Does anyone know of a program - free or otherwise - that can "copy" a list of files to text that can be imported to a spreadsheet? I own over 1000 games, and keeping up with them is becoming such a task that I can't play them - no time. I just lost the spreadsheet I was working on when my OS crashed after an update. Had to wipe and reinstall OS. The thought of losing the more than 600 games which I had typed by hand just crushed me. I did back up my computer, but the back-up for some reason didn't include any of my spreadsheets. And, I had also saved the lists to an exterior drive, thinking that was a way to get double insurance. When the hard drive was lost, all the spreadsheets on my exterior drive must still have been "linked" to my hard drive and they were all lost.
I want to scan all my games
(14 posts) (9 voices)-
AugustusPoirot
MemberPosted 12 years ago # -
One way to get a "list" is to use the DOS "DIR" command and re-direct the output to a file. You can do that for ALL your shortcuts and it would be a start. It would be a text file but that can be edited" and imported into a spreadsheet for a start.
You do have to know the basics of old DOS but it's not that hard.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I did a quick Google serch and found this program which looks like it will do the job. There is a free version of this (that I tried) but it only will output the list of programs installed on your computer in an html format. The paid version will allow you to output the list to a csv (spreadsheet) file which is what you want. You could also look around on Google and see if you can find anything else that would meet your needs better.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Have you tried a program to recover the spreadsheet? I would just for giggles. What do you have to lose? Use Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery - Free Download - http://www.piriform.com/recuva or maybe something you downloaded from GOTD. I have had great success with Recuva. It is made by the same people who make CCleaner, Defraggler, and Speccy. If you get it back..then you are way ahead of the game.
Good luck!Now..back to recovering from my week of migraines. UGH!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Robert
StrayCatA fun way to create a spreadsheet with a list of your games:
1)Use notepad to create a text file with the text below:
dir/b *.* >gamelist.xls
2)Save as "listing.txt" and rename the extension to bat.
(for instance "listing.bat")
3)Copy the bat file to your games folder.
Double click on the bat file and within seconds you'll get a nice list of your games opening in Excel.
(also works with Kingsoft Spreadsheets)
......
Another option is to use Karen's Directory Printer and use the 'save to disk' option.
(but take your time to configure the program and choose between the many available options).
Next copy the contents of the created folder or file list into Excel.......
Hope you get well soon Delenn.Posted 12 years ago # -
Robert, that's just a bit more detailed of my recommendation for using DOS.
However, it may work better to do it with the shortcuts list, not the games folder. Your command assumes no STRUCTURE, that is all the games are at the same level "Games". If your games are more structured or some are elsewhere, this won't find them.
A better choice would be to have your bat file as:
CD "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu"
Dir/b *.* /s > C:\Games\gameslist.txtThen you can put the bat file anywhere. Make sure the folder specification for the output (after the >) is what you want.
The reason for the ".txt" extension instead of the .xls is that it will probably need editing before import to the spreadsheet because of nested folders.
Note, you MUST have the quotes with the CD command, at least around "Start Menu" or DOS won't know what to do with that blank.
This is just a little more details of my original idea. I was hoping not to have to give details. I was hoping that you would understand enough to figure the rest out but I don't think Robert's command will work for your needs. That many games needs some sort of structure. A flat folder would be impossible to keep organized!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Robert
StrayCat:) Thanks Dragonlair.
Looks like a great way to go for it.
Btw Did you try it on 7 ?Assuming AugustusPoirot was only asking to create a list of a backup folder containing the games he owns, that simplified command or Karen's Directory Printer should do the trick.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Robert, I can't try it on 7, I have Vista. However, from what I've seen, if it works for Vista, it should work about the same for 7.
I've used this same trick myself to figure out products. Then again, I'm comfortable with DOS. My first 2 computers were DOS and I stills ay DOS ISN'T DEAD! They just changed the name to "PowerShell".
Posted 12 years ago # -
AugustusPoirot
MemberI thank all of you for answering me so quickly. I, too, "grew up" with DOS. There was a time when I NEVER had to resort to the manual. However, after you hit the age of 50 (which I did 15 years ago) you lose about 50 commands each year until there's almost nothing left at all. But, with the help of your command lines, I'm ready to give it a try.
Would there be any advantage to doing this in Safe Mode? I've found that sometimes when I'm in the DOS box, Safe Mode seems not to get as confused as regular windows does. BTW, I'm running Vista 64bit. I should have told you last night, but it was after my bedtime when I wrote the question. I'm surprised any of you even understood what I wanted to do. HA!
Thank you, again. BTW I'm a she - just to clarify should we continue this request. HA!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I don't use DOS Box for Dos - I use the "command" menu option from Windows. That's DOS. You shouldn't have to bother with Safe Mode and if you don't want to do the bat file, just go into DOS and issue the commands manually. It may be easier if you don't need it very often.
