In RM9, when adding a media item, I often use the Windows ‘copy as path’ option in Windows Explorer to get the complete path and filename into the clipboard. When I paste the path-to-file into the filename field in the Add New Media dialogue, the filename repeats eight times (which is hard to see, because my long path names are much longer than the field is wide.)
That is, this:
“C:\Users\torch_000\Documents_Genealogy__RM8\Pictures.….…\Final Submission.pdf”
On the other hand, if I browse to the media file from within the Add New Media dialogue, the result is the expected single “C:\Users\torch_000\Documents_Genealogy__RM8\Pictures.….…\Final Submission.pdf”.
The Drop New Media option works as expected.
[edit:] I see that removing the double quotes which surround the pasted value works as expected.
Pasting into a text editor or word processor works as expected.
Any help, comments, suggestions, or fixes are welcome.
–Jim
I do something very similar for nearly 100% of my new media adds into RM and I haven’t seen your problem. One possible difference is that I am using a third party file manager rather than Windows File Explorer to initiate the copy and paste of the complete file path. My third party file manager does not include quotes around the complete file path.
What do you see if you paste your file path into something like Notepad instead of pasting it into RM?
It appears from further research, forum replies, and personal experience that the source of the issue lies with double quotes in the RM9 filename field in the Add New Media dialogue.
Possible solutions in (my) order of preference:
Fix the issue within Roots Magic. @rzamor1, Is this a possibility?
Install a third party Copy Path shell extension.
(I installed PathCopyCopy from Github )
Install a 3rd party Clipboard manager. Research shows some have capability of optionally removing double quotes as well as providing other nice features. I may try this avenue.
Install a third party File manager like @thejerrybryan did.
Get Microsoft to change the behaviour of the ‘copy as path’ feature in the Windows File Manager’s shift-right-click context menu.
The file manager I use is called Agent Ransack. That’s a very strange sounding name. It’s actually the free or light version of a product called FileLocator Pro. But the free version is so powerful that I have never found it necessary to upgrade to the paid version.
To me, it’s much more powerful and faster for searching files than is anything in Windows File Explorer. It allows you to specify folders to include and exclude from the search. Judicious use of this feature can make searches lighting fast. Also, that means that it can show you files from across multiple folders all on the same screen at the same time. It supports full Boolean logic. It separates the search strings that are to be found in file names from search strings that are to be found in file contents. It includes date filters. The display of files and folders is much more compact and columnized and old fashioned than that of Windows File Explorer. In other words, the display of files and folders is much better than that of the modern Windows File Explorer.
Not everyone agrees, but it seems to me that many years ago Windows seemed to have more of these kinds of features in Windows File Explorer. Microsoft then decided to make the searches supported by Windows File Manager smarter and more automated where it would do your thinking for you. But to me, it simply made Windows File manager virtually unusable for any kind of reasonable searching.
One limitation in Agent Ransack that I think is actually a good thing is that any search is static. If you search for all .TXT files in a particular folder and then add a new .TXT file to the folder, the new file will not show up in Agent Ransack until you rerun the search. By contrast, Windows File Manager is constantly monitoring for new or changed files and will show the changes automatically within a few seconds of when the changes are made. But in practice, I usually like the Agent Ransack way of doing it better.
I do still use Windows File Explorer quite a lot. It’s common for me to find a file in Agent Ransack and then with a right click go to to the folder in which the file is located using Windows File Explorer.
Agent Ransack is very integral to the way I add media files to RM. I simply locate the file in Agent Ransack, right click to get the full file path, and paste the full file path into RM. Works a charm.
I do wonder if the quotes around the file path are your problem when pasting the file path into RM. It’s hard to see why it would be, but it is suspicious.
Another “no-install” workaround is immediately after “copy as path”
-Click Start button and paste (Ctrl-V)
-Click “Copy path” in right-hand panel
-Your “stripped” filepath is now available
EDIT: I use Everything search app by voidtools which does an unquoted copy path
Thank you @kbens0n. Your solution works as advertised to launder a double quoted path/filename. A “no -install solution” has merit.
It does add a few steps to the process though; it might be quicker simply to edit the path/filename to remove the quotes.But, of course, the average user would have to know that removing the quotes is necessary.
My beef is that either of our solutions is necessary at all. I’m hoping the RootsMagic team can address the problem.
Thanks, @thejerrybryan. I will try Agent Ransack. If its ‘copy as path’ function will provide double-quote-free pasting as well as many other file management features, it sounds great.
I’ll take it for a spin and report back.
If I understand your final comment, would a test by several/many users determine if it is my problem or not?
That is:
Test for double quotes around pasted ‘path and filename’
Copy full path and filename
a. In Windows File Manager, shift-right-click on a file.
b. [In another file manager, copy the full path and filename using that file manager’s method]
Paste result to a variety of destinationsb(eg):
a. The filename field in the Add New Media dialogue in RootsMagic
b. A text editor (notepad) or a word proccessor
c. Any field that can recive text.
Report:
a. Is the pasted string double quoted?
b. Version of Windows/Mac
c. [Name and version of another filemanager]
c. Version of RootsMagic
Thanks @thejerrybryan, I have installed Agent Ransack Lite and it works as advertised to produce quote-free path/filenames. I will put it through its paces in the coming days.
I will explore its ability to search/display two (or more) folders at the same time. I often would like to see, say a folder of templates and a folder of correspondence together to the exclusion of all others.
Thanks for the tip.
I too have a few beefs with Windows File Manager. At the top of my wishlist for any file manager or stand-alone utility that can compare two folders side-by-side showing colour-coded files that:
Exist in both folders and are identical in all respects (default colour)
Exist in both folders but have different size, check sum, etc
etc
Exist only in left folder
Exist only in right folder
With tools to copy/move selected files to the left or to the right. Delete/rename files etc.
In the old days (DOS) PC Magazine had a utility called dirmatch that did that nicely. There was an early Windows version but I’ve been unable to find a current utility. I’m wondering if Agent Ransack will work. I’ll give it a try.
–Jim
What do you mean by “Start Button”? I have Windows 10. There is no Start Button, other than the one that brings up the windows start tiles page. Martin
That is the Start Button, the little Windows logo looking thing that is normally in the lower left corner and it launches the program/tiles menu. It has been called the Start Button since Windows 95.
Yes, that one. It does more than bring up the start tiles page. It monitors keyboard input to search for user programs launch. In this case, the pasted text is recognized as a file path and a copy path option is offered.
Wow, that does work. But it has to be one of the most convoluted sequence of steps I have ever seen. I never would have figured it out on my own. I think will just stick with my trusty and reliable old friend Agent Ransack.
Wouldn’t it be easier to remove the quotes once its pasted? The cursor is at the end of the pathname so use backspace to remove it. Then use the Home key to delete the starting quote. Do that before saving the media and it won’t have an issue.
I have put in a request to see if we can strip out the quotes. If I paste even into Notepad it doesn’t remove the quotes. That usually removes everything.