Newbie from Outer Space

[badams007]

Let me start by apoligizing in advance. I am so sorry to be a pain!

I am stumped. I am ready to buy the program. I am in love already with the author and the forum members AND this awesome program. That said, here is my problem: Missing folders on tree once I loaded demo over free version of XY.

How I got here:

On my desktop computer: I installed the older/free version of XY. Everything was peachy.

On my husband's laptop...I installed and used Demo version, which has since expired but still works.

I say to self: I want to BUY.

So, I go to desktop computer, which was happily running FREE version. I downloaded demo over it, intending to then purchase and register it. Because the demo days have already been used up by my husband's laptop, as expected I get it loaded, it says it's not free, has expired, want to continue and I say yes. I will go get credit card and buy just after loading.

It loads over free version. But it looks different. Smaller fonts. Doesn't feel the same as my pretty free version did. The tabs are still loaded (at top). But...

I look hard. Wait a minute. Things AREN'T the same. The tabs I'd had open to folders....those folders are NOT listed in tree. The tab is still above so I click on it and it changes to My Documents. (The tab WAS a folder -- with DIFFERENT NAME -- within My Documents...in free version.) I click on OTHER tabs I'd had open...all within My Documents, but no longer shown on tree (also) and THEY change title to My Documents, as well.

I look hard again and the tree in XY is NOT the same as the tree in Explorer. Not in My Documents, not in C: (I have taken comparison screen shot, just to show I'm not crazy and to compare. So I have that if it's needed to demonstrate what I am talking about.)

I figure I am either losing my mind, or some option needs to be set. ?
I've scratched around and can find nothing. I am dizzy now.

Only thing I can think of: Weeks ago I had played with two different icon changing programs and had set many folders to have pretty icons. It looks MAYBE like many of those folders with the pretty icons (maybe the ones from ONE of the sharewares) are the missing tree folders. HADN"T been that way with free version, however. So now I wonder if somehow the newest NOT FREE version doesn't like my icon'd folders? Or ???

I want to be good. And helpful...not waste your time with my newbie, spacy, weirdness. But .... I'm now afraid to buy becuase I can't see many of my best folders in the tree... and I am lost and am running to you for help. Thanks for ANY.

PS: Unrelated to above newbie issue -

I see that some other explorer replacement programs say they have a feature that: finds duplicate files. (I think I saw that mentioned in their promo's.) Does XY have that feature. It's not terribly important because sharewares do that, but would be nice to have in XY.

Also:

1. Does it have a file COMPARE feature? Just wondering.

2. I read here in forum about dragging PICTURES from IE7 to open tabs (folders)....I tried and couldn't. Did I misunderstand?

3. Did I read in your wiki (or somewhere) that we can EDIT in preview? If so, can we do it with .txt?


I will never be so wordy in the future. Please forgive newbie who will straighten out eventually... I promise. Thanks again to all and to Don. I love u already, guy...just from your forum posts. THAT's a major reason I am buying. You are my ideal software maker.

Hugs

Brenda

[jacky]

Hi,

Welcome to the world of XY!

First off, if you were using the latest version of XY (demo), then yes there will be changes with the last free version. I don't think the font should be any different (but it can be changed so you had set another font on your free version?), BUT what changed is the space used on Tree, the Row Height.

Before a new feature was implemented in v5.80.0012 (which allow syou to change the row height in Tree, List & Catalog independently) XY used different row height values for Tree, List and Catalog. They have now all be uniformized to 17 pixels by default, which is the value used in Explorer too.

Before that, XY used:
- On Tree, 16 pixels. Used to be smaller
- On Catalog, 18 pixels. Used to be bigger
- On List, 17 pixels. No changes here.

This could be why your Tree looks a bit "different".


Then, the folders missing. I think they must be folders that either are hidden, or maybe located inside hidden folders, and unlike in your free version you do not have Show Hidden Files & Folders enabled, thus:
- All hidden folders do not appear on Tree (or List)
- Yes, a weird behavior. Might be classified as a bug even : Clicking to a tab that was on a hidden folder will bring you the its parent (not hidden), thus having its Tab title changed to that parent name.

So if your tabs were in hidden folders, when clicking on them XY did go to the visible parent, "My Documents" (hence the new title in the tab)

To get things back to normal, use menu View/Show Items/Show Hidden Files & Folders
And if you want to change to row height on Tree, please refer to the wiki for more about this.


Your other questions:
- No find duplicates for now, no. I think it's on the roadmap though, so i is planned...

- No "compare" feature either, but same thing: it's on the roadmap

- You got it right: you can drag pictures from IE/Firefox into XY. I used to do it onto the List, tried on Tabs to make sure: works just as fine.
Do you get any error message, anything?
Note that, you must be dragging a picture, not a link. The cursor must have a little plus sign, not the one for shortcuts.

- XY's viewer is only that, a viewer. But, when previewing files through IE/Office, such as *.doc for example, you can then indeed edit the file within XY Panel yes.

TXT are either shown using XY'w viewer or IE, but neither of those allow you to edit them from there, no.

And don't hesiate to be a wordy as you feel the need to anytime you want, we're here to help

[surrender]

Regarding search duplicates, I havent used or needed it before therefore i am kinda ignorant.
How is it different from doing a normal search which returns all possible files and one can look up duplicates easily if sorted by name?

[jacky]

Regarding search duplicates, I havent used or needed it before therefore i am kinda ignorant.
How is it different from doing a normal search which returns all possible files and one can look up duplicates easily if sorted by name?

