The Parameter is Incorrect

Computer Help and Discussions Hardware
21

When I right click I don't get the properties shown in your link. I get GENERAL SECURIY and DETAILS. No shortcut listed. Could it be that the link mentions Vista64 when I have Vista32?

When you right-click on any desktop shortcut and select properties there should be a box which says target. This tells the shortcut where to look for the program. Do any of your desktop shortcuts show a target?

If they do, what is different about the WMP shortcut?

Have you tried deleting the shortcut and making another shortcut to the WMP?

You could do this by doing start-programs, finding WMP in list, highlight it, select send to desktop (create shortcut) option, or something very similar in Vista.

22

Hi, Mudd. As you have said, you can open WMP then select a file and it will open. That means the file plays, right?

How do you "open WMP"? In other words, what do you click on to get WMP to open, so that from there you can play a file?

I don't have Vista so can't offer much help, but that question may help others understand whats wrong.

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I go to the Program List from the Start Menu and then to Programs. Click it there, it opens. From there I click OPEN on the WMP and my file open that has my WMPs on it. Select the one I want and it plays. Again, what's haywire is clicking on a WMP from a location expecting it to open. It's like clicking thin air, as if it's not there. No busy icon, no blink, no anything. Change that same icon to open with VLC and it work like a charm.

23

When you right-click on any desktop shortcut and select properties there should be a box which says target. This tells the shortcut where to look for the program. Do any of your desktop shortcuts show a target?

If they do, what is different about the WMP shortcut?

Have you tried deleting the shortcut and making another shortcut to the WMP?

You could do this by doing start-programs, finding WMP in list, highlight it, select send to desktop (create shortcut) option, or something very similar in Vista.

Odd that your post wasn't send to me my email. I noticed it while reading one from another.

So I did what you suggested and here is what I have. I put a shortcut to WMP on the desktop hoping it would work. I moved the WMP file I'm trying to open from it location to the desktop hoping it might open from there. No it won't, and yes all the desktop icons show the shortcut item. In an earlier post I said it didn't. I was using the Icon File itself looking for the shortcut. Please overlook that mistake. It's been a very long night for me

I really don't want to reformat just to get this thing to work. I did that on my Laptop through the night just yesterday and this morning. Hope I'm making sense as my Brain is tired and sleepy!

24

When you make a shortcut on the desktop for a program you must leave the program itself in its original location or the shortcut will not know where to find it.

When you feel less tired Mudd, and after making sure WMP is in Program Files (original location), make a desktop shortcut and check via right-click properties what the target says (in other words, where is it looking for the program)

25

When you make a shortcut on the desktop for a program you must leave the program itself in its original location or the shortcut will not know where to find it.

When you feel less tired Mudd, and after making sure WMP is in Program Files (original location), make a desktop shortcut and check via right-click properties what the target says (in other words, where is it looking for the program)

Made a shortcut from the WMP on the Programs off Start. Also went to Program Files, found Windows Media Player, made a shortcut there and moved it to desktop. So now I have two shortcuts for WMP, one made from Start Programs and the other from Program Files and WMP. A little progress is being made. Now when I click the WMP file I want to see, the icon blinks once! That's new but still all else is the same. It will not open. Right click and open with gives me the Parameter is Incorrect. From both shortcuts, I can open WMP and then Open again to the file I want to play and it plays in WMP>

When I get a WMP file in email I save it to a folder I made under Mudd, along with Pictures, Documents, etc. AVI's will not open in WMP. MP3s will, Power Points will open in Power Point, just AVI's won't.

Forget about this. There have been so many that have wasted time with me on this.

I'll just Pi** and moan about it and maybe someday I'm forget it.

Thank you and all the others.

26

...

When I get a WMP file in email I save it to a folder I made under Mudd, along with Pictures, Documents, etc. AVI's will not open in WMP. MP3s will, Power Points will open in Power Point, just AVI's won't.

Forget about this. There have been so many that have wasted time with me on this.

...

Not wasted time. I am learning as I go. Plus, microsoft is sooo aggravating, making it complicated...why you need to know so much just to play a movie on a computer, eh?

When your brain rests, try this:

Navigate to the folder where the actual movies are stored.

Right click on one of the titles.

The menu that pops open should have an "Open With" choice somewhere, at least it does here on XP.

Here it looks like this: th_openw-1.jpg

"Open With" should take you to a choice of programs. Here it looks like this: th_openw-2.jpg

Click on the Browse button and it should take you to program files, looks like this: th_openw-3.jpg

Click on the Windows Media Player folder and it opens, looks like this: th_openw-4.jpg

Then double click on the exe file for Windows Media Player, here it is "wmplayer.exe".

Then don't forget to click the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this type of file".

