Calibre Taskbar Icon
 

This maybe a Windows issue, but maybe not.

I run installed 64 bit Windows, via a shortcut pinned to the task bar. Its the 4th item, I start it with WinKey+4. It works fine.

I also run calibre portable for test purposes. I run it directly from D:\_Sandpit\Calibre Portable\calibre-portable.exe. That works fine too.

Until recently when I wanted to run portable I could glance at my taskbar to ensure installed calibre wasn't running, if it was running I would terminate it before running calibre_portable. And when I did, a calibre icon would appear at the end of my taskbar after the pinned icons. Thus I knew from the taskbar whether I was running installed calibre or calibre portable.

But, now when I start calibre portable the pinned icon lights up so I can't tell which version is running. I have to open the calibre window to examine the status line to determine which version of calibre is behind the icon.

Can I do anything to stop calibre portable using the pinned icon, and instead, create its own icon in the customary position - at the end of the taskbar.

BR

Not that I know of. calibre was changed recently to use a windows app uid so that it appears as the same program to windows regardless of how it was started. This has various internal benefits. I dont know if windows has a way to override that identification for taskbar icons.

Yeah - I remember that change, but I thought I had separate icons after that.

Can you remind which version that change was made?

Would the icons combine if I ran a portable earlier than that, I'm pretty sure the testing I'm doing doesn't require any recent changes the calibre base.

I run a gadget called 7TT+, it has an option to not combine pinned items, which does the trick - but for all pinned items, which is terrible, I end up with a boatload of Chrome etc icons. I'll ask the developer if he could provide a 'Don't combine items for these pinned items 'calibre...'.

I have to ask this, what is the benefit of combining calibre.exe taskbar icon instances when only one instance of calibre.exe is allowed?

BR

The change has nothing to do with combining taskbar icons, that is a side effect of the fact that calibre is now identified as the same program to windows regardless of the pathto the executable it is launched with.

I'm afraid I dont recall what version the change was made in, and yes running a portable version before that should not result in combined icons.

I had a 2.62 Portable installer in the locker, it doesn't combine - so that'll do me.

I've submitted a request to the 7TT developer to provide an extra tweak.

So what, what benefit accrues to the user from windows knowing that two single instance only exe's are 'the same application' - or who gains from it - Micro$oft.

BR

Another 'side effect' of using a common application identifier is that one can't install Calibre Portable while any other version of calibre is running.

I dont see what earthly difference an application uid could have on installing calibre portable, since the uid is specified at runtime, not install time.

As for what benefit accrues from having a fixed uid, you'd have to ask Microsoft, I am simply following their recommended best practices. Off the top of my head, I'd guess, it allows windows to recognize common applications and save whatever ui specific settings are saved by the shell for applications, like recently openend documents, window positions, monitor it was started on, etc, etc.

Here you see me starting to install calbre-portable-installer-2.71.0 into my C:\Portables\Calibre Portable folder

Attachment 152756

After clicking OK there. I get this (situation normal)

Attachment 152757

Then I get this

Attachment 152758

But it more or less does most of those things already, has done for years.

All I know is that their so-called best-practice has made using your software 'awkward' for me.

I prefer to set a fixed starting UI config for applications(window size and position, optional panels etc), I would rather 'it' not restore the shambles in which I left it last time - rolled up in a corner half off the monitor. :lol:

BR

But that has always been the case, and it works by looking for a running process named calibre.exe, I know because I wrote the code that does that: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...aller.cpp#L469

It has absolutely nothing to do with application uids.

I owe you an apology Kovid.

I don't know how many times I've installed portable, has to be a several hundred times (more times than the standard install) and I can't recall ever seeing that message. I must have unconsciously ensured calibre was closed every time. I know I do it consciously when I install a new 64 bit version, so somehow that discipline must have leaked over into installing portable.

That I never made that mistake until yesterday will bother me for weeks https://www.mobileread.com/forums/pic...pictureid=6978

Again my apologies.

BR