Moving the IDImager Folder in AppData?

[gcoupe]

I note that even though I have instructed PSU to install itself on the E: drive, it defaults to assuming that the AppData folder is on the C: drive, and installs all the PSU AppData stuff there. E.g. in my case in C:\Users\gcoup_000\AppData\Local\IDimager Systems, Inc.

Now, all my user data (Documents, Pictures, etc) has been relocated to E:\Users\gcoup_000\, and there is also an AppData folder present there. Can I persuade PSU to use the E: drive path in some fashion?

My C: drive is an SSD, and my Thumbs database is getting large - so large that I can't compact it, because the SSD runs out of space during the compacting process. I need to get it across to the E: drive...

[Hert]

Geoff,

You can move the catalog files to the e drive (just the cat.db and thumbs.db files). Then in the preferences, select the catalog from the e drive (Catalog settings).

Another option is to enable login dialog and select the e drive database in the login dialog. Once selected you can disable the login dialog again.

Hope that helps
Hert

[gcoupe]

Thanks Hert. I wondered if that would be the trick. Good to have the confirmation.

[gcoupe]

I moved the catalog files successfully. However, compacting the thumbs database (now on the E: drive) still uses the C: drive as a scratch area. That means sufficient space, the full size of the thumbs database, is still required on the C: drive. In my case, I had sufficient space this time around, but it's something that I need to bear in mind for the future.

[Hert]

Geoff,
In case it worries you going forward...there is a registry tweak possible to point the scratch folder to somewhere else's the default is that from windows,

Hert

[gcoupe]

Thanks Hert, I'll bear it in mind. But I think that by the time it becomes an issue, I will have upgraded my C: drive (or the entire system) in any case...

[fbungarz]

Hi Hert,
any chance you could share that specific registry tweak?
Using SDDs for a lot of writing is generally not a good idea, so moving the scratch disk to a second conventional HDD still makes a lot of sense...
Thanks,
Frank

[weidmic]

I am a bit confused...
Isn't the startup parameter -A not officially supported anymore?

[Hert]

Frank,

Using SDDs for a lot of writing is generally not a good idea, so moving the scratch disk to a second conventional HDD still makes a lot of sense...

You do understand what the scratch disk does? That has nothing to do with where the catalog settings are stored.

@Michael; -a is still valid, but that's not the same as the scratch folder. The scratch folder is the temp folder where SQLite places its temporary files. By default SQLite uses the Windows Temporary folder. In general, if you want to use a different scratch folder then best to change your Windows temp folder to another drive.

Hert

[fbungarz]

Hi Hert,

That has nothing to do with where the catalog settings are stored.

Yes, I now what the scratch disk does. And my point is not about the settings. It is about where PSU stores the temp files during compact or backup.
When I read this

there is a registry tweak possible to point the scratch folder to somewhere else's the default is that from windows

I assumed you were talking about a PSU specific tweak to change the FOLDER, where PSU stores its temporary files during compact and/or backup. It seems you were talking about a general tweak to move Windows' scratch disk? Of course it would be a really bad idea moving windows' scratch disk to a removable drive, causing system instability when the drive is not attached. I don't even know if windows would permit it.

So, my point is:
If you want to move PSU's thumb database off to a removable drive (and it seems that for a small SDD might be a good idea especially since that database can become gigantic with large thumbs), perhaps then it would be good to be able to configure that the folder where temporay files during backup and compact are also stored on that same drive?
Is that possible?

Cheers,
Frank

[Hert]

Frank, there is a registry tweak for it, like I also mentioned. Pointing it to an external hard drive only makes sense if your database is also on that same external hard drive. But you don't even have a database yet

It's not something you have to set from the start...it can be set anytime.

[fbungarz]

Hi Hert,
I do have a test database trying out the program. As part of that testing I am thinking of having at least the thumbs database on an external drive. As pointed out elsewhere (http://forum.idimager.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=23093) in PSU the thumbs database (even at the smallest available thumb setting) easily becomes several times larger than the one in IDI. So on a laptop with a small SDD. moving it to an external drive seems to be the only choice to even be able to run PSU!
Therefore, I would certainly appreciate if you could share that registry tweak. It of course does not make a whole lot of sense moving the database to an external drive, if compacting and backup then no longer works because PS continues to use the main, not the external drive.

So, all I am asking: what IS that registry tweak that assures a database compact/backup on an external drive will also create the temporary files there and thus no longer affect limited storage ans write cycles of an SDD?

Thanks,
Frank

[Hert]

I don't understand why you don't first determine how large your database will grow first and see if the size is problematic for your laptop or not. You're trying to find a solution for something that may not even be a problem,

And if you're going to use an external drive for your database then keep in mind that it will be 10ths of times slower than your local hard drive...and then I'm not even taking that SSD speed vs hdd speed into account. Then also running the temp files on an external drive will slow it down even more.

Code: Select all

WriteToRegistry('', 'SQLiteTempDir', 'c:\your folder here\');