Tag: Portable

How do I make sure that Quick Access Popup is launched when I start Windows?

If you installed Quick Access Popup with the Easy Setup installation, the application is launched automatically when you start Windows. If you prefered the portable installation (ZIP file) you will see hot to enable the auto-start here (this will create a shortcut in the Windows Startup folder).

This option can be turned on or off in one of these ways.

  • Right-click the QAP icon in the Notification Area (System Tray) menu to open the QAP system menu and select/deselect Run at Startup.
    or
  • In the Customize dialog box, select Options, General in the menu bar to open the Options dialog box and check/uncheck the Run at Startup option in General tab.

Notes for users who choose portable install: When you install a the new version of QAP, the shortcut in your Startup folder is automatically updated to launch the new version, if automatic startup is enabled.

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How can I install Quick Access Popup to make it fully portable?

Most users prefer to install Quick Access Popup with the Easy Setup installation program. But you may have specific needs that would require a “portable” installation.

By installing Quick Access Popup in “portable” mode, you can use the application on a host PC without leaving any trace after usage. This will, for example, allow you to run Quick Access Popup from an external drive or USB key that can be connected to the host system and removed after usage.

Follow these instructions to install QAP in portable mode.

Note: You must not install Quick Access Popup in “portable” mode in a system-protected folders like those under C:\Program Files or C:\. This could prevent QAP from saving your configuration.

1. Download the zip file under the Portable installation zip file.
2. Just extract the files from the zip file to the folder of your choice (but not in a system-protected folders like those under C:\Program Files or C:\).
3. Run the .EXE file from this folder (choose QuickAccessPopup-32-bit.exe or QuickAccessPopup-64-bit.exe version depending on your system). Quick Access Popup will create and update the quickaccesspopup.ini file in this folder.
4. At your convenience, create a shortcut on your Desktop or select Run at Startup in the System Tray to launch Quick Access Popup automatically at startup.

If an anti-virus or protection software reports Quick Access Popup as a potential threat, this is not the case. Please read this post: How can I use QAP if an anti-virus is blocking its download or its execution?

If you are doing a portable “permanent” installation, you could turn the check for updates option on to stay up-to-date! You may also wish to enable Explorer context menus (right-click in Explorer or Desktop). Read the page Explorer Context Menus Help.

Installing a new version of Quick Access Popup in portable mode

Updating QAP is easy. All you have to do is to 1) quit QAP to allow overwriting of the the executable file and 2) unzip the content of the new ZIP file over the existing files in your QAP folder. Your settings files (.ini and .DB) will *not* be overwritten.

More info here: How do I install a new version of Quick Access Popup?.

Quick Access Popup is a Portable App

A portable application, sometimes also called standalone, is a program designed to run on a computer without being installed in a way that modifies the computer’s configuration information. This type of application can be stored on any storage device, including internal mass storage and external storage such as USB drives – storing its program files and any configuration information and data on the storage medium alone (source: Wikipedia).

Specifically, when installed using the Portable installation procedure, Quick Access Popup does not write any information in the Windows registry or in any system or temporary Windows folder. Running the .EXE file launches Quick Access Popup in its current directory. That’s it!

The app creates a temporary folder named _QAP_temp_nnn to store small images, language files and working files required at run time. The default location of the folder is in the Windows %TEMP% folder (e.g. C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp). This folder is deleted when the app quits normally. You can set another default location for the temporary folder in Options, General tab, if you do not want to use the host computer’s temporary folder.

The only permanent files are created by Quick Access Popup in its own current directory: the QuickAccessPopup.ini file containing your favorite folders and options, the QAP_Frequent.DB SQLite database file containing data required to build dynamic menus and, if you select the Run at Startup option, the QuickAccessPopup.lnk file in your Startup folder.

To completely remove Quick Access Popup from a PC, delete the folder where you are running the app (preserve the QuickAccessPopup.ini and QAP_Frequent.DB files if you plan to re-use QAP) and delete the file QuickAccessPopup.lnk from your C:\Users\[name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder. If you enabled Explorer context menu, remove them following the instruction in the Explorer Context Menus Help.

See also:
What file managers are supported in addition to Windows Explorer?
Can I use relative paths in favorite settings?
Can I use system environment variables in favorite paths?

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Can I use system environment variables in favorite settings?

Yes. Tech support, sysadmin and other power users love it!

In any file path (folder, document or application), the system environment variables like %appdata%, %public%, %temp% or %userprofile% (etc.) are supported in favorite location (for example: “%appdata%\Microsoft\Templates” will take you to the folder “C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates”).

System variables can also be inserted in favorite advanced settings Parameters, Launch with this application and Start in. See What are favorites advanced settings?

You can also enter a location without path. In this case, the file is searched in the PATH environment variable directories or in app paths in the Windows registry. See Can I use relative paths in favorite settings?.

Finally, you can enter environment variables in favorites name. For example, a favorite name could be “Docs of %username%”.

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Can I use relative paths in favorite settings?

Yes. You can enter path such using the .. (parent directory) and \ (root directory) symbols in favorite locations or advanced settings. Relative paths are “expanded” based on the current QAP working directory (see What’s the QAP working directory?).

In the following table, the relative paths are expanded as if the working directory was “M:\MyTools\QAP\”.

Relative path Expanded path
..\Editor\MyNotepad.exe M:\MyTools\Editor\MyNotepad.exe
..\..\setup.ini M:\setup.ini
\MyTools\MyDocs M:\MyTools\MyDocs

That way, a user having to run various tools on a host PC can carry a set of apps on a USB drive or key and use Quick Access Popup to easily launch these tools regardless of the drive letter assigned to the USB device by the host system. Combined with the use of system environment variables and special folders to easily access host PC’s system folders and user’s data, this make QAP the perfect tool for tech support users.

