Better Installation to External Storage

[KevinPurcell]

I'm installing Accordance for Windows on a device with a very limited 32GB of flash storage (HP Stream notebook) and put a 64GB micro-SD card in the slot to expand things. When I installed Accordance on the drive using a custom install it did it without issue. However, during the process of downloading the resources in my library, the installer put them in the ProgramData folder on the C: drive filling up my drive. There's no option  to install the user's library during this initial setup phase.

 

1.. I'd like to see an option in the library download too (Easy Install I think it is) to put the files in a different location.

2. I'd like to see the feature that lets me move the location from within Accordance have the option to actually MOVE them instead of just COPY them as it does now.

 

I had to go back and delete the files after moving them to the E: drive. Also it's a bit ironic that under ProgramData there's a folder left over from installed called AccordanceFinalClean or something like that. Should the installer also remove it?

 

Just a copy of minor inconveniences that could help in cases like mine, which from my observation seems to be more often in the present climate of cheap Windows PCs.

[Scott M]

I can address the AccordanceFinalClean issue, at least.

 

The basic uninstaller can only remove files created by the installer. (Those are the only files it knows for sure are associated with the program.) But Accordance creates a number of files, folders and settings at run-time that the installer and uninstaller know nothing about. So we created and inserted a small utility program, residing in AccordanceFinalClean, that will kill off those files and folders. It knows where to look for them and how to remove them. This runs automatically during an uninstall--it is that special warning you get:

 

WARNING!

Do you want to remove all installed content, user files, preferences, and Accordance registry settings? ...

 

and if you answer 'yes,' it will remove all that stuff. And then installer will remove the rest of the program. But a running program (that utility) cannot delete or remove itself very easily. (The file handle to the .exe file remains open while the program runs, preventing deletion.) There are various approaches (read: hacks), some of which work with this version of Windows, some another, and who knows what will work in the future. So trying to have the utility remove the little utility is problematic. Further, if someone says 'no' to removing all that stuff, yet later decides that they want to, the utility provides an automated means to kill that material off at a later date. (It's not a fun exercise to do by hand...)

 

So, to save compatibility headaches, that one folder with a relatively tiny executable remains after uninstallation. That was the set of trade-offs--so we tried to make that footprint very, very small. Once the program has been removed, that folder and .exe file can certainly be deleted manually.

 

On the download options, I'll need to confer (or preferably, defer) to folks who work on that aspect more than I do. But I wanted to address the AccordanceFinalClean question since I'm much more familiar with that.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Scott M

[Orly Margolis]

Kevin,

 

What version of Accordance do you own?

 

There was a problem in the Move that was recently fixed.  

 

The best way to solve the space issue is:

a. install one small module

b. move it to your preferred location so that Accordance registers this new location with the program

c. install all the rest of your content - all modules will install to that new location. 

 

I hope this helps.

[KevinPurcell]

Kevin,

 

The best way to solve the space issue is:

a. install one small module

b. move it to your preferred location so that Accordance registers this new location with the program

c. install all the rest of your content - all modules will install to that new location. 

 

I know this is old, but I started it and am now dealing with it again on a Windows tablet with 64GB of internal storage and a micro-SD card slot.

 

Could you or someone please explain the step b above. I don't see a way to do this in the program. I'm sure I'm missing it. I'm on Windows.

[Ken Simpson]

Hi Kevin, it’s only an option in the windows version (I said that just so Mac readers won’t ask how to do it).

There is a menu entry in Utilities in Accordance. This is the place to go!