Best method to downgrade MyPal Browser

ImWolf

ImWolf

I started having issues with Mypal 14.7b a few weeks after the upgrade. At first I was very happy with it, but now it not only loads very slow, but when ever it’s running all other programs also load very slow and exhibit delayed responses to any interaction.

I’m not sure exactly how to diagnose the issue, so I figured I would first go back to V.13.7b after completely purging everything “Mypal” from the system.

Is this purge as simple as deleting directories and registry entries, or could Mypal also be affected by other browsers on the system? (Serpent, Firefox, Chrome)?

Also, if there’s any way to keep profile settings that cannot be part of the problem, that would be very helpful. Bookmarks are easy enough, but I’ve never figured out an easy way to save individual settings for allowed cookie storage and such.

Thanks for any input,
Wolf
 
go to troubleshooting and you can open the folder for your profile.

what I do is copy the entire folder to desktop, after you have closed mypal, and then when I install mypal, I just copy the entire folder to the new profile folder and check box to replace all with new files.
 
I'm currently using MyPal version 68.14.5b, because on any newer updated versions, I am not able to install add-ons for them. So this is the last version I can use. I did prefer the previous versions better, as they seemed more faster, but a lot of pages stopped working on them, so I had to go to my current version. It is also a bit slow and can hang, at times, but it is all I got. But if you are having probs with a newer version, then perhaps it is wiser to stay with my current one.
 
Elizabeth23 said:
I just copy the entire folder to the new profile folder and check box to replace all with new files.
Click to expand...
To clarify, you meant to say that you replace the newly created files with the previously copied versions?

Depending on which version of MyPal being installed, this might not work? I've already tried replacing the "Program Files" version of 68.14.7b with the older 68.13.7b without touching the existing "Documents and Settings\" config files, and I got an immediate error message that the older program would not function with the newer config files.

I would have to try it out to know for sure, but I suspect I'll get the same error message if I replace newer config files with older ones.
 
boss1968 said:
I'm currently using MyPal version 68.14.5b, because on any newer updated versions, I am not able to install add-ons for them.
Click to expand...
I remember you commenting on this previously, and it's sad you haven't found a work around yet. Did you look for XPI files for the add-ons you want to install? (that's how I ended up installing Ublock Origin and some others in MyPal V.14.7b).

Part of my current issue with slow behavior might be the version of MyPal, or it might just be systemic? I've never completely deleted old settings when upgrading, so the newer program had always ran with the previous configuration. But I'm ignorant as to if this is the proper way to upgrade the browser while avoiding input of all the settings again.

I recently also "installed" MyPALPortable_74.1.4, which uses a separate destination for config files, and right out of the shoot that version of MyPal ran as slow (and degrading to other programs) as V.68.14.7b.
 
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ImWolf said:
I remember you commenting on this previously, and it's sad you haven't found a work around yet. Did you look for XPI files for the add-ons you want to install? (that's how I ended up installing Ublock Origin and some others in MyPal V.14.7b).

Part of my current issue with slow behavior might be the version of MyPal, or it might just be systemic? I've never completely deleted old settings when upgrading, so the newer program had always ran with the previous configuration. But I'm ignorant as to if this is the proper way to upgrade the browser while avoiding input of all the settings again.

I recently also "installed" MyPALPortable_74.1.4, which uses a separate destination for config files, and right out of the shoot that version of MyPal ran as slow (and degrading to other programs) as V.68.14.7b.
Click to expand...
Nope, I have not found a way to get XPI files to work on a new version of MyPal. I try the drag and drop method and it doesn't seem to work that way anymore like it used to. So, I just have to stick with my current version. It still is great, I'm very happy to use it, it's an excellent browser, but ever so often there is another webpage that doesn't work on it anymore. :-/

This may be a dumb question, but instead of transferring your files back and forth and purging your system of MyPal, would you be able to just install/unzip the version you want again, and do it by that method, without touching any other files ?
 
