There is the page UltraCompare Lite vs. UltraCompare Pro with a comparison table showing which features are not available in UltraCompare Lite. A simple text comparison of two text files is of course supported by UltraCompare Lite too. How do start the text files comparison? UltraCompare Lite can be used only by using the Compare Files/Folders dialog window in UltraEdit.It is not possible to start ucl.exe directly and do a text comparison. There should be enabled in Compare Files/Folders dialog window in UltraEdit only the comparison options supported by UltraCompare Lite.

It could be that a configuration setting is stored in Windows registry with a value which requires UltraCompare Professional although that would be very unusual. Run in a Windows command prompt window the following command line:

%SystemRoot%\System32\reg.exe EXPORT "HKCU\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Lite" "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\UltraCompareLite.txt"

All the settings of UltraCompare Lite are exported with this command line into the text file UltraCompareLite.txt in the folder Documents.

Post a reply using the button Full Editor and Preview and attach this text file to your next post for investigation by me.

It looks like you have a partly corrupt installation of UltraCompare Professional according to the provided information. It would be perhaps best to download the UltraCompare Professional installer executable from the UltraCompare downloads page, install it but do not start UC Prof., uninstall UltraCompare Professional and restart Windows to get a nearly clean environment back without UC Prof. Next run in a command prompt window after the restart of Windows the two command lines:

%SystemRoot%\System32\reg.exe DELETE "HKCU]\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Lite" /f
%SystemRoot%\System32\reg.exe DELETE "HKCU\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Pro" /f

That deletes all the settings of UltraCompare Lite and UltraCompare Professional in your registry hive. I hope hat solves the issue. Otherwise I would have to instruct you doing a lot of manual file, directory and registry deletions which require additionally the elevated privileges of a local administrator.

Yes, that would be a possible explanation taking the fourth feature Large file support on page UltraCompare Lite vs. UltraCompare Pro into account with the description:

Compare multi-gigabyte files in UC Pro. UC Lite does not have a hard-coded limit on file size, but several items factor into whether or not the compare can be executed in UC Lite, including file size, amount of difference blocks, memory required to map them, etc.

I have to say ... I am not entirely sure when UltraCompare Lite changed as I don't use compare files that often ... but I can't stand how it looks/feels now.

I have been using UltraEdit for over 23 years (since version 6 or so). UC Lite has always done enough for me and been perfectly functional and never nagging.

Yes, when I have done an upgrade I have been asked if I'd like to use UC Lite or try UltraCompare Pro - I always chose Lite.

I haven't used it in a while apparently but at some point the user interface got changed and it defaults to this dark mode with ribbon and when I just want to switch it to not be dark (I have vision issues and the low contrast is HORRIBLE), it tells me that feature is part of the professional version.

And when I try and get rid of the ribbon for the menu - selection works but the "click to upgrade" nag plops right over the file menu and session items in the menu making File unreachable...

I've been using UltraEdit happily a LONG long time, and I have to say I've never been quite so disappointed. UltraCompare Lite went from a very usable light tool that was fully functional for my needs to "nagware" designed to be so annoying to use in its crippled format that you'll upgrade out of frustration.

 I am truly disappointed. Those "Dark" themes are horrible for people with vision issues and hiding the "classic" or normal light theme behind a "you have to buy the upgraded version for that feature" AND making the "click to upgrade" break the menu option ... is just ... it it not the behavior I would expect.

I disabled temporarily UltraCompare Professional and ran from UltraEdit for Windows v2022.1.0.112 a simple text comparison resulting in starting UltraCompare Lite to do the text comparison.

I could see the issue you reported with the Click to unlock features... item appearing on the left side of the menu bar instead of the right side of the menu bar on right clicking on the ribbon and clicking in context menu on last item Toolbar/Menu Mode. That is definitely a bug of UltraCompare Lite v21.10.0.46 as installed with UltraEdit for Windows v2022.1.0.112. Please report this bug by email to UltraEdit support. The workaround for this issue is changing the UC Lite application window mode from normal to maximized mode or from maximized to normal and back to maximized mode which results in getting displayed Click to unlock features... on right side of the menu bar. UC Lite remembers activated toolbar/menu mode in Windows registry for the current user and starts the next time immediately in toolbar/menu mode with Click to unlock features... appearing now correct on right side of the menu bar.

