A Forum run by Enthusiasts of MidNite Solar

Charge Controllers and Clippers => The "Classic" charge controller => Topic started by: Resthome on February 19, 2014, 12:56:06 PM

Title: Firmware CTL files
Post by: Resthome on February 19, 2014, 12:56:06 PM
boB,

Does it hurt to have older CTL file left in the C:\MidniteSolar firmware install directory? The Uninstall.exe has not removed some of these from my laptop’s C:\MidniteSolar directory (see attached). So they remain after I install the latest firmware updates. Not sure of the purpose of the CTL files. Just wondering if them being there could cause any side effects??

After uninstall this time I decide to remove the folder C:\MidniteSolar and do a clean install for 1775 firmware.


Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: TomW on February 19, 2014, 01:05:31 PM
Home;

I am not boB but...

The .ctl file is the actual firmware file that gets put on the Classic.

I doubt you need it after it is installed. But, then, I don't do Windows so no guarantee!

And, just for future reference you can rename a folder and keep the files in it and then a fresh install can make the original folder itself.

Tom
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: Resthome on February 19, 2014, 01:31:01 PM
Quote from: TomW on February 19, 2014, 01:05:31 PM
Home;

I am not boB but...

The .ctl file is the actual firmware file that gets put on the Classic.

I doubt you need it after it is installed. But, then, I don't do Windows so no guarantee!

And, just for future reference you can rename a folder and keep the files in it and then a fresh install can make the original folder itself.

Tom

Thanks Tom,

I did rename the folder and moved it. Since this is the actual code for the Classic no use having old copies in the currently install folder. Who knows when they got left there. I just did an install of 1775 and then an uninstall and all files where removed along with the c:\MidniteSolar directory. So ALL is GOOD.  8)
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: Halfcrazy on February 19, 2014, 02:00:18 PM
I believe boBs program leaves the old ones behind and just keeps adding the new ones and the proper file to point the program to the new files.
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: boB on February 19, 2014, 03:54:40 PM

If you uninstall before installing a new update, ALL of the old files should delete themselves.

If you added  .ctl files manually, then the uninstaller will not know about those files and will not
delete them.

If the uninstall.exe deletes all of the files, then the directory itself will also be deleted.

This is the cleanest way to do a new install  but it does not matter if the old .ctl files
are still there...  Except that I would wonder WHY they are still there.

I think that what may have happened is that a new install was probably done without
uninstalling first and it wrote over the new files (not .ctl or .rem files) and just left the
old .ctl files in there.  Then, after another update install without doing an uninstall first,
any newer updates will not know about the older .ctl and .rem files and they will just
stay there until you do an uninstall and delete the old orphaned files.

So the way to do a complete uninstall would be to run uninstall.exe and then delete the
rest of the C:\midnitesolar   directory before installing the latest midnite update files.

boB
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: TomW on February 19, 2014, 05:35:09 PM
boB;

Is there a reason you don't distribute just the .ctl & .rem files?

Be nice for non M$ users and might not confuse folks on the install / uninstall methodology.

Just curious.

Tom
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: boB on March 01, 2014, 02:11:05 AM
Quote from: TomW on February 19, 2014, 05:35:09 PM
boB;

Is there a reason you don't distribute just the .ctl & .rem files?

Be nice for non M$ users and might not confuse folks on the install / uninstall methodology.

Just curious.

Tom


No reason except that the .batch file  contains the name of the .ctl and .rem files that are used.

The .bat file is always the same and is referred to from the little GUI program.

I have giving out the .CTL and .REM files a couple of times and it is usually too confusing so
I just distribute a new  .exe  file instead with everything in it INCLUDING  the what has changed
text file and anything else that ~might~ need changing.

boB
Title: Re: Firmware CTL files
Post by: TomW on March 01, 2014, 09:00:07 AM
boB;

Yep, that makes sense with users of every imaginable level of expertise with computers. The .exe file does run fine under Wine and extracts /installs all the proper files to the hard drive without having to actually boot into Windows.

Thanks for the response.

Tom