boss1968 said:
Nope, I have not found a way to get XPI files to work on a new version of MyPal. I try the drag and drop method and it doesn't seem to work that way anymore like it used to. So, I just have to stick with my current version. It still is great, I'm very happy to use it, it's an excellent browser, but ever so often there is another webpage that doesn't work on it anymore. :-/

This may be a dumb question, but instead of transferring your files back and forth and purging your system of MyPal, would you be able to just install/unzip the version you want again, and do it by that method, without touching any other files ?
Click to expand...
For some addons, I needed to use Tools>Add-Ons, then click the down arrow next to the gear icon, "Install Add-on From File", and then point to a saved XPI file to install the Add-On. This didn't always work however, so I had to try various older (or newer) versions of that Add-On after a web search.

With every version of MyPal I've ran so far, there have been issues with web pages not loading correctly, or not loading at all, or refusing to load even after they had been working previously. Most of the time this was eventually cured by editing the UserAgent or adding a site specific UserAgent.

Your question isn't dumb, it's the method I've been using for many versions, but it led to a confusing mess of sorts. A few months ago I actually looked at my Profiles directories (yes there are 2) and found 5 profiles in each location. I had never created extra profiles, so MyPal did this somehow while I was swapping versions (either up or downgrade). At the moment, I cannot simply replace the contents of "C:\Program Files\MyPal68" with an older version. I'll get an error message.

On my machine, MyPal V.68.14.7b "Help>Troubleshooting Information" lists the "Profile Folder" as being "C:\Documents and Settings\Wolf\Application Data\Mypal68\Profiles\ogd2xe4r.default-default". However, "about : profiles" lists this same directory as the "Root Directory", and "C:\Documents and Settings\Wolf\Local Settings\Application Data\Mypal68\Profiles\ogd2xe4r.default-default" as the "Local Directory". Strange that the programmer can't make up his mind if files are stored in Folders or Directories? Also strange that Profiles would need to be stored in multiple locations. Or, are there now mixed files from various versions of MyPal on the system? In any case, the main profile directory modification date is updated (in both locations) every time I run MyPal.

In my opinion, the only way to be sure is to purge everything MyPal off the system, and then keep a much closer eye on things as I re-install. I'm not in a big hurry though, so I'm hoping someone with more knowledge on the subject chimes in to let me know what all needs to be removed to return the system to virgin status.
 
not the program files, the profile folder which is in applications, I think it is a hidden folder, cannot remember as I still do not have my xp machine working yet, :)
 
Elizabeth23 said:
not the program files, the profile folder which is in applications, I think it is a hidden folder, cannot remember as I still do not have my xp machine working yet, :)
Click to expand...
Not sure what you're eluding to Elizabeth. What I want to start with after the purge is a clean install of MyPal V.68.13.7b, which was one of the better versions for me. If I can't tweak that version enough to load all my required web sites, then I'll upgrade from there.

I'm assuming that if I backup and then delete all the current MyPal directories and registry entries that would be adequate to wipe all previous MyPal related files and settings off the system.... unless someone tells me different.
 
ImWolf said:
now it not only loads very slow, but when ever it’s running all other programs also load very slow and exhibit delayed responses to any interaction.
Click to expand...
"Hardware acceleration in Mozilla Firefox leverages the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to expedite rendering tasks, thereby enhancing browser performance, particularly during the display of graphically intensive content like videos and WebGL applications. However, this seemingly beneficial feature can, in certain scenarios, become a performance bottleneck or introduce instability due to driver incompatibilities, bugs within the GPU acceleration implementation, or resource constraints."

in the address bar=
about:config
layers.acceleration.disabled = change to true

You can check your current graphics state before and after with
about:support
and look under Graphics, the WebGL sections and then the Decision Log.

