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Topic: change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others... (Read 17131 times) previous topic - next topic
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change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

I tried changing it with the Windows explorer properties, and it wouldn't let me change an individual file.

Currently ALL my files that are associated with Winamp, no matter whether it's mp3, wav, ape, avi, etc, say "Winamp Media File" in the "type" column of Windows Explorer in detail view.  This makes it extremely tedius to select all mp3's, wav's, etc, in a folder, especially when said folder has like 100 of each in it.

In 2000, it used to be set up properly, but I can't seem to get it done right in XP / Winamp.

Current version of Winamp is: 5.52

Ok.. what I tried to do was, from an Explorer window:
go into Tools -> Folder Options, click the File Types tab
scroll down to MP3 (extension) and it says the filetype is MP3 file.  In Explorer, it says Winamp Media File.
In details, it says it opens with Winamp.  Click "change" and it only pops up the dialog asking me what program I want to use.  Try deleting it, and it still shows up.  Ok, so I go into Winamp and disable restoration of file associations, then close winamp and try again.  Re-add it, and it by default opens with Media Player, and says "MP3 Format Sound" like it should.  Change it to open with Winamp, and it reverts back to "Winamp Media File".

What the **** is wrong with my setup?  What do I need to do to get files to open with Winamp, but not lump them all under Winamp Media File?  I want a different "type" for each extension.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #1 –
Winamp 5.53 will fix this.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #3 –
The only solid solution is to open up Registry Editor and create the associations yourself. This way you also won't be forced to choose between Media Player, Foobar, Winamp, or Sound Forge – just add them all to the right-click menu.

If the only trouble is sorting, you can also use a file manager that lets you sort by extension, not only by registered type.

Quote
Winamp 5.53 will fix this.

I wonder how custom plugins will be associated? Let's say I have MID, MIZ, RMI, KAR, XMI and HMI files. Will a progid be created for each one? How about different icons – like Foobar's cats or Media Players colored loudspeakers?

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #4 –
I think the main problem is that you have 'hide extensions for known file types' ticked in Tools -> Folder Options\View. Unchecking this will allow you to see the filename and extender irrespective of the files association.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #5 –
Quote from: j7n on
Quote
Winamp 5.53 will fix this.

I wonder how custom plugins will be associated? Let's say I have MID, MIZ, RMI, KAR, XMI and HMI files. Will a progid be created for each one? How about different icons – like Foobar's cats or Media Players colored loudspeakers?

Going further, how about different icons for different bitrates (bitrate range)?

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #6 –
This would need a shell extension slowing explorer down tremendously.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #7 –
Quote from: j7n on
The only solid solution is to open up Registry Editor and create the associations yourself. This way you also won't be forced to choose between Media Player, Foobar, Winamp, or Sound Forge – just add them all to the right-click menu.

If the only trouble is sorting, you can also use a file manager that lets you sort by extension, not only by registered type.

Main thing I want to do is change the registered type, so it's not all grouped under Winamp Media File.  If I associate it with Windows Media Player, then they'll show as different types, but I want to use Winamp.  (I downloaded Foobar, but I'm not sure I really like its interface all that well... where's all the intricate detailed controls at your fingertips, for example?)  If I go the file manager route, how do I integrate it with Windows Explorer, or replace Windows Explorer with it, and which way would be better/safer?

Quote from: Steve Grant on
I think the main problem is that you have 'hide extensions for known file types' ticked in Tools -> Folder Options\View. Unchecking this will allow you to see the filename and extender irrespective of the files association.

No, I don't.  I show all extensions.  I just can't SORT by that.

Quote from: A.P.T. on
Quote from: j7n on

Quote
Winamp 5.53 will fix this.

I wonder how custom plugins will be associated? Let's say I have MID, MIZ, RMI, KAR, XMI and HMI files. Will a progid be created for each one? How about different icons – like Foobar's cats or Media Players colored loudspeakers?

Going further, how about different icons for different bitrates (bitrate range)?


Quote from: j7n on
This would need a shell extension slowing explorer down tremendously.


And if I was going to show different bitrates, why not take it a step farther and show the lowpass frequencies, VBR ranges, sample frequencies, and all other ultra-advanced lame tags?  In my case, though, it WOULD get to be a bit too much.

