Default database location moved without my "consent"?

[Christian Macé]

Hello,

Context: I'm not so much up to date with every new features in Picasa.

Situation. I usually run Picasa (3.9.138 build 151) on Win7 with PicasaStarter on a database located elsewhere (let say J drive) than the default Picasa db location (C:\Users\USERXXX\AppData\Local\Google). I needed to open a new database, so I just decided to open Picasa without PicasaStarter... I realized that it was the exact same db that is located on the J drive... After a couple test I realized that Picasa run my db located on the J drive... bypassing the default location... What happened... Picasa remembered the last db I ran and it opened the last one...? Can it causes problem if I run Picasa that used the same db without PicasaStarter... And WHY that happened... How can I tell Picasa to let me do my business with PicasaStarter and keep the default location?

Mainly I want to understand what happened (if my questions are unclear or they are too many)

Thanks in advance to help me understand.

[earlboss]

Hi Christian:

The way Picasa works is when it starts it looks at a registry entry to determine the present database.

If that entry exists, Picasa uses that path as the database.

If the entry doesn't exist, Picasa uses the default AppData path for that user.

PS makes use of this fact to do it's magic of selecting the database.

What probably happened in your case is PicasaStarter or Picasa crashed for some reason, and that entry was not erased.

You can erase the entry yourself by editing the registry and deleting the entry and a saved default entry PicasaStarter adds.

To set Picasa's default database location back to default after PicasaStarter has moved it:

1. Make sure Picasa and PS are not running.
2. Start the Registry editor (Regedit.exe).
3. Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Google\Picasa\Picasa2\Preferences Keys
4. Find the AppLocalDataPath  key and delete it to set it back to the default AppData Path.
5. Find the AppLocalDataPathSaved  key and delete it.
6. Exit the registry editor and Picasa should run normally using the default database.

Be careful when modifying anything in the Registry, and don't do this if you are unsure of yourself.

I think the registry entries can be reset also by Uninstalling, then Reinstalling Picasa, but I haven't tried that in a while.

Earl

[Christian Macé]

Okay,

Thanks (again!) Earl for that clarifying answer. I guess instead of playing in the registry I can also change with experimental feature the database location.

C.

[earlboss]

Hi Christian:

The experimental tool tries to move the database, not just point to the new location, so using it might result in the database being moved to the new location, so I would be careful and make a backup.

I have had very screwy things happen with the experimental thing.

[Christian Mace]

OKay... Thanks Earl for the information telling me to not change the DB location with the experimental tool if I don't want to MOVE the actual DB. From what you teach me the best solution would be to just start Picasa through PicasaStarter.

Christian

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[earlboss]

Hi Christian:

If you only have the one database, and you are using PicasaStarter just so you can use that database, and if Picasa's default database has somehow been set to use that database, then PS is not necessary. You should get the same result either way.

Just remember that if Picasa is re-installed, the default database might be set back to the default database, so don't get rid of PS, it might be needed again.

Maybe Pieter, (the_roggy) might have more to say?

Earl

[Pieter Roggemans]

Not much... except that installing a new version of picasa won't change the registry key...
Pieter

Op 23-sep.-2014 19:17 schreef "earlboss" <earl...@gmail.com>: