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installing to thumbdrive

> So each person wanting to use a mobile TCMD is expected to have a
> a dedicated machine (without a permanent TCMD) where the install
> and upgrades take place.

You're persistently ignoring the real issue here -- Windows and Windows
Installer does not allow what you want to do. Period. There is no
workaround, there is no alternative. This is the way Microsoft has decreed
it must be, and unless you can provide me with the Windows & Installer
source code, there's nothing that I can do about it. End of thread.
 
> In fact, I'll make you an offer. If you choose to retain the ability to
> register from removable drives, then I'll write the how-to for you.
> A step-by-step guide ought to calm the waters.

I'm not as sanguine, given that most of the users in this forum have ignored
your instructions thus far! :-)

But I'm willing to leave it in as an undocumented, unsupported (except for
multisystem licenses) non-feature. If you want to write something up I'll
add it to an appendix in the help (and remove it from everywhere else in the
help).
 
Count one vote for me too please....
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Fabian
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 07:06 AM
Subject: RE: [Support-t-3295] Re: installing to thumbdrive


[snip]

In re terminating portable installation support: undoubtedly you have many of us non-corporate customers who act as system repairers, often in a volunteer capacity, who whould never attempt doing it without their portable TCMD. So I, too, would humbly request continuing it in future versions...
--
Steve
 
I find it easiest to use multiple INI files for different TCMD versions.
----- Original Message -----
From: rconn
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 08:59 AM
Subject: RE: [Support-t-3295] Re: installing to thumbdrive


[snip]
Quote:
> I also have tcmd 11 on that computer. That works but gives errors about
> its startup file. I have to plow thru 2 or 3 errors before it starts.

That's to be expected, given the new directives since v11.
 
Didn't work. I even deleted the entire Tack Command 13.0 entry, and
12.11 still crashes. gpf file sent separately

On 10/21/2011 08:59 AM, rconn wrote:

> ---Quote---
>> It's a standard Windows generic error box with no information.
>> But when I clicked somewhere where it said more information, it
>> said this:
>>
>> AppName: tcmd.exe
>> AppVersion: 12.1.1.76
>> ModName: kernel32.dll
>> ModVersion: 5.1.2600.5781
>> offset: 00012afb
> ---End Quote---
> The crash is in Windows, not in Take Command. I will need the TCMD.GPF file
> to have any clue where TCMD.EXE is in the startup process when it calls the
> afflicted Windows API.
>
> But I doubt it's related to the registration process, as none of that code
> is calling anything in kernel32.dll. More likely something has gotten
> munged in your v12 startup configuration. You can reset that back to the
> defaults by starting REGEDIT and going to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JP
> Software\Take Command 13.0", and deleting the "Settings" key.
>
>
>
> ---Quote---
>> There is a takecommand.12.10.key file in that directory. Does it
>> belong there? Its timestamp is back in Mar 11.
> ---End Quote---
> It doesn't matter; it isn't used. You can remove it without affecting
> anything.
>
>
>
> ---Quote---
>> AFAIK, I'm not the only one that has reported this behavior. You
>> did not take it very seriously in those other reports either.
> ---End Quote---
> AFAIK, you *are* the only one that has reported this behavior.
>
> Anybody else seeing this?
>
>
>
> ---Quote---
>> Isn't it possible that this registration scheme is having unintended
>> consequences. IE, bugs?
> ---End Quote---
> That seems improbable, given that there is no congruence between the v12 and
> v13 registry keys.
>
>
>
> ---Quote---
>> I also have tcmd 11 on that computer. That works but gives errors about
>> its startup file. I have to plow thru 2 or 3 errors before it starts.
> ---End Quote---
> That's to be expected, given the new directives since v11.
>
>
>
>
>
 
You're persistently ignoring the real issue here -- Windows and Windows
Installer does not allow what you want to do. Period. There is no
workaround, there is no alternative. This is the way Microsoft has decreed
it must be, and unless you can provide me with the Windows & Installer
source code, there's nothing that I can do about it. End of thread.

I know the installer won't let you install twice on the same machine, but couldn't the user COPY an installation to a USB memory device and then, say via a little app, request a registration (assuming he has one available) and a key file for that particular device? Would that jeopardize you in any way, or break any of Microsoft's rules?

I suppose that could be done now using a little trickery (removing a registry key or two) to make the **copy** seem unregistered. But why would trickery be necessary? Why not ... simply ... please send me a key file for this device and use another one of my registrations.
 
I suppose that could be done now using a little trickery (removing a registry key or two) to make the **copy** seem unregistered. But why would trickery be necessary?

It isn't.

