Editing an NVDA Add-On Manifest file
as a Temporary Workaround
Moderator's Note: This post is about exactly what it
says, a temporary workaround. This is NOT the way to truly
fix add-on compatibility issues in many cases, but it will
work as a temporary workaround for some in a pinch. You use
these instructions completely at your own risk.
Note Well: This will NOT always work when there is
a backward compatibility breaking release of NVDA because,
sometimes, add-on code must be changed. But it sometimes
works if nothing more than testing and certification is needed
for a given add-on, and that’s a bit behind the actual NVDA
release. Also, the %APPDATA% folder is normally hidden, so if
your machine objects to your trying to navigate there, you
will have to take the steps to show hidden files and folders
on your machine.
Your NVDA Add-Ons are found in the
following folder:
%APPDATA%\nvda\addons
and you can type (or cut and paste) the
exact path shown above into the Address combo box in File
Explorer, and after hitting Enter that’s where you’ll be. A
list of folders corresponding to each of the add-ons you have
installed will be in the file list. Locate the add-on for
which you wish to edit the manifest file and open its folder.
In the folder you will find a file with
the name manifest.ini. It is a plain text file, so can be
opened for editing with any plain text editor of your
choosing. I use Notepad, but any text editor will do.
Once you have the file open for editing,
search for the line that starts with: lastTestedNVDAVersion =
You will be substituting the current NVDA
version number for whatever is currently shown after the equal
sign. It is critical that there be a space after the ‘n’ in
“version” as well as after the equal sign itself. The NVDA
version goes after that space after the equal sign. If you
check out the line character by character after the ‘n’ in
“version” as you found it, you’ll encounter those spaces.
Just make sure that the equal sign has a space before it, and
after it.
This will trick NVDA into believing that
the add-on has been tested up to and including the current
NVDA version number.
If an add-on crashes or otherwise
misbehaves after using this workaround, then work on its code
will be required.
If you use this workaround, and become
aware that a version of your add-on that has actually been
tested with the latest version of NVDA has become available,
definitely take the time to install the real version. Your
doctored manifest.ini file will end up being overwritten as
part of installing “the real thing.”
--
Brian - Windows 10, 64-Bit, Version
21H2, Build 19044
You can't crush ideas by
suppressing them. You can only crush them by ignoring
them.
~ Ursula LeGuin, The Dispossessed
