Paradox Settings not Retained

I've been using Paradox for probably 30 years or more, since it was first part of the WP suite. I recently installed the WP Pro Suite 8 on a new Windows 10 computer, including Paradox 11.0.0.676, after my old computer crashed (hard drive went belly-up).

It works fine with my existing databases and forms once I tell it which ones to open, but it's apparently gone senile - it does not remember any of my settings after a reboot. Or maybe it's me - I haven't had to install Paradox for several years, so maybe there's a setting to some trick I'm missing.

Paradox continues to show the "Welcome" screen even though the "show at startup" box is unchecked, it shows the "Project Viewer" even though I turned that off in Tools/Settings/Preferences, and worse, even though I have the "save on exit" and "restore on startup" boxes checked, it doesn't remember my selected database or even the directory it's in, and it doesn't load the forms that were open after a reboot. It also forgets the Window sizing, and it won't let me designate a background bitmap (is there a size limit or a particularly type of graphic file I need to use?). In essence, every day and every reboot I have to reconfigure it.

It's always worked well in the past, although I think I may have encountered a similar problem several years ago (I have no idea how it got fixed back then).

Any idea how to fix this problem?

Thanks.

p.s. — I discovered that I can open a form directly, but once I close Paradox and reopen it, I'm back to square one. 

Douglas Collins

Hermosa Beach, California

Corel, in their infinite wisdom, added a file that kills your settings.. took a few years, but it's no longer there.

find this file.. delete it.. find the registry entries for this file.. delete them, too

PdxRegCL.exe

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Thanks, Steve, but after following your instructions I cannot start Paradox from the Windows Start menu. I now get a message saying Windows is trying to  configure Paradox but is unable to locate the file Paradox.msi (apparently it's looking in C:\ProgramData\Paradox\16\). Windows Explorer's search function can't find that file, either. (Oddly, if I click on one of my forms, the program opens with the form displayed.)

So, what now? 

Thanks, Steve, but after following your instructions I cannot start Paradox from the Windows Start menu. I now get a message saying Windows is trying to  configure Paradox but is unable to locate the file Paradox.msi (apparently it's looking in C:\ProgramData\Paradox\16\). Windows Explorer's search function can't find that file, either. (Oddly, if I click on one of my forms, the program opens with the form displayed.)

So, what now? 

sounds like you killed the file, but not the registry entries

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Steve, before rebooting I did run RegEdit and deleted all the referees to PdxRegCL.exe it could find. Just ran it again and it found no instances of PdxRegCL.exe. 

Any other suggestions? 

Thanks! 

no.. this is a standard issue, can't recall your result ever being reported.. I'd uninstall, reinstall, seek and destroy the file again.. we've been telling folks to do this for 15/20 years

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Sounds like a plan, but won't that reinstall PdxRegCL.exe, too, and again cause the problem? 

I do have older versions of the WP Pro suite, including WP Pro Office 12. is the problem file in that version? 

I've never seen any significant difference between the earlier versions and the one I was running. 

yes, if you reinstall you have to get rid of the reg cleaner again

I don't remember how many versions it was there, but they started it with WPO Suite 12

Suite 2000 / Paradox 10 was a work in progress, when Borland deprecated the BDE.. personally, I have only used one trivial thing from P10 that wasn't in P9

every suite after that is P11, which is P10 with the service packs apllied

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

Nuts! Would upgrading to WP Pro 2020 eliminate the issue? 

I have found sort of a workaround — created a desktop shortcut to the pdxwin32.exe file, which I was able to add to the Taskbar and to the Win10 start menu (trick is to edit the shortcut and add the word Explorer and a space before the command line). That runs the program, and I was able to make setting mods (had to close the forms first), and they stuck. 

 Hi folks.  I have a script if anyone wants it.  You use just once with a new install.  The script removes a questionable applet and allows Paradox to retain any of the settings you have modified.  If anyone wants it, send me an email (ross.downes@xtra.co.nz)  That way you can check the script and assure yourself that it is Kosher (adjective)

Ross

Thanks for the offer, but I managed to work my way around the problem — except for one tiny issue: I can't seem to install a "Background Bitmap." I've tried a few JPG files but it always comes back with an "error occurred while reading graphic file" error message. Any suggestions? 

suite 2020, and the last few before that, don't have that damn file anymore

your "workaround" sounds like a regular install.. put a shortcut on the desktop, modify the startup string to suit your needs, use it and/or copy it to the taskbar.. yeah, you can't modify the one on the taskbar, that's why I don't put stuff on the task bar

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

and your graphic question.. can't help directly, other than to ask.. is it just this jpg, or any jpg in the folder, or any jpg?

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN

None of the JPGs I‘ve tried has worked. I had t working on my old computer, also running Windows 10 and the same WP suite. I think I may need some sort of background file, not a photo, but I can‘t find much help on it. 

BTW, it IS possible to add shortcuts to the Taskbar. I have icons there to start Chrome, WP, Paradox, and other programs. The trick is to send a shortcut to the desktop, then right click on  it and choose properties and simply add the word Explorer followed by a space before the quote mark and text in the target line, save it, and then drag it to the taskbar. You can also change the icon to make it easier to spot. 

Keeps the desktop cleaner (yes, I‘m anal – why do you ask?). :-)

yes.. you edit the shortcut on the desktop, then move it to the taskbar.. that's what I said, too

I keep it clean by keeping all of my shortcuts grouped into a few folders on the desktop

Steven Green
Senior Software Engineer
Paradox Support Specialist DOS/WIN