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Topic: «Configuration Saving , Configuration Saving » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 7817
 
Chris Miller
Advanced user
 
 Posts: 249
Joined: 08/02/2011
Posted: 03/04/2022 01:38:36
 
 
 I've been a long time user of AWM.  I have 6 monitors and have recently started changing back and forth from 2DSurround+3 to 3+3.  Depending on the configuration I'm in, I need taskbar buttons and desktop icon placement to change.  It seems like I can save desktop icon locations, but AWM Taskbar icons do not.  They move to whatever monitor# they were on, based on the new monitor# configuration.

Is there currently a way to save those taskbar icons?  If not, can both desktop icons and taskbar icons/configuration be included in the overall AWM configuration backup?  It's a pain to setup and move taskbar icons every time I change monitors.

Thanks,
Chris
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4080
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 03/31/2022 20:17:27
 
 
 Hello, Chris

Nice to see you again. Sorry for such long delay in replying to you.

Quote
Is there currently a way to save those taskbar icons?  If not, can both desktop icons and taskbar icons/configuration be included in the overall AWM configuration backup?
There is no way to save pinned taskbar icons in the same manner as you can save the desktop icons order. Pinned taskbar icons are stored as a part of Actual Window Manager configuration. So, answering your second question - yes, both desktop icons saved order and pinned taskbar icons are included in the configuration backup file.

You can create two configuration files for both monitor configurations. Place the icons the way you need and save the the desktop icons order before creating each backup file. Create two backup files using the Backup tool (AWM configuration module > Tools > Configuration > Backup). Then you can restore respective configuration either manually via the Restore tool from the same configuration module section or you can create two batch files (.cmd) for both configurations.

In the batch files you need to use the “Restore” command. You may want to look at the full list of the program command line parameters.

The commands of the batch files which restore respective configuration and start the program go like this:

Code
PUSHD "C:\Program Files (x86)\Actual Window Manager"

START /WAIT ActualWindowManagerCenter.exe restore <backup_file_name.zip>

START ActualWindowManagerCenter.exe

POPD


Where the first command navigates to the installation folder and <backup_file_name.zip> is the full path and name of the .zip file with respective configuration.

Also there is a way to make the whole process even more automatic: you can use batch files which restore configuration, start AWM then automatically restore the saved desktop icons order by emulating the AWM hotkey for this action. But it's an appropriate solution if you installed AWM with the option "Support system utilities and administrative tools" disabled. You can know it this way: make sure Default Settings are enabled in the configuration module and some of title buttons are enabled in them, start AWM, start the Registry Editor application (Win+R, then type regedit in the "Run" window, press Enter) and see whether the Registry Editor window is affected by our software (whether it has the additional title buttons). If it's affected, then the option was enabled.

Let me know whether you want to use these "more automatic" .cmd files or you're okay with starting the restore actions manually.

Also please note that these saved configurations will not change dynamically along with newly pinned taskbar icons and new desktop icons. You'll have to save the configuration files each time your icons set change if you want changes to be included. Same goes for other configuration settings - if you restore the configuration from an outdated file recent changes will be lost.

Could you also tell how exactly you switch between the mentioned monitor layouts (via hotkey, or via some configuration panel etc.)?
 
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