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ptc-30501501-Visitor
1-Visitor
November 15, 2010
Question

Preferences File Name

  • November 15, 2010
  • 10 replies
  • 2544 views
What file are the preferences stored in?

I have a writer that trashed his custom settings so much I can't even open his preferences. Be easier if I could just cut and paste mine and start all over.

Thanks,

John T. Jarrett CDT
Senior Tech Writer, Integrated Logistics Support, Land & Armaments/Global Tactical Systems

T 832.673.2147 | M 832.363.7234 | F 832.673.2376 | x1147 | -<">mailto:->
BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
www.baesystems.com

    10 replies

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    BillCroshier1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    For Epic 5.1 preferences are kept in 'epic.wcf'. Don't know if it has changed with the program name.

    -Bill
    E
    ebenton1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    It depends on what version you are using. They keep changing the name. With Epic Editor it used to be epicprefs.acl and then in 5.2 it was epic.wcf and I think now it is arbortext.wcf. Each should be in your "home" directory, wherever that is.
    A
    AndyEsslinger1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    The name of the file changes with the version. Arbortext.wcf or epic.wcf in recent versions. I have no clue what the default name is for Arbortext Editor 5.4.

    Default location is in the user's home directory, but I use the APTPRFWCF or APTWCF environment variable to force all of the preference files for my users to a central network location so I can troubleshoot problems (at this location home directories are not readable by anyone except the user/owner).

    Set APTWCF= \\server\sharename\\PRF\%ComputerName%.wcf (or I suppose it could be %UserName%.wcf)

    I have two versions running on different machines and the %SysID% environment variable is the same as %ComputerName%.

    Hope this helps,

    -Andy

    [cid:image002.png@01CB84B4.0BC439A0]

    [cid:image001.jpg@01CB84B1.09E71C90]Andy Esslinger LM Aero Tech Order Data
    (817) 279-0442 1 Lockheed Blvd. MZ 4285
    (817) 777-3047 Fort Worth TX 76108
    P
    ptc-30501501-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    I'm using 5.4 M040

    The help files say Arbortext.wcf as well, but I don't have one and all the wcf's I can find are not what I'm looking for. Most are in \lib or application\ditaorwhatever\lib.

    John T. Jarrett CDT
    Senior Tech Writer, Integrated Logistics Support, Land & Armaments/Global Tactical Systems

    T 832.673.2147 | M 832.363.7234 | F 832.673.2376 | x1147 | -<">mailto:->
    BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
    www.baesystems.com
    P
    ptc-9534221-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    John,



    Try



    Help à About Arbortext Editor à Session à [Session](tab) à Preferences File (table row entry)



    for full path and file name of Preferences File.



    --Jack


    A
    ajordin1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    John,

    You could try the following bit of acl from the epic command line....

    eval get_preferences_path(1)

    This will return the path that will be used when writing the preferences file.

    Adrian Jordin
    Senior Consultant

    Mekon Ltd.
    Mekon House, 31-35 St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1JN.
    E
    ebenton1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    If you have networked home folder, the .wcf file wouldn't show up on a desktop search.
    P
    ptc-30501501-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    Thanks Adrian, Jack and Ed...you were all right:

    C:\Documents and Settings\john.jarrett\Application Data\PTC\Arbortext\Editor\arbortext.wcf

    John T. Jarrett CDT
    Senior Tech Writer, Integrated Logistics Support, Land & Armaments/Global Tactical Systems

    T 832.673.2147 | M 832.363.7234 | F 832.673.2376 | x1147 | -<">mailto:->
    BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
    www.baesystems.com
    P
    ptc-9533431-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 15, 2010
    I believe that by default this folder in your Documents and Preferences
    area is hidden.

    ..dan

    > I'm using 5.4 M040
    >
    > The help files say Arbortext.wcf as well, but I don't have one and all the
    > wcf's I can find are not what I'm looking for. Most are in \lib or
    > application\ditaorwhatever\lib.
    >
    > John T. Jarrett CDT
    > Senior Tech Writer, Integrated Logistics Support, Land & Armaments/Global
    > Tactical Systems
    >
    > T 832.673.2147 | M 832.363.7234 | F 832.673.2376 | x1147 |
    > -<">mailto:->
    > BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
    > www.baesystems.com
    B
    BobSpangenburg1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    November 18, 2010

    John,

    In answer to your original question, as many have mentioned, the Help => About... => Session is the most reliable way to quickly find out where the user's preferences file is located. Once you find it, you can modfiy it with a text editor. However, the easiest way to "reset" the user's environment is to simply delete the file. Arbortext will automatically build a new one based on the defaults. Once you have an operational Editor for the user, you can go to Tools => Preferences and click on the Advanced button to individually set values that you may have unique for your installation.

    On a side note, if you care to control that file, you can, through an ENV variable, control it's location. This would include putting it on a server where all users could point to. Then, through access rights, control the modifying of the file. That way, all users start with a known point. They all can modify their settings once Editor is started, but they wouldn't be able to save them. Good control for consistency.

    HTH,

    Bob

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