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Topic: "foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win (Read 14672 times) previous topic - next topic
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"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Hi,

I had my audio files associated with FB2K, then updated to 0.9.6b1. I thought I use this "foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater" tool to have my Assocs properly. But I screwed the file associations.

First I started the updater directly, chose all files. The result is, now I am always being asked by windows:



Setting the "always with this application" checkbox doesn't help now.

Then I started it via "Run as administrator" ... Doesn't help. Windows now always asks me how to open e.g. an mp3 file.
Vista Business.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #1
As far as I know, the shell associations updater is only meant for internal use by foobar2000 on Windows Vista (modifying the relevant parts of the registry requires elevated privileges which technically requires a separate process). Please use the file associations page in the foobar2000 preferences to associate foobar2000 with supported file types.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #2
When I wrote "I thought I use this 'foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater' tool to have my Assocs properly" I meant I did that from within fb2k. I used the huge "Set file associations" button from the preferences page.

The current state is: No matter if I start fb2k with "Start as administrator" or not, the checkboxes besides the file types are checked and greyed out, i.e. not changeable.

EDIT: I couldn't resist and restored the file associations with a .reg, which basically does the following for any supported audio filetype. Least I can say, it works (hopefully it's enough, it was alright for XP) and only changes associations for the current user.
As a side note: Also XP supported user independent file associations, but most apps didn't make use of this, and almost no application, Windows itself included, handled this transparent.

Code: [Select]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A]
@="MP4"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\DefaultIcon]
@="M:\\Musik\\foobar2000\\icons\\M4A.ico"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\shell\enqueue]
@="Enqueue in foobar2000"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\shell\enqueue\command]
@="\"M:\\Musik\\foobar2000\\foobar2000.exe\" /add \"%1\""

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\shell\open]
@="Play in foobar2000"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\foobar2000.M4A\shell\open\command]
@="\"M:\\Musik\\foobar2000\\foobar2000.exe\" \"%1\""

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #3
I was wrong. It's totally b0rken now. Example: tak extension.

- Doubleclicking a tak file: Vista lets me choose the Application. No matter if I check "always with this program", it will ask me again.
- Starting the file associator from within fb2k: All file types checked, but grey.
- Explorer shows fb2k icon for any file type.
- "Standard programs"
--- "set file associations" - No tak extension there.
--- "set standard programs", "fb2k", "Standards for this program" - The same here as if I'm starting it from within fb2k.

 

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #4
Not sure what has gone wrong with your associations but you could try to clean things up manually. Remove the keys for each extension from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts and then try to reassociate with Default Programs normally. I suggest removing only one extension at first and see if it helps.

Edit: Did you install foobar properly to get its shell extensions registered? You also need to launch foobar after installing components so that it can write the required information about new extensions into registry.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #5
Maybe this is the cause of all evil: My goal was, as always, to have all fb2k files in one directory (the old behaviour with no user_profile_enabled file). To have it portable. But on this machine, I register file types.

So I installed the latest version. "Portable mode" - hmm, that sounded alright. This did not install the file associator. I extracted the file via 7z from the installer and copied it manually, then started it from within fb2k.

===================
Ok, wanted to solve it now. I did what you wrote:

1. Removed tak references from "hkcu and hklm \software\classes" and from the "hkcu\..\explorer\fileexts".
2. In the filetype associator tak is an unknown type and I can check the checkbox and save. Good.
3. Double clicking a tak, the window as in the screenshot appears again.

-- Deleted the regkeys again.

1. Double click a tak file. A smaller windows box appears, the one about unknown file types and if I want to search a web service. You know that one. I choose fb2k as an application, check "always for this file type".
2. At the next tak double click, the bigger box as in the screenshot appears.

There must be even more places where vista stores file type related stuff.

I hate it. It's the same über complicated bullshit like IE handles extensions and mime types.

EDIT: Even this does not help: http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/231/...dows-Vista.html
After deleting the assoc and deleting the file type (mp3)... For whatever reason mp3s get started with smplayer (http://mplayer.de.gg). Smplayer itself says it is not associated. If I associate via the fb2k associator, above screenshot again.
File type associations in Vista: endless research, endless pain. 3 people in the world have fully understood them.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #6
Maybe you can try to re-create your user profile first?

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #7
Maybe you can try to re-create your user profile first?

Yes of course. But this would also mean a lot of work. And for sure in future I would again completely break my audio files associations with mplayer/fb2k.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #8
Maybe this is the cause of all evil: My goal was, as always, to have all fb2k files in one directory (the old behaviour with no user_profile_enabled file). To have it portable. But on this machine, I register file types.
You can still have that by choosing the normal installation and - after the installation is complete - changing the location of the configuration files in the foobar2000 preferences.

And for sure in future I would again completely break my audio files associations with mplayer/fb2k.
What makes you so sure about that?

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #9
Hmm........

Then have you tried System Restore? I do think it is a better way than hacking around the system without much knowledge, which would also only give more trouble than help.

I have been using Vista for 1.5 years, and installed foobar2000 since day one I use Vista. Never encountered a single problem with file association. Don't know what is changed in 0.9.6 beta 1, but 0.9.5.6 works great for me.

"foobar2000 Shell Associations Updater.exe" doesn't win

Reply #10
Foosion, it's because of the mplayer/fb2k combination. This guy shares my experience, at least it always brings me trouble: click.

Quote
Typical situation : I install smplayer and have it associate with every media type. Then I install foobar2000 for my music, but it can't re-associate audio extensions (it doesn't fail with an error, but MP3's still open inside smplayer). If I uninstall smplayer first, foobar2000 can re-associate audio files without any problems.

Currently I uninstalled the mplayer, installed Foobar2000 properly. But I guess the "shell associations updater" exe thing is still the same anyway. Then tried to associate with foobar2000: All extensions are still grey and checked. And after double clicking an audio file I still get the window as shown in my first post.

William, yes, when I have some more time I'll have another close look / search through the registry again. If I don't get it fixed properly, I'll set up a new user profile rather than using system restore (never used that because it wasn't transparent to me). Another user works.

BTW after a first look I couldn't find anything special in the file assoc smplayer installer script. I'll need some more research  I know about HKCR being a visual node mixed by two others... Another close look when I have time. I want to reach a state where fb2k is able to set the file association cleanly by itself.