Handling open files

[Cory]

I'm about to roll out MEP at a client for all users and I'm making my plans. When I was doing the MEP beta testing we had problems with macro calls opening other macro files and leaving them open and cause some havoc. Those problems are fixed but I now find myself worrying about users getting the wrong files or multiple files open. Since ME3 could only have one file open my solution was to replace the ME3 shortcut in the startup group with a shortcut the the proper company macro. So each new session I was sure they were all set. But now MEP will continue to open EVERY FILE you have ever opened with it until you go into the explorer and close it. Hopefully user will never have to use the Explorer so it has me a little concerned. Has anyone else been thinking about this or have any suggestions how we can manage what files our users have open?

[joe]

The last 10 open MEX file names are stored in the Registry at HKCU\Software\Insight Software Solutions\Macro Express 4\MRU.

 

Find a way to automatically delete the keys "file 0" through "file 9" prior to launching MX Pro. They will be recreated automatically as needed.

[Cory]

I found where they are in the reg but as you pointed out one would need to make the changes outside of MEP as it will read from in the beginning and write back at the end. But one simple measure I could take is to have a macro check at startup that the one and only file I want is there and send me an email when there' a problem. Once set up ideally the file should never change. But I still have a feature request in with ISS to give us some tools, command line or whatever, to allow us to manage user files in distributed environments.

 

You don't suppose I could change the reg with a macro then use the reload preferences thing, do you? Hmmm... Might have to do a little test.

[joe]

I found where they are in the reg but as you pointed out one would need to make the changes outside of MEP as it will read from in the beginning and write back at the end. But one simple measure I could take is to have a macro check at startup that the one and only file I want is there and send me an email when there' a problem. Once set up ideally the file should never change. But I still have a feature request in with ISS to give us some tools, command line or whatever, to allow us to manage user files in distributed environments.

 

You don't suppose I could change the reg with a macro then use the reload preferences thing, do you? Hmmm... Might have to do a little test.

 

Actually I got the key wrong, it is this key instead: HKCU\Software\Insight Software Solutions\Macro Express 4\Files (Files instead of MRU).

 

Maybe this would work? ... Create a playable macro and run it from a batch. Remember to leave whichever library (at least one) you want loaded in the key or else the sample macros will be loaded when your users fire up MX Pro.

[Cory]

MXE, good thinking! I was thinking of a VB Script or something but that's an excellent idea. Also I think I can set nothing in HKCU and instead set the file in HKLM instead making it common to all users.