Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.3.0 beta

[JST200]

Re my note above (The 1st Drive doesn't have a Virtual Sheep icon) I have just installed this version on a MS Virtual PC Vista 32 bit machine and can see that the 1st Drive indeed does have a Virtual Sheep icon.

So, on my 64bit (real) machine, I have just tried another experiment.
I have shuffled all the drive letters down so that instead of there being C: D: E: F: G: I: J: K: L: M: (i.e. no H: ) there is now C: D: E: F: G: H: I: J: K: L: (i.e. no gap). With this new config the 1st Virtual Drive (M: ) does have a Virtual Sheep icon.

So then I changed it to C: D: E: F: G: T: U: V: W: X: (i.e. large Gap). With this new config the 1st Virtual Drive (H: ) DOES have a Virtual Sheep icon!

So I changed it all back to the original config of C: D: E: F: G: I: J: K: L: M: (i.e. no H: ). and lo and behold, with this config the 1st Virtual Drive (H: ) does NOT have a Virtual Sheep Icon though the 2nd Virtual drive (N: ) does.

Therefore there seems to be a bug that if the 1st Virtual Drive is in the middle of a range of other drives (where theres is a gap of 1 available drive) then it doesn't display a Virtual Sheep icon.

P.S. other than this minor problem, it's a great tool! Thanks!

 

[tqhoang]

I know what you mean. But only showing the file part isn't a good solution.

Imagine paths like

C:\Images\Robocop\Image.iso
C:\Images\Finding Neverland\Image.iso

At least the something like

...\Robocop\Image.iso
...\Finding Neverland\Image.iso

should be shown.

Good point. It would be great if this makes it into the next beta build or at least before VCD release build.

Thank you for such a useful & free tool. :clap:

 

[SuperGoof]

At least the something like

...\Robocop\Image.iso
...\Finding Neverland\Image.iso

should be shown.

While aesthetically I don't like long paths in context menu either, I would like them to stay. Because having only a part of them will be confusing. As an alternative, you can consider moving the image path from the root of context menu to actual menu, for example, after "Unmount" option, e.g. "Unmount (C:\Blu-rays\Finding Neverland\Image.iso)". That menu already has the list of image paths anyway.

 

[slinky]

thanks james for the ongoing support and development on this, i like the idea of the new shell extension stuff, and will be testing it out shortly, i've long thought it needed a little extra in that area, thats why i asked about the unmount parameter and mount parameter a little while back, and since you incorporated that i have been using 2 buttons in my quick launch area.... so thanks for this

 

[mike_r]

@James !


Great that you introduced the right click on ISO and the mount (list of drives).

I have a small request :

. if the VCD already has an image mounted then a small indication (like bold, or even better the name of the mounted volume)

 

[James]

@James !


Great that you introduced the right click on ISO and the mount (list of drives).

I have a small request :

. if the VCD already has an image mounted then a small indication (like bold, or even better the name of the mounted volume)

I know:
http://forum.slysoft.com/showpost.php?p=198585&postcount=11

 

[Defenestration]

A few suggestions to improve usability (IMHO)...

I've used VCD in the past and have often uninstalled it not long after because it didn't seem to work the way I expected. After so long, I find myself in need of a virtual CD/DVD app and, having forgotten the reasons why I previously uninstalled VCD, I end up installing VCD again.

Now, it may just be me, but I find the way VCD works annoying...

1) VCD automatically starts when Windows starts, without a way to disable it from the GUI.
2) If VCD is running and the Number Of Drives is set to 1 or more (ie. not disabled), then the corresponding number of earliest free drive letters are assigned to VCD (and so unavailable to other devices). Drive letters should only be "consumed" by VCD when an image is mounted.
3) Drive letters are not freed to the system when the volume is un-mounted (ie. it's not possible to assign another device to the letters consumed by VCD)
4) There is no "Exit/Quit" option from the tray icon menu.

(2) & (3) are annoying if you have specified an external drive to use a specific drive letter, but don't always have the drive turned on at startup. If one of these drives uses one of the first few free drive letters, then VCD causes problems by consuming these letters before it is switched on.

