Any way to install Flare 11 & still use Flare 10 by default?

[emsachs]

I'm installing 11 to see what it's like, but I want to keep my production projects in 10 for a while. But installing 11 seems to have blown away Flare 10 as a default for Flare programs and there's no way to get it back. In fact, if I right-click on a project, there is only one Flare icon as a choice. Even if I navigate to the Flare 10 folder from inside the dialog, and double-click the Flare icon from there, I still get 11! It will not believe I want 10.

Since I want to work in 10 most of the time by default, and only work in 11 when I intend to, I would dearly like to be able to set the default program to Flare 10. I can open 10 first and then load a project, but I will forget. For me, this is always a problem during upgrade.

(In fact, I've just set the project file to open in Notepad++ to remind me to go the long way around. I'd rather not be able to open Flare directly by clicking on the project file than to open the wrong version of Flare without intending to.)

[Paulie]

Hi there,

I tried setting the default program in Windows (which would have been my initial suggestion), but it still used Flare 11. Another option would be to write a small application that specifically opens the version of Flare that you require, then configure that application as the default application for *.flprj files.

The following VB.NET code would do what you want (assuming I got the Flare installation directory right for your computer):

Code: Select all

Public Module Main
    Public Sub Main()
      'Chose the version of Flare that you want to use: 
        Dim FlareExe As String = "C:\Program Files (x86)\MadCap Software\MadCap Flare V10\Flare.app\Flare.exe"

        'Do nothing and exit if the program is run directly
        '(should only run if you double click on a *.flprj file):
        If Command() = Nothing Then End

        'By default, file names have a quote before and after the file name.
        'Remove the quotes, leaving just the file name:
        Dim FileToLoad As String = Mid(Command(), 2, Command().Length - 2)

        'Open Flare
        Try
            Shell(FlareExe & " " & FileToLoad, AppWinStyle.MaximizedFocus)
        Catch ex As Exception
        'If something goes wrong, show an error dialog:
            MsgBox(Err.Description)
        End Try

        'Exit the application:
        End
    End Sub
End Module

If you have a Dev with Visual Studio, or you have Visual Studio yourself, you should be able to get a working application in a couple of minutes (I'd send you the file myself, but I'm not sure of MadCap's policy about linking to exe files, and in any case, it wouldn't be good practice on your part to accept an exe from a stranger on the internet ).

[emsachs]

Thanks. We're mostly a Unix shop, but I'll ask around!

[kwag_myers]

See if Tech Support can set you up with a VM containing Version 11.