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Topic: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC (Read 16938 times) previous topic - next topic

Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

I recently right clicked on a downloaded midi file and selected NoteWorthy to open the file.  After it finished and I made a few changes in it, I noticed the screen seemed different.  After clicking "Help" and "About" I was in version 1.75.

Is there a shortcut to force 2.0 to import the file?  TIA
Since 1998

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #1 –
Easiest way is to drag a file with a NWC supported MIDI extension (*.mid, *.kar, *.rmi) onto the version of NoteWorthy Composer that you want to use to import it.

AFAIK, installation of the current versions of NoteWorthy Composer (2.04.00, 1.75c) do not modify the file associations for MIDI files. The right click behaviour you describe is possibly a vestige of an older installation or your own creation.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #2 –
After the right click, I choose NoteWorthy Composer Notation Processor and got 1.75.  I tried it again by selecting "Choose Program" and Browse, I got to Program Files/NoteWorthy Software/NoteWorthy Composer 2/nwc2.exe .  After choosing it I got the same "Open With .." window that came up after the "Choose Program" the first time.  The system didn't recognize nwc2.exe as valid, I guess.
Since 1998

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #3 –
Does NWC2 open normally otherwise, Warren? (E.g., when you click on its icon?) If not, the program is probably corrupted. If so, then the problem is probably in your file associations....or possibly in the MIDI file itself, though I know of no reason why a MIDI that would open in ver. 1 wouldn't open in ver. 2.

Bill

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Warren Porter –
The system didn't recognize nwc2.exe as valid, I guess.
If "[t]he system" is Win98SE, it does. Next time I need to reboot, I'll check WinXP.

The MIDI file extension does need to be one of:
  • mid
  • kar
  • rmi
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #6 –
I am using Windows XP Pro.  NWC 2.0 opens normally when I select it and I can choose Import with no problem reading midi files.

My guess is the program which looks a NWC file to determine whether to open it with 1.75 or 2.0 is the one which defaults to 1.75 when given a midi file.
Since 1998

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #7 –
Quote
NoteWorthy Composer (2.04.00, 1.75c)

Rick, is there NWC 2.04.00?  If so, I have somehow missed the updates.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Warren Porter –
I tried it again by selecting "Choose Program" and Browse, I got to Program Files/NoteWorthy Software/NoteWorthy Composer 2/nwc2.exe .  After choosing it I got the same "Open With .." window that came up after the "Choose Program" the first time.  The system didn't recognize nwc2.exe as valid, I guess.

This tends to indicate a problem with your "Open With" mechanism, rather than with NWC.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #10 –
Ok I'll bite

Why does the version reported by looking at properties of the executable not read the same as the version reported by help from within the executable?

I do see that the properties reports to greater decimal points than within help, but wouldn't it be easy enough to report the full version number at all points to avoid confusion?

To answer David's question, the version 2.0 that you see in help is the same version 2.0.4.0 that Rick sees when looking at the program's properties. These things are sent to confuse. They are both the same version David.

Rich.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #11 –
The version in Help->About is for humans. I'm not sure why Rick quoted the file properties.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #12 –
Well, I think all of us are humans;-)

I can't speak for Rick, but one reason for checking file properties for the version number is to get greater precision. I agree with Rich that it would be nice if the two version numbers agreed. (We probably don't need the build number, but you never know.....)

Cheers,

Bill

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #13 –
Quote from: NoteWorthy Online –
I'm not sure why Rick quoted the file properties.
I had Explorer open to where nwc2.exe was.

One advantage of the file property page handler is that it allows things to be copied to the clipboard. This cuts down on errors, but in this case it added some confusion.

I find it imprecise to refer to the current incarnation of nwc2.exe simply as version 2.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #14 –
FWIW, file association questions should be prefaced by the version of Windows that you are using.

Quote from: Warren Porter –
I tried it again by selecting "Choose Program" and Browse, I got to Program Files/NoteWorthy Software/NoteWorthy Composer 2/nwc2.exe .  After choosing it I got the same "Open With .." window that came up after the "Choose Program" the first time.
I think that you need to complete this process and actually open the MIDI file with NWC2 in order to get nwc2.exe added to the ''Open With'' list.

