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Changing Default DVD Autoplay

I am looking for a way to force PowerDVD 7 to be the default DVD movie player. Also, it needs to run when the DVD is inserted. Specifically I am looking to make these changes either through the registry or some other "hands off" method. This is for a school with 200 machines. I dont need first graders making these choices.

If anyone knows the registry keys which windows uses for the autoplay features or PowerDVD 7. Please feel free to help me out!

Thanks,
John.

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Answers (9)

Posted by: anonymous_9363 14 years ago
Red Belt
0
Normally this is handled by file association(s). The simplest route here is to use a lightweight snapshot tool (e.g. InstallWatch):

- Take a 'Before' snapshot
- Use Notepad as a dummy installer (so that the tool can see a program started)
- Browse to a movie file
- Hold down the Shift key, then right-click on the file
- Select 'Open With'
- Select PowerDVD from the list of programs. If it's not in the list, use the 'Choose Program' menu item (or 'Browse' button, I can't recall which it is) to locate the executable
- Check the box "Always use the selected program..."
- OK out of the dialogs
- Take an 'After' snapshot.
- Pick out the relevant changes, probably all registry entries and create a .REG file for each.
- Import the .REG to your target machine's registries.
Posted by: John83 14 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
Hey VBScab,

Thanks for the prompt reply. I did try your suggestion. I found the reg keys in which windows uses to use the autoplay options.

However, these keys are device specific. So , keeping in mind that this is a for a school district not all machines nor optical drives are the same.

My next thought would be to write a VB script to detect the device ID for optical drives, then have it added to the registry key. This script could be deployed to any machine through out the 147 schools. Maybe you can aid in this script. I am quite rusty with my VB.

Any help would be greatly appriceated.

Thanks,
- John
Posted by: suchi.jigar 14 years ago
Purple Belt
0
may be i can help you....but will you please specify your logic clearly, what exactly you want to do?
below is the bat-file script to detect cd-rom and then execute Autorun.exe from that


@echo off
for %%a in (C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist %%a:\ZIPFILES\R149472.EXE set CDROM=%%a
"%CDROM%:\AUTORCD.EXE"
Posted by: John83 14 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
My logic behind this is as follows.

1.) Have a vb script capture the name of the CDRom device name ( Regardless of its drive letter )
2.)Take the device instance ID. "CDROMSAMSUNG_CDRW/DVD_SN324F____________U203____"
3.) Add this device name to the front of the registry key.
4.) Have the script run the reg key.
5.) Have the key and the script deleted from the local machine automatically.

Thanks,
-John
Posted by: anonymous_9363 14 years ago
Red Belt
0
Forget the device: it's irrelevant. You want to set the file association for DVD movies to use the PowerDVD executable.
Posted by: John83 14 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
I have actually tried both methods now.

1.) Setting all the files on the DVD to use the PowerDVD7 to execute. It still pops up with auto play.
2.) I have written a script to make a device specific key , and import it into the registry. ( By previous explained method.)

Neither of these are working. Anyone else have any suggestions?
Posted by: anonymous_9363 14 years ago
Red Belt
0
Did you select 'Always use the selected program...', though? If you didn't Windows won't "remember" your choice and simply ask you again next time.
Posted by: SeeRed 14 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
Have you already solved this problem? If so, I am very interested how since I have somewhat the same problem (I would only like to autoplay DVD's with VLC media player).
So far I have been able to create the autoplay handlers in

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\...

And I have been able to read the optical drives from

HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\DeviceClasses\{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}\

(I figured that every device which started with ##?#IDE#CdRom over there would be an optical drive).
However when I register this drive at

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\UserChosenExecuteHandlers

The autoplay function still won't autoplay my DVD's...
Anybody?
Posted by: Spirit Wolfe 14 years ago
Yellow Belt
0
Greetings and Salutations:

This is my first trip to this message board and my first post!

Just curious:

1. What Operating System are you utilizing (7 / Vista /XP / XP Pro / 98SE)?

2. There is PowerDVD 9 out there; why not upgrade? There might be a free "lite" version of PowerDVD 9 for your school, no?

3. If you goto support.microsoft.com and query "enable autoplay" within the Bing search I found a lost of possibilities for your solution to your problem.



The hidden problem here is a two-fold problem, IMHO.

If you are like me and are heavily into editing, playing and creating A/V files then you and I have a similar problems...

For example, I have PowerDVD 9 Ultra, which is my only TRUE Blu-Ray player that I have, and I ALSO use AOL Nullsoft's Winamp for my .MKV, .MP3s, .AACs, and other miscellaneous A/V files; like .FLV (flash files).

Well, keep in that Winamp has a setting that, IF it is invoked, that will continue to "reclaim" all of your changed default registry settings that you just got finished changing back to Winamp as the default setting.

So this is the first "fold" you have to undo... :)

The second "fold" you have to remember to unveil is that those specific can change at a moment's notice once you install another A/V editing application or other A/V player.

Under Windows 7

The same selection is there "Default Programs" but now it is broken down into a four-parts:

Under the "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults" I would choose the custom radio Icon and uncheck the box to the right of that selection,if it not unchecked already.

Next I'd go into the "Change Autoplay Settings" to "Take no Action" to that whole list because why fight Windows' auto-start feature if it is a generic A/V player that is your favorite one to use for any and all of your A/V files. (It will not slow down a system that much if you utilize them, mind you...it will just aggravate you to no end! >:)

Under the "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" ... here is the best way, IMO, to change or match your specific programs to the mentioned file extensions, under windows. This is where there should have been an advanced setting feature added so as you could easily add more file extensions to the registry of Windows, instead of hacking the registry each time an install program omits an extension or you want to include more of your own, right? :)

Under "Set your Program Defaults" This is a nice area where you can set all or individual extensions to your choice of default programs that will match the extensions to your chosen default programs. Again, Microsoft should have added an advanced setting that would allow you to add programs to this list of programs.

Now, these similar situations will work if using XP or older OS as well, but the sequence might be off a little.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

Spirit Wolfe
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