#102 FAR not working--can't tell why

[M. Ster]

I downloaded FAR & unzipped the archive to one of my apps drives (D:). Unfortunately, running on the latest Java (1.8 etc), much of FAR simply doesn't work.

The Replace, Rename, and Extract tabs refuse to respond (i.e. I click on them and nothing happens--I stay in the Find screen). The Base Directory field is unresponsive--can't type in it. The Browse field next to it is unresponsive--click on it and nothing happens (no window opens for navigation). I can type in the File name Pattern box, but Save Pattern doesn't work. I can open the FAR | Settings dialog, and oddly enough I can successfully Add a filename pattern there, but under Create Backup, the Browse button still doesn't work. File | Import doesn't work either (Choose "Import" from the menu and nothing happens--no navigation dialog, nothing at all).

Obviously the major problem here is that File | Base Directory isn't working (neither the text field nor the Browse button). Without being able to specify the directory I want to search, the entire program is useless.

Normally I would simply delete it from my system and go my way, dismissing FAR forever and finding some other alternative. However, the features as you describe them on your web site, and as I read through them in the Help (which is working), are exactly what I'm looking for in an S&R application. So I really, really, want this to work. Any thoughts on what might be wrong? (But I'm not willing to go back to an earlier version of Java. Sorry. Also don't want to use the chocolatey Windows installer because I want control over where the application is.)

There's a chance that the problem may be path-related. I have five drives on my system. Windows is on one, FAR is on another, and the user directory has been shifted to a third (very small) drive. Therefore the directories FAR creates for settings, as well as FAR's backup folder, and on this third drive. (Java is installed to this third drive also). Is it possible that FAR is having problems coordinating the paths to these differing locations?

[M. Ster]

EDIT: Using Windows 7 Professional SP1.

[Olivier Wehner]

Hi there,

The Replace, Rename, and Extract tabs won't respond unless you executed FIND on the first tab (or dragged files onto the application window) and you have at least one file in the file list to work on, so that's normal.

You cannot type in the Base Directory field because it is just a display so that's normal too.

Not normal is that the Browse button next to the Base Directory field does not open a window where you can select the base direcectory for you file search (or a single file to work on). The window might be hidden behind some other window or it was display on another monitor if you are using more than one screen. Please investigate into that direction, because there is absoluty no reason why the FAR UI should get confused by your directory layout or multiple windows drives.,

Bestr regards,

Olivier

[M. Ster]

Thanks for replying. If another folder is open I can drag it into the Base Directory field and it does respond--unless it's a partition. It won't accept a partition from the Win7 base Computer window.

But as far as the Browse button goes, unfortunately, no on both counts: I don't use multiple monitors and the window isn't vanishing behind others. I'm all in favor of programming modal windows, so don't mind hunting for them (they give users more workflow flexibility), but that's not what's going on. No window appears when I click Browse, period. I checked with nothing else running, then moved the FAR window around just to make sure. Bummer.

By the way, I love the FAR puns on the home page. Some folks might think you're going too FAR, but FAR too few programmers have a facility with natural language that matches their ability with the languages in which they code. If you've got it, flaunt it!

EDIT: six days later now. I just installed the Java BORG calendar (also hosted here on Sourceforge), and it has the exact same problem with all of its Browse buttons. So it appears that the problem lies with the version of Java I'm running (the latest, 1.8.0_151), or with some odd interaction between Java and a quirk in my Windows install. But whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be caused by FAR.

[Olivier Wehner]

Thank you for your kind reply and for the somewhat reassuring post scriptum. I could indeed not figure out anything but broken binaries or some odd Java bug. Also I am really sorry for not responding all the time. I had a quite stressfull week is all I can say. Please accept my apology.

Best regards,

Olivier

[M. Ster]

No problem. BTW, additional experiments have shown that my problem is not Java, it's definitely something in my Windows. Don't know what and don't have time to track it down--started a thread on Ars Technica but after various experiments, still no luck, so I guess I'll be living with broken Java for a while.

[Olivier Wehner]

Thank you very much again for your feed back, and have a happy & lucky new year!

I'll close this ticket.