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making VLC the default for playing DVDs



 
 
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  #16  
Old June 13th 11, 09:54 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Jo-Anne[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,101
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

"Patok" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:
"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
"BillW50" wrote in message

Jo-Anne
Just curious, have you ever tried to change under Explorer (file
manager) under Tools-Folder Options and select the third tab called
File Types? Here the third one down is called DVD Video. Select this
one and press the Advanced button. It should list something like this:

Play
Play with PowerDVD (in bold)
Play with VLC media player

Select the VLC one. Then press the Set Default button (now this one
should be in bold). That should now open DVD movies with VLC instead of
PowerDVD.


I set VLC as the default, but PowerDVD still came up. I restarted the
computer; PowerDVD still came up. I deleted PowerDVD from the "list." It
no longer comes up--but VLC doesn't either. I have to open VLC, click on
Open Disc, and click Open. This is all on a DVD I had run earlier. So I
tried a new DVD, and it makes a strange sound spinning, doesn't stop
spinning, and VLC isn' working at all with it. I inserted one of the
DVDs I had run before, and it works OK--although I still have to open
VLC and manually start it.

From what I can see, this SHOULD have worked. I can't understand why it
hasn't--and I don't know what to do about the DVD that won't run at all.

Addendum: I did finally get the new DVD to play. I don't know what went
wrong the first time. So the only issue is having to start VLC rather
than having it automatically play the DVDs.


Duh. As I wrote before, the only application that will play DVDs upon
inserting them, is the one listed in the AutoPlay tab of your DVD drive,
under DVD movie. (You never said what applications you see there.) The
entry you've been setting in Folder Options, following Bill's advice, is
for right-clicking an already inserted and identified DVD disk, it is
*not* for automatically playing it.

--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.



Thank you for the information, Patok! I did manage to get Autoplay to work
with VLC by clicking on the AutoPlay tab of the DVD drive, as you suggested
and as Bill instructed. It works!

Jo-Anne


Ads
  #17  
Old June 13th 11, 09:56 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Jo-Anne[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,101
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

"BillW50" wrote in message
...
In ,
Jo-Anne wrote:
"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
"BillW50" wrote in message
...
In ,
Jo-Anne wrote:
"BillW50" wrote in message
...
In ,
Jo-Anne wrote:
I recently started playing DVDs on my WinXP laptop. Each time I
put a DVD in the drive, it opens with PowerDVD. Since I like to
use VLC Media Player, I close the PowerDVD window, open VLC
Media Player, and click on the DVD drive. I'm sure there's a way
to set VLC as the default DVD player. I'd be grateful for
instructions on how to do this or even for a link to a website
that explains it. Thank you!

Jo-Anne

I am not 100% positive this will work, but it is worth a shot.
There is a program called "USB Safely Remove". And one of the
things it can do is to run a program when it detects a given
device. "USB Safely Remove" is handy for much more than this too,
so it is worth looking into even if you can't get this to work
for this purpose. http://safelyremove.com/

Thank you, Bill! I had already bookmarked USB Safely Remove (I
think from one of your earlier posts). I'll definitely check it
out for this issue--although I wonder how it reacts if the media
in the DVD player is simply a data CD/DVD.

Jo-Anne

Just curious, have you ever tried to change under Explorer (file
manager) under Tools-Folder Options and select the third tab
called File Types? Here the third one down is called DVD Video.
Select this one and press the Advanced button. It should list
something like this: Play
Play with PowerDVD (in bold)
Play with VLC media player

Select the VLC one. Then press the Set Default button (now this one
should be in bold). That should now open DVD movies with VLC
instead of PowerDVD.

Hi, Bill,

I set VLC as the default, but PowerDVD still came up. I restarted the
computer; PowerDVD still came up. I deleted PowerDVD from the
"list." It no longer comes up--but VLC doesn't either. I have to
open VLC, click on Open Disc, and click Open. This is all on a DVD I
had run earlier. So I tried a new DVD, and it makes a strange sound
spinning, doesn't stop spinning, and VLC isn' working at all with
it. I inserted one of the DVDs I had run before, and it works
OK--although I still have to open VLC and manually start it.

From what I can see, this SHOULD have worked. I can't understand why
it hasn't--and I don't know what to do about the DVD that won't run
at all. Thank you for the suggestion, though!

