UE, Vista and File associations

[thomas]

I can't seem to be able to choose ue.exe as the default program to launch .nzb files with.
I push Start
type Default Programs
Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program
find the .nzb filetype
click Change program.

Here a window pops up, the "Open with" window you also get when right-clicking a file and choosing open with.
I then go Browse, browse my way to ue.exe, which is located in c:\program files\ue.exe, double click or single click and click OK, but the program does not "follow" back out into the "Open with" window, so I am unable to set it as the default program.

I went into registry edit, and searched for .nzb
I found it in several places, but most interesting so far is this:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nzb\OpenWithList]
"a"="ieuser.exe"
"MRUList"="cab"
"b"="UE.exe"
"c"="NOTEPAD.EXE"

So as far as I understand it should work but perhaps vista has blocked ue.exe in some way from showing up where I want it?

I have no problems launching ue.exe and manually import nzb files, except it's a lot more clicks

Will try a bit more to see what I can come up with-

[Josef K]

What about Properties->General->Import/search->Associate with import file extensions with the action:?

UE should be able to register itself instead of manually doing it yourself.

[thomas]

I tried that too.
I checked that box, pushed Apply, then OK.
When I entered that options screen again it was unchecked again

[alex]

i'll try to check it within a week or so when i reinstall vista and after completing some work on the server, as to the project compilation i'm still using xp, monitoring news channels for a vista service pack

[Josef K]

i'll try to check it within a week or so when i reinstall vista

I run Vista through VMware. I wonder how reliable UE can be tested in that situation. Maybe it could be safe enough to use it as a testbed instead of dedicating a whole machine to Vista.

i'm still using xp, monitoring news channels for a vista service pack

I run my own business (IT Technician) and now I'm seeing more and more customers popping up with Vista and its associated problems. It's a whole new headache. I just can't believe how Microsoft have been able to create something so unusable and then to unleash it upon the world. The fact they charge so much money for it, especially $100 more in my country for exactly the same DVD retailing in the USA... Grr...

Right now my advice to anyone is: steer clear, too many unknowns and even the knowns are unworkable. If anyone needs convincing, look at how many bugs still occur in XP and that's had years to mature. Even Vista SP1 might not be enough, older hardware will never be compatible, especially no-name and generic brands.

[thomas]

I'm not here to argue which OS is the best OS.
For many there is no choice, when you buy a new computer these days Vista is what you get.

Anyway, It seems to have magically resolved itself after I gave up for a while.
Now I went into Control panel, Default Programs, Associate a file type or protocol with a program, scrolled down till I found .nzb, and double clicked it.
The problem where no matter what I did I could not select usenet explorer there, has vanished, and now I can select it and it works.
Might have been fixed in a windows update patch, I don't know really, but it works now

[bassie]

Not really to the subject:
At least i know in holland a shop that still sells pc-s with "freedos". And i advice people i know just to buy those computers, because the money is spent in hardware.
The first thing to do then is remove this freedos and install windows xp.

There are still a lot of strange things in windows vista. And it does not really look safer either, as you still have to install every safety program you used in windows xp for example. The firewall of vista is again very bad like in windows xp. One thing already because it allows all outbound traffic, so for example credit card data can be transfered without a question even asked. And above all: i don't have a clue why would use it as my main windows version, i just use it sometimes and see what i can learn from it sometimes.

[alex]

does the nzb file association from the properties works or not? for example if you associate nzb with any other program (even notepad) through windows and then check properties->general->associate with import file extensions in UE, does it remain checked after closing and reopening properties? (the question also to bassie and others who have vista install right now)

i'm just checking here some other quite useful things, didn't reinstall vista yet.

[bassie]

does the nzb file association from the properties works or not? for example if you associate nzb with any other program (even notepad) through windows and then check properties->general->associate with import file extensions in UE, does it remain checked after closing and reopening properties? (the question also to bassie and others who have vista install right now)

i'm just checking here some other quite useful things, didn't reinstall vista yet.

i associated the nzb file with wordpad and the nzb file was opened indeed with wordpad, then I did what you asked.
When i am in ue and do the association with UE then the check mark disappears immediately when pressing "apply" (at least i see the dutch word "toepassen" which means apply in english). So the checkmark disappears. When i try to open the nzb file windows does not know the program uses the nzb file.

So the association disappears.

[bassie]

Another way that seems to work:

rightclick on the nzb file and then chose "open with - select standard program" and then select ue.exe.

Then the nzb icon changes to the UE logo. And on double clicking UE opens with the contents of the nzb file.

In the properties in UE the nzb file association remains unchecked, but after closing and restarting UE, nothing changes. So the association stays there.

If I then in UE check or uncheck this nzb file association and then close and restart UE, then still the file association to UE stays there. So you can only in vista select the file association, not from within UE.

[bassie]

so people who may have problems:

first download an nzb file and then rightclick and then chose "open with - select standard program".

The exact words can be different, as i have a dutch version of vista.

[Josef K]

You can also download straight to the Import directory and let UE handle the importing.

[alex]

ok so i need to check it then, those are small things, i remember with introducing winxp there was a similar issue.

[alex]

what it appears, the check box works ok except for the difference in winxp there is no key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nzb\UserChoice

in addition though there are also keys OpenWithList and OpenWithProgids like in WinXP but not the UserChoice key above.

and it seems UserChoice is the one defining what application to launch, so it overrides the UE properties settings and doesn't trigger the check box to be unchecked because UE is unaware about the key.

so if to set "open with" in explorer to UE, or when no user choice was set at all for the .nzb extension should be no problem.

i'll verify it later more precisely, checked it for now on an older vista install.

[thomas]

does the nzb file association from the properties works or not? for example if you associate nzb with any other program (even notepad) through windows and then check properties->general->associate with import file extensions in UE, does it remain checked after closing and reopening properties? (the question also to bassie and others who have vista install right now)

i'm just checking here some other quite useful things, didn't reinstall vista yet.

i associated the nzb file with wordpad and the nzb file was opened indeed with wordpad, then I did what you asked.
When i am in ue and do the association with UE then the check mark disappears immediately when pressing "apply" (at least i see the dutch word "toepassen" which means apply in english). So the checkmark disappears. When i try to open the nzb file windows does not know the program uses the nzb file.

So the association disappears.

I did the same, only with notepad, and had the exact same results.

The download to import folder works like a charm, and would be my preferred option had this issue not resolved itself