[Release] Vienna's Microsoft QuikView Addon v4.0-070907

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:17 am

RickMckc alerted me to the existence of this very popular old utility which was abandoned by Micro$oft, leaving those who lament it's passing to have to resort to commercial alternatives such as Quick View Plus. But before you open up your wallets to fork out for that, you might want to check out this free alternative instead....

Vienna Computers have salvaged the original QuickView (from Windows 95 CD-ROM Extras) from the abandonware bin, taken over it's further maintenance and ported it to run under Win 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. Their installer uses a very fugly SendTo shortcut (which if you try and open a file not supported by QuikView spits out a gibberish error message in some unrecognisable foreign language) and their uninstaller did not even work at all - so I have taken care of those two annoyances in this addon build.

I built a custom addreg section for the application which adds a shell "Open in Quick View" menu (like the one in QuickView Plus) that is ONLY active for file extensions that the utility actually DOES support, I dumped the SendTo shortcut completely, included a shortcut in "Programs\Accessories" so you can open it directly and I coded a proper inf uninstaller that completely removes all trace.

There is one remaining annoyance that I have not been able to resolve (as yet) and which unfortunately might require a hack to the executable - which is that the window opens to ridiculously small dimensions and it does not store any settings in the reg so that I am able to tweak that to some sensible kind of size.

If any of you programming wizzes have a solution to that window sizing issue can you please give me a shout.

QuikView v4.0
LINK: MrsP_Microsoft_QuikView_Addon_v4.0-070907
MD5: 6193AD82AFE4F257F1284C26FD81BFB3
SIZE: 395 KB

Description: A file previewer which supports many extensions
Op System: Windows 2000, XP & 2003 (x86 only)
Builddate: 2007/08/10
Language: English
Title: Quick View
Version: 4.0
License: Freeware
Website: http://www.viennacomputerproducts.com/i ... e=quikview
Installs to: "%windir%\system32\viewers"
Uninstaller: Removes program files, shell menus and reg entries

QuikView
QuickView was a file viewer application in Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT operating systems. It is a file previewer which supports many extensions, for example the word .doc format or executables and dlls (there you can see the functions used/exported etc.) However, starting with Windows 2000 and Windows ME, the utility is no longer present in the operating system line.

Vienna Computer Products is now maintaining QuikView and will provide further support to customers. They repacked it to run under all Windows NT versions - up to Windows Vista. It was a lot and hard work - to port it to today's Windows operating system, but QuikView is a good program and it is worth to port it.

Enjoy (or not)

[Edit 2007/09/06] Minor tweak to shell reg entries
[Edit 2007/09/07] Uneccesary tweak in v4.0-070906 reverted back to original and added some reg entries to set fixed width font

RickMckc · Post by **RickMckc** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:37 pm

I'll give this a go in the next day or so and let you know how it's working. Thank you very much!

Madhav · Post by **Madhav** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:30 pm

wow, I never knew any such program existed, thnx MrsPeel

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:44 am

Ay caramba! I should learn when to leave well enough alone. The tweak I updated this with yesterday was completely unnecessary, so I just reverted that back to original reg code again

Also added some new entries to force it to display a fixed width font. Now if ONLY I could force this little bugger to retain a larger windows size as well - but there's nothing in the reg section that gives me that option grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

RickMckc · Post by **RickMckc** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:56 pm

FYI, I just sent this email to Vienna Computers (you may have already done so):

First off, thanks for maintaining this handy little program. I am curious if there is some way to modify the window size to retain its settings? Is there a registry entry or an entry in a .ini file?

Thanks,

Rick McGinniss

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:37 pm

Thanks! I loved Quickview in the past and wasn't aware of this version. I'm certain this addon with your improvements will get heavy use so thanks in advance!

keegan · Post by **keegan** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:19 am

Wow.... way to dig up some old bones. I always installed this as an optional component in win98. Very handy to have around. Unfortunately I think the window size issue was a problem back then too. Don't quote me on that one, but I'm pretty sure. Thanks for reminding me about this one. Later

ChiefZeke · Post by **ChiefZeke** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:23 pm

Glad to see someone resurrected QuickView. Sure came in handy for 98, SE, etc.

Mrs Peel does good.

Zacam · Post by **Zacam** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:02 am

Indeed. I had managed to completely forget about this utility. I'm going to have to add it to my permanent collection since it will let me view info without having to launch a full process of PE Explorer every time I want to check something as simple as the information this provides.

