Windows OS version
Windows 10 64-bit
ImageGlass version
Version: 9.4.1.15 (64-bit)
ImageGlass release
Classic
1️⃣ Steps to reproduce
- Install ImageGlass Version: 9.4.1.15 (64-bit) which is currently listed as the latest stable release
- Open
- See Settings reset from prior version installed
- Change settings and close close
- Re-open
- Check settings
- See old settings return
- Close ALL instances of ImageGlass (including the one that opened itself in the background after installing)
- Open just ONE instance
- Change settings again
- CLOSE that instance
- Reopen and see that settings stick ONLY when using just a single instance
2️⃣ Actual behavior
After closing ImageGlass, new instances had their settings reset. This is most obvious when it sees an update available. In this case, I don't want to install a version not marked as stable, so did not install the latest version, so the check for update setting is the most obvious. However, this affected all other settings. Every check box I would enable or disable gets reset to default on it's own.
3️⃣ Expected behavior
User defined settings should stick.
4️⃣ Screenshots / Video / Sample image file
No response
5️⃣ Additional context
I observed identical behavior in ImageGlass version: 9.0.11.502 (64-bit) which was reported here: #2153 but that issue was closed, explicitly, because the developer of ImageGlass said, "I haven't read what your real issue is, but I lost my motivation to investigate this for you." specifically because I stated that I don't need extra bells and whistles and just wanted stability. That was interpreted that to mean that because I don't want new features that no one should have them which was such a strange leap of logic that I didn't bother sharing more at the time when I figured out what the problem was since it was made clear that you did not want to fix the bug.
However, tonight I was forced to install a newer version because I encountered a new issue I could not figure out the source of. For some unknown reason (never could figure out why) I lost the ability to open ImageGlass at all when clicking on an image file in Windows Explorer. I also could not open the ImageGlass executable from it's installation folder unless I ran as administrator. There I could open files, but only from within ImageGlass menu. I assumed initially that this was related to another problem I observed with more recent builds where I am severely limited in how many instances I can open (older builds on weaker hardware were able to open much more for less memory) but after restarting the computer the problem persisted so that couldn't have been the cause. While trouble shooting the behavior I found threads about similar issues related to windows updates (such as this one: #1915 ) but in my case there are no updates installed so that could not be the cause. As far as I could tell nothing new was installed, so my best guess was that some related file got corrupted somewhere making a reinstall the safest bet to try.
After verifying the settings and version I was on I decided to install an update, but didn't want a beta install so downloaded the installation file for the latest stable build and installed that. Immediately after opening I noticed an update notification which told me that the settings were all reset and sure enough they were. So I went to fix them and got the update notification again. While searching for it I found my old thread under an old account I don't have current access to and remembered what I eventually had to do last year to solve the problem. I figured it would be helpful to share that with you since, in over a year, the problem is still there.
The problem - or at least part of it - is that if any instances of of ImageGlass is opened when the settings are changed they will not stick. I have to close all other instances, leaving only one open, and then change the settings, and only then will it stick. This could potentially be solved by just using a text file to read the settings from so that new instances see the new setting. I am guessing that the reason why installing an update file changes the settings is because it deletes the existing files which is a problem that could also be solved with a settings text file that is preserved on new installs.
Now, to be clear, I am not sharing this information with you to complain or to ask you to fix it. I am fully aware that you have already stated that you have no intention to fix this bug. It's your program and you can do what you want with it. If you don't want settings to stick, weird, but you do you. I figured out what I had to do to get the setting changes to stick so it doesn't matter to me and, as you pointed out before, if you did fix the problem I probably wouldn't see it unless I at some point decided to update which I probably won't do unless I had to which I am more than free to do. However, most people generally prefer to have control over what the programs on their computers do so this information could help someone searching for the issue on their own. So even if it is never fixed, a record of exactly what is happening here could be helpful to someone at some point in the future.
Another thing to note here is that I originally thought this was specific to updates turning themselves on in part because that was the most obvious thing and in part because some developers do this on purpose which is where user frustration often comes from, but I eventually learned that this applies to all settings so quite a few little annoyances I had before that update prompt came up ended up being related to this singular issue. If nothing else people need to know why such things happen and how to fix them.
I do want to say though that I otherwise like ImageGlass. While I may not like how feature creep has the side effect of reducing overall stability, and while I may disagree with the policy of not fixing resulting bugs that affect the ability of the end user to control the way the program operates, I still like it far more than most other image apps. Being able to hide menus and toolbars and just have an image open, almost full screen, on each monitor is something I rarely see. Add in the ease of being able to scroll with a mouse wheel and change image with an arrow key and it's generally great. New features may have gotten in the way of the core functionality I value (for example, the on by default setting "Monitor file changes in the viewing folder and update in real time" ended up being the cause of endless frustration as the open images end up changing themselves or the feature to right-click and copy image changes what image it actually copies and I loose my place with work which took me a while to figure out because of the issue of settings changes not sticking) but even with the feature creep breaking my use case it still ends up being the best image viewer program I have used for windows. Period. It may be disappointing to be ripped into by the dev just for reporting a bug and saying that I don't need bells and whistles and just want stability of the few features I actually need to be able to use, but that doesn't change the fact that I otherwise value the use of the program. And even if you hate me for saying this, that won't change what I like or dislike about this or any program.
