Introducing UltimatePluginTool- Fix problems with Maschine, Kontakt, Komplete Kontrol and more

Over the past year or two I've encountered a number of problems with some of my plugins and standalone music software that resulted from my moving files around after installing them, and from not always paying attention to where I installed things in the first place. When most people root-cause technical issues like these, they usually spend the ten or fifteen minutes it takes to solve the problem and then move on. Me? I'll spend two solid months writing a program that fixes the problems for me.

The result of this effort is UltimatePluginTool.

The current version of the program does three things (update: make that four things, as of version 1.0.0.0, and five things as of version 1.1.0.0!):

1. Search your computer for duplicate plugin files, and for incompatible files in your platform-specific directories.

You can delete outdated plugins and unsupported files here. You can also launch plugins in an external plugin host directly from this wizard screen.

2. Browse detailed information about your installed Native Instruments products, fix problems related to misplaced files, and move program content to different folders or drives.

This wizard can resolve a number of common problems with Maschine, Komplete Kontrol, Kontakt, and most other Native Instruments apps and plugins. It also provides the ability to launch standalone applications or open plugins in an external plugin host.

3. Re-arrange the Libraries tab in Native Instruments Kontakt, using record store-style sorting.

You can also prioritize frequently-used libraries or hide rarely-used ones, as needed.

More features and use cases are in the works. I'll also be putting together a few tutorials on how to use UltimatePluginTool to fix a number of problems. All important controls are equipped with tooltips (just float over something in the program to see a quick description), and clicking the program's icon in the upper left of every screen brings up a system menu that gives you quick access to documentation, updates, and tutorials.

UltimatePluginTool is free, and you can get it now at my downloads page. It runs on 32-bit or 64-bit Windows, and has been tested on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. At the moment, only VST 2 plugins are supported.

Enjoy, and check back for more information and features as the tool develops.

UltimatePluginTool Release Notes

VERSION 1.1.1.0
Date: March 28, 2016
MD5 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): 472F1F568E195E9B82DC0B3D014B0A9B
SHA-1 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): 605D1BD2A962DB12603FACB01FDF21F6B8D3E4D8

Changes:

• Program now works on Windows XP again (you still have to run the "(XP)" version of the program, and the "relocate plugin content" feature is not supported on XP, but at least the program runs again on that OS now.
• Using latest NSIS engine for more secure installer.
• Some optimizations in the recursive file code that the relocate content wizard uses.

VERSION 1.1.0.0
Date: February 1, 2016
MD5 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): 1EC4AF2DC3B1BD0337CEB54D81758741
SHA-1 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): 01BCC4C3B8E7DD306541B3576046AB3517A09365
Changes:

• Added new Relocate Plugin Content wizard for moving programs and content file without having to reinstall or reconfigure anything.
• ­Native Instruments Product Manager now properly identifies third­-party NKS content.
• Product Manager's Bundle(s) field is now a combo box that lists all matching bundles for installed version of selected product.

VERSION 1.0.0.0
Date: October 6, 2015
MD5 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): 7FAA5EE422464D18B7229378EEECC3D7
SHA-1 checksum (UltimatePluginToolSetup.exe): EA667D3BAF3A5A3E8C11B9D9B43D69EAF6375032
Changes:

• Added new "Fix Native Instruments thumbnails in Maschine and Komplete Kontrol" mode.
• Some under-the-hood enhancements.

Support UltimatePluginTool

I develop and maintain free software on my own time. I don't charge a fee because I want everyone to have equal access to my programs- but if something I wrote helped you and you'd like to express your thanks, you can send a donation of any amount via PayPal. Support from my visitors covers my hosting and licensing costs, and gives me incentive to keep putting out cool new utilities.

If you wish to help out, you can enter a donation amount below and then click on the Donate button. You do not need a PayPal account in order to donate! Just click the "Don't have a PayPal account" option on the page that comes up after you click the Donate button. The donation amount is in U.S. Dollars (USD).

Amount: $

Note: You might receive a personal "thank you" from me in response, but I won't sign you up for any mailing lists and you won't hear from me again unless you contact me first. Thanks for your consideration!