Hijacked/forced file associations with WinDVD Pro 11

[Monsoon]

Anyone know how to change file associations in WinDVD? And I don't mean one at a time in the windows folder settings. I'm looking specifically for Corel settings.

During the install of WinDVD Pro 11, I was unable to deselect the file associations, and now a great deal of files are opening up with Corel, which is unacceptable to me.

It's like the way real media player used to hijack all the file settings, only this is 2012. You would think companies would have stopped doing this by now.
And it's not just WinDVD, either. I saw the same problem in a google search for one of Corel's drawing programs, too.

I tried to look through the program one step at a time, but I just don't see the settings for this anywhere.

I won't put up with forced file associations. If I can't reverse these file associations, i'll be deleting this program.

I bought this program for one specific purpose, and that's to play blu-ray movies. And that's the only file associations i'm interested in from Corel.

[teknisyan]

I'm sorry to hear that, Monsoon. If you accidentally set WinDVD 11 as your default player, you can change this from the Windows Control Panel and also setup WinDVD as your default BD player for movies.

To do that, just open CONTROL PANEL > Default Programs > SET YOUR DEFAULT PROGRAMS > Under the Programs box click WinDVD then click "Choose Default for this program" from there just remove the all the checkmarks then click SAVE.

To setup WinDVD 11 as your default BD Player for movies go back to CONTROL PANEL > Default Programs > click on "CHANGE AUTO SETTINGS" then locate the setting for "Blu-ray disc movie" then on the "CHOOSE a DEFAULT" drop-down menu select "Play Blu-ray movie using Corel WinDVD" then just click SAVE.

[Monsoon]

I appreciate the reply, but unfortunately I get the identical situation here that I had during the install.
The checked boxes are grayed out, and cannot be unchecked.

Here's a screencap of it:

[Monsoon]

I got part of it worked out, but it still doesn't make sense.

I deleted the program, then every remaining sub folder, and every registry entry that I could find.

I reinstalled it (boxes still grayed out), went back into the registry and deleted the file associations from the capabilities folder.

Now when I look at all my mp3's, the icons are back to normal.
But the .flv and .mkv files are still hijacked.

[teknisyan]

If you prefer to use a different player for .flv and .mkv then you can just associate them to that player. You can right on any .flv and .mkv then select "OPEN WITH..." then select "Choose default program...." then just click on the program that you prefer or want to use when playing .flv and .mkv, just make sure that you have "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file." then click OK.

That should remove the association of all .flv and .mkv to WinDVD and open using the program that you specify instead.

[Monsoon]

I'm sorry, but that's an unacceptable fix for a program that hijacks settings.

There's no excuse for a program that does this in what is nearly 2013.

It hijacks that entire list, and the idea of paying for a program that I have to spend time reversing that type of thing is unacceptable.

This isn't just about this install. It's about every re-install that I might go through on this computer for as long as the program is still good.

And i'll be damned if i'll jump through hoops every time I do so.

Sounds like i'll be having to ask for a refund for this program.

[Alc]

Same issue here. I've messed around with file associations etc but the context menus are properly hijacked - play DVD (which used to use VLC) and even play audio CD (I mean seriously?) now go to WinDVD Pro 11 which takes ~1 minute to launch and anyway I only want WinDVD as a bluray player.

Completely unacceptable. You can consider this a lost sale.

[Monsoon]

Almost a year later, and not a single fix from the Corel people for this.

This says a great deal about Corel. And none of it is good.
Clearly this was done with intent. "Like it or not, you'll use our program for everything!".

So i'll just go on like I have been, telling everyone in the computer forums to stay away from this software. That it hijacks settings as much as any media player ever has, and how Corel doesn't care what you think about it.

And I wonder what the federal trade commission would think about this...

[canuck]

Almost a year later, and not a single fix from the Corel people for this.

This says a great deal about Corel. And none of it is good.
Clearly this was done with intent. "Like it or not, you'll use our program for everything!".

So i'll just go on like I have been, telling everyone in the computer forums to stay away from this software. That it hijacks settings as much as any media player ever has, and how Corel doesn't care what you think about it.

And I wonder what the federal trade commission would think about this...

You can wait a hundred years and there still will not be a fix since there really is no problem. If you are to lazy to do the manual "conversion" then that is your choice. There are many, many programs that do the same thing.

BTW, the FTC or whatever couldn't care less about this.

[Monsoon]

too lazy!

it's perfectly clear that you're the one who is too lazy to stand up for yourself when a corporation forces settings onto your computer that you didn't agree to.
and makes it impossible to revert some of them.

meanwhile i'll keep steering people away like I have been for the past year on computer forums.

enjoy hanging out with the sheep.

[Animedude5555]

I installed the trial version (you are talking about refund, so I assume yours is the payed version, but I assume the installer behaves the same as the free version's installer), and it asked to do custom install or normal install. Normal makes it your default player (changes your file associations). I picked custom install and made sure all associations were unchecked. This prevents it from changing file associations. Just because you didn't see an option for keeping your file associations, doesn't mean there wasn't one. It simply was called "custom" install, rather than "keep your file associations the same" install. You seemed to have overlooked it simply because the title of the install option didn't contain the phrase "file associations", but the feature you are describing certainly IS available. Corel needs to make no fix, because the feature is already available.