Actually... I was just looking... and maybe it was when I installed dbpoweramp, foobar, or something, but there's actually quite a few options I could enable for detail view in explorer.  Right now I only have Name, Size, Type and Date Modified enabled, but I could also add any of Date Created, Date Accessed, Attributes, Status, Owner, Author, Title, Subject, Category, Pages, Comments, Copyright, Artist, Album Title, Year, Track Number, Genre, Duration, Bit Rate, Protected, Camera Model, Date Picture Taken, Dimensions, Episode Name, Program Description, Audio sample size, Channels, Company, Description, File Version, Product Name, Product Version, Image Dimensions, Date Image Taken, Digital Image Type, Color Space, Aperture, Shutter, ISO Speed, White Balance, Focal Length, Lens Type, Keywords, Length, Audio Quality, Rating, Album, Comment, Album - Track Number, Artist - Album - Track Number, Sample Rate, Sample Size, Original Size, Contains, or Protected.  None of those, afaik, would allow me to sort by extension, and if I enabled all of them simultaneously, I obviously wouldn't have enough room to display them all at once side by side and have them readable, not at my current 1280x960 resolution, or my max 1920x1440.

I think the registry editing would be the way to go, but I searched my registry for all instances of "Winamp Media File" and none of the few things it found looked like the right thing to change.  Also, even though I disabled recapturing file associations in Winamp, it still behaves like this.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #8 –
how about disabling all media file support within Winamp to restore the file type naming scheme and then shift-right-click a given media file > open with > choose Winamp > check tick box to always open it with Winamp ?

That way, all media files should be labeled the way you want it, but still get opened in Winamp by default.

On a sidenote, I seem to recall that the file type support changes in Winamp will take effect after you close and restart Winamp and not on-the-fly ...

Cheers,
Maggi

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Maggi on
how about disabling all media file support within Winamp to restore the file type naming scheme and then shift-right-click a given media file > open with > choose Winamp > check tick box to always open it with Winamp ?

That way, all media files should be labeled the way you want it, but still get opened in Winamp by default.

On a sidenote, I seem to recall that the file type support changes in Winamp will take effect after you close and restart Winamp and not on-the-fly ...

Cheers,
Maggi


either i'm not sure what you're getting at, or it's not working.  I went into preferences -> filetypes in winamp, deselected all, hit "close", closed winamp, and it still showed it associated with winamp in explorer.

If I tell it to always open with windows media player, then it gives the different filetypes.  Switch back to winamp (even an older version that on my dad's windows 2000 computer showed the correct versions  (EDIT/NOTE: it forces it to open the default (5.52) winamp not the old (5.1) winamp EVEN when I select it!) and it reverts back to 'winamp media file'

what the **** am i doing wrong?


That's what it looks like when I have it associated with Winamp.


That's what they are when I associate it with Windows Media Player.

I want to open them with WINAMP... and show the file types in the SECOND picture.  What do I have to do to make it do this?

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #10 –
Quote from: pianoplayer88key on
If I go the file manager route, how do I integrate it with Windows Explorer, or replace Windows Explorer with it, and which way would be better/safer?

I was thinking of Total Commander. But perhaps there are other good file managers for Windows. You just run the new file manager program whenever you need to work with files and let Explorer sit there.

Quote
I think the registry editing would be the way to go, but I searched my registry for all instances of "Winamp Media File" and none of the few things it found looked like the right thing to change.

The usual warning: be careful when making changes in the registry. It would probably not make the computer explode, but may cause the operating system to become unbootable. Blah blah.

Last time I used Winamp it created it's key under HKCR\Winamp.File. But you don't need to know that. What you need is the file extensions under HKCR: .mp3, .ogg, and so on. They are pointed to Winamp.File. You have to create a set of keys using the scheme of Winamp.File, and point each extension (or group of them) to its own key.

Basically you can do that under Control Panel -> Folder Options -> File Types. But it takes more clicking there. If you succeed making these associations, consider backing them up immediately as *.reg files, in case some program deletes them.

Quote
how about shift-right-click a given media file > open with

Ah, the XP way.. All right, it's your choice. I recall that somebody had done this in WinME, associated Word documets with Kodak Imaging or something insensible. Problem was that this association couldn't be dropped the usual way, only by using Open With again.

Quote
what the **** am i doing wrong?

It's hard to figure out that from remote. Explorer must have become 'confused' with all the apps trying to take the ".mp3" extension.
 

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #11 –
Quote from: pianoplayer88key on
either i'm not sure what you're getting at, or it's not working.  I went into preferences -> filetypes in winamp, deselected all, hit "close", closed winamp, and it still showed it associated with winamp in explorer.

If I tell it to always open with windows media player, then it gives the different filetypes.  Switch back to winamp (even an older version that on my dad's windows 2000 computer showed the correct versions  (EDIT/NOTE: it forces it to open the default (5.52) winamp not the old (5.1) winamp EVEN when I select it!) and it reverts back to 'winamp media file'

what the **** am i doing wrong?


that's odd ... I'm using Winamp 5.52 as well and all file types are listed properly (as if they were associated to be opened with WMP)

on 2nd sight, Winamp is defaulting to "restore file associations at Winamp start-up", so maybe you just need to launch Winamp once after you had deselected all file types ?

