OPML Editor for Windows

Sunday, March 11, 2007 by Dave Winer.

There's a documented issue with the OPML Editor on Windows running IE7. It's pretty serious, the program crashes as it launches. Exactly what the problem is is not clear, but there is a workaround.  

1. In the OPML application folder, Appearance sub-folder, there's a file called background.html. 

2. If you make the file read-only, then the OPML Editor, as its launching, will not be able to rewrite the file, and IE7 will not have a problem. (To make the file read-only, right-click on it in the Explorer, choose Properties, check Read-only, click on OK.) 

There's deep integration with the browser control and something about it has changed in the new version of the browser. When you make the file read-only, you may see some broken images as the program is booting, but that's certainly preferable to having the program crash.  

If the updating code weren't in the middle of an upheaval, I'd issue an update right away, at least now there's a workaround. 

If you have questions or comments, please post them on the opml-support mail list. 

The usual caveats apply.