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:16 pm

When I try to use this (by selecting quickview from the context menu), I get a message in German (I haven't tried to translate). Clicking YES gives me another German message. Clicking No seems to exit. Either way, quickview doesn't seem to open. Did I make some mistake? Is this the "jibberish" you refer to? I'm trying to quickview a JPG file, which I assume it would support.

Jondar · Post by **Jondar** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:03 am

First of all, Mrs. Peel, thanks for the addon! I missed Quick View when I made the "jump" (or is that downgrade? *grin*) from 9x to XP, so it's nice to have it back!

One thing though, I was looking at the Vienna Products homepage, and they mention something on this news article page about a "final version" and an "addon", but they can't seem to contact the addon maker. I was just wondering if that's referring to you? :)

(The homepage also mentions a new version, but I can't tell if the addon is using this new version or not.)

-- Jondar

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:31 am

Jondar wrote:One thing though, I was looking at the Vienna Products homepage, and they mention something on this news article page about a "final version" and an "addon", but they can't seem to contact the addon maker. I was just wondering if that's referring to you?

(The homepage also mentions a new version, but I can't tell if the addon is using this new version or not.)

-- Jondar

Check the dates on their news article page with the date in my release notes

When they refer to "addon maker" they are referring to come programmer (not me) who has obviously made some kind of addon for this utility.

Technically speaking, what we make here are not actually "addons" at all. The term addon refers to some module that is added to a software which extends the functionality of that application in some way.

I have no idea who it was who hijacked the word "addon" to describe these packages we make here to slipstream into our windoze setup disks - but technically speaking these are actually "unattended windows component installers" and NOT "addons" in the true sense of the word.

Confusing isn't it

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:05 am

I translated my error message into the following:

No registered indicator modules exist for this type of file. Could you have used the standard indicator modules?

say YES gives me:

It exists no indicator modules, which can indicate JPEG image files.

I guess this means it doesn't support JPEGs? I get the same first error with *.log files, but saying YES shows me the file.

I don't get any errors with *.doc files...though I don't see anything.

It does seem to work without errors for *.bmp files.

Is this expected behavior?

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:46 am

proximous wrote:I guess this means it doesn't support JPEGs? I get the same first error with *.log files, but saying YES shows me the file.

I don't get any errors with *.doc files...though I don't see anything.

It does seem to work without errors for *.bmp files.

Is this expected behavior?

Opps sorry proximous, I completely missed your previous post when I got busy responding to Jondar's one.

First of all, I am not and never have been a user of Quicker Viewer, and I only made this addon because Rick had bought it to my attention. So I'm afraid I cannot answer any questions about it's "regular behaviour" and must rely upon the old-timer users of this to report back to me on whether or not it is behaving as it should.

All that I can tell you, from examining my pre- and post-install registry snapshots is that the native installer for this ported version of Quick View adds the following file associations:

Code: Select all

.ASC - "ASCII file"
.BMP - "Windows Bitmap Graphics File"
.CDR - "Corel Draw v 4,5 files"
.DIB - "Windows Bitmap Graphics File (DIB)"
.DLL - "Dynamic Link Libraries"
.DOC - "ANY of a number of word processing file formats"
.DRW - "Micrographix Draw"
.EXE - "Executable Files"
.INF - "setup files"
.INI - "configuration files"
.MOD - "Multiplan v 3, 4.0, 4.1 File"
.PPT - "PowerPoint, ver 4 files"
.PRE - "Freelance for Windows"
.RLE - "Bitmap Files (RunLengthEncoding)"
.RTF - "Rich Text Format File"
.SAM - "AMI, AMI PRO FILE"
.TXT - "Text File"
.WB1 - "Quattro Pro for Windows File"
.WDB - "Works Database Files"
.WK1 - "Lotus 1-2-3 v 1'n'2 Files"
.WK3 - "Lotus 1-2-3 v 3 File"
.WK4 - "Lotus 1-2-3 v 4 File"
.WKS - "Lotus 1-2-3 File or MS Works v 3 File"
.WMF - "Windows Metafile"
.WPD - "WordPerfect Demo Files"
.WPS - "Works Word Processing Files"
.WQ1 - "Quattro Pro for MS-DOS File"
.WQ2 - "Quattro Pro v 5 for MS-DOS File"
.WRI - "Windows 3.x WRITE files"
.XLC - "Excel 4 Chart File"
.XLS - "Excel 4 and 5 Spreadsheet Files"

I don't know if the original (old) version of this supported any other file types not listed above, so hopefully one of the old-timer users will come forward to help you where I cannot.

