It's not over til we've all lost our hair

[ChrisBlue]

So the portable install seemed to have worked in that there was a separate Reaper on the flashdrive and I was able to copy a track from the computer and save it onto the flashdrive and even successfully remove the flashdrive without the computer telling me stupidly that it was still in use.

I then plug it in to my laptop and open the flashdrive Reaper and it tells me there was an "error" opening the project where I have the track I copied.

No mention of what sort of error or any useful info of course because that's how it always is in computer world. I tried the whole process again and got the same result, namely no project opening on the laptop other than an empty reaper project.

When I look in the folder on the flashdrive (when plugged into the laptop) the Reaper application doesn't have the exe suffix even though when plugged in to my music computer it does have exe. Could this be the problem and if so does anyone with computer knowledge have any clue why, and how to remedy it please?

I went to the file properties and tried to rename it with exe on the end but apparently it can't do this because that already exists (?). Just the usual meaningless bundle of malfunctioning nonsense that is computer land.

I was thinking I might like to achieve this simple little tiny task before the world ends and especially as there is absolutely NO fun, satisfaction or any other positive aspect to these sort of messes.

If someone could help I would be most grateful and the rest of my actual life could resume. Thanks

[domzy]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlue

When I look in the folder on the flashdrive (when plugged into the laptop) the Reaper application doesn't have the exe suffix even though when plugged in to my music computer it does have exe. Could this be the problem and if so does anyone with computer knowledge have any clue why, and how to remedy it please?

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/show-...ons-in-windows


Have you ever thought about checking out local colleges etc. to see if there are any windows / computer basics evening classes?
It comes across that the root of your problems seems to be a lack of understanding of files / folders etc

[b2001]

Assuming that the project files were correctly copied to the flash drive (when browsing the flash drive, you did not mention finding the project files, only the exe file so …):

Its very possible that the flash drive maps out differently (different drive letter) on your desktop vs your laptop, so yes its possible the portable install running from the laptop cannot find the project you copied. Did you then try to use the file open dropdown to find the project and open it?

Maybe this is or isn’t the issue. Without more details, don’t know for sure.

[ChrisBlue]

Yes I searched for the project in the file menu but it only ever says there aren't any there. If I just plug the flashdrive back into the music computer and not a laptop it is all still there.

I am aware that on different computers the flashdrive gets assigned a different letter as the music computer has several more external drives than the laptops, but does that make a difference to being able to open it? Do I need to be reassigning a different letter to the drive when I plug it into the laptop? Reaper does open on the laptops when I open it from the plugged in flashdrive, it just doesn't have the saved project in it and tells me there was "an error" trying to open the project I saved.
Thanks

[b2001]

Tell me the complete file path to the folder that the project files are on when the flash drive is plugged into the computer.

Tell me the complete file path to the folder that the project files are on when the flash drive is plugged into the laptop.

Since Reaper cannot find the project files on the flash drive use windows explorer to determine both these file paths…

To answer your question:
Yes, that does make a difference.
1. You have a portable instance of Reaper on the flash drive. You create it in a project folder on the flash drive. Its drive letter is say g. That’s part of the file path to the folder that Reaper remembers.

2. You move the flash drive to the laptop. Its drive letter is now d. Now Reaper cannot find the files. You can manually search for them thru Reaper’s file/open and should be able to find them.

But here’s the issue the way I see it. Once you have found them, Reaper will now remember the new location. Move the flash drive back to the computer and Reaper cannot find the files. You go theu this moving back and forth. It’s the same if you were moving Microsoft Office files or for any other app, its not a Reaper problem.

Either:
1. Make sure the drive letters end up the same or…
2. Run separate Reaper versions on the computer and laptop with dedicated folders on each. Its an extra step of copying files.

The 2nd way: Laptop Reaper doesn’t really “remember” the project location because it never knew. In that case I always use Reapers file/open and go to the folder or thru windows explorer go to the folder and double click on the rpp file.

