Unable to choose default program for file type

[giomach]

I downloaded an application to play .mid files, and unpacked the zip file into a subfolder of Program Files.  (The application is quite an old one, and doesn't have an installer.)  It works fine.

Now I want to make this application my default player for .mid files.  When I follow the usual methods, I can browse to the application's .exe file, but when I click the "Open" button, the application I have selected is ignored and I am offered Windows Media Player as default instead.

I have found that I can make the new application default by copying its .exe to my desktop, and performing the procedure on that copy.  But I'd rather not do that if I could understand what is preventing the application being used as default from where I have put it.

I tried adding the subfolder of Program Files to my Path, but that makes no difference, even after restarting Vista.  Any ideas please?

[DaveLembke]

Not sure if this will help you or not since the program is stand alone exe and not a Windows installed application. But its worth a try using this method.

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/how-to-create-new-file-type-association-in-windows-vista/

[patio]

How old is this app ? ?
Are you sure they don't offer a zip that includes an installer ? ?
What app is it ? ?

unpacked the zip file into a subfolder of Program Files.

The above may run the app fine...but it won't work for a file extension i don't think.

[DaveLembke]

The above may run the app fine...but it won't work for a file extension i don't think.

Yeah i dont have Vista to try this on to test for them, and without knowing what application needs file extension association, its a gamble if the info in that link would solve this. 

Because the program is not installed and linked in the windows registry, I actually have doubts if this would work or not, but it would be cool if it does.

[giomach]

Not sure if this will help you or not since the program is stand alone exe and not a Windows installed application. But its worth a try using this method.

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/how-to-create-new-file-type-association-in-windows-vista/

Thanks, DaveLembke, but that's what I meant by "the usual methods" which I had tried.

Patio, the app is the Falcosoft SoundFont MidiPlayer at http://falcosoft.hu/softwares.html#midiplayer   It may not be so old, after all!  I see it is now on v2.5, I got v2.4.

I may just have to put up with keeping a duplicate copy of the .exe on my desktop.  (A shortcut to Program Files\... is not enough.)

[patio]

Here's what to try:...
Right clik a mid file...select Open With...then point it to that exe instead of the shortcut...
Report back with the results.

[giomach]

Had to get into the Vista registry to fix this.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\MidiPlayer.exe\shell\open\command contained "C:\Users\...\Desktop\MidiPlayer.exe" "%1", which I changed to "C:\Program Files\MidiPlayer2\MidiPlayer.exe" "%1" and all seems OK.

Apparently, the "usual methods" in Vista of changing the default program for a file type — several of which have been suggested in this thread — were unable to handle this situation.

Thanks to all who commented.

[patio]

So the above suggestion didn't work ? ?

[giomach]

So the above suggestion didn't work ? ?

It didn't work.  The situation was that I was choosing a default player (MidiPlayer.exe) which was registered but in a different location (Desktop) to that I was now giving for it (Program Files\MidiPlayer2).  It seems that none of the usual Vista methods for changing a filetype's default program worked in that situation, but just refused to see the app in its new location.

[patio]

Most likely because it was installed to the Desktop...

[giomach]

Most likely because it was installed to the Desktop...

If there had been an installer, the problem might not have arisen.  As it was, the .zip file was unpacked in Program Files\MidiPlayer and the .exe was copied from there to the desktop.  What happened after that is largely guesswork but that registry key may have been created during a successful attempt to make the desktop copy the default player, and remained when the desktop copy was deleted.  An uninstaller might have deleted the registry key as well as the .exe, and avoided the later problem when trying to make the Program Files\MidiPlayer copy into the default player.