New util: MC Menu Mender

[Advent]

That is exactly what I did - I was confused about the moving a link to another stip that is before it in the list. Thanks for you help.

Glad I helped Unfortunately I have looked into this and I don't think it will be possible to fix this issue - due to the way that MC loads the menus, it will always crash in this case.

I'm not sure how to deal with this at the moment - obviously I could make it so that you can't drag and drop links to another strip higher in the list, but this will quickly get confusing when you take into account moving the strips around too. I'm open to suggestions here!

[Advent]

Second beta version of Menu Mender is now available:

http://rapidshare.com/files/10740881...enu_Mender.msi

Changes:

• Fixed bug where a missing directory could cause a crash.
• Fixed bug where a missing registry entry (category for a start menu strip doesn't exist) caused a crash (this is the one lots of people were seeing).
• App is now correctly flagged as requiring admin permission to run (it is now not possible to run without admin privileges).
• Menu Mender will now handle taking ownership of files - no manual steps needed.
• Menu Mender will look for ehome.exe and ehtray.exe and close them if necessary (asks before closing Media Center, though!).
• Added toolbar button that will restore the menu to default (restores ehres.dll from backup file).
• Added about box.

This basically means that you should be able to download and run it, make your changes and save - no manual steps necessary.

[surge]

Second beta version of Menu Mender is now available

I ran this remotely and it runs fine and looks great.. can't wait to get home and try this.

Why can't Microsoft do stuff like this?!?

[Danno100]

Advent;

Thanks for another great update. My family thanks you too. I'm sure many at TGB will be glad to see this update. Certainly, a must-have for any Vista user.

[Novalak]

Hey Advent

Does this fix the issue of being able to drag upwards
ie DVD Library up not down into Pictures and Videos?

Cheers
Neil

[Advent]

Hey Advent

Does this fix the issue of being able to drag upwards
ie DVD Library up not down into Pictures and Videos?

Cheers
Neil

Unfortunately not. I don't think fixing that is going to be possible, given how MC creates the menus. It's probably more a case of how to enforce this in the UI without it becoming completely confusing - i'm not sure how to do that, either

Keep in mind that you can always move the order of the strips around so that (for example) Pictures and Videos is below the TV strip, and you can then move DVD Library. Also keep in mind that the MC menus wrap, so if you have the Pictures and Videos strip last in the list and the TV strip first, then technically the Pictures and Videos strip is below the TV strip (so moving links from TV to Pics and Vids will work), but in MC it will appear directly above it. Hopefully that's not too confusing

[fredpd]

First, Thanks so much! It's amazing how much more user friendly VMC is with this. Simply moving or hiding items makes it enormously better.

However, every time I add a custom strip, the myTV strip shows up. If I add a second custom strip, the Yougle strip shows up. If I remove a custom strip, the Yougle or myTV strip will disappear. I haven't been able to get the custom strips to show up.

Neither the myTV nor Yougle strip show up in MenuMender.

I uninstalled Yougle, and only the myTV strip comes back, no matter what I've tried.

This is all with the latest beta.

Any Ideas?

[Advent]

First, Thanks so much! It's amazing how much more user friendly VMC is with this. Simply moving or hiding items makes it enormously better.

However, every time I add a custom strip, the myTV strip shows up. If I add a second custom strip, the Yougle strip shows up. If I remove a custom strip, the Yougle or myTV strip will disappear. I haven't been able to get the custom strips to show up.

Neither the myTV nor Yougle strip show up in MenuMender.

I uninstalled Yougle, and only the myTV strip comes back, no matter what I've tried.

This is all with the latest beta.

Any Ideas?

myTV and Yougle probably install themselves for individual users rather than for all users. Menu Mender currently only finds custom strips that have been installed for all users, and this would explain the behaviour you are seeing.

The next update I do will have a fix for this - I can't promise when that will be, though.

[fredpd]

Thanks for the reply, I thought I was going crazy!

I look foward to what's next!

Cheers

[NizZ8]

Thanks! Update is working great for me!

[BladeRoNNeR]

Hey Advent,

Without struggle there is no progress ... Just wanted to say thanks for the updated Beta 2. Everything working for me now and it even shows my custom theme in the background of Menu Mender

I have found a couple of things that I have been able to work around as kept having custom strips seemingly overwriting each other (Between Menu Mender, Yougle, Powerplaylist I believe). I have just added some tiles to other strips and settled for Yougle being the one there. Works well for me!

In my happiness of things finally working out for me I started to think of some of the other things that might be possible...

Wishlist:

- Be able to change the thumbnail of a tile.
- Be able to register addons/programs that dont come up in the program list in Menu Mender (ie myTV, Maximus Arcade, VistaRadioStreams1.3)
- Add some of the functionality of some of the other great mods around to become THE tool for VMC (MCE Video Playlists, VMC Decoder Utility, PowerPlaylist, MCE Customiser, Album Art fixer, Non-DVDs in DVD Gallery .. any other Tweaks/Mods etc)
- VMC Integration ?? Manage other VMC mods??

(Someone .. tell him he's Dreamin'!)

Another Addon worth a look too:

Google Maps For Media Center - http://savage.org.za/mediacenter.htm

[Advent]

Hey Advent,

Without struggle there is no progress ... Just wanted to say thanks for the updated Beta 2. Everything working for me now and it even shows my custom theme in the background of Menu Mender

Great, glad it worked for you

I have found a couple of things that I have been able to work around as kept having custom strips seemingly overwriting each other (Between Menu Mender, Yougle, Powerplaylist I believe). I have just added some tiles to other strips and settled for Yougle being the one there. Works well for me!

This may have something to do with the problem i've mentioned before about only recognising strips/plugins registered for all users - i'll hopefully be addressing this in a new version shortly.

In my happiness of things finally working out for me I started to think of some of the other things that might be possible...

Wishlist:

- Be able to change the thumbnail of a tile.
- Be able to register addons/programs that dont come up in the program list in Menu Mender (ie myTV, Maximus Arcade, VistaRadioStreams1.3)
- Add some of the functionality of some of the other great mods around to become THE tool for VMC (MCE Video Playlists, VMC Decoder Utility, PowerPlaylist, MCE Customiser, Album Art fixer, Non-DVDs in DVD Gallery .. any other Tweaks/Mods etc)
- VMC Integration ?? Manage other VMC mods??

(Someone .. tell him he's Dreamin'!)

You're dreamin'!

Seriously, I will probably be supporting changing thumbnails in the final version, and also adding links to non-mce programs, so you can easily launch your games/apps from MC.

As for the rest - I don't have anywhere near enough time, especially seeing as so far I have received a grand total of 0 donations. I think i'm better off spending the time I have on getting stuff that noone else has done yet working