That resets things so that kind of file always opens with Windows Media Player. The screens might be a bit different for vista, but I guess the procedure is the same. Maybe some vista user would know, if so jump right in. :P

Post back if it works. I would like to know, others might also.

Also, there might be a different problem with the avi files, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work for them.

27

Not wasted time. I am learning as I go. Plus, microsoft is sooo aggravating, making it complicated...why you need to know so much just to play a movie on a computer, eh?

When your brain rests, try this:

Navigate to the folder where the actual movies are stored.

Right click on one of the titles.

The menu that pops open should have an "Open With" choice somewhere, at least it does here on XP.

Here it looks like this: th_openw-1.jpg

"Open With" should take you to a choice of programs. Here it looks like this: th_openw-2.jpg

Click on the Browse button and it should take you to program files, looks like this: th_openw-3.jpg

Click on the Windows Media Player folder and it opens, looks like this: th_openw-4.jpg

Then double click on the exe file for Windows Media Player, here it is "wmplayer.exe".

Then don't forget to click the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this type of file".

That resets things so that kind of file always opens with Windows Media Player. The screens might be a bit different for vista, but I guess the procedure is the same. Maybe some vista user would know, if so jump right in. :P

Post back if it works. I would like to know, others might also.

Also, there might be a different problem with the avi files, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work for them.

I'm concerned that I'm not getting through to you and others and that's my fault. I'll try to make this simple, like I am, so you will understand.

l. I have some 351 AVI files stored on a removable hard drive. After I've had my laughs, that's where I store them. Pending a forward to friends I keep them in a file named "AVI" in the Mudd Folder.

2 Sometime early this year the received, and stored WMP files, quit working after a double click. About that time my Graphics crapped out. Read another post somewhere and a guy had the same problem as I do and he claimed to trace it down to the graphics board. He got a new Graphics Board and all was well. I assumed that may be my problem, that is until I got a 1GB ATI 5570 Card. Nothing changed.

In a nutshell, here it is. I can single click, double click, right click and open with, and any of the other selections and nothing happens, Nothing. If I select open with and use the WMP I get the Parameter Incorrect window. The AVI click double should open the file in WMP. It doesn't. Used Hazelnut's idea of making shortcut from Program Files/Windows Media Play, and made on from the list under Start Programs. The files, WMP, just will not open in WMP unless I open the Media Player first, the File/Open and select a file in my group or external hard drive and all is well, plays just fine.

What you have suggested I have done over and over. It's just like the file isn't there if I want to open it in WMP. WMP can find It but It can't find WMP!

Am I making any sense at all? I've searched every where I know for a solution. Maybe I could go to Microsoft for an answer. Vista is still supported I guess. I went there once with a problem and I decided a man from Mexico speaking Spanish to a German speaking German would be the most complex thing to happen. Not so.!

I give up for the time being. Thank you for your efforts with the post. My windows look a little different from what you posted but it was the same subject.

I'm guessing I could reformat and get it right. Had to do that on my Laptop yesterday and until about 4Am this morning. Had 109 Updates for Vista. After that had to install Service Pack 1 and 2. That was another hour and a half.

I'm ready to quit. Sure would like to fix it before I get to 80. Way thing are going it's going to be close!!!

Thanks again,

28

...

I'm ready to quit. Sure would like to fix it before I get to 80. Way thing are going it's going to be close!!!

Thanks again,

:lol: I'm bettin' you will. :)

I just posted that stuff up because I wasn't sure if you had tried it like that yet. Couldn't tell for sure from the wording of the various posts ... my misunderstanding. I'm not sure what else to do, so will just watch a while.

29

Try forcing Windows to reassign *.AVI files by doing Start, Run, (exactly as shown below)

"C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe" C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL .avi

Tick "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file", click "Browse" and select the location of WMP which should be "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"

Richard S.

30

Try forcing Windows to reassign *.AVI files by doing Start, Run, (exactly as shown below)

"C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe" C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL .avi

Tick "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file", click "Browse" and select the location of WMP which should be "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"

Richard S.

Did exactly as you said Richard. Copied the line from your post, followed the rest of the instruction and in the end this is what I got."The Parameter is Incorrect." This came after I click Open With as a double click doesn't do anything, nor does PLAY.

Thank you, you post looked like it might get a different result but didn't. I quit, don't have enough time left to worry about something like this.

31

By now I would've tried dropping the PC down the stairs & see if it worked then.

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By now I would've tried dropping the PC down the stairs & see if it worked then.

This may be the best suggestion I received. I would have sent it DOA to the Junk long ago but it otherwise is a good PC. This is the only problem I've had with it. I have a slot just below the DVD for a USB removable hard hard drive, 120GB. That makes it so easy for storage. Has 8 USB plugs, Fire-ware connections, all so handy in front. Only has 2GB Memory but two extra slots and was thinking of upgrading to 4GB.