You don't need to uninstall. You don't need to reinstall. You don't need to muck with the registry. You don't need to fool the licensing scheme. Just copy the files from your program directory to the removable drive, and run TCC.EXE from there. It will prompt you to enter your registration info, and -- hey presto -- you have a .KEY file.

No trickery necessary.
 
You don't need to uninstall. You don't need to reinstall. You don't need to muck with the registry. You don't need to fool the licensing scheme. Just copy the files from your program directory to the removable drive, and run TCC.EXE from there. It will prompt you to enter your registration info, and -- hey presto -- you have a .KEY file.

That's the sort of thing I was looking for in the help on day 1. I'd vote to convey the same info in the updated help, leave the feature embedded, and un-document every other mention.

I've actually put this off because I was waiting for a particular thumb drive to go on sale. Didn't want to waste the activation when I knew I'd be installing on a different device within 60 days.
 
My apologies for the sarcasm -- this entire thread was driving me nutty. All these complicated, Rube Goldberg approaches without ever trying the simple, obvious one. I can understand why Rex wishes he'd never implemented this feature, or never mentioned it in public. Honestly, guys: was I the only one who tried this documented New Feature during the beta cycle?

I'll post step-by-step instructions sometime in the next few days. There's only one other gotcha I'm aware of. The first time you run your registered TCC-on-a-stick on another machine, you need to run it as administrator; otherwise it can't create registry keys that it needs to create, and you get a confusing error message. (If you're running TCC on someone else's machine, you probably want to run it as administrator anyway, because you're performing black magic and don't want to be hampered by file permissions and the like.)

Otherwise it's all pretty straightforward. Copy your TCStart, .INI file, default alias list, and so on to the stick; then check them and modify as needed. Don't use hard-coded paths in TCStart, aliases, and so on. If you have directives with hard-coded paths in your .INI file, convert them to OPTION commands and move them to TCStart. If you have a toolkit of command-line utilities you want available, copy them to the stick somewhere, and modify the PATH variable accordingly in TCStart.
 
And I still cannot use tcmd v12.11 on the machine where I used the
installer to put v 13 on a thumbdrive.




On 10/22/2011 11:39 AM, Charles Dye wrote:

> My apologies for the sarcasm -- this entire thread was driving me nutty. All these complicated, Rube Goldberg approaches without ever trying the simple, obvious one. I can understand why Rex wishes he'd never implemented this feature, or never mentioned it in public. Honestly, guys: was I the only one who tried this documented New Feature during the beta cycle?
>
> I'll post step-by-step instructions sometime in the next few days. There's only one other gotcha I'm aware of. The first time you run your registered TCC-on-a-stick on another machine, you need to run it as administrator; otherwise it can't create registry keys that it needs to create, and you get a confusing error message. (If you're running TCC on someone else's machine, you probably want to run it as administrator anyway, because you're performing black magic and don't want to be hampered by file permissions and the like.)
>
> Otherwise it's all pretty straightforward. Copy your TCStart, .INI file, default alias list, and so on to the stick; then check them and modify as needed. Don't use hard-coded paths in TCStart, aliases, and so on. If you have directives with hard-coded paths in your .INI file, convert them to OPTION commands and move them to TCStart. If you have a toolkit of command-line utilities you want available, copy them to the stick somewhere, and modify the PATH variable accordingly in TCStart.
>
>
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> Charles Dye
 
It isn't.

You don't need to uninstall. You don't need to reinstall. You don't need to muck with the registry. You don't need to fool the licensing scheme. Just copy the files from your program directory to the removable drive, and run TCC.EXE from there. It will prompt you to enter your registration info, and -- hey presto -- you have a .KEY file.

No trickery necessary.
Charles, I agree that no trickery is necessary -- if you start out on the right installation path, which is the one you outlined. Trickery and understanding of what went wrong becomes necessary if you started out installing your portable in another way and got stuck. So perhaps your tutorial could include a section on how to cleanup a portable installation gone awry.

I sign up as a reviewer of your tutorial. I'm looking forward to it. My vested interest is that I'm using portable TCC 13 every day with much success and enjoyment.
 
Finally got around to this today - no issues at all.

x64 = 64bit
x86 = 32bit

I run x64 on the desktop and for maximum compatibility where ever I may be with a thumb drive I wanted x86. Turns out they can both be installed side by side. So I put (literally 'installed') x86 into its own folder on my desktop then copied that folder to the thumb drive.

Ran the program from the thumb drive - trial mode - entered license - registered - DONE - WORKS.

Thanks Rex.

So, let's see...

1. Decide which version you want on the thumb drive.
2. Install this version to your pc/laptop hard drive.
3. Copy the folder you installed to onto the thumb drive.
4. Execute the program on the thumb drive.
5. Select register and enter your license details.
6. Enjoy.
 

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