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Front End Support => MaLa Frontend => Topic started by: sofakng on April 07, 2008, 11:39:56 pm

Title: Anybody launching MaLa from Vista Media Center?
Post by: sofakng on April 07, 2008, 11:39:56 pm
I'm trying to figure out how to launch MaLa from the Vista Media Center and I've gotten it to launch but after exitting it goes to the desktop with Media Center minimized instead of returning to the Media Center.

Does anybody have any experience with this or any suggestions on how I can fix it?
Title: Re: Anybody launching MaLa from Vista Media Center?
Post by: joebells on April 09, 2008, 12:13:00 am
This is a quick method.

First create a batch file in the mala folder called whatever you want.bat we'll use openmediacenter.bat for this example. If you've never created a batch file before its just a simple text file saved with the .bat extension.

enter this text into the batch file.

Code: [Select]
C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe /directmedia:general
exit

and save it.

In the mala config in the gui section -> mala exit tab point it to the batch file, you will have to change the selection from just exe to showing all files. This will either start up media center, or in your case it will just maximize it and go to the main panel. You can change the /directmedia:general to other things to have it go to other spots in the media center interface.

I personally haven't done this with mala but I use the C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe /directmedia:general line in a script to run dvdfab automatically and for a few other things and they bring media center right back up so it should work here for you hopefully.

Surprised to see another vista media center user here. We really like ours works much nicer than paying for comcasts dvr and its crappy interface.

Have you checked out emucenter http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/205829.aspx it works pretty well, it occasionally will forget all your games but if you make the xml file read only then it works really well and it works and looks like a vista media center program. He's getting ready to release a new version soon too.
Title: Re: Anybody launching MaLa from Vista Media Center?
Post by: sofakng on April 09, 2008, 08:24:05 am
Thanks for the information!

Does that command (eshell.exe /directmedia:general) work with Media Center Edition 2005 as well?  I might be using that instead of Vista but am not sure yet...

I'll also check out EmuCenter if I stick with Vista.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Anybody launching MaLa from Vista Media Center?
Post by: joebells on April 09, 2008, 10:58:02 am
I do not believe that command works with 2005 but I never tried it. I definately reccommend vista media center it works really nicely and looks much nicer than 2005 in my opinion. They changed the way you write applications for media center. You used to only be able to write hosted html pplications, now they have mcml which allows much nicer add in applications.