Well, maybe next winter if I survive it will come a very cold spell here and I'll have time to stay inside to reformat. Maybe, just maybe, it will come back then.

If it doesn't come back, give me an address and I'll send a part that is left to you!

33

By now I would've tried dropping the PC down the stairs & see if it worked then.

:lol: There is an old incantation that sometimes works: you get down right next to its little microphone and whisper "Junkyard...Recycle...Junkyard...Recycle." Helps if you have an evil grin. :-)

34

:lol: There is an old incantation that sometimes works: you get down right next to its little microphone and whisper "Junkyard...Recycle...Junkyard...Recycle." Helps if you have an evil grin. :-)

Corona and you have some great ideas. What would I do then. I can' twiddle my thumbs, one is missing! Grouch would run me out of the house gabbing with her.

I have an old adding machine that is all manual. If you want 10X346 you have to put 346 and pull the handle 10 times. Not bad until you want 122X586! I could use it instead of a PC. Think that would get old after a while.

I'll make it with this one. Someday when it's fixed I'm going to post, all in caps, with the largest font I can find to say, "I got it."

35

Mudd, I'm just fishing here, I'm not asking you to do anything in the registry, just have a look at the "Open With..." settings.

Go to "Start\Run" and enter "regedit" (no quotes), and then navigate to the following address. This is based upon my XP which I'm hoping is the same in Vista.

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.avi"

With "avi" highlighted, you should then be seeing this ...

With "OpenWithList" highlighted you should see something similar to this ...

In the first screenshot, with "avi" highlighted, to the right you can see the second entry says "Application ... "wmplayer.exe". This is the way it should look if WMP has been correctly configured to open "avi" files by double clicking on them.

In the second screenshot, with "OpenWithList" highlighted, you should see the programs capable of opening or recognizing "avi" files although I only mention that as an aside. The "avi" is the relevant one.

What shows on the right when you highlight "avi"?

Mine actually looks like this ...

... as I have MPlayer configured to open "avi" files, but I changed it for the first screenshot, and double clicking an "avi" opened it in WMP. I changed it back and they open in MPlayer again.

If the registry address is different in Vista, one of the guys will put us right.

I'm not certain this will get us anywhere, but I'm thinking along the lines of a screwed up reg entry. Worth a look.

36

I'm not afraid to get into the Registry. Learned the hard way. Now I always make a full backup before I mess with anything.

O.K., I'm posting what I saw using your instructions. With AVI highlighted, it sure doesn't look like your picture.

37

Hopefully, what your first screenshot shows could be a good thing, and at least WMP is in the "OpenWithList" although it doesn't work for you.

Can't do any harm to create a new entry under "avi" for WMP, and I'll stick with my "Confucius" method.

Right click "avi" and select "New > String Value" as shown here ...

You will then have this ...

In the box enter "Application" (no quotes),and press enter, You'll have this ...

Right click on the word "Application", not anywhere else, and select "Modify" ...

Then enter "wmplayer.exe" (no quotes).

Press "OK", and it should now look like this ...

And with any luck at all, "avi" files should open with WMP when you double click them. I can't see why a Vista registry file would be different from an XP one, so fingers crossed there isn't another glitch somewhere besides that registry key being missing.

If it doesn't work, we'll try "plan B".

An afterthought. Changing that reg entry works straight away with my XP, in other words I didn't need to reboot.

Fingers crossed here Mudd that Vista doesn't work in a completely different way to XP.

38

Dennis. That all look good, but that's all. Progress is present as the click now on an AVI will hightlight the icon. Before, nothing when I clicked. I double checked what I did from your post and was just as you said.

You mentioned the difference in XP and Vista. The only difference I'v heard of is that Vista is part of the OS rather than an add on like XP.

39

I have to say Mudd, that after the other guys went through just about every other possibility, I had a little hope for this one, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the button either.

A couple of other things to hopefully make a little more progress.

Firstly, we need one of the other guys running Vista to have a look at that area of the registry, and to confirm as to whether they have a particular program configured to open a particular file type when double clicking that file.

I need to confirm as to whether that new string value you entered was in fact missing, or does it not work like that in Vista's registry. Is that particular setting different in any way to XP?

Secondly, I understand from reading the topic that all your avi files are stored on an external drive. If that's correct, move one of them onto your System Drive. It doesn't matter where you put it, maybe somewhere in "My Documents".

And then try opening it with a double click,or using the "Open With ..." menu.

I think we need to eliminate as to whether the external drive location figures in this at all. Probably not, but it would be a bugger if it did and we missed that.

Also, do you still get the "Parameter is incorrect" message?

And don't give up Mudd. There's a fix somewhere, it's just a case of hitting on it.

40

Even though I can only get a slight gist of all this registry talk, I'm curious to see how this all works out.