PTE v6 - New Icon - Strange behaviour

[fh1805]

Sometimes (and I haven't been able to identify under precisely what circumstances) after creating a new exe file using PTE v6 it can take my system several seconds (30-45) to assign the new icon to the file. When this slowness happens, if I call up the folder under Windows Explorer, I can see the exe file in the folder at the expected file size but with an icon that is not the new "Silver Arrow-head". If I sit and watch, the icon eventually changes.

I've tried to investigate using Windows Task Manager but I've never caught anything unusual in the Processes list.

I have witnessed the same behaviour when copying a PTE v6 exe file to another folder, so I think it is probably a Windows issue rather than a PTE issue.

Nothing has stopped working. No errors are occuring. It's just strange behaviour.

My system is Windows Vista Home Premium SP2. When the hiccups occur there are no background tasks scheduled via the Task Scheduler and none of Windows Update, Norton LiveUpdate or Adobe Updater are running - i.e. no obvious background activity consuming significant resource.

Anyone else seeing this? Anyone got any ideas what it might be?

regards,

Puzzled of Yorkshire (aka Peter)

[Antbrewer]

Hi Peter

My thoughts relate (only slightly)to a post of mine a few days ago when I asked about the new icon as opposed to the charming previous one.

I cannot begin to answer your query but would only ask Igor why has he changed to a 'cold' impersonal looking icon more akin to PSG. We have a new and pleasant 'project' icon so why not something similar for the 'Exe' file.

This would be one of Igor's smallest tasks I'm sure.

Anthony (Hopefully)

[fh1805]

Anthony,

On the actual form of the icon we will have to differ. I like the new icon.

regards,

Peter

[Ken Cox]

Peter

I think it is our anti virus working in the background - just my thinking - the exe icon is very slow "developing" when i download a zip and unpack it - my AVG is getting more sophisticated with every version update

- I run a very early beta - when it was free, - of TaskInfo in my systray and it is in my startup loop

http://www.iarsn.com/taskinfo.html

by observing it i can check for unusual appearnce -- but i doubt that i could spot a background scan of a relatively small file

that is how i spotted this avg problem --

http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-free-forum?sec=thread&act=show&id=36573#post_36573

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Peter

Have you experience the phenomina on your XP system, (assuming you still have one).

I would go along with other members who don't like the new exe icon, I would prefer something akin to the humming bird, but that's just a matter of choice.

Casting my mind back, did i not read somewhere you could assign a picture from the show as the exe icon? Or was that relating to menus?

[nobeefstu]

I agree with Kens comment

I think it is our anti virus working in the background - just my thinking - the exe icon is very slow "developing" when i download a zip and unpack it - my AVG is getting more sophisticated with every version update

On one of my Drives that I have excluded Norton to check ... everything is normal and fast with the new icon. On Drives with Norton it slows down somewhat to fully appear.

I also suspect since the new icon file is 55.5kb and contains alot more icon resources ... its taking longer for Norton to check it. The old icon file is only 3.55kb and contains very little icon resources.

Peter,

As to your

Sometimes (and I haven't been able to identify under precisely what circumstances) after creating a new exe file using PTE v6 it can take my system several seconds (30-45) to assign the new icon to the file.

Ive noticed somewhat the same delay behaviour (maybe 10-15 sec tops on my Xp) ... and I found this behaviour directly related right after Norton does its update. After that all is back to normal with no delay till the next update. I dont use the Pulse update setting but this may be more noticeable for users that do use it.

** It just shows how much more influence all these various Protection programs today are impacting the behaviour of our PC from what we use to experience.

[fh1805]

Stu,

Your comment about noticing the problem on first event after an anti-virus update is interesting. I'll have to check if my system is behaving that way. Thanks for the pointer.

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

Eric,

Have you experience the phenomina on your XP system, (assuming you still have one)

Yes, I still have it but it is virtually pensioned off now. I only dig it out when I have something specific that I really do want to check on XP. As I do all my PTE builds on Vista and all my delivery to an audience using Vista, there's no incentive for me to check this out on XP.

Casting my mind back, did i not read somewhere you could assign a picture from the show as the exe icon? Or was that relating to menus?

I think you are thinking about menus here. Icon images have to be specially created to be a particular size (usually 64 x 64 pixels or 96 x 96 pixels)

regards,

Peter

[denwell]

Eric / Peter

It's not difficult to use an image from a show as the .exe icon (as seen on the Desktop).

I have set up a PS action to simplify the process to prepare 32x32 and/or 64x64 personalised icons for use with PTE, but you need the ICOFormat.8bi file installed in the PS Plug-Ins\File Formats folder in order to save the resulting image file in .ico format.

It adds a certain added dimension to the finished .exe package.

Here is the PS action and the .8bf file zipped. Try it!

IconsAction.zip

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Den

I assume this wouldn't be compatable with Elements, I use 6 & I think Peter uses 8?

