Karen's Replicator

Knowledge Base (FAQ)

• Click here for commonly asked and answered questions.

I can't find Replicator!

You've installed Replicator, but when you run it, or after you restart your computer and it's supposed to be running, it can't be found?

Replicator is probably running minimized with only a System Tray icon indicating it is running, but that little icon is hidden in the Windows 10 "I don't wanna see this every day" system tray area.

Please see this knowledge base article: I installed Replicator and set it to minimize to system tray, but now I can't see it's running.

Known Problems

• See project workboard at https://phabricator.karenware.com/project/view/1/
• To report a problem, please open a ticket at https://helpdesk.karenware.com/open.php

Enhancements/Bugs Fixed

Version 3.7.6 2020-05-25 [View Workboard]

1. Fixed logic error in ApiFolderExists(): On some machines reports a missing folder as exists, so the destination folder isn't created. Literally: Error 3 - The system cannot find the path specified
2. Now able save Unicode characters to the log file
3. Delay removed from most progress strings while running

Version 3.7.5 2019-11-02 [View Workboard]

1. T14 Free Space progress bar and Global Exclusions now work for drives accessed using the direct UNC \\?\ prefix on Source and Destination Folder path names.
2. T139 Pause Job button added. Also added warning dialog when pausing or aborting a job when a file copy is still in progress.
3. T176 Job index # column added so you can sort back to how it was after accidentally sorting by another column.
4. T177 Warning dialog when minimizing to System Tray because Windows 10 hides those icons by default and that confuses everyone eventually.
5. T178 Added FAQ button to main window which will ask the user if they want to open the frequently asked and answered questions page on our website.

Version 3.7.4 2019-02-18 [View Workboard]

1. T127 Replicator window falls behind others after Browse for Folder

Version 3.7.3 2019-01-14 [View Workboard]

1. T119 Removed debug keystrokes like F8 because was causing problem for user.
2. T121 All Replicator windows now include version number in the caption.
3. T120 Installer now makes a (optional) backup copy of Replicator settings before installation.
4. T122 Installer now checks for running Replicator process and requires it to be closed before installation.

Version 3.7.2 2019-01-09 [View Workboard]

1. T29 Verified can copy really long pathnames.
2. T36 Setting destination subfolders' timestamps to match source folders.
3. T75 Improved progress indication when running job:
   • Updating display only once per second improves performance
   • Abbreviating byte counts to traditional KB/MB/GB/TB based on 1024 bytes per KB, etc.
   • Added file copy throughput in bytes/second (abbreviated based on 1024 bytes per KB, too)
4. T108 Greatly improved performance by offloading file copy to operating system.
5. T113 Fixed bug where settings were not saved if the system was rebooted without first exiting Replicator.
6. T116 Replicating source folder attributes so custom icons will work on destination folders when Desktop.ini is replicated.

Version 3.7.1 2018-12-06 [View Workboard]

1. T61 Fixed Reset Grand Totals button function on Other Settings.
2. T102 Added /QUIT switch to command line start options to force Replicator to close after completed jobs specified on the command line, or when Exit clicked, without regard to the Warn User configuration option.
3. T107 Forcing Replicator to close without Warn User dialog when system is shutting down, user is logging off, or application being closed by Task Manager. Added Other Settings option: Minimize Window Instead of Closing, which will minimize the window if user clicks upper-right X to close the window. Can be combined with Minimize to System Tray option.

Version 3.7 2018-10-03

1. T1 Explicitly creates Settings, Log File, and Job Destination directories to avoid Path Not Found errors on Windows 10 v.1703, Windows 8.1, some versions of Windows Server, and similarly on machines where destination directory structure access control lists disallow reading directories farther up the tree.
2. Windows version reported in log file correct for Windows 7 and Windows 8. When running Replicator on Windows 10, the Win32 API reports the manifest version as Windows 8 -- because that was the last version of Windows on which the API GetVersionEx wasn't deprecated. The version reported is actual the version of the Windows for which the executable was prepared. Windows 10 uses a modern manifest system for which Replicator hasn't yet been specifically prepared.

