Conference noted::ibmpc-95

You can set W95 to use the media player to open an .avi file.
I think you do this in one of the menus of explorer. There is
a selection where you say what to do for specified file extensions.
You can then put a shortcut to the .avi file in the startup menu
and it will use the media player to play it automagically on boot up.

Is there some reason you want to avoid the media player?

Dave

>>    Is there some reason you want to avoid the media player?
    
    Yes - I would like to just be able to click on the target file
    under File manager...   
    
    thanks, r.
    

    Re .0:
    
    The media player can be instructed to play the file as soon as it opens
    it.  Try running "mplayer /?" to see if it displays information about
    command-line switches.  Then you'll want to associate ".avi" files with
    a command like "mplayer /p %1", where "/p" stands for whichever switch
    is appropriate.  If you can't find the switch from the output or help
    of mplayer, let me know; I'll get it from my system.
    
    
    				-- edp
    
    
Public key fingerprint:  8e ad 63 61 ba 0c 26 86  32 0a 7d 28 db e7 6f 75
To find PGP, read note 2688.4 in Humane::IBMPC_Shareware.

>   Yes - I would like to just be able to click on the target file
>   under File manager...   

You can create associations between a file extension and a program to run
such files.  Then double-clicking on the file will run the program with
that file loaded.

I think it's under the File menu on the File Manager.

You'd still use the media player (or other of your choice), but it does
save one step, maybe two.

In W95 it's under explorer-->view-->options...-->file types.

After you set it up, you can put an .avi file in your startup menu and
have it play automatically when you log into W95.

Dave

    Yes - this does indeed work with WNT and W95... thanks.
    
    How about W3.1 ?  (The system I want to do this on has
    not yet been upgraded)...
    
    When I click on them, I get into media player and have
    to start it from there.  I have not found a way under W3.1
    to get media player to start them automagically.
    
    Perhaps W3.1 is not sophisticated enough to do this?
    
    thanks,
    r.
    

>   Perhaps W3.1 is not sophisticated enough to do this?

I think it's the media player's fault, not Windows.  Windows just starts
the media player program (or whatever program you associate with the file
type) and tells it what file you had clicked.  It's up to the media player
program to either run with it or sit and wait for you to say "go". 
Evidently it does the latter.

Maybe the suggestion in .3 will tell you a command-line parameter to make
it go by itself.

    Re .6:
    
    >     Perhaps W3.1 is not sophisticated enough to do this?
    
    Run the Registration Editor.  If you cannot find the icon for it, use
    File:Run in the Program Manager or File Manage to run "regedit".
    
    In the Registration Editor, select Add or New.  A dialog box appears. 
    For identifier and for file type, enter ".avi".  For command, enter
    "mplayer /play /close %1".  Leave out the "/close" if you do not want
    the Media Player to close when the AVI file is finished.
    
    (Actually, only one of the identifier or file type needs to be ".avi"
    -- the other is an arbitrary descriptive string.  I think it is the
    former that must be the extension.  You can experiment or just make
    them both ".avi".)
    
    
    				-- edp
    
    
Public key fingerprint:  8e ad 63 61 ba 0c 26 86  32 0a 7d 28 db e7 6f 75
To find PGP, read note 2688.4 in Humane::IBMPC_Shareware.