What is the usecase for UseIniInProgramDir=4 ?

[umbra]

Hi,
I was just setting up an independent TC installation for testing and accidentally I put UseIniInProgramDir=4 instead of UseIniInProgramDir=7 into wincmd.ini. And what I ended up with was an always clean, read-only wincmd.ini - no settings could be saved.

Help file says "4: Override registry settings (but not command line parameters)", which doesn't really describe the actual outcome of the setting.

So, can someone explain to me, what the usecase of that setting is? (Except for being perfect when trying to reproduce a bug in a clean TC.)

Thanks

[ghisler(Author)]

4 alone does nothing. It's only useful in combination with 1 (wincmd.ini) and 2 (wcx_ftp.ini). If you add 4, and then start TC with /i=other.ini, this will override UseIniInProgramDir option.

[petermad]

2umbra
The options are like this:
UseIniInProgramDir=1
UseIniInProgramDir=2
UseIniInProgramDir=3 (wich is 1+2)
UseIniInProgramDir=4
UseIniInProgramDir=5 (which is 1+4)
UseIniInProgramDir=6 (which is 2+4)
UseIniInProgramDir=7 (which is 1+2+4)

[umbra]

Well, it's described as a flag and I don't see any note saying, that "4" should not be used alone, unlike the other flag values.
And "4 alone" does something. It switches TC into a readonly mode. Just maybe not intentionally.

Anyway, now I at least know there is no official usecase. Thanks

[petermad]

Help:

It is the sum of the following values:
1: Use wincmd.ini in program dir if no other location is set via registry or parameters
2: Use wcx_ftp.ini in program dir if no other location is set via registry or parameters
4: Override registry settings (but not command line parameters)

There are at least 23 other parameters that use "the sum of".

[Dalai]

2umbra
I just tested it (with TC 9.0a): when UseIniInProgramDir=4 is set, TC ignores the location from the registry and uses %Temp%\portable.ini as its settings file. All TC settings can be changed and are written to that file. Maybe this file exists on your system and it can't be written to (read-only and/or because of permissions)?

Regards
Dalai

[petermad]

TC ignores the location from the registry and uses %Temp%\portable.ini

Hmm, here (TC 9.12rc2) TC ignores the registry setting and tries to use c:\windows\wincmd.ini, which is not possible because if I am not running TC as admin I cannot write to c:\windows since after Window XP.

[Dalai]

2petermad
Well, that's possible. I just made a quick test with the wincmd.ini of my regular portable TC. Meaning that it has some more settings which might change TC's behavior. However, at first I guessed in the same direction (that TC uses the default location %SystemRoot%\wincmd.ini) when UseIniInProgramDir=4. Not sure why this wasn't the case in my tests, but it doesn't matter anyway.

Regards
Dalai

[umbra]

There are at least 23 other parameters that use "the sum of".

Yes, but flags should work either combined or on their own. If there are any combinations, that are not valid, it's a sign that they should be separated into more independent settings or removed completely.

Hmm, here (TC 9.12rc2) TC ignores the registry setting and tries to use c:\windows\wincmd.ini, which is not possible because if I am not running TC as admin I cannot write to c:\windows since after Window XP.

That would explain the behavior I see.

But that brings me back to the reason why I've opened this topic. Would you expect such behavior based on what the documentation says? I did not. That's why I asked you for some ideas to help me understand it.

[petermad]

Yes, but flags should work either combined or on their own.

You are right - sorry for confusing it - it was because Ghisler wrote: "4 alone does nothing. It's only useful in combination with 1 (wincmd.ini) and 2".

But that brings me back to the reason why I've opened this topic. Would you expect such behavior based on what the documentation says?

Well, If you don't use 1 or 2, the TC program dir is out of the question. 4 itself overrides the registry setting.

The order of options for ini-file location when you install TC is:
1. Windows' dir
2. TC's program dir
3. %APPDATA%
4. Documents & settings
5. User defined

So I guess when TC's program dir and any registry setting is overruled then TC uses the first option: Windows' dir.

It is not very expedient to use Window's dir on later Windows versions (post XP) because of user restrictions, but I gues it is a remnant from old days, that TC defaults to Windows' dir.