Remember to make a backup when you get your spreadsheet back!
BTW - I'm a she, too and I'm over 50 but not 15 years ago, a few less. :)
Posted 12 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruThanks for the tips guys and gals. I would be very interested in a way to scan all of my steam games into a database so that I can include registration codes. I have too many games to even put a figure to, but it would be nice to find a quick method for adding them to a database/spreadsheet.
Isn't there a program that can scan pages and enable you to edit each individual word even though it's a scan? I'm sure one of the developers who has given us a giveaway also had that particular type of product in their portfolio.
I did discover that I can copy all of my ncf files from my Steam apps folder which basically lists all of my steam games in ncf files. These do transfer over to a word pad document but I don't see how I can seperate each entry at the moment. They copy over as though they are images, with no spaces between each ncf entry.
Looks Like I'd have to do it manually which is probably weeks of a job. I can copy the title of each game from the common folder which contains all of my Steam games and then paste the games name into a spreadsheet. It would probably be slightly faster than typing each game into a cell. You could do the same by clicking on each games installed folder (wherever your games are installed to - I usually create a seperate Games folder on one of my extra HDD's, then copy it's name as described above.
BTW i'm male and over 50 (born in June 1956) I don't know where the time has gone since I was in my teens and still find it hard to believe how quickly the interim time has passed. I remember thinking way back when I was a teenager that I'd be 44 when we entered the new millenium. I remeber thinking that that was very old, lol.
Posted 12 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorThanks for the tips guys and gals. I would be very interested in a way to scan all of my steam games into a database so that I can include registration codes. I have too many games to even put a figure to, but it would be nice to find a quick method for adding them to a database/spreadsheet.
I'm not a spreadsheet or database expert by any means -- it seems it takes forever to figure something out, & then I forget what I learned a week or two later. So with that in mind, Whiterabbit, meaning please forgive if this is more an idea that a readymade solution...
I've come across several apps over the years, many were written by folks learning programming, that turn a folder &/or file listing into a text list, with results either in some sort of text file or html -- Google/Bing & you might find one that outputs a .xls or similar file for a spreadsheet, or a text file with comma or tab separated values for importing into a database. You might also post over in the DonationCoder forums -- they have a section just for simple coding requests. You might also try out file search apps just to get all .exe files in a folder & sub-folders listed in the window, & see if maybe you could get that data into a text or spreadsheet file -- it should also work with StartMenu shortcuts if you pointed the search app at the right folders. There's an old, old search app called File Finder that's been a part of PowerDesk for a number of years, & it will let you copy lists of found files to the clipboard, or save results in a comma delimited or text file for import into a database, spreadsheet app etc... I've always been able to find [usually older] versions of PowerDesk for free, though it is not a low impact install -- if that bothers you it will work in win7's XP Mode VM to scan other drives/partitions on your system pretty much seamlessly. Once you have your data in some sort of text file, using Find/Replace &/or Replace All should let you format your list better, whether you're inserting commas or tabs + spaces or returns or removing ".exe" & so on. Replacement features vary a bit depending on the app you're using -- I've used Notepad, several apps that have been ported over from *nix, & word processors, though with word processors sometimes I've had to copy paste the results into Notepad rather than save-as since the word processor would mangle things during the save.
On DOS stuff, command lines etc... if you create a new text file [.txt] & name it something .reg, add the following, close/save it, & merge into Windows registry [double click], you can right-click open a DOS-type command window in any folder:
-------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Open Command Prompt Here\command]
@="cmd.exe /k pushd %L"-------------
Unfortunately, while I've found it invaluable it doesn't open the command window as admin, which is sometimes needed in win7 -- then you have to go the standard route & type cmd in the Start Menu search box, then right click the result & select Run as Admin... nothing wrong with that but then you have to navigate wherever. There are probably better search terms, but I typed in "win7 command line pipe" & Google came up with quite a few good hits right at the top of the list -- it looks like it would be very easy to double check the commands available in win7 that would create directory/folder listings.
* * *
Good luck, & BTW if anyone's interested daz3d.com is giving away 3 apps for Feb. -- it was on dealnews, & their site was getting so hammered that I didn't try downloading to check them out yet, but registration for the site, adding to the shopping cart, & *buying* the 3 worked the way it should, & only required name & e-mail -- my acct page showed I have till 2/7 to download, but I don't know if that's ironclad for the promo or if it can be reset & lasts forever like apps you actually buy.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Just James
MemberCheck out "Index Your Files". It's a good freeware program that will index your hard drives and let you save information to Excel ".csv" files which you can edit. You can also search through drives quickly after indexing not only for file names, but info inside files, too. You can view some of the files inside the program if you wish -- text and graphics both.
Posted 12 years ago #
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