[v1.60] File Associations, valid.ext, and the Power User

[Joseph Collins]

So, to get straight to the point… does the latest Windows release build of Snes9x – v1.60 (Apr 25, 2019), as of this post – still make itself the default program for several arbitrary file types upon running?  If so… why?

It's really frustrating to think that such a glaring oversight which turned so many people away would remain largely ignored by the devs.  I mean, really.  When the best solution is to edit your registry and modify the "valid.ext" file that the emulator generates only after being run, that speaks volumes about what how the staff looks at its patrons.  Yes, you may not see it as "a big problem" because, honestly, only "power users" like me and those who've complained would find it frustrating to deal with… but that doesn't mean it's okay for your emulator to just sink its claws into, like, twenty-or-thirty different filetypes which may or may not be directly related to Super NES/Famicom and Broadcast Satellaview emulation.

So… yeah.  Does the latest version still do that?  'cause if it does, I'd like to suggest adding a "valid.ext" in future release ZIPs and maybe make a note of what it is and does in the readme.  Ya know… since it's not already mentioned.  Like… anywhere.

~ J

[OV2]

From the changelog:

Code: Select all

Win32: Changed open-with file-association method, should
  no longer change explorer icons for otherwise
  unassociated extensions; removed legacy extensions

S9x never made itself the default for any association, it simply registered itself as "I can open this filetype" in windows. This had the unwanted result of showing the snes9x icon for all supported extensions that had no program associated with them. That has been changed to a method that does not display the icon.
A lot of extensions have also be removed from the default valid.ext.

[Joseph Collins]

Thank you for your reply and continuing efforts on the emulator, OV2. It's nice to see you're still kickin' about! Now, let's get into this.

S9x never made itself the default for any association, it simply registered itself as "I can open this filetype" in windows.

I can't count the number of times I've seen you post this. Hee hee. Even under Windows 10, though, if a program makes itself a known "can open this" option… the OS tends to make it the default by, um, default. For example, I recently ran Flying Lunar IPS (or "FLIPS") on my fresh machine and… it decided to associate all .IPS and .BPS files to itself. Admittedly, this is a bit less intrusive than the file types because neither .IPS nor .BPS are used by anything but ROM patching software. Still, it came as kind of a slap in the face to me. I got over it, though, and it's actually kind of useful? (Yeah, I know. I'm a hypocrite.)

This had the unwanted result of showing the snes9x icon for all supported extensions that had no program associated with them.

And that, right there, was definitely part of the irritation. It made a visible change to how file types were represented. And that was awful – especially for an MS-DOS gamer. MS-DOS games frequently used .BIN files, for example, and occasionally used numerical values for extensions.

That has been changed to a method that does not display the icon.
A lot of extensions have also be removed from the default valid.ext.

That's certainly a start. And, I suppose that burying the "can open with" under a right-click or a double-click is… okaaay. I'd still prefer it not mess with extensions at all, to be honest. Or, you know, make it an option instead of thrusting it upon people. It's much less intrusive now, absolutely, but I really wish it were outright gone. I'm in the vast minority, though, so it's… "fine".

Again, thank you for your reply and your time. I may not completely agree with how the application works, but it's your program to do with what you will. And, again, it's a darn good emulator. I'll just suck it up – as I did seven years ago – and ignore the winding tendrils wrapping around my innocent, seemingly random files. d;

~ J

[Mcmacladdie]

From the changelog:

Code: Select all

Win32: Changed open-with file-association method, should
  no longer change explorer icons for otherwise
  unassociated extensions; removed legacy extensions

S9x never made itself the default for any association, it simply registered itself as "I can open this filetype" in windows. This had the unwanted result of showing the snes9x icon for all supported extensions that had no program associated with them. That has been changed to a method that does not display the icon.
A lot of extensions have also be removed from the default valid.ext.

I apologize for basically resurrecting such an old thread, but this doesn't seem to be the case. I recently started using 1.60. It's my understanding that the above change was supposed to have been made in 1.54, but the issue has persisted for me... I don't know how it took me as long as it did to notice, but .zip files were associated with the emulator until I manually set their association back to WinRAR, and .bin files are still "associated" with the emulator. If there is a way to remove this from my system, help would be appreciated... I'm wondering if deleting the emulator's folder would remedy the situation.

[odditude]

in 1.62 or later, per issue 787:

You can now go into the menu under Emulation->Settings and uncheck the box that says add Snes9x to registry. Clicking OK will delete any entries created. You can set AddToRegistry to false under the [Settings] label in the snes9x.conf file before launching if you're that paranoid. There's also a command-line switch "-removeregistrykeys" that will remove entries.