Jo-Anne

Addendum: I did finally get the new DVD to play. I don't know what
went wrong the first time. So the only issue is having to start VLC
rather than having it automatically play the DVDs.

Jo-Anne


Try this, Win+R and paste in this line (including quotes):

"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --started-from-file dvd://d:

The last part "d:" change to whatever your drive letter is for your DVD
drive. In this example it is drive D. And that should start VLC and play
the DVD. If that works and it should if your path for VLC is the same, let
me know and we will go on from there.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3

Thank you, Bill! I'll copy this post to my hard drive for future reference.
As it turns out, your earlier instruction on how to set up Autoplay for the
DVD drive (right-clicking on the drive, etc.) worked perfectly.

Jo-Anne


  #18  
Old June 13th 11, 10:20 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Patok[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 285
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

BillW50 wrote:
In ,
Patok wrote:
Duh. As I wrote before, the only application that will play DVDs
upon inserting them, is the one listed in the AutoPlay tab of your DVD
drive, under DVD movie. (You never said what applications you see
there.) The entry you've been setting in Folder Options, following
Bill's advice, is for right-clicking an already inserted and
identified DVD disk, it is *not* for automatically playing it.


Thanks Patok for the information. Here is something that should work if
you have TweakUI installed.

My Computer
AutoPlay
Handlers

Here you can select VLC to autoplay DVD movies.

You can do this without TweakUI too. Right click on the DVD drive in
Explorer and select properties. AutoPlay tab, DVD Movie (drop down
menu), and Select an action to perform. Then select Play DVD movie using
VideoLAN VLC media player.


But can you do that? For some reason, I don't have VLC in the list
of autoplay handlers, and I don't see any option in the VLC
preferences to set that association. Maybe it asked once, when I was
installing it, and I said no?

In the meantime, I see that Jo-Anne was able to set VLC to play her
DVDs; apparently on her system, VLC had added itself to the list of
DVD playing programs, and all she needed to do was select it in the
AutoPlay tab.

However, I found that in TweakUI one can Create a new association
in the Handlers list, and I was able to add VLC to play DVDs. So, in
case someone doesn't have it there, here's how to do it:

- In TweakUI, in My Computer - AutoPlay - Handlers, click on "Create"
- check the desired checkboxes - DVD, etc.
- click "Change program", find and select the desired program - on my
comp, VLC is in "Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\"
- in the "Args:" field, enter "dvd://%L\"
- write something memorable in the Description and Using fields
- exit TweakUI, and then right-click on the DVD drive in Win Explorer
- in the AutoPlay tab, select the desred type (DVD movie, etc), and
then choose the new entry for "Select an action to perform"

--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.
  #19  
Old June 13th 11, 10:48 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
BillW50
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,556
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

In ,
Patok wrote:
BillW50 wrote:
In ,
Patok wrote:
Duh. As I wrote before, the only application that will play DVDs
upon inserting them, is the one listed in the AutoPlay tab of your
DVD drive, under DVD movie. (You never said what applications you
see there.) The entry you've been setting in Folder Options,
following Bill's advice, is for right-clicking an already inserted
and identified DVD disk, it is *not* for automatically playing it.


Thanks Patok for the information. Here is something that should work
if you have TweakUI installed.

My Computer
AutoPlay
Handlers

Here you can select VLC to autoplay DVD movies.

You can do this without TweakUI too. Right click on the DVD drive in
Explorer and select properties. AutoPlay tab, DVD Movie (drop down
menu), and Select an action to perform. Then select Play DVD movie
using VideoLAN VLC media player.


But can you do that? For some reason, I don't have VLC in the list
of autoplay handlers, and I don't see any option in the VLC
preferences to set that association. Maybe it asked once, when I was
installing it, and I said no?

In the meantime, I see that Jo-Anne was able to set VLC to play her
DVDs; apparently on her system, VLC had added itself to the list of
DVD playing programs, and all she needed to do was select it in the
AutoPlay tab.

