USBDLM.ini location

[free870]

Anybody who's using USBDLM. Can you place the ini file on a network share so that you can make changes that get updated to the clients without having to update the ini file on each individual computer? Is it possible using a ntfs junction?

[mac_shinobi]

USBDLM Help

 

USBDLM will not run from a network or subst drive, it must be located on a "real" local drive.

 

Settings in the Registry:

Since V3.3.1 USBDLM can read its settings from the registry too. It reads from

HKLM/Software/Uwe Sieber/USBDLM

 

If this registry key exists, then the USBDLM.INI is ignored! Only the log file settings are read from the INI then.

 

To make USBDLM see changes in the registry, change the (Standard) value under HKLM/Software/Uwe Sieber/USBDLM to any different value than before. USBDLM reads the configuration again then.

Here is a sample REG file (do not execute it unchanged): http://www.uwe-sieber.de/files/usbdlm_sample.reg

 

Under x64 Windows the Win32 edition of USBDLM is redirected to

HKLM/Software/Wow6432Node/Uwe Sieber/USBDLM

so better use the x64 version here.

 

Might be able to make relevant changes in the registry instead of using the ini file ?

 

If you can use the registry you might be able to get one machine setup , use something like regshot before and after and push out the changes to the other machines ref the registry settings.

 

Assuming you can get it working through registry settings instead of the ini file

[Arthur]

The registry is probably the best place to store the settings because you can use GPP etc. to deploy them. You may find this post useful...

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/35263-usbdlm-registry-problem.html#post329680

[mac_shinobi]

The registry is probably the best place to store the settings because you can use GPP etc. to deploy them. You may find this post useful...

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/35263-usbdlm-registry-problem.html#post329680

 

LOL @ may help - the whole answer is in there as per your posts using wix etc and yes GPO to push out relevant changes depending on what drive letters you want excluded or used etc

[Arthur]

Can you place the ini file on a network share so that you can make changes that get updated to the clients without having to update the ini file on each individual computer? Is it possible using a ntfs junction?

In theory you could use NTFS symbolic links if you have Windows Vista/7 on your client PCs and Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 on the server - junctions only work on local drives. Another alternative might be to create a CorrectFilePaths shim using Microsoft's Application Compatibility Toolkit to force USBDLM to read and write to an INI file located on a mapped network drive. I haven't tried this myself, so I'm not sure if this would work or be worth the hassle.

 

The way I see it, you only really have two options: 1) deploy the settings with the MSI (good for infrequent changes), or 2) deploy the MSI and use Group Policy to distribute the settings. I can't imagine most people would change the configuration of USBDLM that often, so the first first option may be best? If you already have a .reg file containing the settings you want to use, you can import them into the MSI in seconds with InstEd.

 

If you can use the registry you might be able to get one machine setup, use something like RegShot before and after and push out the changes to the other machines ref the registry settings.

USBDLM runs as a service and reads its configuration from an INI file or the registry. There isn't a UI so you can't check a few boxes and capture the changes unfortunately. Other than the sample INI, you are pretty much left on your own to configure it (probably a good idea because there isn't one configuration that suits everybody).

 

LOL @ may help - the whole answer is in there as per your posts using wix etc

I'll have to update that MSI at some point because I'm getting really annoyed by the U3-style SmartWare virtual CD that the latest Western Digital external HDDs come with. USBDLM is perfect for getting rid of things like that.

[tumbleweed]

I deployed the software via group policy, and included what was required in preferences / windows settings / ini files ,

so the settings get deployed alongside the software - seems to work a treat.