When talking about duplicates people usually don't care about the file names, they mean content-wise. Actually, that's even the whole point: find duplicate files even if they do not have the same names/timestamps.

[badams007]

<<<To get things back to normal, use menu View/Show Items/Show Hidden Files & Folders>>>

[edit to try to fix quote above. i am LOUSY at this quote thing. above is quote snippet of Jacky and here is my reply, below:]

Thank you so much, Jacky!!!!! OMG!! I am so happy. I don't know why but it wasn't 'hidden files and folders' it was 'system' ones. WEIRD!!!!!

I haven't a clue why....unless maybe some of my folders/files had things in them that link somehow to software I have in my program files. Like: Mastercook 9 in my Program files...some of the associated files are in My Documents. I bet that's it!!

EDITED TO SAY: Just now talking this over with my husband and it dawned on me...many of those folders ...most probably...had icons inserted from one shareware program...and I'll bet there is some .ini inside the folders--making the folder require a SYSTEM thingy folder. Or something... <technically low iq'd here...so I'm just guessing for the thrill of it....> FUN FUN

OH BOY OH BOY. What a relief. That issue was bugging the HECK outta me and making me feel helpless. I couldn't move on!! Now, all is <whew> so well thanks to you, Jacky.

I have company comping over so I must run...but will check that photo drag later. I only had tried it on one or two photos at epicurious.com and perhaps it was something in the photos themselves. Maybe wrong extensions or something. I tried dragging with left and right mouse keys...got no error message...and no plus sign.

You are a doll!!!!!

BIG HUGS and more later

Brenda

[jacky]

I don't know why but it wasn't 'hidden files and folders' it was 'system' ones. WEIRD!!!!!

Well, actually you mention using an app to use specific icons for folders, did those 'system' folders had such an icon?
If so, could be that they had been set to system in order to activate this Windows features. (Another reason why those app should use ReadOnly instead, IMO)

[badams007]

I don't know why but it wasn't 'hidden files and folders' it was 'system' ones. WEIRD!!!!!

Well, actually you mention using an app to use specific icons for folders, did those 'system' folders had such an icon?
If so, could be that they had been set to system in order to activate this Windows features. (Another reason why those app should use ReadOnly instead, IMO)

Yes, we must be on the same wavelength, because I had just edited my post to wonder about same thing. I am thrilled. My husband just commented that I am becoming a computer geek. hahahaha I said, no....it's just that I ran into something once, awhile back, when I noticed all kinds of .ini's in various folders of mine....and after much searching to find out why...I found the common denominator was some program I had been using... oh drat...I wish I could remember...but anyway, it needed to insert an .ini into the folders. SO...a lightbulb went off in my head:

Ini === Sytem... aha SYTEM FILES...show SYTEM FILES...

hehe jumping up and down!!! HAPPY. Thanks for bearing with me. xxxooo

[j_c_hallgren]

Let me start by apoligizing in advance. I am so sorry to be a pain!

I am stumped. I am ready to buy the program. I am in love already with the author and the forum members AND this awesome program.
I want to be good. And helpful...not waste your time with my newbie, spacy, weirdness.

I will never be so wordy in the future. Please forgive newbie who will straighten out eventually... I promise. Thanks again to all and to Don. I love u already, guy...just from your forum posts. THAT's a major reason I am buying. You are my ideal software maker.

Hugs

Brenda

As a very frequent poster here, I'd also like to welcome you to the "Out of this world XYperience"!

Don't worry about being a pain YET! We sometimes really need users like yourself to help keep things understandable to new users as we can get too techy at times, I'll admit.

And I believe that we really DO like helping out newbies who are understanding (and descriptive) like you seem to be, and who have done some research first, as you did...Personally, I'd much rather read a longer post that had all the details than one that was too short and thus cryptic...

Hope you'll feel free to visit here often and contribute, as I don't think we have many female users and thus you might be able to help spread the word about XY to people/places that us guys might not frequent.

[admin]

Hi Brenda, thanks for buying!

Today is Brenda-day: 2 Brendas ordered within 4 hours! I love your name!

Don

[badams007]

Hi Don!! I'm so happy to be here!! I have long admired you and your group; and it's about time I sent you a pitance for this wonderful XY.

I hope both Brenda's weren't me. I got partly thru buying with PayPal...something happened... I ended up out...and buying with the other setup.

Thanks for the warm welcome. After reading JC's lovely comments (THANKS JC) and now your welcome Don, not to mention Jacky's quick and detailed responses, I feel at home and empowered. I can't wait to learn more things about your program. I LOVE GREAT SOFTWARE....but it's even better when the maker is awesome and the followers are addicted, friendly and helpful. I am just tickled pink!! (I will go see if I've paid twice. I know I only registered with key ONCE.)

[admin]

I hope both Brenda's weren't me.

No, not unless you are about 5000 km large! (This is the distance of the other Brenda's hometown from yours.)

[badams007]

I hope both Brenda's weren't me.

No, not unless you are about 5000 km large! (This is the distance of the other Brenda's hometown from yours.)

OMG then you were correct -- it *is* Brenda day! What a great world.

PS: My fonts are now enlarged, my folders are glowing, looks like my very new "Paid For XY" is running in purrrfect health now. Thanks again to Jacky for getting this up and going -- and thanks to all for the welcome. I have so many more questions..... <smile> lol

Brenda