Reliable way to detect if Mp3tag is installed and where »export« folder is?

Support
1

I need to distribute some exports and actions I made for Mp3tag to several people that aren’t too computer-literate. Meaning, they’re usually not even able to find their »C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mp3tag\export« folder. Also, letting them change file paths in export files would lead to certain doom and lots of unnecessary support calls.

These people are using a variety of systems, i.e. Windows 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, and Vista in both German and English versions, making it impossible to somehow »hard-code« any paths. I also know some of them have moved their »Program Files« folder elsewhere.

Since Mp3tag unfortunately also doesn’t allow using system environment variables as part of export filenames (i.e., »%APPDATA%\Mp3tag\export\output.txt«), I thought it would be an appropriate idea to use an Installer Program to have these installed in the correct places and also have the installer modify the export files to point to a »sensible« output file name.

Now my question is: Is there a reliable (or better: fully supported/encouraged) way to find out the following under—at least—Windows 2000, XP and Vista:

  • Is Mp3tag installed? (preferably by checking a registry key)
  • Which is their Mp3tag version?
  • Mp3tag’s location (Program Files path)
  • Location of this user’s »export« and »actions« folder
Two more questions:
  • What is the latest Mp3tag version that is supported (or at least works) under Windows 2000?
  • On uninstalling, will Mp3tag remove it’s registry entries? (In order to safely find out if it’s installed and it’s settings.)
  • On uninstalling, does Mp3tag remove files/folders in %APPDATA%\Mp3tag</i>? (So that I know if my added exports/actions would »survive« a deinstall/install—no one in their right mind would probably deinstall Mp3tag forever, hee hee :slight_smile:)
2

There is not reliable way of detecting this, except for Mp3tag's installer which keeps track of the whole history of registry entries used.

Furthermore, I don't want to document this here in public. As soon as it's documented, people begin to build on this information and it'll break things when I decide to change something internally.

Do you really need to build an installer for this? You can easily create a batch file that opens the correct export folder and creates an output, e.g, C:\Mp3tag-Output, for use in your export configurations.

3

Unfortunately, I guess so. There’s also some other tools to install, and they’ll never manage to do all that (and adapt a zillion paths in x Exports that generate batch files, i.e. to ReplayGain whole collections, auto-process covers to a fixed size and the like). Plus, they use anything from W2k up to Vista 64-bit, and some have their program folders and user settings on other discs than C: …

I fear I wouldn’t be able to cope with the support calls … :wink:

Still I’d like them to use Mp3tag, since we don’t want to re-invent the wheel when there’s a Mercedes in front of the house. :slight_smile: