Renaming instances in XP

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Hey!
I run the Nord Virtual Modular 1.4 on a HP Elitebook 8440p under windoze XP. It works extremely well, never had this computer run out of steam. I recently realised I could have numerous instances of NVM running different patches simultaneously! (I can have at least 4).
I’d like to know if/how I could rename each instance in such a way that when they run, each one will show a different name in their respective program window. So I can track better what each one is doing.
thanks!

[blue hell]

Hmm, you can probably just copy the exe file (not the shortcut for it but the actual exe), and then rename that exe.

However the stored settings of the different executables may get mixed up - depending on how they are stored ..i forgot the details there but the last one closed may 'win' in that those are the last settings stored.

[rant on: it has been such a stupid idea to store settings in a fixed location in the registry instead of an ini file named after the name of the executable.]

Maybe also store the renamed executables in different directories - there is no need for them to be in 'program files' .. or what it was called in xp ...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

This is what I've done so far:
I have made four copies of my original Nord Virtual Modular.exe program.
I have renamed each as: Nord Virtual 2, Nord virtual 3, etc.
I have put them in a new folder (troupeau de Nord Virtual).

Unfortunately when I run them, the name in each instance's window reads "Nord Virtual Modular".
When I reduce them they all are "Nord Virtual Modular" in the taskbar.

I am sure the name displayed must reside somewhere in the program file and might be editable. But how, that' a great mystery. And I am not much of a windows whiz...

[blue hell]

I've just tried - when I change a text string the program will not run anymore - probably a checksum issue ...

[blue hell]

I had tried it with a text editor first (which gave an error message popup), and now tried with a proper resource editor - it will not run anymore after a text change, this time without an error message ...

And now I am out of ideas ...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Well thanks for trying!
I used to be knowledgeable of these things in old Macintosh OSes, but for windows I am clueless...

[blue hell]

Some hints then for resource editing under windows :

I stumbled over this one a while ago : https://angusj.com/resourcehacker/ - it is free and it looks good but i did not try it yet.

Myself I have an old version (Colin Wilson - 2005 - version 3.0.0.1) of XN Resource Editor which has always worked for me - it is free too and seems to still exist (but it will need a little searching to find a good one it seems - anyway google lists some).

You may need to copy exe files out of program files first, and you may need to change the rights on them or claim file ownership (by right clicking and then selecting properties) (as otherwise changed files may not save).

Text shown by a program is often present in resources.

To have a free editor which should be capable to edit anything ... notepad++ - it has all kinds of plugin utilities to make nearly everything possible (but you'll need search for those).

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Thanks for the tips!
Resource Hacker looked interesting. I downloaded it, but it won't run as it is "not a valid 32-bit program" or something like that I'm told...

I will keep an eye open on that subject, but beign not very high on the priority list I won't embark on anything major.

[blue hell]

Oh yeah .. 32 bits ..we had that once

There could be old versions ...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

not on his site, unless they're stashed somewhere hidden...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

I did find an older version (4.25) that I ran on NVM, but I didn't find the string of interest...

[blue hell]

Are you looking for "Nord Virtual Modular"?

I don't know where that name comes from .. it says "Nord Modular G2 Editor" here and that string is present here as well. And yes this is demo software and not the editor (a strongle limited, monophonic version of the Modular G2 system - as it says on startup).

And I can not really test things here as the program does not respond to the keyboard / mouse here .. probably an issue with the soundcard (which got changed a while ago - since when it would not run anymore - I think ...) (it has nothing to do with renaming stuff - it is an original version).

I can start it and then need task manager to end it ...

[Le DJ Abstrait]

Yes I was looking for "Nord Virtual Modular" string because that's what appears in the program's window, and in the taskbar on my computer. Just to be sure we're talking about the same thing, I am referring to "Nord Virtual Modular", the "Nord Modular G2 demo" reworked by "Joshy" .

[blue hell]

Ah ok - I do not have that one - I'll shut up .

[Le DJ Abstrait]

It comes from here!...
https://electro-music.com/forum/topic-57892.html

I just tried, and the two behave the same regarding names shown.