Changing INI (configuration) file names and/or locations in SuperBeam, ProSteel and SuperHeat

By default all settings for our programs are saved to the file SDA_APPS.INI in the current Windows directory (generally C:\WINNT on Windows NT and 2000 systems, C:\WINDOWS on Windows 95, 98, ME and XP). Where several users share a computer and each wants to use different settings you can store the common settings in one file and each user's preferences in another one. If you are the only person using one or more of our programs on your computer you can ignore the information on this page; some of it may only be useful to network administrators.

On each program the Configuration, User Setup, Paths and Files dialog page contains two entries used to store the names and locations of the INI files used to store the program settings. Where no path is specified INI files will be stored in the system Windows directory

The first file stores settings that will be common to all users of the program (e.g. the name/location of the help file) and default values for things such as standard load names and should be stored in a location that is accessible to all users of the machine (its location is stored in the registry HKey_Local_Machine section).

The second file can have the same name as the first and on single-user systems it usually will, on multi-user systems it won't - and stores individual settings such as preferred colours and fonts. Where you have multiple users this file should be located in a directory only accessible to the current user (its name is stored in the registry HKey_Current_User section).

On Windows 2000 and XP systems pressing the '99' button will generate the system preferred options for these files, for example

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ApplicationData\SDA\SDA_APPS.INI

and

C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\SDA\SDA_APPS.INI.

You will need to ensure that the first of these is accessible to all users: on a Windows 2000 system with Administrator rights, from 'My Computer' select Tools, Folder options, View and select 'Show hidden files and folders' (you can go back and change this back afterwards), drill down to the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data folder, where you should see an SDA folder. Right click, select 'Properties', 'Security' and make sure that all users have, at a minimum, read and write access.

On Windows XP Pro systems the procedure is similar, but you will first need to go to Control Panel, Folder Options, View and uncheck 'Use simple file sharing' or you will not see the security tab (again you can change this back afterwards).