Previous Versions

• Version 3.6.9: Not exactly sure... (FB post about it)
• Version 3.6.8: Fixed bug that prevented you from editing a job immediately after changing the order jobs are displayed in the Settings Window. Also made change that might help prevent a "race" condition that rarely kept the "Run Highlighted Jobs Now" button from being enabled after more than one job was selected using the <Click>-<Shift>+<Click> technique.
• Version 3.6.7: Fixed bug I recently introduced, that caused only the first wildcard to be processed, when a filter contains more than one wildcard.
• Version 3.6.6: Allowed program to browse unlimited number of network providers, domains, servers and shares. Previously this had been limited to approximately 16 of each type of object.
• Version 3.6.5: Fixed bug (that I introduced in version 3.6.2) that cause log entries describing errors to mysteriously end with the extraneous characters "\par".
• Version 3.6.4: Changes the way the programs creates shortcuts. Hopefully it will cause the shortcuts to display their icons more reliably.
• Version 3.6.3: Program now detects source files whose contents are locked (as opposed to the file being locked) before attempting to copy the file. This prevents zero-length destination files in those cases where the source file is accessible, but its contents are not.
• Version 3.6.2: Fixed bug that caused the program to write incorrect log entries when the text contained a curly bracket ("{" or "}"). Note: This fixes the way new log entries containing curly brackets are written. If you already have such an entry in your log file, created by an older version of the Replicator, you'll need to erase your old log file in order to see the new entries.
• Version 3.5.12: Fixed two typos, and added workaround that should help certain buggy visual themes display correctly.
• Version 3.5.10: Added two options to make the program cooperate better with screen readers. Now, there's an option on the "Other Settings" dialog that allows you to disable the "Past Due" warning dialog. Another new options allows the user to disable the program's Beep sound, and substitute a window "flash" instead, if desired.
• Version 3.5.9: Made another change to try to fix Weekday Name tag bug. Note: This bug only affects those are using tags in their Destination Folder names, and whose country starts counting weekdays from some day other than Sunday.
• Version 3.5.8: Made changes to Weekday Name tags, hoping to make it work correctly with non-U.S. versions of Windows where first day of week is not Sunday. May have fixed the problem, or may have made it worse.
• Version 3.5.7: Made Global Exclusions case-insensitive.
• Version 3.5.5: Program now updates progress bar, showing 100% copied, when finished copying small files. Also added additional code to ensure program sets Windows' current directory to the program's own installation folder, when a job has finished (this may prevent drives appearing to be in use after a Replicator job has finished).
• Version 3.5.3: Added restriction on form of Destination folder. It can no longer end, or begin, with a space character.
• Version 3.5.2: Fixed (recently introduced) bug that prevented settings from remembering value of checkmark "Copy Files Only if Changed or Added".
• Version 3.5.1: Fixed bug that sometimes caused file copy and disk free space progress bars to not be displayed.
• Version 3.5.0: Added job option (which is on by default) that causes destination files to be temporarily renamed, while a new copy is created. If the new copy is successful, the old version of the destination file is deleted. Otherwise, the old copy is restored to its original name.
• Version 3.4.11: Fixed bug that prevented some source files from being opened when run under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE and Windows ME. Also made some improvements to the logging code.
• Version 3.4.10: Fixed bug that prevented program from displaying the settings folder, in the About window, when running under Windows 95, Windows 95 SE and Windows ME.
• Version 3.4.9: Increased the space, on the View Log window, where the name of the log file is displayed. This should help prevent the truncation of the name when the path is long.
• Version 3.4.8: Added a help file to the Replicator. Now, you can press the <F1> key while viewing most of the program's windows, or click any of the many "Help" buttons, to view the help file's contents.