I've had sluggish response and graphical glitches from Mypal while switching back and forth from other hardware accelerated programs such as VMware, and disabling Mypal's hardware acceleration fixed that. Another possible culprit is Mypal's disk cache, and I recommend strictly limiting it or disabling all-together, assuming you aren't on dial-up lol.
browser.cache.disk.capacity 32768
browser.cache.disk.enable false
browser.cache.disk.smart_size.enabled false

Elizabeth23 said:
not the program files, the profile folder which is in applications, I think it is a hidden folder, cannot remember as I still do not have my xp machine working yet, :)
Click to expand...
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Mypal68
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Mypal68
replace Administrator with your current Windows username. Local Settings is the temporary cache files, and the regular AppData folder is all the permanent settings. It's split so that backup programs can ignore the temp files, that's why the Local Settings folder has the "hidden" attribute.

Yes on occassion it'll create a new profile when it doesn't like something, maybe when the browser or a plugin crashes, but when you start the browser it'll notify you upon creation.

Firefox Profile files and folders explained - UMA Technology

Understanding Firefox Profile Files and Folders Structure
umatechnology.org umatechnology.org
explains some of the files and folders in your profile, so you know what to save.
permissions.sqlite stores Site Preferences (like cookie settings) and places.sqlite stores your bookmarks.
 
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cleverscreenname said:
"Hardware acceleration in Mozilla Firefox leverages the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to expedite rendering tasks
Click to expand...
After disabling the layers.acceleration and browser.cache I'm not seeing a lot of difference. On the bright side however, if I don't need to reboot for some odd reason then things warm back up close to normal.
 
Interesting.
You could try different versions of your display driver, older and newer.
Maybe a conflict with other certain programs running, or is Mypal bad even while running alone?
Could any other hardware is contributing to these delays, such as hard drive bad/delayed sectors (occupied by Mypal or Windows system files)? Perhaps a troublesome USB device interrupting the system too often? I'm just spit-balling here.

I'm very interested in your results, what helps and what doesn't, including if you downgrade your Mypal version :) since I would call Mypal the most important topic on XPforums, keeping us relevant and helpful to the masses.
 
The performance of V.68.14.7b has now improved a lot, and I'm not sure why. If I reboot the machine, then the first time I run the browser it will take a long time to load (about 40 seconds to display the home page), but after this, any restart of the browser is very fast. In either case, other programs no longer seem to be affected as they were before.

The few changes I made were the configuration changes mentioned above regarding layers.acceleration and browser.cache, and deleting all the older profiles that were present in the Applications & Local Settings\Applications directories. I also removed MyPALPortable_74.1.4 from the system, but all of those files were in a lone separate directory. I didn't do anything with the registry or the program files.

I had also created a zip file of the current profile a few weeks back, and stored that zip file in the Applications directory. For some strange reason, a directory was created ("C:\Documents and Settings\Wolf\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for MyPal.zip") which I only stumbled across when I did a search for "permissions.sqlite" files. Anyway, I deleted that zip file since it was already dated, and deleted the Temp directory as well, which was not automatically deleted after a reboot.

I have no clue which of the above changes actually enhanced the performance of the browser.
 
I'm glad to hear such a drastic improvement!

If you're using a hard drive, not an SSD, then an (intelligent) defrag should improve the rebooting and mypal-first-load times. Microsoft's built-in defragmenter has the intelligence of a 2 year old (it still "helps"), so it's wise to use a better program. I have used and can recommend (freebies): MyDefrag(my highest choice, and it was previously called JKDefrag), Auslogics Disk Defrag (fastest but does a 60% job), Defraggler, Ultra Defrag (open source!).

Other great ones but they aren't free: IObit Smart Defrag, Diskkeeper, Perfect Disk
I also have, but haven't tried yet: OODefrag, PowerDefragmenter, PuranDefrag, and Ultimate Defrag.
 
cleverscreenname said:
I have used and can recommend (freebies): MyDefrag(my highest choice, and it was previously called JKDefrag)
Click to expand...
I too have tried several defrags and eventually stayed with MyDefrag: free, flexible, surprisingly fast if you're happy with a quick&dirty job, never missed a bit so far. You ask me, it deserves an A+.
 
