Windows 95 .MID play configuration help

Win 9x .MID file play setup help – BACHWARE @ BACHWARE.COM
Setting up .MID files to play in Windows 9x

You may want to save this page locally (see your browser’s [usually File] menu) and/or print it for later reference. I disclaim responsibility for you trying any of the procedures described herein. If you don’t feel competent to carry them out, have a specialist help you!

.MID files are normally set up in the registry ( click for instructions to attempt restoration of a damaged registry) to play with the Media Player. Check this by following this procedure (advanced instructions):

Back up the Registry: Launch Windows' Explorer.
If on Win 95, Back up SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT in your Windows directory (usually \WINDOWS on your boot drive). These two files contain the Registry and are hidden files, so you’ll want to set Explorer to show all file types (VIEW:OPTIONS:SHOW ALL FILES). Copy them to SYSTEM.BAK and USER.BAK. (Windows already keeps a backup copy of the registry [98 and newer, even more] from last successful boot as SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0; this is a paranoid procedure!)

***If you’re using multiple user profiles, you MUST back up the USER.DAT in your profile directory (\WINDOWS\PROFILES\{your profile name}) instead of the one in the Windows directory (that’s for the default user that’s run if you cancel out of the password dialog (or with ESC), or running as a single user. Windows does not automatically back up the profile USER.DATs). Call it, say, USER.BAK, also.

Move to a folder that contains .MID files (the Windows Media folder, for example).
Select a file name that has a .MID extension or musical notes to the left of the file name, so it’s reversed (e.g., white on black).
Right-click the mouse on it (or click on File) and click to display its Properties.

It should show that its type as MIDI Sequence.
If not, you’ll see the “Open With” dialog box. Select what application you want to play MIDI files (usually Windows’ Media Player, or if you have a sequencer like Midisoft’s Session or GVox [formerly Passport’s] MasterTracksPro); that application should open, with your .MID file loaded, when you next click on a .MID file.

If it doesn’t play automatically, to get it to do so, you can run REGEDIT to modify the registry by hand. THIS IS NOT FOR THE UNINITIATED, SO IF YOU’RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT, ASK AN EXPERT TO HELP YOU (pardon the shouting).

click on the group HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
repeatedly click below the button in the scroll bar at the right and look for the key “midfile” (right below “MID_auto_file,” about three clicks down, or use an F3 search for midfile).

click on + in the “midfile” key to get to “shell, play, command”
the command text string should be something like “C:\WINDOWS\mplayer.exe %1”
if using Media Player, make sure the text options “ /play /close ” intervene between the “.exe” and the “%1”. If not, click on the ab icon and insert these options into the text string (otherwise you have to hit the PLAY button [>] to make the .MID play – e.g, it should read similarly to “C:\WINDOWS\mplayer.exe /play /close %1” – include spaces before the forward slashes, and be careful to make no other changes to the registry). Other players may use different startup options to automatically play a .MID file.
if you’re a Windows registry expert, you could create a batch file that this entry invokes, which prompts you for multiple programs to play the .MID file, (say with ASK.EXE or CHOICE.COM), and then have it run the .MID file using what you chose. Startup options for PLAY and CLOSE may be needed for non-Media Player apps. – contact the vendor. If you customize like this, you’re on your own. . . .

If you make a mistake, and, after you have modified the registry, something fails to work as it did before, you can usually easily recover (from Windows' command-line state, outside of Windows).

Shut down and restart (reboot).
When you see “Starting Windows”, hit F8 (or the Ctrl key, for Win 98 & later), and start in DOS-only safe mode).
Restore your pre-edit registry:

The backup registry files are HIDDEN, you’ll have to use ATTRIB to un-hide them before you can do this bail-out procedure, and have .DA0 extensions, yours (created in the second step above) have .BAK.
Rename the damaged ones to .BAD and copy whichever backups you want to use to have the same file name but with a .DAT extension. Remember to restore the USER.DAT in your profile directory, if you’re using profiles (e.g., on a network, etc.).

Type SCANREG at the command prompt and select to restore the Registry, and choose the previously backed-up registry that worked OK (e.g., this morning's).
Note that you MUST manually back up & restore your profile USER.DAT, for Windows only backs up & restores the USER.DAT in the \WINDOWS folder.

Many changes won’t take effect until you restart Windows. TIP: Restarting Windows 9x doesn’t require a complete reboot (a cold start). Just press Ctrl+Esc and select Shutdown {Alt-U}, then select “Restart the computer” with the left shift button held down. The computer will shut down Windows and say “Restarting Windows,”, which takes a bit less time than a cold start.

Note that I’m not familiar with Windows ME’s, NT’s, or XP’s handling of MIDI, so you’re on your own there.