I found another issue with UC Lite v21.10.0.46 running on Windows 7 with using the Windows Classic desktop theme instead of the standard Windows 7 Aero user interface. If the application window is in normal mode with ribbon interface enabled and a switch to toolbar/menu mode is made and next the application window is maximized, the window mode changes, but the window is still displayed as before in normal mode with just moving all window items to top left edge of the maximized window whereby the maximized window has only the width and height of the normal window before which means the items on right side of the title bar and the status bar at bottom are not visible at all. That is a very strange window display which I have never seen before with any application. There must be double clicked the main title bar to switch back from maximized to normal window mode to get UC Lite usable at all. There is also a workaround for this very strange display issue. In ribbon mode is first maximized the application window of UC Lite and then the switch to toolbar/menu mode is done. Then there is no main application window display issue in maximized and normal window mode with using toolbar/menu mode.

I don't understand like you the limitation to use a different theme than the default dark Slate theme. There are installed several other default themes. I would understand that UC Lite restricts a customization of a theme using the Manage Themes dialog, but it does not make sense to install UC Lite with UltraEdit with several default themes and it is nevertheless not possible to change to another installed theme. I suggest to send a feature request email to UltraEdit support for adding the ability to select a different theme in UC Lite from one of the installed default themes.

I found a workaround for the theme selection limitation.

1. Open in Windows File Explorer started as administrator on UltraEdit and therefore also UC Lite installed into a directory which requires elevated privileges of a local administrator for modification of files and browse to the subdirectory uclite\default data\themes in the UltraEdit program files directory which is by default %ProgramFiles%\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraEdit or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraEdit.
2. Rename the file Slate.ue-theme for example to Slate_ue-theme, i.e. remove the file extension by changing the dot to an underscore.
3. Create a copy of the file Classic.ue-theme in the directory and rename the copy to Slate.ue-theme.

UltraCompare Lite loads now on start Slate.ue-theme, but that file does not contain anymore the dark Slate theme, but the light Classic theme which I favor in UltraCompare Professional too. Well, in real I use in UC Professional a custom theme derived from the Classic theme with more improvements.

It is not possible to change the theme directly in Windows registry. I tried that, too. But UC Lite overwrites always a modified theme configuration in Windows registry.

Please note that this "hack" of the Slate theme file must be done after every update/upgrade of UltraEdit again. A batch file run as administrator would be advisable to make the necessary file changes quickly after an update/upgrade of UltraEdit.

UltraEdit for Windows v23.10 was installed with UC Lite v15.10.0.21. That was the last UC Lite version without support for ribbon mode and without support for themes. I tried also the usage of this version of UC Lite with UltraEdit v2022.1.0.112 and at least for a text comparison it works too. So, it would be also possible to use always this version of UC Lite with the latest installed UltraEdit. I can offer uploading a ZIP or RAR archive file with the six files of UC Lite v15.10.0.21 if you would prefer the usage of that older version of UC Lite with currently latest UltraEdit. However, the latest UC Lite has usually not only changes in user interface, but also comparison improvements which might be in some use cases useful too. I do not recommend for that reason to use old version of UC Lite, but try to customize the user interface of latest UC Lite to the own requirements.

Please note that the theme files are XML files which can be edited also in UltraEdit to customize them on some colors are not good. My custom UC Professional theme file contains customizations not offered in the Manage Themes dialog window to get really all items in UltraCompare window displayed as I would like them. I made the few changes (a mode change and two color changes) with UltraEdit directly on the theme file and of course sent an enhancement request to UltraEdit support for making the two colors also customizable in the Manage Themes dialog window.

Mofi,

Thank you for such a detailed and deep response...
You've been so helpful to me and so many others throughout the years and I thank you.

I may have been missing something but yeah the issue with the theme  - I figure that just switching to a more classic theme (built in, no customizing) would be all I need to make it viewable

The way UltraCompare Lite has worked for a long time before - with the default windows theme with white background and black text was completely usable/readable and I've never felt a need for UC Pro and so it was disconcerting - and yeah I am fine with not being able to customize the view - so long as I can use a theme that ... doesn't make the whole thing totally unusable.