[Virtualacorn-list] VRPC on a USB drive

[Dave Symes]

In article <C88F2CF8A9F247A3918E4408820BBA83 at philipsdesktop>,
   T.O.M.S. <toms at ndirect.co.uk> wrote:

> At 10:55am on 27 Aug, Dave Symes dave at triffid.co.uk said:

> > Thanks for the additional notes Alex, running from other places
> > has not been a problem until now. (Farce **)

> > (**) Of course, in reality the whole thing is a farce, as none of
> > the backed versions of VRPC are running really, all that
> > double clicking the VRPC.exe is doing is running the one
> > installed on the Hard drive. (nnn)
> > The only way to run the stored versions, it to put them back
> > on the Beast Hardrive.

> Er, I believe that to be incorrect. You can have any number of 
> VirtualRPC installations (including different variants), running from 
> different storage devices, simply by double-clicking on the 
> VirtualRPC.exe file within each relevant VirtualRPC-xxx folders.

> I've just tried running VirtualRPC-AdjustSA from the main hard drive, 
> VirtualRPC-Adjust from a plugged-in USB hard disc drive, and 
> VirtualRPC-SE from a plugged-in memory stick. They are currently all 
> running properly, in separate windows.

I think we have a problem here in that you are running different versions
of VRPC from the different places.

I'll give you a specific it won't work here... I can't emphasise enough,
It will not work.
Specifics:

I have one copy of VRPC AdjustSA installed on the Beast PC.
I make a copy of that install on a Memory stick by dragging the PC VRPC
directory to the stick... An hour and a half later...

I open up the Memory stick VRPC Hardrive4 and insert a small text file
containing... "This is the memory stick version of VRPC"

I now double click the memory stick  VirtualRPC-AdjustSA.exe and yes VRPC
boots and there it is, but even though I double clicked the file on the
memory stick, it's the version on the hardrive that is running, because my
text file is missing from the HardDrive4 filer window. (It's still there
on the memory stick version)

New test: I insert a small text file in the PC HardDrive version of VRPC
HardDrive4 "This is on the Hardrive version of VRPC"

I double click the memory stick VirtualRPC-AdjustSA.exe and VRPC boots,
but of course as noted above, it's the HD version because the text file,
"This is on the Hardrive version of VRPC" is there and not the one from
the memory stick HD4.


> > The only way to run the stored versions, it to put them back
> > on the Beast Hardrive.

> Wronnnngg.... Only VirtualRPC-AdjustSA is installed on the internal 
> hard disc drive. The other two, -Adjust and -SE, are running direct 
> from the two plugged-in devices.

No, sorry, this is correct in the backup context as noted above.

To be honest, these are only backups of the Beast HD version, and should
it go wrong I'd then drag a copy back to the Beast HD as generally
speaking I wouldn't want to run them from the NAS or Memory stick.

It appears to me from what you've written, you don't have the problem
because you have different versions Installed to the different devices,
whereas I only have one install, and copies of *it* on different devices,
which is the point of the backup business.

This is all a bit of an aside really, as I don't want to run the backups
remotely (Not that I can anyway). I really really can't y'know.

All I was after was...
If the Beast HD has problems (But assuming at this stage not catastrophic)
 I would be able to immediately Run VRPC from the USB Hardrive.

But as my original question noted Can't get the USB HD version to do
anything...


> > (nnn) I know this to be a fact, as part of the testing I did
> > recently involved Moving the Beast VRPC directory to
> > another place on the same HD, then attempting to Run
> > any of the backed VRPC versions... Pwarp!

> In principle, moving the ProgramFiles\VirtualAcorn folder from one 
> place to another, although 'discouraged' * , should not affect the 
> ability to run a copy of VirtualRPC installed on any other storage 
> device, honest.

If the Beast HD version of VRPC is out of action for whatever reason...

This morning I tested by moving to another place, still on the C:\ Drive
and not only wouldn't it work, but neither would any of the remote
versions, for the reasons noted above.

Then I moved it back in place, It again worked correctly, and all the
remote versions (Not the USB HD) would now again boot VRPC, but they were
again booting the Beast HD version not their own.

I then deliberately damaged the Beast VRPC install, so that it wouldn't
boot correctly, (Dropped out and presented the RO Boot menu) and from that
point obviously neither would any of the remote versions, all presenting
the same error and dropping out to the RO Boot menu. (Even though I hadn't
damaged any of the remote versions)

Correcting the deliberate... and all was back as before.

Not a single one of the *many* remote backup copies I have of the VRPC
will Run the install from which VirtualRPC-AdjustSA.exe is double clicked.
They *all*, every single one of the many tested earlier today, all start
up the Beast HD version.

> * NB that doing so is 'discouraged' by VirtualAcorn. The reasons for 
> that are discussed in the VirtualRPC In Use supplements, see 
> 'Repositioning VirtualRPC (NOT!) in Supp. 3, p12 
> (http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/vrpcinuse/supp.htm).

I've downloaded and will have a butchers later.
Thanks
Dave

> HTH, regards

> Mike Nicholl
> pp T.O.M.S.
> toms at ndirect.co.uk

-- 

Dave Triffid