Is it possible to stop WMP stealing my associations?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Jun 2006, 00:07

This has REALLY pissed me off for years fucking Microsoft Windows Media Player stealing my associations every time I open it. At least QuickTime asks permission for changing it back!

I like to use WMP6.4 for WMV, ASF, MPG and AVI and WMP11 for MP3, WMA etc . . . but WMP11 just loves ignoring I've unticked Video associations and reticked itself, every time I open it.

Sometimes I have to use WMP11 for ASF and WMV but most of the time I don't want to.

It's infuriating to double click on a video and it opens in the wrong program. Is their a registry hack to turn off WMP11's (or WMP10) automatic revert back?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 18 Jun 2006, 00:30

I have a great working solution for that one.

See, I like using WMP 6.4 for MP3 and AVI too.

Go to Program Files\Windows Media Player
Grab mplayer2.exe
Copy it somewhere else and rename it (I copied it into Program Files and called it "Die WMP you fucker.exe"

)

Then, in Windows Explorer:
Go to "tools/options" and "Folder attributes/options" (I don't really know how it's called in english).
The 3rd tab should be File Types.
Find MP3 and delete it.
Then: New -> file type = mp3
Advanced -> Change icon (you won't be able to do it afterwards).
Then: Modify -> Choose program in list -> Browse -> Select "Die WMP you fucker.exe" and tick "always open with".

That ought to do it. WMP11 shouldn't bother you again.
Just try to avoid using WMP11 or WMP10 as much as you can (use VLC and MPC).

Hope it helps.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Jun 2006, 01:04

VLC is a great program but the user interface is woeful. Media Player Classic is decent but funnily has to many options.

I like WMP6.4 as it's basic but does exactly what it says on the tin. I've always used WMP6.4 (and Winamp for music, 6.4 is awful for music) but I must admit the album art view in WMP11 is really good.

Up until version 11 I never ever used WMP7-10 except for the odd occasion. This is why it's suddenly become a real problem as before I rarely used WMP10.

Tom2681 wrote:Go to "tools/options" and "Folder attributes/options" (I don't really know how it's called in english).

Folder Options. Options would've sufficed nicely Mr. Microsoft.

Tom2681 wrote:Go to Program Files\Windows Media Player
Grab mplayer2.exe
Copy it somewhere else and rename it (I copied it into Program Files and called it "Die WMP you fucker.exe" Laughing )

Is there a specific reason to doing this? It seems like overkill to me. The program runs quite happily from Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe.

Does doing this change something I'm not aware of?

Tom2681 wrote:The 3rd tab should be File Types.
Find MP3 and delete it.
Then: New -> file type = mp3
Advanced -> Change icon (you won't be able to do it afterwards).
Then: Modify -> Choose program in list -> Browse -> Select "Die WMP you fucker.exe" and tick "always open with".

Thanks but that won't work I'm afraid or at least not in my experience. WMP11 just can't wait to retick those options.

The tick box "always open with" does the same as reticking it in WMP6.4 options which is fine but WMP just steals it back again. The wording "always open with" doesn't mean shit. It should actually say "always open with until some other program steals it".

Even during installation of WMP9/10/11 and you specifically unticked NOT to associate itself with certain types it completely ignores this and ticks them anyway :shock:

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 18 Jun 2006, 01:12

Even during installation of WMP9/10/11 and you specifically unticked NOT to associate itself with certain types it completely ignores this and ticks them anyway

Yeah, I know. Haven't found a workaround for that one.

Is there a specific reason to doing this? It seems like overkill to me.

I'm trying to fool Windows into thinking that this "new" WMP is not "his" WMP.
In my experience, WMP10 used to steal associations when it found out that an older WMP version (6.4) was being used.

Thanks but that won't work I'm afraid or at least not in my experience.

I think it "might" work because:
You're effectively destroying the MP3 extension and creating a new one.
WMP10/11 won't steal it because it won't recognize it.

*Testing*

Well, it works with WMP9. I played a few files with it and it didn't steal anything from WMP6.4.
It's worth a shot IMO.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Jun 2006, 02:10

Thanks Tom but some geezer over at DVD Forums has come up with what should be the utilmate fuck you to WMP7-11:

http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/show ... p?t=431328

By removing the "Set Key" permission for the Administrator group in Regedit WMP11 simply is unable to change it. I'll need to test it for the next few days but it seems to be working a treat.

I've opted to "just" amend the relevant key (excluding subkeys) as I always prefer to "just" change the appropriate permissions instead of going overboard. For example I've not denied "Create Key" so if the keys are missing (which is very unlikely) WMP11 can still create them but it can't amend them once they're set.

As I'm (obviously) an administrator it's dead simple to revert back. As you can't actually deny access to the administrator group (it would defeat the purpose of putting users into it) you have to change the "Set Key" to deny and as Deny takes precedence over Allow it works nicely. It creates a separate special key inside "Set Key" which takes precedence.

The funny thing is WMP is clearly still trying as you go to WMP Options and it's reticked the associations BUT double clicking on the relevant type opens the right program. Cool!

I've set the following:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AVIFile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AVIFile\shell\play\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mpegfile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mpegfile\shell\play\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMVFile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMVFile\shell\play\command

And so the icon can't be changed either:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AVIFile\DefaultIcon
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mpegfile\DefaultIcon
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMVFile\DefaultIcon

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 18 Jun 2006, 13:08

Tweaking the registry is too subtle for me.
I'm a barbarian, not an engineer.

+ I like it when windows opens a program called "Die WMP you fucker" to play my videos. That's the ultimate "Fuck you" IMO.

Anyway, glad you found a working solution.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Jun 2006, 14:11

Tom2681 wrote:Tweaking the registry is too subtle for me.
I'm a barbarian, not an engineer.

I wouldn't say doing anything in the registry is subtle you can do some serious damage.