The app found all the items in my plugs folders: dxi, vst, vsti, vst3,...
 
 

Hi bitflipper,
 
I'd love to try your inventory app (via either dropbox or email)! I'd be happy to pay a few $$ too if you release it.
 
I've just reinstalled my ageing XP partition at the same time as setting up Win 7 on a new one...your app seems like it might save me a huge amount of time sorting through both lots of plugin folders.
 
Regards,
Alex.

This thread, and about two weeks of bronchitis, instigated a period of cleansing.
 
In an earlier post I suggested using the DIR command to list the plugs in the plugs' folders.
 
Much to my chagrin and annoyance I found a billion samples as well as the related plugs, in the default Sonar folders.
 
I ALWAYS attempt to install samples in the USER DEFINED samples folder.  Unfortunately too many of the programmer managers ASSUME putting everything in buried and hidden folders is good for everybody. (AD would not install quickly because I do not use the default plug paths. I use a folder on the C: drive.)
 
(Nothing a user needs access to, and/or can save, should be placed in a buried/hidden folder that is not a default for every average backup program. Programs, program data, and roaming folders should never be used for user presets, progs, samples,.... If I cannot easily drag and drop to a backup device it should not be placed there.........)
 
So, anyway, back at the ranch, I proceeded to spend way too much time reviewing all the plugs and deleted lots. Fur shure stuff installed with Sonar that I will never use.
 
Example of other bits: Once upon a time far, far ago, I journeyed to find an easy to use ping-pong echo plug. Got a bunch, but did not rid myself of the pile of accumulated debris
.
And sometimes the one item I wanted required getting the bundle.
 
Lots of stuff has left the building.
 
And then I reviewed, and consolidated, all the temporary backups created during installations, all audio docs, tutorials, videos, templates, presets,....
 
I figger I deleted at least 200 gigabytes of stuff. Got rid of all the redundant copies of Cakewalk Content, expanded installation files, versions of DP, Rapture,....
 
I now have many fewer folders for all the stuff. And one external backup.
 
Much easier to find stuff now.
 
 
==================
Bugs, comments & suggestions:
 
We expect this application to not always perform as described.    This is by design.
 
Our software code is free of mistakes and errors. Yet it does contain undefined behaviors, and undocumented results.
 
Enjoy the process of discovery.
 
Please inform us of any unique functions you encounter that we may include them in the list of known features.
 

Thank you soooo much Bit! This was exactly what I was looking. You are so da man! Thanks for all your help.
Tommy

Do they make a spreedsheet big enough for your list Bapu? 
 
Dave This is wonderful work and extremely useful. Thank you. 

Starise
Wow Bit...thanks for sharing this! I have one computer with excel on it but it isn't my DAW. Can I still use this if I put them on a memory stick and transport to my DAW which doesn't have Excel?

No. It'll throw two errors and stop (which is understandable):
ExcelClass_Initialize ActiveX component can't create object
VSTInventory Unable to establish communication with Microsoft Excel
 

That is fantastic!! Thanks so much Bit.
 
Rocky

Thanks very much bit, looking foward to giving it a work out.

I want so badly to write something that is a little clever and gets an idea of just what I think of this work. Unfortunately, I am at a total loss of words. All I can say is WOW and thank you. Fantastic! Dave, what an asset to this forum.

bitflipper
Just uploaded a new version. This one will create a text file if you don't have Excel installed.
 
Caveat: I haven't actually tested this yet on a machine that doesn't have Excel on it. I'm just going on blind faith that it'll work. Julien, you'll tell me, yes?
 

 
INJB, yes it works fine.

I, uh, am impatient. I copied the Cakewalk VST X64\Inventory hive to the SONAR Producer hive (after renaming the hive paths). Yep, it worked. Why there's a producer hive on my PC is a mystery. But I now have a beautiful spreadsheet with my VSTs listed!
 
Thanks for sharing with us!
 
P.S. I'm not that reckless. I backed up the Producer hive first.

Downloaded and ran perfectly on Win 8.1 64 bit into Excel 2013.
 
Thanks Dave. 

OK, TerraSin, I'll filter out those Novation wrappers in the next build.
 
Mr. Ranck: kudos for being resourceful and thinking outside the hive. But yeah, kids, don't try that at home without backing up first. 
 
 

bitflipper
Just uploaded a new version. This one will create a text file if you don't have Excel installed.
 
If you do have Excel installed but just want a text file anyway, append "-TEXT" to the command line.
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2aw3v1nr9v2j3uv/VSTInventory106.zip?dl=0
 
Caveat: I haven't actually tested this yet on a machine that doesn't have Excel on it. I'm just going on blind faith that it'll work. Julien, you'll tell me, yes?
 
One other thing...the file's pretty wide, so you'll want to turn Word Wrap off in Notepad when viewing the report.
 
Next mod will be the addition of a CSV option so you'll be able to import the text file into a spreadsheet or database on another computer. 

Thanks for sharing this, Dave! And for all that you contribute to this forum!! Much appreciated.