• Version 3.4.7: Fixed long-time bug that prevented the Replicator from copying files that were being written to by another program. It's still possible for another program to prevent the Replicator from accessing an open file. But if the other program cooperates, the Replicator will now take what it can get.
• Version 3.4.6: \$Recycle.bin\ (Vista's Recycle Bin folder) is now added to existing Global Exclusions. Earlier releases only added this entry to newly created Global Exclusions (created when the program is run for the first time).
• Version 3.4.5: Fixed very serious bug in version 3.4.4, that could cause some files to be left open, and some files to fail to be copied. Please upgrade immediately to version 3.4.5 (or later), if you are currently using version 3.4.4.
• Version 3.4.4: Re-enabled progress bar updates of bytes copied, free space remaining.
• Version 3.4.3: Worked around Windows bug (misunderstanding?) that prevented program from sending folders to the recycle bin when run on versions of Windows that support the NTFS file system. Also reinstated support for sub-folders and file names containing Unicode characters, on a trial basis.
• Version 3.4.2: Made another attempt to fix log file bug. Hopefully, log entries will no longer run together from time to time. Note: This fix only effects log entries made after this version is installed. It doesn't "repair" older entries.
• Version 3.4.1: Fixed a bug that corrupted the log file when a user erased the file.
• Version 3.4: Made several changes to allow program to run as normal user under Windows Vista. These include the location where settings are stored, and the default location of the program's log file.
• Version 3.3.5: Added additional sections to the program's manifest, to make it explicit that the program should run under the security identify of the program launching the program.
• Version 3.3.4: Fixed bug that prevented users from deleting Global Exclusion rules. Also fixed cosmetic problem that prevented the Add/Edit/Delete jobs tab from being visible, when no jobs have been defined, until you clicked the "Other Settings" tab first.
• Version 3.3.3: Worked around Windows bug that prevented some files from being moved to Recycle Bin on disks that support Unicode file names.
• Version 3.3.2: Fixed bug that prevented some custom file filters from working correctly. Also tidied up the log entry describing the file selection method.
• Version 3.3.1: Improved ability to test Global Exclusions, including ones that have been entered but not yet saved.
• Version 3.3: Activated "Global Exclusions" feature, which allows you to specify folders and files that will be skipped by all jobs. Also fixed display bug that obscured the progress bars when a job was run via a command line parameter (including those in shortcuts).
• Version 3.2.6: More changes to fixed remaining "Error 5 - Access Denied" problems. Also fixed problem that prevented update of one of two progress bars while job is running.
• Version 3.2.5: I think I've finally fixed an elusive bug that caused some jobs to fail with "Error 5 - Access Denied" when the job copied from a folder on a local disk, to a folder on a network disk specified using a UNC-style file name (\\Server\Share\...). Also added option in Other Settings to automatically start the Replicator when any user logs on, or only when a particular user logs on (previously, the auto-start feature only worked for a particular user).
• Version 3.2.4: Fixed bug that could cause a system to run out of "Paged Pool Memory" (Windows error 1450) if tens of thousands of folders were copied.
• Version 3.2.3: Fixed bug that caused file copies on some systems running Windows 9x or Windows ME to fail with "error 13 invalid data".
• Version 3.2.2: Fixed bug that caused program to hang if a job was scheduled to run automatically, but the schedule options excluded all seven days in a week.
• Version 3.2.1: Fixed bug that prevented program from deleting folders, when "Replicate File and Folder Deletions" option was selected.
• Version 3.2: Added option (under "Other Settings") to automatically launch the program each time Windows starts.
• Version 3.1: Worked around a Windows limitation that was preventing the program from copying more than 32,767 files from any single folder.
• Version 3.0: Added several new features. You can now specify the amount of information added to the log file.
• Version 2.2.3: Suppresses a lot of unnecessary log entries, when creating a new file.