Anyway, I hope that at the very least this information ends up being useful to someone.
Windows OS version
Windows 10 64-bit
ImageGlass version
Version: 9.4.1.15 (64-bit)
ImageGlass release
Classic
1️⃣ Steps to reproduce
2️⃣ Actual behavior
After closing ImageGlass, new instances had their settings reset. This is most obvious when it sees an update available. In this case, I don't want to install a version not marked as stable, so did not install the latest version, so the check for update setting is the most obvious. However, this affected all other settings. Every check box I would enable or disable gets reset to default on it's own.
3️⃣ Expected behavior
User defined settings should stick.
4️⃣ Screenshots / Video / Sample image file
No response
5️⃣ Additional context
I observed identical behavior in ImageGlass version: 9.0.11.502 (64-bit) which was reported here: #2153 but that issue was closed, explicitly, because the developer of ImageGlass said, "I haven't read what your real issue is, but I lost my motivation to investigate this for you." specifically because I stated that I don't need extra bells and whistles and just wanted stability. That was interpreted that to mean that because I don't want new features that no one should have them which was such a strange leap of logic that I didn't bother sharing more at the time when I figured out what the problem was since it was made clear that you did not want to fix the bug.
However, tonight I was forced to install a newer version because I encountered a new issue I could not figure out the source of. For some unknown reason (never could figure out why) I lost the ability to open ImageGlass at all when clicking on an image file in Windows Explorer. I also could not open the ImageGlass executable from it's installation folder unless I ran as administrator. There I could open files, but only from within ImageGlass menu. I assumed initially that this was related to another problem I observed with more recent builds where I am severely limited in how many instances I can open (older builds on weaker hardware were able to open much more for less memory) but after restarting the computer the problem persisted so that couldn't have been the cause. While trouble shooting the behavior I found threads about similar issues related to windows updates (such as this one: #1915 ) but in my case there are no updates installed so that could not be the cause. As far as I could tell nothing new was installed, so my best guess was that some related file got corrupted somewhere making a reinstall the safest bet to try.
After verifying the settings and version I was on I decided to install an update, but didn't want a beta install so downloaded the installation file for the latest stable build and installed that. Immediately after opening I noticed an update notification which told me that the settings were all reset and sure enough they were. So I went to fix them and got the update notification again. While searching for it I found my old thread under an old account I don't have current access to and remembered what I eventually had to do last year to solve the problem. I figured it would be helpful to share that with you since, in over a year, the problem is still there.
The problem - or at least part of it - is that if any instances of of ImageGlass is opened when the settings are changed they will not stick. I have to close all other instances, leaving only one open, and then change the settings, and only then will it stick. This could potentially be solved by just using a text file to read the settings from so that new instances see the new setting. I am guessing that the reason why installing an update file changes the settings is because it deletes the existing files which is a problem that could also be solved with a settings text file that is preserved on new installs.
Now, to be clear, I am not sharing this information with you to complain or to ask you to fix it. I am fully aware that you have already stated that you have no intention to fix this bug. It's your program and you can do what you want with it. If you don't want settings to stick, weird, but you do you. I figured out what I had to do to get the setting changes to stick so it doesn't matter to me and, as you pointed out before, if you did fix the problem I probably wouldn't see it unless I at some point decided to update which I probably won't do unless I had to which I am more than free to do. However, most people generally prefer to have control over what the programs on their computers do so this information could help someone searching for the issue on their own. So even if it is never fixed, a record of exactly what is happening here could be helpful to someone at some point in the future.
Another thing to note here is that I originally thought this was specific to updates turning themselves on in part because that was the most obvious thing and in part because some developers do this on purpose which is where user frustration often comes from, but I eventually learned that this applies to all settings so quite a few little annoyances I had before that update prompt came up ended up being related to this singular issue. If nothing else people need to know why such things happen and how to fix them.
I do want to say though that I otherwise like ImageGlass. While I may not like how feature creep has the side effect of reducing overall stability, and while I may disagree with the policy of not fixing resulting bugs that affect the ability of the end user to control the way the program operates, I still like it far more than most other image apps. Being able to hide menus and toolbars and just have an image open, almost full screen, on each monitor is something I rarely see. Add in the ease of being able to scroll with a mouse wheel and change image with an arrow key and it's generally great. New features may have gotten in the way of the core functionality I value (for example, the on by default setting "Monitor file changes in the viewing folder and update in real time" ended up being the cause of endless frustration as the open images end up changing themselves or the feature to right-click and copy image changes what image it actually copies and I loose my place with work which took me a while to figure out because of the issue of settings changes not sticking) but even with the feature creep breaking my use case it still ends up being the best image viewer program I have used for windows. Period. It may be disappointing to be ripped into by the dev just for reporting a bug and saying that I don't need bells and whistles and just want stability of the few features I actually need to be able to use, but that doesn't change the fact that I otherwise value the use of the program. And even if you hate me for saying this, that won't change what I like or dislike about this or any program.
Anyway, I hope that at the very least this information ends up being useful to someone.