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[RoderickGI]

Yeah, Office 2010 is old, but it has been getting updates, so the security issues are probably the same, or similar.

Windows Defender could still be blocking some of your actions. Unless you have it set to Verbose, or not on Silent, or whatever the setting is, it can block actions silently.

Norton is probably just turning on and off scripting in the Registry for PowerPoint when I make those changes in the Norton interface.

As above, I was just using a Hyperlink to a Shortcut that only had the MC26.exe /Replace TREEPATH=Playlists\WhitePlaylist command, and the Mini View came to the top and playback started. It is very strange that we are getting different results with that... Ah, open MC in Mini View, right-click in a blank area of the interface, then select View > Always on top. Test again, just with a Hyperlink to a shortcut, and no MC26.exe /Mode Mini command. Oh wait, you said you were already using "Always on top". Hmmm.

If playback still doesn't start, you could try turning on "Options > General > Behaviour > Start playing when files added to Playing Now". As the MC26.exe /Replace TREEPATH=Playlists\WhitePlaylist command adds files to Playing Now, that should force playback to start. But I don't need to have that setting on for this to work.

The only other setting that I can think of which might affect the Mini View coming to top again using the Hyperlink is the "Options > General > Interface > Minimise to System Tray", which I have turned on. If you are minimising to the Taskbar that may give a different result. However, when I turned that off my link still worked.

If I use /Replace instead of /PlayReplace in my second request to play a playlist, MC just stops the current playlist and fails to start the new one.

Does it change the Playlist? I was testing with just one Playlist, but changed to using two separate Playlists to confirm that /Replace was actually changing the Playlist using my Hyperlink. Indeed it was, and the second Playlist was being played correctly, from the beginning. Note that I do still get the Powerpoint warning message about opening the file, as I haven't turned off the security settings required, and I am showing the slideshow in Protected Mode. But I think you have that covered in your installation.

Note also that if MC isn't running when I click the second image to open the Hyperlink, MC is opened in full Standard View, the Playlist is loaded, and the Playlist is played.

[Matt]

Next build we'll have this change:
Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

There are several ways to return to standard view, so I think the change is good.

[haggis999]

Next build we'll have this change:
Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

There are several ways to return to standard view, so I think the change is good.

Many thanks for that, Matt. It's much appreciated 

[haggis999]

....If playback still doesn't start, you could try turning on "Options > General > Behaviour > Start playing when files added to Playing Now". As the MC26.exe /Replace TREEPATH=Playlists\WhitePlaylist command adds files to Playing Now, that should force playback to start. But I don't need to have that setting on for this to work.

'Start playing when files added to Playing Now' is already turned on in my copy of MC 26.

The only other setting that I can think of which might affect the Mini View coming to top again using the Hyperlink is the "Options > General > Interface > Minimise to System Tray", which I have turned on. If you are minimising to the Taskbar that may give a different result. However, when I turned that off my link still worked.

'Minimise to System Tray' didn't help.

Does it change the Playlist? I was testing with just one Playlist, but changed to using two separate Playlists to confirm that /Replace was actually changing the Playlist using my Hyperlink. Indeed it was, and the second Playlist was being played correctly, from the beginning.

Whether or not I choose to minimise MC, the playlist always changes when I select a new playlist via an icon in PP.

Note also that if MC isn't running when I click the second image to open the Hyperlink, MC is opened in full Standard View, the Playlist is loaded, and the Playlist is played.

If I remove the MC26.exe /Mode Mini command from one of my playlist batch files and invoke that batch file when MC is closed then MC opens in Standard view and starts to play that playlist, just as that does for you. However, it's only the Mini view that serves my purpose here.

Given Matt's agreement to make the Close icon in the Mini view do just that in the next release, I think that will resolve my problem in the most convenient manner. Given the current coronavirus situation, I won't be giving this PP presentation any time soon, so waiting for the next release is fine by me.

[RoderickGI]

Next build we'll have this change:
Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

There are several ways to return to standard view, so I think the change is good.

Thanks Matt. I certainly agree! 

[RoderickGI]

If I remove the MC26.exe /Mode Mini command from one of my playlist batch files and invoke that batch file when MC is closed then MC opens in Standard view and starts to play that playlist, just as that does for you. However, it's only the Mini view that serves my purpose here.

Excellent that you are happy with just closing the MC Mini View and using the batch files to launch it each time.

But did you try just using a Hyperlink to a Windows Shortcut that selects a new Playlist and plays it, for the second and subsequent Playlists? That works really well for me, and is fast.

[haggis999]

Excellent that you are happy with just closing the MC Mini View and using the batch files to launch it each time.

But did you try just using a Hyperlink to a Windows Shortcut that selects a new Playlist and plays it, for the second and subsequent Playlists? That works really well for me, and is fast.

I can execute a shortcut to a simple playlist batch file via a Run Program action in PP but it's no faster than running the batch file directly or via a VBS file. I don't know if using a Hyperlink action would be any quicker, as it suffers from a security warning popup. Perhaps I could find a way to suppress that popup but I don't really understand why using a shortcut should make any difference. Am I missing something here?   

[RoderickGI]

No probably not.

Once I set security correctly I don't get a popup. Using the shortcut meant not needing to restart MC for me, which is therefore faster. As long as your solution works for you.

[haggis999]

No probably not.

Once I set security correctly I don't get a popup. Using the shortcut meant not needing to restart MC for me, which is therefore faster. As long as your solution works for you.

Surely a shortcut to a batch file would behave in just the same way as a direct link to the same batch file? MC would receive the same commands in each case and react in the same way to those commands. If anything, using a shortcut must take a few more CPU cycles to process.