Maggi

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #12 –
I still don't get it!! I tried disassociating files and reassociating them, tried telling it always open with media player, then enabling recapture associations in winamp (and it still opened with media player), then changed associations back to winamp media file... and it STILL insists on calling them all "winamp media file"s!! wtf!


That's what shows in Windows 2000.  (I just booted to there to see what it was.)  Sorry for the poor color quality - i don't have the video drivers installed for that (it's actually running off my dad's HD plugged into my computer, which WAS in his computer with a different video card)

Those show the audio files as "MP3 file" and "WAV file", which I'd be ok with, too.  (but the midi file still is apparently "Winamp Media File".)

See my above post for the other 2 pics of what it behaves like under xp...

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #13 –
very confusing ... 

I run WinXP and it shows up like in your Win2k screenshot

Did you try to uninstall Winamp, reboot and the re-install it again with all files types NOT associated to Winamp, but instead use the procedure for opening the files in Winamp that I posted above ?

Other than that, you might want to give RegCleaner a try to fix your problem.

HTH,
Maggi

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #14 –
Quote from: pianoplayer88key on
I still don't get it!! I tried disassociating files and reassociating them, tried telling it always open with media player, then enabling recapture associations in winamp (and it still opened with media player), then changed associations back to winamp media file... and it STILL insists on calling them all "winamp media file"s!! wtf!


re-reading your post, I'm starting to think that you re-associated the media files within Winamp ...

if that's the case, you misunderstood my suggestion, so just in case:

1) dissociate all file types in winamp
2) exit winamp
3) start winamp for changes taking effect
4) shift-right-click a media file
5) select "open with" > "choose program"
6) select winamp
7) check tick box to "always open file type with ..."
8) apply changes
9) check your explorer listing

I hope this one is clearer than my first post ...

Cheers,
Maggi

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #15 –
Ok.... I uninstalled winamp, physically deleted another winamp folder in the Program Files dir, it found Winamp3 laying around on my HD and opened with that, re-associated with WMP (which made the filetypes correct), rebooted, reinstalled winamp (told it not to associate anything (except audio CDs)), did the right-click open with, and it retyped it as "Winamp Media File"!

I downloaded reg cleaner... and am not sure what to do with it

Also, I tried the things in your second post, and they still called it "winamp media file"

When I go into tools - folder options (from explorer), click on file types, it shows mp3 as a "MP3 File", but in explorer's detail view (see screenshots above) it shows up as "Winamp Media File".  WTF!!

what the f**k is going on?  i'm getting absolutely sick of this!

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #16 –
"benski said: Winamp 5.53 will fix this."

am using 5.54xx something

this problem still exists.

when i associate mp3 files/etc with foobar2000, i can sort them by file type OK, but winamp file association is still bugged.

so any updates on the status of this bug?

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #17 –
It's a "bug" all of a sudden?  It seems like it works as it was intended.  If you don't like it, then you're going to have to edit the registry unless there is an easier tool; but I'll tell you right now, dealing with file types in Window's folder options is only going to result in frustration.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #18 –
It is much easier to make these changes directly in the registry, rather than using Folder Options. Regedit also gives you the possibility to export the edits for another computer.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #19 –
i looked in the registry and did some comparison of what foobar2000 does for file association compared to winamp, and i didn't notice anything questionable as all seemed in order.

i don't know what winamp is doing different but it'd be great if this were fixed for other, less technical users.

in the mean time i'll use an explorer shell extension to sort file extension.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #20 –
I temporarily associated FLAC and MP3 with Winamp v5.541 and file types were Ok. Winamp created a progid for each extension called Winamp.File.*, and each of these progids had a proper 'description': “MPEG Layer 3 Audio File”, and even “Karaoke MIDI File”. Icon is the same for all types.

Benski has fulfilled his promise. Perhaps you have some old conflicting associations.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #21 –
i uninstalled winamp, noted that now several of my mp3 files were listed correctly but the rest were still type "winamp media file" .. weird and useless either way.
reinstalled winamp, noted that all my mp3/ogg files were now again listed as "winamp media file".

this winamp problem may be fixed for some, but it isn't fixed here.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #22 –
Some mp3s are still listed as winamp media but other mp3s are not?  Based on the way the registry works this simply isn't possible.  I'll bet you didn't restart explorer before concluding that there was a problem.

Furthermore, ogg files aren't a native format for windows, so there's nothing for them to revert to.  So yes, this makes perfect sense.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #23 –
restarting it did not appear to change anything.

change "Winamp Media File" in Explorer to others...

Reply #24 –
Is windows configured to hide extensions for known file types?

There is no mechanism for files of the same type to be listed more than one way.