Remove entries from File Locations

[arturox]

I have a PSP problem I can't resolve myself, so time to ask for Help.
Please!

PSP 9.01 doesn't have the problem I'm going to detail.

In Corel PSP 2018 and 2022 In Preferences-File Locations, in the central display (See attached illo) "Brush file folders", there's a list of possible file locations.

The first in the list is the location that I actually use "C:\Users\dave\Documents\Corel PaintShop Pro\2022\Brushes"

All other locations are not wanted, and were this PSP 9.01 I would be able to delete them, but in the two Corel version of PSP I can delete them now, but they again all return at the next Start up of PSP.

Delete them again, Save the Workspace.
Restart PSP and they are back.

At this point I'll not detail things I've tried filer wise...

Please. anyone have any idea how these file path reference can be excised?

Thanks
Ax

[Jean-Luc]

Perhaps OneDrive is the culprit?

[arturox]

Perhaps OneDrive is the culprit?

Perhaps you didn't note the last entry in the set.? An entirely different path.
That is not deletable either.

I have been to those locations in the filer structure and named them out, it doesn't make any difference, after a restart, the list like a bad smell is back again.

Ax

Having had a nights kip (Sleep) between my first posting and now 5:30 UK time, I remembered something from way back in the past, about how PSP when installed, sprayed configurations that should be contained in the app itself, all over the Registry... I guess that's probably the same or even worse in the later versions of PSP.

To put it as politely as I can... What a load of excrement...

As I noted before, items from the list can be deleted and stay deleted in PSP 9.01

Any solution come to mind?
Ax

[Jean-Luc]

I have a PSP problem I can't resolve myself,

I don't call it a problem but a feature.

Tested on my side and get the same result as you.
I have no solution. It is perhaps hardcoded in the program.

[arturox]

I have a PSP problem I can't resolve myself,

I don't call it a problem but a feature.

Tested on my side and get the same result as you.
I have no solution. It is perhaps hardcoded in the program.

Not quite, I think it's down to the problem I mentioned before about PSP configs being sprayed all over the Registry when they should be contained within the app folder.

Went into the registry and had a looksee and sure enough it's all in there, including the references to file paths I never new existed until this annoyance popped up.

Ah well, at my time of life, I don't have enough time left to waste cleaning up registry crap, so I'll just have to fume and put up with it.

Thanks for the thoughts anyway...
Ax

Nb: As I noted before PSP 9.01 deletes entries as expected.

[arturox]

My searching through the Registry has prompted an aside question.

Even though I uninstalled PSP X14 many years ago, I see in the registry a lot of entries for it.
Is there a Cleanup tool for PSP X14?

Thanks
Ax

[Ken Berry]

Yes -- last tool in the first post in this thread at the top of the forum: https://forum.corel.com/viewtopic.php?p=280344#p280344

[arturox]

Ken, thanks for the thought.
I've already been to that link, but the set doesn't contain an entry for Cleanup PSP X14 the one there is for the earlier PSP X4

Thanks
Ax

[LeviFiction]

That's because Corel has done some weird things with it's numbering. Officially Corel is on PSP 2023, this is version 25 or in the registry X15. They have 3 different numbering systems depending on where you're looking and it's stupid. X14 means version 24 or 2022. So use the 2022 version removal tool.

If you're ever curious about which version you're looking at in the registry just look at the top-level folder, there is a key "DefaultWrite" that shows where it puts the default user template folders (brushes, patterns, etc.) in that file path will be the version of PSP you're looking at.

I will add that PSP doesn't really "spray" settings all over the registry. Instead it follow's Microsoft's requirements for the registry, putting keys in various registration locations for icons, program file format associations, right-click menu actions, and windows explorer thumbnail plugin. The bulk of these registries though are found in the Software\Corel\PaintShop Pro\ keys.

The DefaultWrite key found under the main version key/folder is where Corel forceably creates the template folders and are more or less built into PSP as a requirement, but will go wherever this key tells it to. If you change this default write folder location then the template folders will be re-created in the new location and the file locations dialog will show these new locations automatically.

The FileLocations key will hold all of the locations that have been both auto-generated and manually added. Each individual resource (Brushes, patterns, etc.) has a key/folder and property keys showing how many locations there are as sub-keys. The sub-keys are zero-indexed and correspond to the count under the main key. You can delete paths from here but it's important to rename the sub-keys to start at zero and go up progressively, as well as changing the count to match the new number of keys. Corel will attempt to auto-correct otherwise.

[Ken Berry]

I suspect you are going to find that what you call X14 is really just either 14 without the X (and which didn't really exist), or with the X, then X4 (10 + 4). Even with their curious numbering system, I doubt Corel would have had a version (X)14 (which would imply version 10 + 14 = 24) and an "earlier" X4 (meaning 14)...

EDIT: While writing the above, Levi Fiction has provided far more detail about the confusing Corel numbering system, and the realities of the situation. Thanks Levi!

[arturox]

Thanks LeviFiction for that illumination.

Back to the original plot. Though I'm now convinced Corel PSP versions is dragging me into the Twilight Zone...

So as well as not being able to remove file path entries in File locations, I now find in my continuing configuration of PSP 2022 other failings of a similar order.

View-Customize-Toolbars.
In all my PSP installs I add two new Toolbars, that will contain particular sets of tools I use a lot in my processes. (DT1 and DT2).

Obviously I add the tools, and save the Workspace.
But...
The next time I open PSP 2022 and go in to View-Customize-Toolbars there are now multiple entries for DT2, obviously only one works, so I've unticked the others.

I thought I'd delete the interlopers, but even though the dialogue says they are being deleted, they are not, they remain.

Mnn! I though I'll just rename them "XRubbish1,2, etc and they'll go to the bottom of the list. and I'll ignore them, they do just that, but unfortunately, when PSP 2022 is re-run, they are all back to DT2, and even though I have set some of them unticked, before Saving workspace.
When 2022 is re-run they all present as ticked.

So I now have two instances where the menu actions fail to work, that's BUGS.

Q1) Why are spurious additional toolbars being noted, when they don't actually exist?

Q2) Why are things noted in action dialogues as being Deleted, not being Deleted?

Q3) Why are things noted as being Renamed not sticking?

Ax

Again as I've previously mentioned, in Jasc PSP 9.01 the above noted problems do not happen.

[LeviFiction]

Might Be corrupted and PSP's habit of trying to solder through is the problem. Have you done a factory reset?

[arturox]

Mmnn! I some how doubt a corrupted PSP for two reasons.

1) PSP 2022 has only been installed for a couple of weeks and I've spent the last week configuring it...

2) PSP 2018 had the same problems when installed, when it was first released, way back in 2017. (It still has).

Ax

[LeviFiction]

Corruption doesn't take time, it takes corruption. And specifically corruption of the registry. A workspace file is just a registry backup file. PSP relies of the registry being written correctly. When it can no longer do so it starts misbehaving. Using the factory reset option forces PSP to re-write all of the registry and caches to first install defaults. It's why it's the first recommended step most of the time.

I have never had these problems regardless of the version I use. Suggesting that if this does happen for you, it's something about your system.

[arturox]

Using the factory reset option

Okay, If I'm prepared to give it a go, but before I do, I think it would be wise of me to ask a few questions.

I have this link stored so I'm aware of the processes. https://forum.corel.com/viewtopic.php?t=67616

Q1) Doing a Factory reset, afterwards can I use my saved out Workspace to run the reset PSP?

Q2) Or do I have to set up everything from scratch again?

Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ax