Relative paths can be used in favorite locations,  advanced settings Parameters, Launch with this application and Start in. It can also be used for icons with the Edit icon resource link in the Menu Options tab of the Add/Edit favorite dialog box.

For favorites of types Application and Document, you can also enter a location without path. In this case, the file is searched in the PATH environment variable directories or in app paths in the Windows registry. In these examples, the folders in the resolved path column are assumed to be in the PATH variable. If you enter a location without a file extension, it is searched with all executable extensions in the PATHEXT variable: .COM; .EXE; .BAT; .CMD; .VBS; etc.

File without path Resolved path
Shell32.dll C:\Windows\System32\Shell32.dll
Notepad.exe C:\Windows\Notepad.exe
Notepad C:\Windows\Notepad.exe
System.ini C:\Windows\System.ini

 

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Can I move my configuration from one PC to another?

Yes. First install QAP on the new PC and copy/replace the newly created quickaccesspopup.ini file with the one copied from your previous PC. The quickaccesspopup.ini file can be found in the QAP working directory.

All your favorites, hotkeys and preferences from the Options will be preserved. Of course, only favorite folders, documents or applications with the same location on the new PC or having portable locations will work. Also, most Special folders favorites will work as-is on the new PC. For Special folder favorites that do not work, delete them and add them again using the Add Favorite button.

However, if you are moving from a portable installation to an “easy setup” installation (or vice-versa), you should read this: Can I change from/to “easy setup” and “portable installation” without loosing my favorites?

 

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Can I change from/to “easy setup” and “portable installation” without loosing my favorites?

You can switch from Portable to Easy setup installation or vice-versa without loosing your favorites. But it is recommended to follow this short procedure.

1 a) Switching from Portable to Easy Setup installation

  1. Copy your latest settings file from your current QAP working directory to your Desktop (or any other location of your choice). Your working directory is where your portable QAP is installed.
  2. Reinstall QAP following Easy Setup wizard steps.
  3. At the end of the installation procedure, QAP is launched with the default configuration for an Easy Setup installation. Continue with steps under 2) Importing the favorites from your previous installation below.

1 b) Switching from Easy Setup to Portable installation

  1. Copy your latest settings file from your current QAP working directory to your Desktop (or any other location of your choice). For QAP before v10, your working directory is under the User directory (for example, C:\Users\Jean\AppData\Roaming\Quick Access Popup). For QAP v10 (or more recent), the working directory is shown in the Options, General tab under Settings Folder.
  2. Unzip the QAP portable ZIP file in a new (empty) folder following these instructions. Do not install it in a system-protected folders like those under C:\Program Files or C:\. This could prevent QAP from saving your configuration.
  3. Launch QAP from this folder (choose the QuickAccessPopup-32-bit.exe or QuickAccessPopup-64-bit.exe version depending on your system).
  4. QAP is launched with default configuration for a Portable installation. Continue with steps under 2) Importing the favorites from your previous installation below.

2) Importing the favorites from your previous installation

  1. In the Customize window, remove all the favorites in the new file (select all favorites and click the Remove button). These favorites will be replaced with the favorites from your backup in the next step.
  2. Using For QAP v11.1 or more recent, open the Favorites, Add Multiple Favorites, select the source QAP Settings File (tree view) and click Continue.
  3. In the Add Multiple Favorites dialog box, keep the Main menu as destination menu and click the Browse button to select the backup of your previous settings file on your Desktop.
  4. Click the Select All checkbox to select all favorites and click the Add button to import the selected favorites and submenus in the your new Main menu.

Differences between Easy Setup and Portable settings

There are very little differences in the way QAP works whatever you select the Setup mode or the Portable mode. In general, setting up QAP in Setup mode is simpler and answers most needs. The Portable mode give user more control and allows to use QAP on a machine having to copy files on it or change the hosts system configuration.

The QAP files are installed…

  • Setup mode: … using the setup program who is copying the QAP files under the C:\Programs File\Quick Access Popup\ folder, the QAP icons files in C:\ProgramData\JeanLalonde\JLicons.dll and the setting and database files in C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Quick Access Popup\ (for QAP pre-v10) or in My Documents\Quick Access Popup (for QAP v10).
  • Portable mode: … by the user who is unzipping the QAP zip file to the folder of his choice, including the icons, settings and database files.

When QAP is running…

  • Setup mode: … its working directory is C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Quick Access Popup\ (for QAP pre-v10) or in My Documents\Quick Access Popup (for QAP v10). Temporary files are saved under this folder unless user selected another folder in Options.
  • Portable mode: … its working directory is the folder where QAP is running. Temporary files are saved under this folder unless user selected another folder in Options.

The QAP is uninstalled and its files are removed…

  • Setup mode: … using the standard uninstall command in Windows Control Panel or in Quick Access Popup menu under Start menu; this command remove all files under Programs but keep the settings files in its working directory.
  • Portable mode: … by the user who must manually delete the folder created to run QAP, taking care of keeping a copy of the settings file quickaccesspopup.ini if necessary.

The QAP shortcut in the Startup folder…

  • Setup mode: … is created automatically for you if you use for pre-v10 (QAP v10 or more recent uses an entry in the Windows registry to run QAP at startup).
  • Portable mode: … must be created by the user by selecting the checkbox in Options.
  • See: What are the QAP global options?

The QAP entries in the Windows Explorer context menu…

The Check for update command…

The Usage Monitoring module (starting in v9.2)…

  • Setup mode: … is set ON by default.
  • Portable mode: … is set OFF by default and can be enabled in Options.
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