27 October 2008

Directory Opus version 9.1.1.5

Directory Opus version 9.1.1.5 - October 27th 2008

A free update for all Directory Opus 9 users is now available for download from GP Software.

Bugs fixed / minor changes:

  • Fixed problem with File Collections introduced in 9.1.1.4 which made it impossible to create new collections.
  • Fixed some duplicated hotkeys in the default Go menu; updated labels to the modern Vista forms (English version only -- 'Computer' instead of 'My Computer', etc.).
  • Added better error reporting to the Configuration Backup function.
  • Creating a shortcut to a File Collection now sets the icon for the new shortcut correctly.

25 October 2008

NVidia driver update tip if you get display weirdness

(If you don't want to see off-topic stuff like this then use the on-topic filter/label.)

No idea if this will help other people of if it was just my system but when I updated from some fairly old NVidia drivers to 178.24 a couple of weird things happened with my monitors.

TLDR: It seems the drivers apply your old screen-mode/monitor settings incorrectly with some odd results. Easy to fix.


1) After the first reboot the left monitor would not display anything at all once Windows had booted. It displayed a black screen and a message saying it was going into power saving mode except it never went into it.

Forcing the OS to put the monitors to sleep and then wake them up seemed to solve that, luckily.

(You can trigger the power-off immediately using a little tool I wrote a while back: "screensave.exe /poweroff" from http://www.pretentiousname.com/miscsoft/index.html#ScreenSave )

(The monitor that wouldn't show anything is my "primary" monitor where the NVidia control panel, command prompts, start menu, etc. all appear. I was running blind. Luckily I had mIRC set to open on the 2nd monitor and remembered my tool was installed and remembered that mIRC has a /run command. Luckily it worked!)

(NVidia really should make their control panel open on the screen the mouse is on, FFS.)


2) A bit later I noticed that everything on the left monitor was "wibbling" around, like scan lines were moving left and right in certain places. If you've ever put a mobile phone next to CRT and had it ring, it's like that. Except these are TFT displays hooked up via DVI.

This was really weird since swapping the cables over (at the video card end) moved the wibbling to the other monitor. So it was the graphics card, not the cables or monitors or interference from something near one of the monitors... Weird.

However, I solved that as well. At least I think I have, touch wood. If it happens to you open the control panel and change the screen resolution to something else. Apply that and then set it back to what it was.

When I did that for the screen with the problem it seemed to work and the problem then moved to the other screen. Doing the same thing for that screen seems to have made both of them fine now.

23 October 2008

Directory Opus version 9.1.1.4

Directory Opus version 9.1.1.4 - October 23rd 2008

A free update for all Directory Opus 9 users is now available for download from GP Software.

Bugs fixed / minor changes:

  • Fixed problem with Advanced Filters where the value of a Size clause would not be correctly saved in some cases.
  • Fixed problem where the drag/drop menu for folders dragged from the tree with the right mouse button would not include all context menu items in some cases.
  • It is now possible to override the Use internal picture viewer option on a per-filetype basis by configuring the dblclk event.
  • Fixed a problem where .IFF files would always be identified as Amiga IFF on double-click even if they weren't.
  • Drag and drop from the third-party Internet Download Manager program now works.
  • Fixed range selection issue in List and other Icon modes (e.g. when a key has been pressed to jump to the first file beginning with that letter, pressing Shift-End or Shift-Home now selects the correct range.)
  • Moving a folder to a junction folder on the same drive, that points to a different drive, now works correctly.
  • The Dynamic Thumbnails sizer now correctly disappears if a dual-display Lister's only thumbnail display is closed when it is inactive.
  • Fixed rendering glitch with the 'auto-select previous folder' option with long folder names in Thumbnails mode.
  • Fixed rendering glitch in Theme dialog when theme names contain descenders (j, y, etc.).
  • Fixed problem with the Go command – if the Go OPENCONTAINER NEWTAB=nofocus command caused a new tab to be opened, the tree would sync with the new tab even though focus was not switched to it.
  • Fixed incorrect text in Replace confirmation requester when using the Image ROTATE command.
  • The Set Description for files within folders option in the Set Description dialog now works.
  • Fixed problem where the CreateFolder command could not create collections if the Collections folder was displayed under the Desktop in the tree.
  • The Clipboard is no longer cleared after a Cut & Paste operation if its contents have already changed.
  • Fixed rendering issue in Thumbnails/Icon modes with single-click selection enabled.
  • Fixed a problem that could cause Opus to crash if the Customize dialog was opened from the tray menu while Help was showing.
  • Copying multiple files plus sub-collections from a collection now works reliably.
  • Fixed potential 100% CPU loop error on malformed PNG files.
  • Fixed support for MP3 thumbnails when the thumbnail data is "unsynced".
  • The folder colors drop-down in the Add Folder dialog in Preferences Folder Colors section now works under x64.
  • Fixed a problem in MultiView plugin that could cause a crash when viewing files in zip files or on FTP sites.
  • Copy MAKELINK now supports the AS argument to specify the name of the new link.
  • Fixed crash in line rename if the string was deleted completely and then enter pressed.
  • Fixed problem with FTP passwords being stored unencrypted in tab groups.
  • Fixed problem with FTP passwords being displayed in tab tooltip for a locked tab.
  • Fixed rendering issue with glass status bars.
  • Updated ActiveX plugin.

9 October 2008

ActiveX Plugin 3.1.0.7

An update to the ActiveX plugin, version 3.1.0.7, can be downloaded from its page.

There's only one small change but it might be important to you if people send you Office 2007 documents and you're using an earlier version.

Changes in v3.1.0.7 (9/October/2008):

  • Requires Directory Opus 9.1.1.3 or above.
  • You can now view Office 2007 documents if you have Office 2000, Office XP or Office 2003 and have installed the Office Compatibility Pack.
  • Note: If you have Office 2000 then this only applies to Word .docx files. Excel .xlsx and PowerPoint .pptx files still won't work in the viewer unless you have Office XP, 2003 or above.