However, I found that in TweakUI one can Create a new association
in the Handlers list, and I was able to add VLC to play DVDs. So, in
case someone doesn't have it there, here's how to do it:

- In TweakUI, in My Computer - AutoPlay - Handlers, click on
"Create" - check the desired checkboxes - DVD, etc.
- click "Change program", find and select the desired program - on my
comp, VLC is in "Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\"
- in the "Args:" field, enter "dvd://%L\"
- write something memorable in the Description and Using fields
- exit TweakUI, and then right-click on the DVD drive in Win Explorer
- in the AutoPlay tab, select the desred type (DVD movie, etc), and
then choose the new entry for "Select an action to perform"


If you use custom install of VLC, I believe you need to check Discs
Playback to have the handlers created. Not 100% sure though.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3


  #20  
Old June 13th 11, 10:50 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
BillW50
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,556
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

In ,
Jo-Anne wrote:
Bingo! That did it, Bill. I do have TweakUI installed, but I didn't
see an Autoplay option under My Compuer. So I followed your
directions starting with right-clicking on the DVD drive. It worked!
Thank you very much!
Jo-Anne


Oh that is great to hear. I'm using TweakUI v2.1. If you have the same,
it should show up if you click the + to the left of My Computer.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3


  #21  
Old June 13th 11, 11:23 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Patok[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 285
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

BillW50 wrote:
Patok wrote:
BillW50 wrote:

You can do this without TweakUI too. Right click on the DVD drive in
Explorer and select properties. AutoPlay tab, DVD Movie (drop down
menu), and Select an action to perform. Then select Play DVD movie
using VideoLAN VLC media player.


But can you do that? For some reason, I don't have VLC in the list
of autoplay handlers, and I don't see any option in the VLC
preferences to set that association. Maybe it asked once, when I was
installing it, and I said no?


If you use custom install of VLC, I believe you need to check Discs
Playback to have the handlers created. Not 100% sure though.


That's very likely. I always install using custom installs, never
default. And if that was one of the options, I most certainly disabled
it, as I very rarely play DVDs on a computer, and have no issues with
the default player.

--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.
  #22  
Old June 13th 11, 11:42 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
BillW50
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,556
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

In ,
Patok wrote:
BillW50 wrote:
Patok wrote:
BillW50 wrote:

You can do this without TweakUI too. Right click on the DVD drive
in Explorer and select properties. AutoPlay tab, DVD Movie (drop
down menu), and Select an action to perform. Then select Play DVD
movie using VideoLAN VLC media player.

But can you do that? For some reason, I don't have VLC in the list
of autoplay handlers, and I don't see any option in the VLC
preferences to set that association. Maybe it asked once, when I was
installing it, and I said no?


If you use custom install of VLC, I believe you need to check Discs
Playback to have the handlers created. Not 100% sure though.


That's very likely. I always install using custom installs, never
default. And if that was one of the options, I most certainly disabled
it, as I very rarely play DVDs on a computer, and have no issues with
the default player.


Yes that would explain it. I think that is all that checkbox does is to
create the handlers and nothing more.

And I guess I was wrong about selecting the default handler under
TweakUI. As I popped in there really quickly the first time and I
thought you could. But as you had noted, you can only delete, create and
edit handlers there and nothing more.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3


  #23  
Old June 14th 11, 12:18 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

Jo-Anne wrote:

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

I recently started playing DVDs on my WinXP laptop. Each time I put a DVD
in
the drive, it opens with PowerDVD. Since I like to use VLC Media Player,
I
close the PowerDVD window, open VLC Media Player, and click on the DVD
drive. I'm sure there's a way to set VLC as the default DVD player. I'd
be
grateful for instructions on how to do this or even for a link to a
website
that explains it.


Not a hardware question. This is a software configuration issue or, at
best, an issue with filetype associations in the operating system.
VideoLan's forums are over at http://forum.videolan.org/.

Right-click on the .vob file (or whatever you open to play the movie),
select Open With, and browse to the VLC program's executable. Make sure
you enable the Remember option in the browse dialog.

Or you could set the file associations within VLC Player. Alas, for
some reason, its designers decided that not all the simple options will
be present in the advanced options. To set file associations in VLC's
preferences, use the simple interface for its Preferences dialog. Then
look under the Interface category of options. Enable the extension for
whatever is the video file you are trying to open in VLC.


Thank you, Vanguard! I did look at the interface categories in VLC, and all
the options are checked--but still PowerDVD opens the files. I wonder if
PowerDVD can be uninstalled...


