bnicer
20th March 2007 22:21 UTC

unnamed start menu folder?
I have question. Maybe you can help.

My installer stores the selected start menu folder after leaving the start menu page.

Why is the user allowed to choose an unnamed start menu group by deleting the default folder name? The installer start menu page accepts the choice.

I'm thinking of uninstalling and using the /r switch with RMDIR to remove the start menu folder.

(If you did so, the uninstaller would wipe the whole start menu.)

Can you force the user to input a name? If the field is blank, prompt to select a folder?

(For the sake of the argument.)

Thank you.

kichik
20th March 2007 22:44 UTC

Thanks, fixed.

bnicer
21st March 2007 09:49 UTC

I don't know, knowing too little to disagree.

I had a narrow escape when I accidentally removed the start menu. I had an up-to-date backup. Those who used installers I made before yesterday might have been less fortunate. ... My apologies anyway, in case you were one of them and are reading this. Sorry.

Red Wine
21st March 2007 10:25 UTC

For my opinion it was an option not a bug, I might want to place shortcuts in the root of my SM folder along with Windows Media Player, IE, etc.

It is developer's concern the correct and safe usage of RmDir /r, when you use it you should be sure what is going to remove.
Same issue could happen if (surely by accident) someone would remove the folder name in directory page and the installation goes to the root of Program Files (I've seen that some times).
I prefer to leave back an empty folder rather than to remove a system folder.
But if you insist to use the /r switch, then check...
For instance read from registry the selected SM folder and compare this value with $SMPROGRAMS...

bnicer
21st March 2007 11:42 UTC

Yes, that's solid advice, Red Wine. Thanks. I have taken out the /r switch, but your idea is equally doable. I'd be surprised if someone did -- or eventually will, because the installer is still out there -- wipe their start menu 'by accident'. On the other hand, for it to happen once would not be okay anymore. We all learn from our mistakes. Sometimes the hard way, and sometimes at the expense of others. Can't be helped.

bnicer
21st March 2007 15:35 UTC

I do however appreciate all the effort you put in to help out, if that was ever in question. The installer installed a free add-on for a p2p client that speaking of mistakes, I will not make the mistake of naming, though I will mention by name, the RIAA.

- Tom

Anders
22nd March 2007 05:47 UTC

Not all p2p/filesharing is "illegal", no harm in dropping names ;)

bnicer
22nd March 2007 17:13 UTC

Okay. eDonkey2000. The final release of eDonkey2000 (1.45) was booby-trapped to uninstall itself. The company behind the software was called MetaMachine. MM, when threatened with a lawsuit, threw in the towel in 2005 officially. Then, for some reason, the support and distributing of the client didn't stop until August last year. There was an article on a filesharing forum claiming the developers agreed to pay the RIAA $30,000,000. I suspect the report itself might have been planted to scare people off filesharing. $30 million!? That's irresponsible. If you have a working version of eDonkey2000, please don't download anything illegal with it. ;)

bnicer
22nd March 2007 21:24 UTC

I want to edit that last part, but it's too late. It would be even better to avoid eDonkey2000 altogether. There are other "legal" clients. Emule, for instance.