by mygeepah7 » Wed Oct 02, 2024 9:39 am
Windows 11
I have struggled greatly with the installers for the Total Studio MAX 3.5 since I purchased it. It seems that it installs some files wherever it wants to regardless of settings changes.
I've have some success but installers like SampleTank 4 will not install to the custom location exclusively; it will create folders and copy files to several places. I have a P:\ drive for sounds and every other product I own (several) install there just fine.
Here's what I've found:
Files are copied to C:\Users\<user>\OneDrive\Documents\IK Multimedia whether I change the download folder or not. They just show up.
Also to C:\Users\Public\Documents\IK Multimedia albeit just a couple of main folders
Also to whatever folder you choose if you check the custom install location.
When installing SampleTank 4, there are "SampleTank 4" folders scattered all around although they appear to have different files in them. The fact that they have the same name is confusing when trying to manually move them.
I've tried multiple times to consolidate sounds in one place but no luck. Finally, I blew everything away and started fresh with default settings. This works but I don't like the fact that I can't decide.
Also, if the main folder in C:\Users\<user>\OneDrive\Documents\IK Multimedia is moved, renamed, or the child folders changed, the installers will do nothing. Recreate the folders and off they go again; no user messages.It's not checking for them to exist.
Furthermore, if some sound installers will show up as "Update" though they've installed correctly already. I've run them multiple times only to have them continue to say it.
Lastly, once all the installations are complete I did copy the C:\Users\<user>\OneDrive\Documents\IK Multimedia\IK Product Manager folder with all the installers to the P:\ drive to rid my C drive of those at least. I just copy back any that I need to re-install.
In my opinion, this is a giant mess and needs to be fixed or I'm dumping the products. The Product Manager should be rock solid give the user control over locations and what is installed. How about checkboxes for just the sounds packs you want to install? As it is, it's "Install All" or one at a time. Yuck.
It should be as simple as choosing the download folder, choosing a drive/folder to install sounds to, selecting VST locations (and they are now fixed anyway for VST3), and clicking GO. I should be able to see all my sounds exactly where I specified and nowhere else.
If the Product Manager requires Administrator mode, it should make that clear up front. I shouldn't have to find it in a forum or FAQ.