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[Striker]

Okay I found how I used to start MediaCenter minimized and then one day it stopped working and no longer works.

mc24.exe /startMin

It used to work... I cannot find it searching in the forums.

Was this option removed?

I know it used to work, because I found my batch file calling mc24.exe /startMin  (or mc25.exe)

I found it... using google search but unable to find it in the forum search.

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95913.0

But it no longer works for me.

[RoderickGI]

Well, look at that.

It was indeed supposed to have been added to MC20:

20.0.120 (6/17/2015)
13. NEW: The Launcher takes the command /StartMin to start the program minimized.

But it was never documented in the "Command Line" parameters Wiki: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/The_Command_Line

It also doesn't work in MC25, as you note. I can't see any other command that would start MC minimized either.

I couldn't even find discussion on the issue, even though I thought I read such discussion a long time ago.



Anyway, why do you need MC to start minimized?
Do you know that you can set the MC "Media Server" to run at Windows startup, and that operates much like the Media Center running minimized?

There is a /MediaServer command line option which probably does what you want, if you don't want Media Center started with Windows, but want MC to start without the User Interface when you use a Windows icon to start it. That works just fine.

[Striker]

Anyway, why do you need MC to start minimized?

Thank you for the reply and confirmation.  I thought I was going crazy and dreaming stuff for a bit there.

I started using /startMin so long ago, and to tell you the truth, I don't really know when it stopped working.  Sometime in the past, I added MCxx /MCC 10014 to minimize MediaCenter after a delay.  It mostly works, but sometimes MediaCenter flashes orange in my taskbar for a bit and then stays orange after being minimized until I maximize it and the minimize it again.

I kinda of just use MediaCenter in the background for music and only using the gui to add tracks to PlayingNow.  So when I start it automatically each day in the morning, I want it minimized to the taskbar.

I skipped v25 and just bought the v26 upgrade so I started playing around again in v25 waiting for v26.

[RoderickGI]

In that case either starting Media Server with Windows, or modifying a MC startup icon to add the /MediaServer command should work well for you.

With Media Server running in the Windows System Tray you can just right-click on it a select "Show Media Center" to see the MC User Interface, select your music, and then minimize MC to the System Tray if you have that setting set. i.e. Options > General > Interface > Minimize to System Tray. Or if something is already in Playing Now, you can just press the Play Media Key if you have one on your keyboard, and the MC User Interface will open, and playback will commence.

I actually thought if Media Server was running, you opened the User Interface and started playback, then closed the User Interface that Media Server will keep playing. But it doesn't. I'm going to have to research why that is now, because I think it should keep playing. I've been told Media Server is just Media Center without its UI often enough to expect that.

I hadn't noticed that issue because on my HTPC the User Interface and Media Server is always run and active, while on my Workstation/MC Client I mostly don't run Media Server.

Anyway, the above might give you some ideas on how to avoid the flashing orange MC icon in the taskbar. Because that would be annoying.


PS: You can also edit the properties of the MC startup icon and set it to start minimized, using the Windows shortcut properties. That works, if Media Server isn't already running. If Media Server is already running, MC will start maximized regardless of the shortcut properties, which is also a bit strange/unexpected.

[Striker]

Actually I have MC configured to start playing the PlayingNow playlist on startup.  So nothing is required on my part, just start MC and playback starts.

I start MC from a dos script, not from an icon.  The daily startup is automated, not something I have to initiate.

When I actually start using my PC in the morning, I prefer MC to be minimized, one less thing to click daily.  How lazy is that?

[RoderickGI]

I thought you may be using a script, or Windows Scheduled Task.

As you are, you might be able to get rid of the orange taskbar icon by;
Starting MC
Minimizing it
Waiting a couple of seconds
Use 10013 to show the MC User Interface
Minimize it again.

Or something like that. No clicking required. But a flash of the MC interface, which could be just as annoying.

[Matt]

We'll fix /StartMin in a coming build of MC26.  The fix is a little complicated, so I don't think we'll merge back to v25.

We would start the program and search for the window.  We'd find the window and issue a minimize.  But then the window kept loading and loaded the positioning that was saved which threw away the minimize.

I'm going to make the program handle a custom MCC command to check the load status and only issue the minimize or maximize after the load status returns that it's complete.

Thanks a lot for the help!

[Striker]

We'll fix /StartMin in a coming build of MC26.  The fix is a little complicated, so I don't think we'll merge back to v25.

We would start the program and search for the window.  We'd find the window and issue a minimize.  But then the window kept loading and loaded the positioning that was saved which threw away the minimize.

I'm going to make the program handle a custom MCC command to check the load status and only issue the minimize or maximize after the load status returns that it's complete.

Thanks a lot for the help!

That sounds great.  I can wait !

[DocLotus]

I start MC minimized all the time through a Windows shortcut where you always have the option to open the program in the standard three Windows forms...
   1: Normal Window.
   2: Maximized.
   3: Minimized.

Works every time for almost any program.

[Striker]

I start MC minimized all the time through a windows shortcut where you always have the option to open the program in the standard three Windows forms...
   1: Normal Window.
   2: Maximized.
   3: Minimized.

Works every time for almost any program.

Yes, but I start MediaCenter from a script and have had no success starting a link from a script.

[Striker]

Okay, I have a work around using the nircmd command (free download)

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd2.html

The nircmd command does so many things, including letting you start a program minimized from a command line or batch file.

The command below works with MediaCenter started minimized without any orange flashing of the pgm on the taskbar.


set mcVersion=25
nircmd exec min "C:\Program Files (x86)\J River\Media Center %mcVersion%\Media Center %mcVersion%.exe"

[RoderickGI]

That's good and all, but I try not to use nircmd for anything these days. It is another layer to manage, and I used to have conflicts with some of their stuff some time ago.

Matt is fixing the issue.

[Striker]

That's good and all, but I try not to use nircmd for anything these days. It is another layer to manage, and I used to have conflicts with some of their stuff some time ago.

Matt is fixing the issue.

Matt's solution will be the preferred method to minimize on startup, but until then, this works well.

I've used so much of nircmd over the years, I've had no issues.