12.88+ no usable Win exe file

[ET]

Since moving to 32- & 64-bit options, the 'exiftool(-k).exe' file is now ~36KB instead of ~10.4MB (ver12.87).
I have compared files on Sourceforge & Betz pages – same.
I use the standalone exe inline with other apps, not installing into its own folder somewhere.
Am I missing something?

[obetz]

Am I missing something?

you need also the exiftool_files folder in the same directory as the small exiftool.exe

[StarGeek]

The "stand alone" version never really was stand alone. It was basically a self extracting zip file which extracted the exiftool Perl script and a minimal Perl interpreter into your %TEMP% directory and ran it from there.

See this thread for more discussion on the subject.

[ET]

Cheers OB, I can now get this working with my 64-bit apps. It was a simple enough answer, but not obvious for me...

SG, thanks for explanation, I'm guessing this new method is more responsive, though less intuitive to install.

My 32-bit Geosetter app doesn't like the new files though. I've tried both the 32 & 64 bit exiftool (64 bit Win10 22H2), with both giving the same error: "Could not find C:\Users\[...]\AppData\Roaming\GeoSetter\tools\exiftool_files\perl5*.dll" [username removed]
I can confirm that perl532.dll is in the folder, but I'm guessing the program doesn't like the syntax with the asterisk.
Problem likely with old Geosetter program and not exiftool I guess...
For now I'll have to stick with 12.87, without access to any newer image formats that may arise.

Thanks for your work Phil!

[obetz]

My 32-bit Geosetter app doesn't like the new files though. I've tried both the 32 & 64 bit exiftool (64 bit Win10 22H2), with both giving the same error: "Could not find C:\Users\[...]\AppData\Roaming\GeoSetter\tools\exiftool_files\perl5*.dll" [username removed]
I can confirm that perl532.dll is in the folder, but I'm guessing the program doesn't like the syntax with the asterisk.

That's likely no geosetter issue. Try to open a command prompt in GeoSetter\tools and type "exiftool -ver" to check whether ExifTool is installed correctly.

[StarGeek]

Did you make sure and move the exiftool_files to the C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Roaming\GeoSetter\tools directory.

I just did this, ran Geosetter, checked Help menu->exiftool and Geosetter reported the correct new version of exiftool.  I then edited some data and it was properly edited in the file. So it's working correctly here.

[ET]

Ah ok, sorted, nice work guys!
I wasn't copying files to AppData dir.

Previously, I just dropped exe into the Program Files (x86)\Geosetter\tools dir and everything worked.
When I did that this time, the exiftool perl launcher copied itself to AppData\Roaming\GeoSetter\tools but without the additional exiftool_files folder. Once I moved the exiftool_files folder over, it worked.

Program Files (x86)\Geosetter\tools folder doesn't seem to be used by Geosetter at all any more, as the program runs fine without it.

Perhaps previously the self-extracting version worked because extracted temp files would be found in the path. This new install procedure needs files in the right spot (or added to path variable I suppose). In any case, I hope this post helps some other noob out with the changes in 12.88 and newer versions of exiftool.

For info to others, the 64 bit exiftool files work fine with the 32 bit Geosetter program (running on a 64 bit OS).

[rhenley]

Oh great, a stealth performance release.

I don't know about you. But old people like me likely still could use a bit of simplicity, not a evolving degree in computer science when dealing with all these Tags - which is confusing enough.

[StarGeek]

You can use the version that has an installer from this page.

[ET]

You can use the version that has an installer from this page

.... but it won't work like the 12.87 and before exes did. You can't just drop it into a program's folder as before.

If you do install it, programs that have their own version of exiftool will ignore any new version you install elsewhere, even if it's in the path.

Perhaps if you delete any old exiftool bundles from other programs, they will be able to find an installed version in the path. Or not.

[obetz]

I wasn't copying files to AppData dir.

you don't need to. You just need to keep the structure in one place.

Previously, I just dropped exe into the Program Files (x86)\Geosetter\tools dir and everything worked.
When I did that this time, the exiftool perl launcher copied itself to AppData\Roaming\GeoSetter\tools but without the additional exiftool_files folder.

I doubt this. Please explain exactly what you did. Did you use the installer or the ZIP version?

If you unpack the ZIP to Geosetter\tools, everything should work. The same if you instruct the installer to install to Geosetter\tools.

If Exiftool is already installed with the Installer, the installer doesn't offer the path entry on the next run. Just use the ZIP file then.

[rhenley]

The problem from my perspective is that this a big regression in simple functionality.

Those of us who grew up with film don't need to dig through thousands of images all at once, we just like the simple working standalone exe.

I have a number of utilities I have developed and where they involve ExifTool in the past I could just drop in the exe into to a folder to update it. Now I'm unclear how future updates can be managed with paths similar to this involved:

...\ExifTool\exiftool-12.89_64\exiftool.exe  ...

This change forces me to figure out how to repack all the files so that it works the way it did before on Windows, with an invisible self extracting temp process ... to run it.

[Phil Harvey]

This is not a big regression.

Just do exactly what you were doing before, but also drop the "exiftool_files" folder to wherever you dropped the .exe

- Phil

[vale]

I'm getting this error when invoking exiftool 12.92 on Windows 10 although I have both the exe and exiftool_files in the same folder:

Can't locate Image/ExifTool.pm in @INC (you may need to install the Image::ExifTool module) (@INC contains: c:\Users\zloka\Downloads\exiftool_files/lib c:/Users/zloka/Downloads/exiftool_files/lib) at c:\Users\zloka\Downloads\exiftool_files\exiftool.pl line 32.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at c:\Users\zloka\Downloads\exiftool_files\exiftool.pl line 32.

[StarGeek]

I would suggest deleting exiftool.exe and the exiftool_files directories and then use the installer that you can find on this page.

[vale]

That worked. Thanks so much.