Cheers and g'luck

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:28 pm

Mrs Peel: Thanks for the info. I can see from the list the JPG isn't there. I guess I have to remember that this is really old, and maybe at the time MS wanted you to view all images with Internet Explorer (they still seem to like to associate GIF files with IE).

Maybe I'll poke through your addon to see if I can figure out how to get it to not be a choice for JPGs if it doesn't support it. Maybe you could point me to the appropriate place in your addon?

Despite this limitation, I still find this a useful tool and appreciate your sharing (and your customization...I agree with you comments in the initial post about how and why you changed things...as always, I find myself preferring your customizations to the author's defaults).

Many thanks!

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:05 am

proximous wrote:Maybe I'll poke through your addon to see if I can figure out how to get it to not be a choice for JPGs if it doesn't support it. Maybe you could point me to the appropriate place in your addon?

Ay caramba!!!!! I have the attention span of a green-spotted newt this week I tell ya! I've come back to this thread about ten times already to reply to your reply (honest I have) and every time I get side-tracked with something else

I just wanted to let you know that I have discovered a blunder in my original reg-code modifications that I added to this pack - which were for the intended purpose of doing exactly what you just pointed out to me it is NOT doing. This is the generic "open with" shell code that was masking the behaviour that you gave me this headsup on, and the removal of it meant I was able to replicate this annoyance for myself:

Code: Select all

HKLM,"SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shell\QuickView",,0,"Open in Quick View"
HKLM,"SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shell\QuickView\command",,0,"""%21%\%prog_exe%.exe"" ""%1"""

I am totally stuck on a solution to this at the moment after tearing my hair out over it for a few days, so I have enlisted the troubleshooting assistance of my team of trusty INF Nymphs to help me find a better workaround.

Be assured that I want to see this shell problem solved so it only displays with supported file types just as much as you do.

Stay tuned.....

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:50 pm

Thanks for the update and your efforts. I'll keep checking back.

Long ago I purchased the pay version of this (QuickView Plus). If I can find the time, I'm going to see if I can just add their newer file viewers to this pack since I always appreciate how you customize things...pretty much always in a way I find much better than the original. Keep up the good work!!! And thanks from a fan!

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:41 pm

proximous wrote:Long ago I purchased the pay version of this (QuickView Plus).....

Oooooooooooooooh you have this???

Two of the modifications I made to this were under advice of a user of QuickView plus who pointed out some methods that QVP uses with it's shell menus which are superior to this QuikView's native regcode. This is actually what I was trying to replicate here by the way I manually coded my shell modifications, but I have never seen/used QVP so I was just guessing that this was the way that they did it.

Would you be so kind to do me a very VERY big favour, and install QVP (does not matter about your version cos I am not interested in the executables) - preferably in a virgin VM install (if you have one and it is not too much trouble for you time-wise) and do a before/after registry snapshot of all the regcode which is related to the QVP shell menu functions.

There must be something very very basic which I am overlooking here, because the shell code I wrote for this shell mod I have used as a mod in many other addons of mine and they work AOK (see example my AVI-mux addon pack) and I know I will kick myself when I discover what it is.

So, I am curious to see how QVP apply their shell menus OR if instead they have used a contextmenuhandler - in which case I will not be able to emulate the way they have done their shell.

Any clues you can help be with here would be muchly appreciated, cheers

proximous · Post by **proximous** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:52 am

Hey. I've been out of the loop for a while an just saw this. I'll be happy to run this test you request. It is the least I can do for all the benefit your addons have provided me.

I definitely won't get to it before the weekend, and it may take a little longer than that. But fear not, I will get the result as soon as I can.

Mrs Peel · Post by **Mrs Peel** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:55 pm

Oooops, I forgot to come back and give a progress report to this thread.....

Another member has since sent my some regcaps for QVP and as I feared they are using contextmenuhandler DLL, so I am not going to be able to replicate the way they do their shell after all.

So it was back to the drawing board for me again....

((((sigh))))

PS: Although I have to say that it was disappointing to see what a piece of bloatware QVP is

RickMckc · Post by **RickMckc** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:42 pm

Thanks for giving it a go, Mrs. Peel.

mitsukai89 · Post by **mitsukai89** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:28 pm

try this out Anywhere PE Viewer http://www.ucware.com/apev/index.htm

dont know how good it is compared to this..