Vista Default Programs suggestion

[ckit]

Any chance XnView could be added to Vista's "Default Program" system so that file associations actually work under Vista x64?
Currently, Windows Photo Gallery dominates the commonly used formats like GIF, JPG and PNG and I have to manually override them.

[xnview]

Don't know how, i'll search...

[ckit]

foobar2000 v0.9.6 and up implemented support for Vista's "Default Program" area and it works really well, same can be said for IrfanView and Media Player Classic Homecinema.

Windows 7 should use this feature as well but I haven't used W7 yet

[ckv]

Don't know how, i'll search...

There's a MSDN article for it. It's quite simple actually.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 85%29.aspx

First you need to add xnview in RegisteredApplications key. Use e.g. xnview as name and value is path to your own registry key containing rest of the values.

Code: Select all

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\RegisteredApplications]
"xnview"="Software\\XnView\\Capabilities"

In your own key, you add description text and name that will apper in the Default Programs dialog.

Code: Select all

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\XnView\Capabilities]
"ApplicationDescription"="XnView is a fast multi-format graphics browser, viewer, and converter. It reads more than 400 file formats."
"ApplicationName"="XnView for Windows"

Then create new sub key called FileAssociations and add all file-extension and ProgID pairs you need in the key as follows.

Code: Select all

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
".bmp"="XnView.bmp"
".gif"="XnView.gif"
".jpg"="XnView.jpg"
".png"="XnView.png"
".max"="XnView.Image"
".art"="XnView.Image"
...

[HotShot]

Let me *bump* this thread...

Complete integration to the Vista Default Programs would be a great addition - actually it's the last detail that keeps me from switching to XNView under Vista. Then XNView would be on par with other software e.g. Acdsee / Irfanview and such.
By the way, the "trick" used by foobar2000 to register the associations (i.e. a separate executable) has proven worthy.

[xnview]

Could you try this setup?
http://www.xnview.com/beta/XnView-win-en.exe

[ckit]

Given the Setup version doesn't ask about File Associations while installing, I fail to see how this helps.

Now, I need to re-install the beta over the top again.

[xnview]

I've added the registry entries from ckv post

[ckit]

Thanks but it has problems sadly.

- Click XnView for Windows
- Click Set this program as default
- Click Choose defaults for this program

and...
All 9 associations now have the BMP icon and are recognised as XnView BMP types!



but on the plus side we're closer to being perfect

[ckit]

On further investigation, only one registry key was made...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications]
XnView=Software\XnView\Capabilities

The other one...
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\XnView\Capabilities]

Does not exist in my registry!

I'll manually add it and see what happens!
Nope, that just made XnView disappear from Vista Defaults!

[Clo]

ckv

Hello !

{Aside}

…Edit: Damn these MSDN urls.

• You ought write the parenthesis (decimal 40 - 41) as %hexa-code like :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 85%29.aspx.
- Same for all other upper ASCI characters…
{/Aside}

KR
Claude
Clo

[ckit]

Nevermind, found it, Vista x64 is using Wow on me again...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations]

Manually corrected entries and all is right with the world

[xnview]

Nevermind, found it, Vista x64 is using Wow on me again...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations]

Manually corrected entries and all is right with the world

So on Vista 32, it's
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations
and for vista 64, it's:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations

You have change only that? (For 'BMP image', it's my fault)

[ckv]

So on Vista 32, it's
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations
and for vista 64, it's:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations

You have change only that? (For 'BMP image', it's my fault)

I think you can't just write in the Wow6432Node, you have to do access 64-bit registry with KEY_WOW64_64KEY flag and write the values in normally. Otherwise you end up having path like this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Wow6432Node\XnView\Capabilities\FileAssociations

I'm not sure if Inno setup supports writing in 64-bit registry. So it might not be easy.

Though, I find it odd that Windows doesn't check both 32-bit and 64-bit registry views for these keys.

@ckit
Did you only change the the XnView.bmp ProgID entries or did you change other entries as well to get it work?

@Pierre
Do you plan to add more associations to Default Program? Ideally all supported file types should be added, but I think at least the most used file types.

--

• You ought write the parenthesis (decimal 40 - 41) as %hexa-code like :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 85%29.aspx.
- Same for all other upper ASCI characters…

Right, that's the standard way such urls should be presented. Too bad Microsoft gives middle finger for web standards.

MSDN urls also seems to work without the (VS.85) part.

[ckit]

I changed each of the "string" values in the screenshot except for the XnView.bmp one which was correct....



BTW, I'm finished with ImageShack (useless now days), just started using ImageHosting.com which is much better.