When MC is already running, I have not seen any noticeable difference in response time if I activate a playlist in a batch file that includes MC26.exe /Mode Mini versus one that does not. The inclusion of that command gives me the flexibility to run my PP presentation in any order, rather than always having to start with the only slide whose playlist batch file contains that command. 

Perhaps what you are really trying to say is that your choice of a Hyperlink PP action rather than a Run Program PP action provides a faster response. Unfortunately, I can't check that out, as I have totally failed to find any way to suppress the security popup when running a Hyperlink action in PP 365. Plenty of people have moaned about this online but Microsoft doesn't appear to be interested in offering a solution.

[Matt]

The change to closing mini view is now public:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,124842.0.html

[haggis999]

The change to closing mini view is now public:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,124842.0.html

I normally just use the stable releases of MC but made an exception in this case. It appears to be working fine and now that the closing of the Mini view happens in a more conventional manner it makes the combination of PowerPoint and MC a slicker process.

Thanks, Matt, for a very rapid and positive response to this issue. It's much appreciated 

[AJSchmidt]

Matt,

Now that closing the Mini View panel causes MC to completely shut down, please provide an option on the Mini View panel where just 1-click on a button or control will instantly return to the Standard View. 
That original Close-to-Std-view feature was very helpful and easy, so please give us a new 1-click way to handle it.

Thank you!
-Andrew

-----------------------
Posted by: Matt
« on: April 06, 2020, 08:25:11 am »

Next build we'll have this change:
Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

There are several ways to return to standard view, so I think the change is good.
-----------------------

[haggis999]

Matt,

Now that closing the Mini View panel causes MC to completely shut down, please provide an option on the Mini View panel where just 1-click on a button or control will instantly return to the Standard View. 
That original Close-to-Std-view feature was very helpful and easy, so please give us a new 1-click way to handle it.

Thank you!
-Andrew

-----------------------
Posted by: Matt
« on: April 06, 2020, 08:25:11 am »

Next build we'll have this change:
Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

There are several ways to return to standard view, so I think the change is good.
-----------------------

Hitting Ctrl-1 will take you to standard view.

[RoderickGI]

Plus it is only two clicks if using a mouse.

Right-click in the background of the Mini View, hover over the "View" menu item, select Standard View.

Not a huge burden.

[haggis999]

The change to closing mini view is now public:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,124842.0.html

The latest version of MC 26 (26.0.103) appears to have reverted to the previous behaviour, where closing the mini view opens the full display of MC   

[haggis999]

Nudge, nudge...

[RoderickGI]

I only did a quick test, but it isn't doing that for me in MC26.0.106.

Maybe I wasn't creating the conditions to make it happen. I just opened MC26, selected the Mini View from the View menu using the mouse, and then clicked the X to close MC, and it closed.

Does it always happen for you, or can you provide steps to make it happen consistently?

Also, check the full version that you are using. Could you be opening an older version using an old icon?

[haggis999]

I only did a quick test, but it isn't doing that for me in MC26.0.106.

Maybe I wasn't creating the conditions to make it happen. I just opened MC26, selected the Mini View from the View menu using the mouse, and then clicked the X to close MC, and it closed.

Does it always happen for you, or can you provide steps to make it happen consistently?

Also, check the full version that you are using. Could you be opening an older version using an old icon?

Since discovering the problem on 14 August, I have never been able to close the Mini view in the normal manner. I am now running the 64-bit version of MC 26.0.106 on both my Dell Workstation and my Intel NUC HTPC (confirmed by clicking on Help/About Media Center). Following exactly the same procedure as you described, both machines now switch to Standard view when clicking the X to close the Mini view.   

It was back in April when Matt updated the MC code to ensure that close meant close for the Mini view, but I can't be sure when this stopped working for me, as I haven't been checking this action on a regular basis. Perhaps you are not seeing the problem because we use different MC configurations, though I can't think of any relevant settings.   

[agzorig]

Same here, exiting MC26 either by clicking on X to close the program, or right-clicking and going to File | Exit, will result to MC26 going to Standard View.

[BigSpider]

Haggis999 is quite correct, clicking the x button in miniview opens the full mc view. [Windows 10, MC 26.0.106]

[RoderickGI]

I tried it again, and even opened the Media Server to see if that made a difference.

It still closed MC, as expected with the new functionality... until I changed the setting at "Options > General > Behaviour > Mini View Close Mode".

I had forgotten that Matt added that setting, but I remembered after finding it. I found it easily just by searching Options for "Close".

Search is a wonderful thing. It works in the Release Notes as well. 

26.0.81 (5/13/2020)
5. Changed: Added an option for the Mini View close mode to Options > General > Behavior.

26.0.50 (4/6/2020)
2. Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

[haggis999]

I tried it again, and even opened the Media Server to see if that made a difference.

It still closed MC, as expected with the new functionality... until I changed the setting at "Options > General > Behaviour > Mini View Close Mode".

I had forgotten that Matt added that setting, but I remembered after finding it. I found it easily just by searching Options for "Close".

Search is a wonderful thing. It works in the Release Notes as well. 

26.0.81 (5/13/2020)
5. Changed: Added an option for the Mini View close mode to Options > General > Behavior.

26.0.50 (4/6/2020)
2. Changed: Closing the program in mini view will just close instead of return to standard view.

Well spotted, Roderick. It's a pity that Matt didn't update this thread when he made that change in May. I had assumed that the original update had been undone by mistake, so it never occurred to me that he might have added a new configuration setting. 

[agzorig]

Great find there, Roderick! I'll keep in mind to use SEARCH next time.