[Feature Request] A button to reset .rmskin file association

[Jeff]

Is it possible to create a button in the settings menu that can re associate the .rmskin file type? When Rainmeter installs, it runs these few lines of code to set the associations, however those might not always work due to extraneous circumstances, or people might accidentally overwrite them.

At the current moment, we give people instructions on how to navigate windows to fix the problem, the issue could also be fixed by telling the user to run

Code: Select all

FTYPE Rainmeter.SkinInstaller="C:\Program Files\Rainmeter\SkinInstaller.exe" %1
ASSOC .rmskin=skininstaller.exe

in CMD assuming Standard Install instructions, or just instructing users which file to associate, but it would just be nicer if it was a one button fix in Rainmeter's Manage window.

I'm requesting this because for some god forsaken reason, we have a pattern of people associating .rmskin with anything but Rainmeter when trying to install Mond (yes, only this skin, the issue has never been brought up with any other skin), the funny one is associating it with Opera GX cause it didn't happen once, not twice, but thrice, and not only that, but also Acrobat and the Rainmeter executable itself!

[jsmorley]

Is it possible to create a button in the settings menu that can re associate the .rmskin file type? When Rainmeter installs, it runs these few lines of code to set the associations, however those might not always work due to extraneous circumstances, or people might accidentally overwrite them.

At the current moment, we give people instructions on how to navigate windows to fix the problem, the issue could also be fixed by telling the user to run

Code: Select all

FTYPE Rainmeter.SkinInstaller="C:\Program Files\Rainmeter\SkinInstaller.exe" %1
ASSOC .rmskin=skininstaller.exe

in CMD assuming Standard Install instructions, or just instructing users which file to associate, but it would just be nicer if it was a one button fix in Rainmeter's Manage window.

I'm requesting this because for some god forsaken reason, we have a pattern of people associating .rmskin with anything but Rainmeter when trying to install Mond (yes, only this skin, the issue has never been brought up with any other skin), the funny one is associating it with Opera GX cause it didn't happen once, not twice, but thrice, and not only that, but also Acrobat and the Rainmeter executable itself!

Wouldn't simply doing a re-install of Rainmeter solve this?

[Jeff]

Wouldn't simply doing a re-install of Rainmeter solve this?

I have never ever thought about that when telling people to re associate the type, I thought about reinstalling only for recreating the Startup shortcut up untill now. Next time someone comes with this problem, I'll suggest reinstalling Rainmeter and see if it works and report back.

[jsmorley]

I have never ever thought about that when telling people to re associate the type, I thought about reinstalling only for recreating the Startup shortcut up untill now. Next time someone comes with this problem, I'll suggest reinstalling Rainmeter and see if it works and report back.

I just tested it, and re-installing Rainmeter does NOT force a change to any existing incorrect associations. Let us take a look at changing the code for the installer to "force" the association of .rmskin to SkinInstaller.exe, removing / replacing any existing associations. I think I would prefer the simplicity of that over making a change to the interface for something that is just exceedingly rare.

The other option is to add two more checkboxes to Manage / Settings for:

1) Start Rainmeter at Windows startup
2) Associate .rmskin files with SkinInstaller.exe

We will chew on this...

[jsmorley]

I have heard of one example where a user has it set to run WinRar since he often doesn't like some of the settings users choose in the rmskin packager (like loading layouts, or skins). He found that certain authors (like droptop4) do all kinds of stuff he doesn't like, so he manually extracts them.

This is why we are unlikely to "force" this setting at any point. So whatever we end up doing, it won't be during the "install".

[Yincognito]

I also take "precautionary" measures before dealing with unfamiliar skins, but it's much simpler than changing file association: renaming the package by adding a .zip extension to the .rmskin one allows the same thing (removing it allows standard handling by the skin installer). All this without any system-wide change.

The advantage of this approach is that it can be used on an individual basis when needed, while still keeping the ability to quickly double click to install packages one trusts. The disadvantage, it has to be done on any package one doesn't trust. So I suppose it's a question of numbers between them.

That being said, giving control to the user is indeed incompatible with forcing a certain behavior. The thing is, when Rainmeter is reinstalled, it's normally because the user wants to "revert" to that standard handling / behavior, so from that point of view, forcing it doesn't seem like such a big issue anymore (e.g. user complains he can't install skin, advised to reinstall to fix it, complaint still present afterwards). In the end, the user could change .rmskin association like desired after that reinstalling anyway.

Just playing the "devil's advocate" a bit on this one, to cover all angles, that's all. Personally, I would very much dislike forcing a certain file association but only if automatically done after the program was installed (e.g. automatically when it is opened, like some software do, against user customization in that regard).