similar...

I'd make an analogy that: you've asked why a Firefox extension only works with FF but not with Chrome or IE...ok?

It's always possible to find an analogy to support whatever your position is. Now whether that analogy carries any weight with the user community is another matter entirely.

XY is billed as a WE replacement. I think most users would expect that it would do everything that WE does, but better. Esoteric arguments and analogies are unlikely to win over customers if the function is not there. Carbonite is one of the leading, if not THE leading, providers of online backup. The right-click menu is an integral part of that product. XY will find a way to make it work or provide a usable workaround or they will not. Analogies and excuses are not likely to be worth much. It works or it doesn't. Right now, it doesn't.

Now this may not be XY's fault. Carbonite is not particularly responsive to customer feedback either. Their UI is pretty bad and quite flaky. But that's that and this is this.

[n2tpa]

Cynthia,

Instead of right-click functionality, would you be willing to use a script instead? Simply highlight the file(s) and click a user button rather than right-click. I don't personally write scripts, so can't say how or if it could be done, but with so many experts on the site, I assume someone can help in this way.

Anyone care to weigh in on this direction?

Bill

[Enternal]

@ Cynthia
Hello! Well, the problem that you are experiencing now is similar to what happened with Mozy. In Mozy's case, in one of their responses (I no longer have the link or backup of that response) said that technically they did some unorthodox method of working with Windows Explorer so the context menu ends up only working with Windows Explorer only. I have tried it before with various file managers and they just don't work in those either.

It's not exactly an excuse but since XYplorer and other file managers rely on Windows API to have it do certain things, without understanding exactly what Mozy, or in this case Carbonite (since I'm guessing that they're doing similar things in regards to the context menu just like Mozy), XYplorer won't be able to show those menus. I have tried and others as well (users of different file managers) asked Mozy about this issue and they pretty much just said, "well, we can't do anything about it. we like what we did". So it's a drawback and sadly a drawback that is not easy to deal with because there is one side that is not really willing to participate.

Now onto a different thing,

Why do I have to "play with the settings"? Why can't XY get the right-click menu option to work just like they do for WE until and unless I change them?

Your response was a bit on the aggressive side and your following responses were still on the aggressive side. Don have always replied in that type of manner but he never meant any harm or disrespect (English is not even his native language so he can be seemingly blunt at times). So please don't get mad at him.

Anyways, that error you said you encountered, could you possible upload a screenshot of it please? Also if you go to the menu Help > Various Information, and copy those information here, perhaps it might help Don do some other tests to see if he can get those runtime errors.