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[fh1805]

Eric,

Den's little routine works fine with Elements.And I'm using v7; haven't found a need to upgrade yet.

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

So is the plug in meant to be installed in the elements plug in folder?. Incidentally when looking back at my shows by others folder, I noticed Tom & a couple of others were using customised exe icons last year.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1

[fh1805]

Eric,

I've never installed the action file, only the ICO file format. That goes into the Plug-Ins/File Formats folder as Den stated. Last time I did it I was using v4 of Elements but I've just copied it into the v7 folder and it still works. I'd like to try the action as well but I cannot find any folder that contains ATN files. I'll have to go and delve into the Elements Help files. I know I've seen reference to being able to use actions written for other versions of Photoshop: just got to find the damn thing again!

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Peter

You've lost me now, not sure what ICO & Atn are. The only time I have installed plug ins in elements was a fog filter & a patch for a camera, which I'm not sure was the same. The filter was though.

Regards Eric.

Yachtsman1

[fh1805]

Eric,

The .ico file extension is the one used by icon files. The .atn file extension is the one used by Phtoshop Actions. You need to extract the ICOFormat.8bi file into the Plug-Ins/File Formats folder (as Den indicated). Then, when you next start Elements you will have a new file format (ICO) available in the drop down list when doing File Save (or Save As). As yet I don't know where the .atn file should go.

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Thanks Peter

I'll have a go later.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1

[Tomuk]

Eric,

The .ico file extension is the one used by icon files. The .atn file extension is the one used by Phtoshop Actions. You need to extract the ICOFormat.8bi file into the Plug-Ins/File Formats folder (as Den indicated). Then, when you next start Elements you will have a new file format (ICO) available in the drop down list when doing File Save (or Save As). As yet I don't know where the .atn file should go.

regards,

Peter

Peter,

The way to install actions is as above but you copy and paste the .atn file as follows.

windows explorer then

C drive then

prog files then

adobe- cs4 folder(in your case Elements folder) then

presets then

actions ..... paste your action into this folder.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[smithrg]

Hi Peter,This is what the book The Missing Manual, for Elements 7 says about this.

Open a photo in the Editor, and then go to the Action Player.

Click the Edit tab---> Guided---> Automated Actions---> Action Player

From the first pull-down choose the action you want. These are installed actions that come with V7.

Note: you cannot create actions in Elements, but you can download, and install,(there are thousands of free actions on internet.)

from other sources, or create in Photoshop. Elements versions before V7.0, don't understand actions at all.

Once you download the action, if you are using Vista, place it into C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements

\7.0\Locale\en_US(This is different if you aren't in the US)\Workflow Panels\Actions.

For XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Photoshop Elements\7.0Locale\en_US(this is different if you aren't in the US.)\Workflow Panels\Actions.

You need to turn on hidden folder viewing for either operating system, since these are hidden files.

The next time you start Elements, you'll see your action in the drop-down menu.

It's important to understand a few differences between actions in Photoshop and in Elements.

Photoshop can run an action on a whole folder full of images at once.

Not so in Elements, where you're restricted, to one photo at a time. Also Elements can't quite carry out actions that involve

Photoshop-only commands. For example, if you run an action that includes the creation of something,that Elements just can't do,

you will get a warning box. You don't have to stop the action, but be aware that you won't get the same results as you would in Photoshop.

This is gleaned from Elements 7.0 the Missing Manual.

I hope this helps,best regards, Gayland.

Eric,

The .ico file extension is the one used by icon files. The .atn file extension is the one used by Phtoshop Actions. You need to extract the ICOFormat.8bi file into the Plug-Ins/File Formats folder (as Den indicated). Then, when you next start Elements you will have a new file format (ICO) available in the drop down list when doing File Save (or Save As). As yet I don't know where the .atn file should go.

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

Eric, TomUK, RobertG et al,

After studying the Photoshop Elements v7 help file (online via Adobe website), I came to the same answer as RobertG. Place the .atn file in the C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\7.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\Actions folder.

BTW, the ...\Locale\en-US\... is the same for my installation.

When I then launch Elements and use the Guided Edit to run the Action Player, Icons appears in the list of available actions.

Job done! However, for something as simple as an icon, I'll continue to Crop manually or Resize, and then File Save As using the ICO file format.

regards,

Peter

[denwell]

Sorry Chaps

I forgot you were Elements users!

Yes an action is perhaps overdoing it a bit to create simple icon sized images - just remember that you must reduce the colour depth of your original image to 256 colours, then crop to 32x32px or 64x64px before saving in .ico format.

Using Irfanview is another simple method - if you do not wish to do it in Elements - it allows saving in this file format.

[xahu34]

... Using Irfanview is another simple method - if you do not wish to do it in Elements - it allows saving in this file format.

See here!

Regards,

Xaver