How to run multiple copies of dtSearch on the same machine

Last Reviewed: November 20, 2000

Article: DTS0136

Applies to: dtSearch 5.x

Question

How can I have several copies of dtSearch running on one computer, each with its own separate option settings?

Answer

Note: This information is valid for dtSearch 5.x only. dtSearch 6 uses one set of option settings for each user.

Option 1. Multiple dtSearch installations

Each copy of dtSearch needs its own "private" directory for option settings. If you just install several copies of dtSearch in different folders on the same machine, though, the different dtSearch copies may still use the same private directory because dtSearch uses a single registry entry to identify the private directory. Instead, you can use a command-line switch to force each dtSearch copy to use its own private directory, like this:

(1) Install dtSearch in c:\dtsearch1, c:\dtsearch2, and c:\dtsearch3

(2) For each copy of dtSearch, make a Windows shortcut with the command-line switch /dir (directoryname), like this:

c:\dtsearch1\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch1

c:\dtsearch2\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch2

c:\dtsearch3\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch3

You can use this approach to run different versions of dtSearch on the same machine, without conflicts between the versions.

Option 2. One dtSearch installation, multiple working directories

If you want to have only one copy of dtSearch on the machine but still have different option settings (for example, for three different users who share the same machine), you can use the same procedure described above but with a single copy of the dtSearch program.

(1) Install dtSearch in c:\dtsearch

(2) For each user, make a Windows shortcut with the command-line switch /dir (directoryname), like this:

c:\dtsearch\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch1

c:\dtsearch\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch2

c:\dtsearch\dtswin.exe /dir c:\dtsearch3

Additional Information

How can I tell what directory dtSearch is using?

Click Help|About in dtSearch. Two directories will be displayed in the "About dtSearch" dialog box: the "Home" directory (where the dtSearch program is installed), and the "Private" directory, which is where option settings will be saved.

How does dtSearch decide which directory to use?

When dtSearch starts up, this is how it decides the private directory to use for option settings:

(1) If there was a /dir command-line switch, dtSearch will use that directory.

(2) If a registry entry identifies a dtSearch working directory, dtSearch will use that directory.

(3) If the directory where dtswin.exe (the dtSearch program) is located can be locked for read/write access, dtSearch will use that directory.

(4) Finally, dtSearch will create a temporary directory and use that directory as its private directory. The name of this directory will be stored in the registry so dtSearch will find it next time dtSearch runs.

In the Options|Preferences dialog box in dtSearch, there is a place to specify the dtSearch private directory. Changes to this setting are stored in the registry.