Default application registry settings

[disturbedone]

I looked at this quite a while back, didn't have any luck so I gave up. I've had a look at it again and still cannot get it to work so hoped someone could give a definitive resolution to it.

This latest attempt is to make VLC the default player for all video/audio files. I even found a KB article on the VLC website (and others elsewhere) that detail what should be in a .reg file to do this. The file should contain:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ASF]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.ASX]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.AVI]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.DIVX]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.MPEG]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.MPG]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.VOB]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.WMV]
@="VlcFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VlcFile]
@="VLC File"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VlcFile\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files\\VideoLAN\\VLC\\vlc.exe,0"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VlcFile\shell\Open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VlcFile\shell\Open\command]
@="C:\\Program Files\\VideoLAN\\VLC\\vlc.exe \"%L\""

But that doesn't do it. Not even on a reboot.

If I right click a .avi file and make Windows Media Player the icon immediately changes (doesn't need a reboot). If I use the .reg file the icon doesn't change immediately nor does it change on a reboot and opening it still uses Media Player.

I used a piece of software to take snapshots of the Registry before and after using Control Panel to change the default application and compares them. Changes appear to be made in HKU\{SID}\Software\Local Settings\Software...... ie it's all related to the user. Whereas the .reg file (should) change it for everyone.

Any ideas what exactly needs to be changed to get this to work? I'd like to deploy the .reg file in a startup script via Group Policy so change this on all computers.

 

[cdogg]

What version of Windows do your clients run in your enviroment? If there are some that are Windows Vista and later, then importing registry keys is not the best solution.

You should read this (if you haven't already):
[ul]
[li]General info:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc144154(v=vs.85).aspx

[/li]
[li]Group Policy:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...iation-through-group-policy?forum=winserverGP

[/li]
[/ul]


-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

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