Are there Windows XP registry settings for Spark client preferences? Specifically, the notification preferences…can they be changed via registry settings?
They are stored in a file called “spark.properties” located in your user profile path. For example mine is at :C:\Documents and Settings\Scott Miller\Spark…
You can modify most everything you would want to right there in that file!! Open it in notepad. Make a backup copy if you are unsure before editing!!
Hope that helps!!
Scott
thanks very much for the quick reply Scott. I really appreciate it and it does help!
Do you know how to make spark.properties support an environment variable? I want to set the default file transfer path to the desktop but for any user. So I want to set it like %userprofile%\desktop
It is not possible to use environment variables in the preference file.
Ok thanks. I read that some people use a vbscript to generate the spark.properties file, have you seen that and if so do you know where I can get it?
I use a logon script that creates/overwrites the file at login with a file I have already configured. You can easily do this by configuring you spark client exactly how you want the defaults to look then edit out your download directory settings so it reads downloadDirectory=
I have done that, but the problem is that this file needs to be different for each user on the domain. I’m going to use a group policy or login script to deploy the msi and then I want to have the spark.properties copied into each user’s directory at %userprofile%\spark. I want each download location to be the desktop for each user, like downloadDirectory=C:
Documents and Settings
Scott
Desktop, and also have the username preset like username=scott, but with whatever user that is logged in. I know a VBscript can create this file at login, but I don’t know anyting about vbscripting so I’m trying to find a copy of one that someone uses already.
Nevermind I figured out what you meant, I’m slow sometimes… I’m creating the batch file now that will create the file that I run during login. Thanks.
I’ve run into one problem. When the batch file creates the spark.properties file it’s leaving out the idleTime= property. I can’t leave it blank or the login section isn’t available from within the spark properties. The batch file looks like this:
echo. 2>spark.properties
echo #Spark Settings>>spark.properties
echo #Mon Jul 21 13:31:29 MST 2008>>spark.properties
echo emoticonPack=POPO>>spark.properties
echo password=>>spark.properties
echo idleTime=3>>spark.properties
echo idleOn=true>>spark.properties
echo timeDisplayed=true>>spark.properties
echo offlineGroupVisible=true>>spark.properties
echo notifyOnOnline=true>>spark.properties
echo lastUpdateCheck=1216672289218>>spark.properties
echo contactListFontSize=11>>spark.properties
echo username=%username%>>spark.properties
echo windowTakesFocus=true>>spark.properties
echo contactListIconSize=32>>spark.properties
echo toasterPopup=false>>spark.properties
echo timeout=10>>spark.properties
echo xmppPort=5222>>spark.properties
echo autoLoginEnabled=false>>spark.properties
echo showHistory=true>>spark.properties
echo checkForBeta=false>>spark.properties
echo showEmptyGroups=false>>spark.properties
echo tabsOnTop=true>>spark.properties
echo startOnStartup=true>>spark.properties
echo chatRoomFontSize=12>>spark.properties
echo showAvatar=false>>spark.properties
echo notifyOnOffline=true>>spark.properties
echo server=xp-admin>>spark.properties
echo chatNotificationOn=true>>spark.properties
echo downloadDirectory=C:
Documents and Settings
%username%
Desktop>>spark.properties
echo startHidden=false>>spark.properties
echo fileTransferTimeout=30>>spark.properties
echo passwordSaved=false>>spark.properties
echo buzzEnabled=true>>spark.properties
echo emoticonsEnabled=true>>spark.properties
echo spellCheckerEnabled=true>>spark.properties
echo defaultChatLengthTimeout=15>>spark.properties
echo useSystemLookAndFeel=false>>spark.properties
And the output file looks like this, it’s missing the idletime line:
#Spark Settings
#Mon Jul 21 13:31:29 MST 2008
emoticonPack=POPO
password=
idleOn=true
timeDisplayed=true
offlineGroupVisible=true
notifyOnOnline=true
lastUpdateCheck=1216672289218
contactListFontSize=11
username=scott
windowTakesFocus=true
contactListIconSize=32
toasterPopup=false
timeout=10
xmppPort=5222
autoLoginEnabled=false
showHistory=true
checkForBeta=false
showEmptyGroups=false
tabsOnTop=true
startOnStartup=true
chatRoomFontSize=12
showAvatar=false
notifyOnOffline=true
server=xp-admin
chatNotificationOn=true
downloadDirectory=C:
Documents and Settings
scott
Desktop
startHidden=false
fileTransferTimeout=30
passwordSaved=false
buzzEnabled=true
emoticonsEnabled=true
spellCheckerEnabled=true
defaultChatLengthTimeout=15
useSystemLookAndFeel=false
Update The idletime line will show up if you put 03 in the batch file instead of just 3.