I think this is right.
My suggestion: spend some time to figure the process out

[b2001]

Article on changing flash drive letter when plugged into laptop so it matches what it is when plugged into desktop:
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-chan...letter-2626069

Even better, how to permanently change it:
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/ass...drive-windows/

So to be safe if you pick a drive letter way down in the alphabet, like s, and permanently change for the flash drive on both when its in the desktop and the laptop, things should sync up and work all the time. That’s the theory, set it up and test it out. That should be the least amount of hassle to use…

[bolgwrad]

Respect @b2001

[ChrisBlue]

OK thanks for this advice. I've been away from computers for a few days as just needed to. I still maintain that computer error message could have said something to indicate this, that way a musician doesn't need all this computer understanding - it's just not in my nature and I never asked geekworld to wreck the music industry so we're all forced to do this. But thanks again,
I will give this a try

[ChrisBlue]

I mean given that info can be shown on screen a simple tooltip type message referring to drive letters would have made it so easy. Why keep info hidden is my constant fury at geeks.

Computers are tools to achieve things, I just don't see why there is such a refusal to make it easy, why do the developers throughout computing have no interest in allowing users to simply use them and guide them with simple tooltips etc, it's just beyond me why this can't be possible when the big deal is supposed to be "everything is possible with computers".

Users of apps and programs should be able to do just that, they shouldn't HAVE to know so much about it, it seems to me like a kind of contempt they have for anyone NOT INTERESTED in geekworld. I want to use Reaper to record and mix music, the end.

[bolgwrad]

I'm not belittling your pain - as I said, I loathe Win8 upwards - but it does seem to me that using a flash drive to run a duplicate of an application is a wee bit geeky in itself

[bolgwrad]

"I then plug it in to my laptop and open the flashdrive Reaper and it tells me there was an "error" opening the project where I have the track I copied."

The 'error' is because when you open a 'virgin' copy of Reaper, it has no previous files to open so it looks for your 'empty project' template (Preferences/Project Settings). If it can't find it on your thumbdrive (and why would it? It's on your C: drive) then you get an error. It will write 'Empty Project.RPP' to the drive for future reference.

I did what you appear to have done: copied a portable Reaper install to a flash drive and saved a complete project folder to the drive, but I don't run a Windows laptop so I can't reproduce the other errors.

[ChrisBlue]

Lol it still isn't working despite changing the drive letter.

You wrote " The 'error' is because when you open a 'virgin' copy of Reaper, it has no previous files to open so it looks for your 'empty project' template (Preferences/Project Settings). If it can't find it on your thumbdrive (and why would it? It's on your C: drive) then you get an error. It will write 'Empty Project.RPP' to the drive for future reference. " - I don't understand that could you clarify please.

If I have installed Reaper on the flashdrive and then created a project into which I have pasted the piano track that (geeky me lol) I want to use to record in another room, isn't it no longer a virgin Reaper? It's when I then plug the flashdrive into the laptop (which has Reaper installed as well) the error non-message comes up to tell me er nothing useful in ANY way. As I say I have the drive letters the same now.

Thanks for helping here

[bolgwrad]

When you installed Reaper on the flash drive, was it a portable install, or a 'normal' install?

The 'normal' install will write your configurations, themes, stock plugins, etc into your Windows 'C:\Documents & Settings\...\Application Data\Reaper\' folder (which is 'Roaming' or 'Local', don't ask me which) in W10. This won't be on the flash drive.

There maybe a W10 security issue with trying to use a different 'Documents & Settings' folder on a different W10 installation from the flash drive, or it may be that the paths are simply not identical. This shouldn't make any difference with a portable installation. If I were you I'd do a second, portable install on the flash drive and see if that works.

[ChrisBlue]

Hi thanks for reply. Yes I'm definitely doing the portable install option. I'll try what you say then. Thanks