Dilemma: TLB Conflicts With Another 'Indispensable' Program

After only a month TLB is indispensable. Apart from the other nice features, I find that the way you can hover the mouse over a Virtual Folder in a pop-up Tool Bar and have the whole menu structure displayed in a cascade really speeds up drilling down to the file you want.

The bad news for me though is that it conflicts with another program called Power Drawers that’s been ‘indispensable’ for four years, and for similar reasons. Like TLB this also displays a whole menu structure in a cascade, but unlike TLB you do it by right clicking on a folder (or link to a folder) anywhere, even within an Explorer window. (See <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.dynamickarma.com/powerdrawers.htm">http://www.dynamickarma.com/powerdrawers.htm</a><!-- m -->).

The conflict is this. With PD enabled, the context menu fails for the items in a TLB folder cascade. When you right click an item in a TLB cascade you get just a brief glimpse of something before it disappears and the TLB menu collapses. On the other hand if I disable PD, I can get the context menu for items in a TLB cascade - but then I can’t use PD to expand other folders elsewhere :cry:.

Could you by any chance tweak True Launch Bar so it can peacefully coexist with Power Drawers? The products are complementary and it’s terrible having to choose between them.

Either way, thanks for a great and reasonably priced product.

David Tong.

[System: Fully patched XP. TLB version 4.0 (registered). PD version 2000.03.001. Also running: Tordex Wheel, PS Tray Factory].

hmm... downloaded installed but this app don't work
I'll test it on other computers.

Yuri,

Thanks for the lightning response.

Can't really comment on the other app not working because it's a few years since I bought it. I remember testing it from the demo download before I registered it and it worked fine then. The version I use is the one I bought but it's been updated regularly - the last time being only a few weeks ago.

Here's hoping you can find a solution. (Should I zip you the version I use?).

Regards,
David Tong.

You might try DBA.............it's similar in ways to power drawers, and it's compatible with TLB................

You can find it here


<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.win-utilities.com/dba/index.html">http://www.win-utilities.com/dba/index.html</a><!-- m -->

To Texan,

Thanks for the link to DBA. It certainly looks useful but not much similarity to PD. PD won't work on folder icons inside dialogue boxes, but if you right click almost any other folder icon, the first-level contents appear like in a TLB pop-up menu. After that it's like TLB in that you just mouse onto an entry to drill deeper.

To Yuri,

FWIW, I've confirmed that the same TLB /PD conflict exists on two different computers running XP. Also on two machines running W2k I've confirmed that Free Launch Bar shows the same conflict with PD that I'm getting with TLB.

David Tong.

To David:

Hae you tried running MS config........................disabling all programs at start up "except PD" and see if it gets along ok with TLB?

Sometimes a 3rd program is really the culprit.................

If you try step 1 above, then just add programs back in one at a time, until you discover the conflict.......

David, how to install PD??? Every time I install it I get "Power Drawers disabled. May need to reinstall"

David, how to install PD??? Every time I install it I get "Power Drawers disabled. May need to reinstall"

Hard to say. I've occasionally had a bit of a struggle but usually it's ok. I usually install via Add/Remove using Run As Administrator but PD also seems happy if I do it direct from User (with admin rights).

Updates usually require a reboot to get them to install. I collected a few notes made when I've had complications installing PD (see attached txt). But I don't expect this will help much.

David.

Texan,

Thanks for the introduction to Dialogue Box Assistant. I tried it and registered within a few days - I find it really useful.

I suspect if you tried Power Drawers you'd be equally impressed. Such a pity that TLB and PD can't fully work together without conflicting. The ability with PD to expand any folder (or link thereto) from the context menu and get a cascade of sub-menus is a great time-saver. However despite the conflict I find TLB still worth having, but it would be so much better if Virtual Folders could co-exist properly with PD. As it is, for a PD user, there's not such a big incentive to upgrade from Free Launch Bar. (Except that the price of TLB is commendably low, so it is worth it).

Have you tried PS Tray Factory? That's also a useful application to have. FWIW my list of software that pays for itself in 'time saved while using Explorer' is now (in this order):

No 1: Power Drawers

No 2: True Launch Bar

No 3: Dialogue box Assistant

No 4: Actual Window Manager (Let's you minimise windows to Notification Area [system tray], or force them to stay on top, plus other useful things)

No 5: PS Tray Factory. (Clears out the the Tray, and also let's you minimise windows to Notification Area like AWM, but without the extra refinements).

It's a close call between no 1 and no 2 and I would greatly miss both. If Yuri could resolve the conflict between them it would be fantastic.

David Tong (ever hopeful).