The above four points are the most annoying thing about VCD, which is an otherwise great piece of software. One other thing I'd like to see implemented (but which would not cause me to uninstall VCD again) is...

5) The ability to not include the full path on the tray icon menu items for mounted/previously mounted images.

6) Ability to mount as any free drive letter. ShadowProtect has a Quick Mount context menu item (which works the same way as VCD's Mount option - ie. uses first available drive letter), but also has a normal Mount menu item (which allows the user to specify which free drive letter to use)


I did have another suggestion, but can't remember what it was right now.

I know VCD is a free product, and appreciate that you have released it for free (including an x64 version), but I can't imagine any of my requests would require that much developer time to implement. Specifically though, points (1)-(4) seem like obvious improvements, particularly with regard to usability.

Please can you consider implementing these requests...

PS. On a more serious note - Can you add some more smiley animations to the forum as your current selection is very limited :agree:

 

[James]

1) VCD automatically starts when Windows starts, without a way to disable it from the GUI.

Set the number of drives to disabled.

2) If VCD is running and the Number Of Drives is set to 1 or more (ie. not disabled), then the corresponding number of earliest free drive letters are assigned to VCD (and so unavailable to other devices). Drive letters should only be "consumed" by VCD when an image is mounted.

You can assign/change drive letters using the Windows disk management console.

3) Drive letters are not freed to the system when the volume is un-mounted (ie. it's not possible to assign another device to the letters consumed by VCD)

Of course not. You don't want your drive letters to move around all the time.
You can assign/change drive letters using the Windows disk management console. Just assign higher letters to VCD, e.g. V and W.

4) There is no "Exit/Quit" option from the tray icon menu.

It is in VCD preferences.

(2) & (3) are annoying if you have specified an external drive to use a specific drive letter, but don't always have the drive turned on at startup. If one of these drives uses one of the first few free drive letters, then VCD causes problems by consuming these letters before it is switched on.

Of course. Empty optical drives have drive letters, too.
You don't want your drive letters to move around all the time.
You can assign/change drive letters using the Windows disk management console. Just assign higher letters to VCD, e.g. V and W.

5) The ability to not include the full path on the tray icon menu items for mounted/previously mounted images.

This will be taken care of.

6) Ability to mount as any free drive letter. ShadowProtect has a Quick Mount context menu item (which works the same way as VCD's Mount option - ie. uses first available drive letter), but also has a normal Mount menu item (which allows the user to specify which free drive letter to use)

Again - VCD emulates a physical *optical* drive. Optical drives don't get drive letters when you insert a disc. Same with VCD.

 

[Drexl]

You can set the drive letter just like you would for any other drive, by going to Administrative Tools/Computer Management, and under Disk Management, right click on the "drive" to which you want to assign a letter.

 

[Defenestration]

Again - VCD emulates a physical *optical* drive. Optical drives don't get drive letters when you insert a disc. Same with VCD.

Ah, OK. I wasn't thinking about it in the correct way.

Set the number of drives to disabled.

But VCDDaemon.exe is still running. It would be nice if there was a tray icon menu, "Exit", which when selected terminates VCDDaemon.exe (and also unmounts all drives and frees drive letters).

When VCD is started, the drives will appear (ie. drive letters consumed).

This way VCD would not consume any resources (CPU, memory, drive letters) unless it was running.

 

[James]

But VCDDaemon.exe is still running. It would be nice if there was a tray icon menu, "Exit", which when selected terminates VCDDaemon.exe (and also unmounts all drives and frees drive letters).

You can disable it in VCDPrefs.

 

[Defenestration]

What is the specific option, as I only see the following options ?

 

[James]

What is the specific option, as I only see the following options ?

Disable drives and hide tray icon.

At the moment VCDaemon.exe needs to continue running (it won't use any resources)

 

[Defenestration]

OK, thanks for your help. Please consider allowing the process to be stopped completely though, as per my suggestion.