I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer - AutoPlay -
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).
  #24  
Old June 14th 11, 12:27 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
BillW50
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,556
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

In ,
VanguardLH wrote:
I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.


I don't know about the security patch, since I disabled all autoplay
years ago anyway. But DVD movies don't use autorun.inf at any rate. So
maybe this isn't effected by the patch?

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer - AutoPlay -
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you
want as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get
asked as to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).


Yes that works great.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3


  #25  
Old June 14th 11, 12:39 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Jo-Anne[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,101
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

I recently started playing DVDs on my WinXP laptop. Each time I put a
DVD
in
the drive, it opens with PowerDVD. Since I like to use VLC Media
Player,
I
close the PowerDVD window, open VLC Media Player, and click on the DVD
drive. I'm sure there's a way to set VLC as the default DVD player. I'd
be
grateful for instructions on how to do this or even for a link to a
website
that explains it.

Not a hardware question. This is a software configuration issue or, at
best, an issue with filetype associations in the operating system.
VideoLan's forums are over at http://forum.videolan.org/.

Right-click on the .vob file (or whatever you open to play the movie),
select Open With, and browse to the VLC program's executable. Make sure
you enable the Remember option in the browse dialog.

Or you could set the file associations within VLC Player. Alas, for
some reason, its designers decided that not all the simple options will
be present in the advanced options. To set file associations in VLC's
preferences, use the simple interface for its Preferences dialog. Then
look under the Interface category of options. Enable the extension for
whatever is the video file you are trying to open in VLC.


Thank you, Vanguard! I did look at the interface categories in VLC, and
all
the options are checked--but still PowerDVD opens the files. I wonder if
PowerDVD can be uninstalled...


I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer - AutoPlay -
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).



Thank you, Vanguard! I did make the change in Explorer, and VLC now is my
default program for playing DVDs.

Jo-Anne


  #26  
Old June 14th 11, 12:45 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Jo-Anne[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,101
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

"BillW50" wrote in message
...
In ,
Jo-Anne wrote:
Bingo! That did it, Bill. I do have TweakUI installed, but I didn't
see an Autoplay option under My Compuer. So I followed your
directions starting with right-clicking on the DVD drive. It worked!
Thank you very much!
Jo-Anne


Oh that is great to hear. I'm using TweakUI v2.1. If you have the same, it
should show up if you click the + to the left of My Computer.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3


Thank you again, Bill! I just wasn't looking in the right place. I have
version 2.10.0.0, and everything is where it should be.

Jo-Anne




  #27  
Old June 14th 11, 08:18 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

BillW50 wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.


I don't know about the security patch, since I disabled all autoplay
years ago anyway. But DVD movies don't use autorun.inf at any rate. So
maybe this isn't effected by the patch?


Did that, too, by using TweakUI to disable both AutoPlay and AutoRun.
Some users like the convenience so much that they remain blind to the
security breach after explaining it to them. AutoRun is definitely bad.
AutoPlay, at least, intervenes with a prompt where the *user* must make
a choice (but that user won't know for sure what is the real program
that is loaded upon an autoplay selection from the popup window).

As you look at TweakUI, Microsoft's KB articles, and their registry
settings, there is confusion over which relates to autorun and which are
for autoplay - because Microsoft mixes up the terminology.
  #28  
Old June 14th 11, 05:44 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
BillW50
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,556
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

VanguardLH wrote:
BillW50 wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

I don't know about the security patch, since I disabled all autoplay
years ago anyway. But DVD movies don't use autorun.inf at any rate. So
maybe this isn't effected by the patch?


Did that, too, by using TweakUI to disable both AutoPlay and AutoRun.
Some users like the convenience so much that they remain blind to the
security breach after explaining it to them. AutoRun is definitely bad.
AutoPlay, at least, intervenes with a prompt where the *user* must make
a choice (but that user won't know for sure what is the real program
that is loaded upon an autoplay selection from the popup window).

As you look at TweakUI, Microsoft's KB articles, and their registry
settings, there is confusion over which relates to autorun and which are
for autoplay - because Microsoft mixes up the terminology.