The best discussion of the issue that I could find is here:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/1059475228
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Rick G. –
If "[t]he system" is Win98SE, it does. Next time I need to reboot, I'll check WinXP.
Bug confirmed. WinXP will not allow nwc2.exe to open a MIDI file through Explorer's "Open With" context menu.
It will allow me to open a MIDI file into NWC 1.75c. It will also add 'NoteWorthy Composer Notation Processor' (aka NWC 1.75c) to the context menu and the 'Open With' Dialog that appears if I select 'Choose Program...' from the context menu. Drag and drop into NWC2 works just fine.

Perhaps nwc2.exe (or its installer) is not advertising MIDI capability to WinXP.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #16 –
I have no trouble adding NWC2 to the Open With in Windows XP. I just did it on three different machines. I had to "Choose Program" and browse to the NWC2.exe on one machine, but then it worked fine and stayed in the recommended programs list for MIDI files.

Quote from: Rick G. –
Perhaps nwc2.exe (or its installer) is not advertising MIDI capability to WinXP.

The registry stores the Open With settings, but as far as I know, there is nothing that an application can do to prevent itself from being selected for inclusion by the user.  For *.mid, this is:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mid\OpenWithList

If you do not have any association with a file type, you can initiate this process via File->Properties from within Explorer.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #17 –
When I looked at that registry entry, I got
Default  (value not set)
a  vmidi.exe
b  nwc2.exe
c NWC32.EXE
...
MRUList acbehgfd

I created a testing shortcut with the path/name of a .mid file in the command line and NWC2 came up to import the file without a problem.  If I right click on a midi file, "Noteworthy Compser Notation Processor" is one of the choices, but 1.75 is still the program that comes up.
Since 1998

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #18 –
I have 2 entries that relate to NWC, but only after I explicitly used NWC1.75 - before that I had only NWC2:
Noteworthy Composer Notation Processor
Noteworthy Composer 2 Main Program
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #19 –
The NWC2 command will be shown as NoteWorthy Composer 2 Main Program.

In the registry, the proper program path must also be in the following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\NWC2.EXE

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #20 –
You might also want to check:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mid\OpenWithList

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #21 –
Quote from: NoteWorthy Online –
I have no trouble adding NWC2 to the Open With in Windows XP.
Well, it is clear that Warren and I do. I don't care if it is fixed since I much prefer drag & drop to open MIDI files.

My full XP version is:
  • Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234:Service Pack 3)
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #22 –
Quote from: Rick G. –
Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234:Service Pack 3)

Same here.

I am not sure what you mean by "it" with regard to a fix. We will consider creating a utility to automatically add NWC2 to the Open With registry settings for MIDI files.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #23 –
If you have problems with the Open With, here are two things to check. The factory install of NWC2 does not currently configure either of these, but if for some reason they exist on your computer, they can prevent your system from using Open With on MIDI files to access NWC2:

  • Check for the existence of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\NWC2.EXE\NoOpenWith
  • Check for the existence of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\NWC2.EXE\SupportedTypes

For now, if NoOpenWith exists, you should deleteit. If SupportedTypes exists, make sure that .mid is included in its list.

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #24 –
Quote from: NoteWorthy Online –
I am not sure what you mean by "it" with regard to a fix.
Sorry for being unclear. I don't care if I can't use 'Open With' to open files with nwc2.exe
Warren evidently does. I was trying to help, but it appears that I have shed more heat than light on the subject.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #25 –
Quote from: NoteWorthy Online –
  • Check for the existence of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\NWC2.EXE\NoOpenWith
  • Check for the existence of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\NWC2.EXE\SupportedTypes
The only thing under nwc2.exe is shell / open / command.
Under NWC2VIEW.EXE under "shell" are three entries for open , play, and view which each have similar  "command" under them: NWC2VIEW.EXE ending with "/launch %1", "/play %1", and "%1" respectively.

I didn't see "NoOpenWith" in any NWC entries in this area.
Since 1998

Re: Opening midi file with latest version of NWC

Reply #27 –
Thank you! A right click on a midi file gives a choice of which NWC program to open it with and it goes right into NWC2.

I appreciate your staying on top of it.
Since 1998