MPA files

[Bill Martin]

My machine has XP Home with all the critical upgrades plus various assorted
others. I have a simple MPA file which played properly using the RealPlayer
which the machine was set up to use out of the box. For no good reason I
decided to change the system to play MPA files using the Windows Media Player
instead which is what my other machine does by default.

From within windows explorer I went through the proper Tools>FolderOptions
and changed the MPA association over to Media Player. Won't work. There's
an error statement that the file has no program associated with it and I
should go into folder options and set it. Hmmm....

After various false leads I was staring at my options for MPA files in the
folder options. Setting it back to RealPlayer makes it work. Setting it to
Media Player says there's no association. For no good reason I tried setting
it to the only other option - Internet Explorer. To my surprise that makes
the MPA files play properly using *Media Player*, not IE.

The good news is that everything works ok. The question though is whether my
XP is broken in some insideous fashion or is it WAD?

Thanks....

Bill -- (Remove KILLSPAM from my address to use it)

[Ed Sproull [MSFT]]

That is a possible bug so I'll take a look at it.

THANKS for reporting it.

Ed


"Bill Martin" > wrote in message
om...
> My machine has XP Home with all the critical upgrades plus various
assorted
> others. I have a simple MPA file which played properly using the
RealPlayer
> which the machine was set up to use out of the box. For no good reason I
> decided to change the system to play MPA files using the Windows Media
Player
> instead which is what my other machine does by default.
>
> From within windows explorer I went through the proper Tools>FolderOptions
> and changed the MPA association over to Media Player. Won't work.
There's
> an error statement that the file has no program associated with it and I
> should go into folder options and set it. Hmmm....
>
> After various false leads I was staring at my options for MPA files in the
> folder options. Setting it back to RealPlayer makes it work. Setting it
to
> Media Player says there's no association. For no good reason I tried
setting
> it to the only other option - Internet Explorer. To my surprise that
makes
> the MPA files play properly using *Media Player*, not IE.
>
> The good news is that everything works ok. The question though is whether
my
> XP is broken in some insideous fashion or is it WAD?
>
> Thanks....
>
> Bill -- (Remove KILLSPAM from my address to use it)

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Bill,

You need to make sure that the file associations for MPA files are correct.
Go to Start, Run and enter REGEDIT

Go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mpa

The Default should be: mpegfile
Content Type: video/mpeg
PerceivedType: video

Under the PersistentHandler subkey, the Default value should be:

{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Associate Expert
ExpertZone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"Bill Martin" > wrote in message
om...
> My machine has XP Home with all the critical upgrades plus various
assorted
> others. I have a simple MPA file which played properly using the
RealPlayer
> which the machine was set up to use out of the box. For no good reason I
> decided to change the system to play MPA files using the Windows Media
Player
> instead which is what my other machine does by default.
>
> From within windows explorer I went through the proper Tools>FolderOptions
> and changed the MPA association over to Media Player. Won't work.
There's
> an error statement that the file has no program associated with it and I
> should go into folder options and set it. Hmmm....
>
> After various false leads I was staring at my options for MPA files in the
> folder options. Setting it back to RealPlayer makes it work. Setting it
to
> Media Player says there's no association. For no good reason I tried
setting
> it to the only other option - Internet Explorer. To my surprise that
makes
> the MPA files play properly using *Media Player*, not IE.
>
> The good news is that everything works ok. The question though is whether
my
> XP is broken in some insideous fashion or is it WAD?
>
> Thanks....
>
> Bill -- (Remove KILLSPAM from my address to use it)

[Bill Martin]

> You need to make sure that the file associations for MPA files are correct.
> Go to Start, Run and enter REGEDIT
>
> Go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mpa
>
> The Default should be: mpegfile
> Content Type: video/mpeg
> PerceivedType: video
>
> Under the PersistentHandler subkey, the Default value should be:
>
> {098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

When I enter REGEDIT having previously told the system to use IE (and it
actually uses Media Player) then everything you have above is true, PLUS in
the OpenWithList it says the default is MediaPlayer.exe.

Next I tell the system to change to RealPlayer and the file plays properly.
Then I tell it to associate Media Player and when I try to play the file I
get an error that there is no associated program for MPA files. I go into
REGEDIT at that point and everything you listed above is still true but the
"OpenWithList" key says "(value not set)".

Curiously, I go around the loop again and tell it to use IE. The file plays
properly with MediaPlayer. But going into REGEDIT again the "OpenWithList"
still says "(value not set)".

Anyhow, through the various permutations the information you supplied does
not change.

Bill -- (Remove KILLSPAM from my address to use it)