Multiple comparisons fail within Visual Studio and TFS

[WesWinkler]

If Beyond Compare is running, any request for a comparison from within Visual Studio fails.

I am running Beyond Compare V 3.3.4.1431. I have configured my Visual Studio/Team Foundation Server to use Beyond Compare as an External Tool for comparisons and merges, using the settings provided elsewhere on the forums. My Visual Studio version is 2010 Premium, V 10.0.40219.1.

If Beyond Compare is NOT running, my first request for a comparison from within VS works: Beyond Compare launches and shows the two requested files.

But, a second request for a comparison always fails. Beyond Compare claims at least one of the files cannot be found.

If I close Beyond Compare and re-try the second comparison, it succeeds. (This is really a "first" request but with different target files, so it succeeds.)

From outside Visual Studio, Beyond Compare handles multiple comparison requests from the Windows Explorer gracefully: the first request launches Beyond Compare, and the second request opens in a new tab within the current instance of Beyond Compare.

Is there some configuration setting for Beyond Compare that will allow it to accept multiple requests from Visual Studio?

[Zoë]

Make sure to use BComp.exe rather than BCompare.exe. BCompare.exe runs as a single instance, so if you run it again it forwards the command line parameters and exits. BComp.exe is a launcher that waits for the comparison to actually close before it exits.

[Aaron]

In addition to Craig's advice, we have a handy KB article with directions and documentation, here:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/support.php?zz=kb_vcs

[WesWinkler]

Problem solved!

Thanks for the explanation. I changed my settings to call BComp.exe rather than BeyondCompare.exe. Now the program behaves as expected: a second request opens the comparison in a new tab of the existing instance.

Thanks again!