TC compare and sync functions broken after installing MS ICE

[rsbrux]

I have used TC successfully for years and am now using 8.51a under Windows 8.1. I have also used MS Image Composite Editor (ICE) successfully for years, but the last version appears to have introduced a conflict. ICE 2.0.2.0 and TC 8.51a worked fine together, but when I updated to ICE 2.0.3, the installation told me that it needed to update a file that TC was using. I allowed it to do so, but since then, TC's compare and synchronize functions no longer work with USB connected devices. With a connected smartphone (Samsung Note 4), Compare shows all files as different in directories in which most of the files are identical. This appears to be due to a change in the way in which Windows returns the date & time information. It appears to be returning the last accessed date from the Note 4 instead of the last modified date. With a pülugged in USB thumb drive, the sync function cannot be used at all. The buttons for selecting which files to show (newer left, equal, not equal & newer right) do not function, that is, clicking on them has no effect. "not equal" appears to be selected, and the others appear to be unselected. Clicking on the "Compare" button elicits no reaction.
Presumably I can correct this by using Windows Restore to roll back the ICE installation. However, before I do so, I wanted to know what I can do to help identify the source of the conflict. When I use VS dumpbin to examine TC's dependencies, I get:

Code: Select all

Dump of file C:\Util\totalcmd\TOTALCMD64.EXE

File Type: EXECUTABLE IMAGE

  Image has the following dependencies:

    advapi32.dll
    comctl32.dll
    comdlg32.dll
    gdi32.dll
    kernel32.dll
    mpr.dll
    ole32.dll
    oleaut32.dll
    shell32.dll
    user32.dll
    version.dll
    winmm.dll
    winspool.drv
LINK : fatal error LNK1328: missing string table

However, ICE soes not appear to be amenable to analysis with dumpbin. The file which identifies itself as type "Application" in Windows File Explorer (ICE) has no extension, and dumpbin delivers no useful information:

Code: Select all

Dump of file C:\Program Files\Microsoft Research\Image Composite Editor\ICE
LINK : fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Research\Image Composite Editor\ICE'

For the file ICE.exe, which File Explorer identifies as a "CONFIG File", dumpbin returns only:

Code: Select all

Dump of file C:\Program Files\Microsoft Research\Image Composite Editor\ICE.exe

File Type: EXECUTABLE IMAGE

  Summary

       28000 .rsrc
      1EC000 .text

Is there something else I can do to identify the conflict?

[ghisler(Author)]

Hmm, this doesn't make any sense - how should an image editor have any influence on reading from USB devices?

Do you remember what dll it replaced?

[rsbrux]

It doesn't make sense to me either. Perhaps the new version of ICE wants to be able to retrieve data directly from attached cameras or SD cards. The installation didn't show what DLL(s) it was replacing. That's why I used dumpbin to try to identify any comon dependencies in ICE and TotalCommander. Unfortunately, that didn't work. Do you have any other suggestions how to identify the commonly used component? If not, I see no alternative to using the automatically created restore point to downgrade back to ICE 2.0.2.0. I just thought I could help to identify the conflict before destroying the evidence.

[ghisler(Author)]

I think the best way would be to create sha checksums of all the files in the Windows directory, revert to the restore point, and then do the same again. Then compare the two files to find out what files are different. Also check whether sync works again. Afterwards, make a backup of the changed dlls, update ICE again, and restore the working dlls.

[rsbrux]

Thanks, but this sounds like a lot of work
I think I will simply roll back and settle for using the older ICE version.

[ghisler(Author)]

You can create these checksums in one step via Files - Create checksums.

[rsbrux]

Sorry, too late! If a future ICE update offers something I really need, I'll give it a try.

[rsbrux]

Unfortunately, the rollback to the pre-ICE3 restore point has not solved the problem. When, for example, I try to compare direcrtories with my Note 4 over a USB connection, all files in both directories are marked as different, even when many of them have the same name, date and size. I would attach a screenshot, but I don't find a way to do so here. I no longer have any idea what to do. Perhaps Windows did not roll back all of the DLLs, or perhaps the DLL causing the problem (still assuming that is the cause) came with a Windows Update.

[Dalai]

2rsbrux
You can't upload any attachments to the forum. Just upload the screenshot to a site of your choosing and link to it here.

Regards
Dalai

[rsbrux]

OK, here's a link to Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iahr16l8oevzzui/CompareDirectories.jpg?dl=0