Rename Master addon

The latest test uploads of Rename Master include an optional installable Explorer addon. It is shown when more than one file is selected on the main right-click menu and is always shown in the Send To - as shown in the image below.

Both commands will open Rename Master with the selected files checked. One major difference is that the Send To option will show the files in the order you selected the files, instead of the order shown in the window.

ArsClip and Vista - update

The latest public beta of ArsClip implements Vista's new clipboard monitoring API. This means that there will be no more chain breaks, notifications and all that jazz. The chain configuration options are automatically updated an locked for Vista users.

The latest ArsClip public beta works as expected in Vista.

Rename Master and Vista

I've found only one small issue with Rename Master and Vista and one big one. The Folder browser shows the Documents icons for all folders. The "Send To" option for running Rename Master works fine, but the Right Click on a folder option does not display any filenames.

So, for a temporary workaround, use the Send To option instead for opening a folder in Explorer with RM.

UPDATE: Open the Configuration window and ensure at least one [Folder Selection] and one [File List] option is checked.

StartRight beta and Vista

StartRight beta with the new service does not work at all in Vista. The service is an interactive service which is disabled by default in Vista. I've not tested if it would work with this enabled, yet.

Vista Support

I'll be upgrading (actually dual-booting) to Vista this Friday. I fully expect StartRight not to function at all in Vista due mainly to UAC. I already know about the error message in ArsClip when starting Media Player 11 and ArsClip has been updated with an optoin to disable clipboard chain checking for Vista [it's no longer needed on that OS].

The new design changes to StartRight (full user account support - currently in Public Beta) is meant to comply with standard accounts, but I'll really only know about possible Vista support when I actually start testing it. Vista isn't supposed to need StartRight at all due to architecture changes in the OS, but that remains to be seen.

Beta Pages Updated

I've created new sub-catagories so that each program has it's own page. This should make it easier for people to follow changes and updates for a single program.

Unconfirmed Vista problem for ArsClip

In a Mark Russinovich Vista WebCast (SysInternals), he mentions that programs are restricted in the way that they can transfer messages between windows - including keystrokes. Before, any program could manipulate the window of another program - no matter the privilege difference. The new Integrity Levels means that ArsClip will be limited in its interactions with programs running at a higher level. As most things run at Medium Level, this may or may not be a problem.

UPDATE: My latest reports say they've had no problems with ArsClip in Vista - excellent news.

Rename Master sequences

I'm working on an addition to Rename Master to support recognizing filename sequences and I need help.

My idea is that the user defines part of the filename using a wildcard/regular expression mask and RM resets the counter when the previos filename part doesn't match. For example,


file01-33
file01-98
file02-41
file02-42

Using the mask File?? the counter will reset as labelled below:

file01-33
file01-98
file02-41 (File02 doesn't match File01 - reset here)
file02-42

What I need is a way to explain this on RM's graphical interface that's simple to understand and learn from. Currently, I'm just using a checkbox and a textbox that looks like the following:

[x] Reset counter on new sequence
[File?? ]

This, however, doesn't tell you anything about how it works at all or what the textbox is supposed to represent or how RM uses this text to decide when to reset the counter.

So, again, what I need is some wording that explains:
- the textbox describes the "sequence" part of the name
- the counter is reset when the sequence part of the filename changes