It's really dummy-proof too, with built-in explanations without needing a tutorial. It's portable, and has no dependencies, so it can be run from a WinPE boot disc, if you really want it to move every file (unlocked), like me :) I do "system disk monthly" but not monthly, really only after installing a huge program like VMware. For day to day tiny cleanups (since Windows often insists on fragmenting files, even after I set ContigFileAllocSize :mad:) I use Auslogics to very quickly defrag only files with 4+ fragments. And of course I exclude the entire %Temp% folder.

I think the fastest (full defragmentation) I've used was Diskkeeper, followed by IObit. That makes sense, being paid programs, proprietary algorythms. PerfectDisk really lived up to its name, but was annoyingly slower, and I didn't like the extra autorun services it installed, plus it's a MSI package o_O oh we don't have a vomit smiley.
 
I've been using UltraDefrag 6.1.2 for a few years. Quite happy. Decided to "upgrade" to UltraDefrag 7.1.4 (Last XP). Yeah... no. It is advised to stay away from UltraDefrag 7.1.4 if for XP. It might have messed up my old Dimension 8300 DAW but can't say for sure since 8300 had so many other issues... RIP. I used 7.1.4 on my office XP and well... just didn't feel "Smooth". Since it was optimized for Win 7 perhaps it had hiccups with XP MBR systems?
Whatever the issue, going back to 6.1.2. was fine.
That said, I'm going to try the MyDefrag which I've only seen good reviews for in the past and, well now here.:)
 
The improved performance I posted about on Jan. 6th with MyPal68.14.7b turned out to be quite short lived. This mostly affected opening other programs, and sometimes even tabs in the browser. In both cases it takes way too long for something else to both open, and then respond to keystrokes or mouse clicks.

I still don't know what caused this, because I was quite happy with this version of MyPal for several months, and then something changed. I don't know if the change was related to the browser files, or something else on the system. There are a few Registry entries pertaining to "Mypal", but not knowing what they do, I have never edited any of them.

This morning I renamed the "Program Files\MyPal68" directory, and both of the "MyPal68" configuration directories under "Docs & Settings" to "MyPal68.14". Then I installed MyPal68.13.7b again and took the time to setup preferences. This of course leaves me with 3 new "MyPal68" directories as before. The first time you run MyPal, it creates the two configuration directories by default. This version is running without any of the delay hangups that V.14 was giving me.

Question is, how do I run both versions (for testing or other) without having to change directory names all the time?

I know from past experience that V.13 will not function at all with the V.14 profiles. Version 14 will open and load the V.13 profiles, but then alter them immediately making them unusable for the V.13 Program. I would like to keep the profiles in separate directories for now, so is there an edit I can make so that "MyPal68.13.7b" will always look to "Docs&Settings\.....\MyPal68.13" ? (and likewise with V.14)
 
https://github.com/Feodor2/Mypal68/issues/534
Code: 
"  -P <profile>       Start with <profile>."
"  --profile <path>   Start with profile at <path>."
"  --migration        Start with migration wizard."
"  --ProfileManager   Start with ProfileManager."
"  --no-remote        Do not accept or send remote commands; implies  --new-instance."
"  --new-instance     Open new instance, not a new window in running instance."
"  --UILocale <locale> Start with <locale> resources as UI Locale."
"  --safe-mode        Disables extensions and themes for this session."
Also  -purgecaches  needed after messing with js code inside the browser or extensions.
So make shortcuts such as "C:\Program Files\Mypal13\mypal.exe --profile C:\Mypal13profile"
and "C:\Program Files\Mypal14\mypal.exe --profile C:\Mypal14profile"
 
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