WinCatalog may save the scanning session to a log file or provides an ability to use 'old' scanning module that does not require Microsoft .NET Framework.
Debug
While scanning a disk or a folder, WinCatalog can save a log information about the scanning session.
If you experience any problems scanning a disk, please enable the debug logging, set logging level to "Debug" (as on the picture above) and the log file location to "Desktop" or "Documents" (if you click the Explorer button next to the value field, the selected folder will be open in Explorer). Unmark "Delete log file on success" option and start the scanning session.
Please recreate the error (and if WinCatalog freezes, please close it via the Task Manager) and then please send the log file to us for the investigations.
The log file does not contain any personal info, just the sequence of the called functions that may help us to detect a point of a crash. The log file is a simple text file, so you can open it using any text editor and check before sending.
If you're sending a log file to us, please also include the .NET Framework information found in the field below.
The scanning module in WinCatalog is implemented as a separate process. And every time it starts scanning, it creates a simple text file next to the catalog file where it puts locking info. When the scanning is finished, the scanning module deletes the lock file.
You can see that it is named as your catalog file, but with the .scanlock extension.
This functionality was added to prevent running several scanning processes simultaneously, especially when the catalog file is shared between several users.
Sometimes, if the scanning or updating processes were unexpectedly terminated, WinCatalog may not be able to delete the .scanlock file and display "Catalog file is locked" warning next time you add or update a disk. If you are the only person who use WinCatalog, it is safe to click "Continue anyway" to start a new scanning session. Otherwise, you should remember that someone else may currently have an active scanning sesstion.
If you are the only person who works with WinCatalog, you can turn this feature off.
The catalog-related setting is metadata that can be stored inside the catalog file, or outside in a separate file. This metadata contains, for example, the date of the last backup or parameters of the last search. If you store your catalog file in a cloud folder, and if the catalog-related settings are inside the file, every search will cause new synchronization via the cloud folder (because the catalog file changes). Storing this info outside the catalog file helps to significantly reduce the size of cloud synchronization.
If you don't have .NET Framework 3.5 or higher installed on your computer you still can use WinCatalog with an old scanning module that does not require any .NET Framework, but missing some new features like e-book processing.
The experimental feature: SuperMode. Previously you could move any item (file, disk or folder) from real (yellow) folders to virtual (blue) folders. Now with SuperMode you can move any item (even non-file one) to any folder. This feature can be helpful, if you want to move previously moved files and folders back to their original location.
If you don't see this checkbox, mark the "Allow experimental features" option.