Microsoft sure *loves* to confuse everybody. I often try to figure out
the logic behind this. And the only thing I ever came up with is job
security. The only other thing is that it makes it a nightmare to
reverse engineer. LOL

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 702G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Xandros Linux (build 2007-10-19 13:03)
  #29  
Old June 29th 11, 05:57 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
FreeNews 4eva
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

Interesting.
I'm on XP Pro SP3 with all security updates.
I consistently use autorun.inf on removable media to load custom icons, etc.
Works fine.
I also have TrueCrypt configured on a USB pen drive in Traveler Mode that
uses extensive autorun.inf entries to execute commands, store the name of
the host device and load in its custom icon every single time its mounted
onto the system.

Which "security update" was meant to have prevented this?


"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

I recently started playing DVDs on my WinXP laptop. Each time I put a
DVD
in
the drive, it opens with PowerDVD. Since I like to use VLC Media
Player,
I
close the PowerDVD window, open VLC Media Player, and click on the DVD
drive. I'm sure there's a way to set VLC as the default DVD player. I'd
be
grateful for instructions on how to do this or even for a link to a
website
that explains it.

Not a hardware question. This is a software configuration issue or, at
best, an issue with filetype associations in the operating system.
VideoLan's forums are over at http://forum.videolan.org/.

Right-click on the .vob file (or whatever you open to play the movie),
select Open With, and browse to the VLC program's executable. Make sure
you enable the Remember option in the browse dialog.

Or you could set the file associations within VLC Player. Alas, for
some reason, its designers decided that not all the simple options will
be present in the advanced options. To set file associations in VLC's
preferences, use the simple interface for its Preferences dialog. Then
look under the Interface category of options. Enable the extension for
whatever is the video file you are trying to open in VLC.


Thank you, Vanguard! I did look at the interface categories in VLC, and
all
the options are checked--but still PowerDVD opens the files. I wonder if
PowerDVD can be uninstalled...


I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer - AutoPlay -
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).




--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to ---
  #30  
Old June 29th 11, 10:52 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default making VLC the default for playing DVDs

FreeNews 4eva wrote:

Interesting.
I'm on XP Pro SP3 with all security updates.
I consistently use autorun.inf on removable media to load custom icons, etc.
Works fine.
I also have TrueCrypt configured on a USB pen drive in Traveler Mode that
uses extensive autorun.inf entries to execute commands, store the name of
the host device and load in its custom icon every single time its mounted
onto the system.

Which "security update" was meant to have prevented this?

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:

I recently started playing DVDs on my WinXP laptop. Each time I put a
DVD
in
the drive, it opens with PowerDVD. Since I like to use VLC Media
Player,
I
close the PowerDVD window, open VLC Media Player, and click on the DVD
drive. I'm sure there's a way to set VLC as the default DVD player. I'd
be
grateful for instructions on how to do this or even for a link to a
website
that explains it.

Not a hardware question. This is a software configuration issue or, at
best, an issue with filetype associations in the operating system.
VideoLan's forums are over at http://forum.videolan.org/.

Right-click on the .vob file (or whatever you open to play the movie),
select Open With, and browse to the VLC program's executable. Make sure
you enable the Remember option in the browse dialog.

Or you could set the file associations within VLC Player. Alas, for
some reason, its designers decided that not all the simple options will
be present in the advanced options. To set file associations in VLC's
preferences, use the simple interface for its Preferences dialog. Then
look under the Interface category of options. Enable the extension for
whatever is the video file you are trying to open in VLC.

Thank you, Vanguard! I did look at the interface categories in VLC, and
all
the options are checked--but still PowerDVD opens the files. I wonder if
PowerDVD can be uninstalled...


I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer - AutoPlay -
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).


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Looks like it was for USB drives:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967940
http://blogs.technet.com/b/msrc/arch...n-release.aspx

Optical media is burned (with pits or chemically) so it is far less
likely that malware gets on them by accident. USB drives, however,
wander from host to host where one that is infected could push an
autorun.inf file onto USB drives. The required to burn to change an
rewritable optical disc (CD, DVD) is its thin condom against malware.
USB drives don't use condoms. Well, some can be locked or password
encrypted but then obviously once the user wants to *use* the flash
drive on a host (unknown to be infected to the flash drive user) then
they have to unlock it whereupon malware attacks.

If you get optical media from unknown or untrusted sources then you
probably also want to disable the AutoRun feature still remaining for
those devices.
 




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