• Version 2.2.2: Caused program to update on-screen "Last Run" and "Next Run" display automatically after a scheduled job is run (previously, this occurred only after a manual job was run). Also fixed the tab order of controls on the Settings window, making it easier to use with keyboard alone (no mouse).
• Version 2.2.1: Fixed bug that caused program to ignore excluded days of week.
• Version 2.2: Caused program to check for the accessibility of top-level source folder several times while running a job (previously, this check was only made at the beginning of a job). This allows the job to be aborted if the source drive is disconnected or becomes unavailable after the job has started.
• Version 2.1.3: Fixed bug that prevented "Run All Enabled Jobs Now" button from being enabled when the program started.
• Version 2.1.2: Fixed bug that broke the Replicator's ability to be run the first job in the job list, from a shortcut or command line.
• Version 2.1.1: Fixed bug that could cause program to fail when adding your first job.
• Version 2.1: Can now Duplicate jobs. Also added Next Run and Last Run to main window's job display, allow user to sort and resize the columns.
• Version 2.0.7: Fixed bug that caused program to display warning message (Settings File Could Not Be Opened) the first time the program is run. Also added two new command line switches: /view (display Replicator log) and /erase (Erase/Purge Replicator log).
• Version 2.0.6: Fixed cosmetic problem that sometimes caused on-screen progress information to appear jumbled.
• Version 2.0.5: If new version is installed into a new folder (not the same folder as previous version) program will now offer to migrate settings (jobs and filers). Also fixed problem that caused program to sometimes display wrong job name when deleting a job (selected job was deleted, but wrong name might be displayed in confirmation dialog).
• Version 2.0.4: Major new release, now supports "exclusion" file filters, filters that specify which files to skip. Also lets you determine which days of the week a file, or group of files, should be copied. Additional features include a color-coded log file, the ability to run the program from the command line, and the creation of desktop shortcuts that instantly run particular job(s).
• Version 1.8.10: Fixed bug that could cause program to crash when launched minimized.
• Version 1.8.9: When minimized, and icon displayed in System Tray, single-clicking System Tray icon with left mouse button now restores main window.
• Version 1.8.8: Fixed bug that could cause Replicator to overlook new files when only one job has been defined, and that job does not include subdirectories.
• Version 1.8.7: Fixed problem that occasionally caused runtime error 75, when attempting to delete a read-only or non-existent folder.
• Version 1.8.6: Fixed bug that caused <dow> tag (day of week) to always be replaced by "2" instead of actual day of week (1 - 7).
• Version 1.8: Now logs Windows error messages when copy fails. Also warns user if "Replicate Folder and File Deletions" option is selected.
• Version 1.7.2: Fixed bug that caused "Copy only if newer" option to misbehave. Also added "Day of Week" option to new variable destination feature.
• Version 1.7.1: Fixed bug that caused error message to appear when trying to view empty log file. Thanks to reader Dave Bourassa for spotting this.
• Version 1.7: Added default choices for Past Due dialog. Further improved root folder detection, improving support for empty CD-RW drives as Destination Folder.
• Version 1.6: Fixed bug that prevented versions 1.4 and 1.5 from creating a new folder in the root directory of a drive. Program will now delete subfolders in destination, if corresponding folder has been deleted in source, and "Replicate Folder and File Deletions" option is selected. Previously, only file deletions were replicated, and option was named "Replicate File Deletions".
• Version 1.5.1: Changed Past Due Job dialog so that it only displays once (no matter how many jobs are past due) if the 20-second time expires before a user responds.
• Version 1.5: Program now skips job immediately, if source directory doesn't exist or is offline.
• Version 1.4.1: Program now loads large log files (several hundred KB) much faster.
• Version 1.4: Added warning message if program exited while jobs are still scheduled.
• Version 1.3: Enabled program to see and copy hidden folders.
• Version 1.2: Past Due dialog now times out after 20 seconds, allowing program to start and run unattended.
• Version 1.1: Fixed bug that prevented File Filters from filtering out unwanted files. Also, improved support for disabled jobs.