WMP v9.0 won't start with "AT" command

[jerry4dos]

I have two "Win2K Professional" machines handy (Dell, IMB -- with different hardware configuations), and they both exhibit this same odd behavior.

Both machines have Windows Media Player v9.0, along with the older v6.4 still in place.

WMP v9.0 can be started with a Desktop shortcut, a Start Menu shortcut, or a RUN window command:

C:\PROGRA~1\WINDOW~2\wmplayer.exe

But, I CANNOT start WMP v9.0 on a pre-scheduled basis with an "AT command"

AT  18:30  /interactive  /every:Su  C:\PROGRA~1\WINDOW~2\wmplayer.exe

although WMP v6.4 (and all other media players) start fine

AT  18:30  /interactive  /every:Su  C:\PROGRA~1\WINDOW~2\mplayer2.exe

Could somebody with this same combination of OS/software try it and see if you get this same odd behavior?

If you're unfamiliar with the "AT command", here's the official Microsoft page:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;Q313565

I'm really just looking for "sanity support" here. Does this really NOT work, or am I going crazy?

Thanks.

Jerry

[SpywareDr]

Does the following command work?:

at  hr:mn  /interactive  "dir  c:\progra~1\window~2\wmplayer.exe"

(Where hr:/mn is say a minute after your current system time).

How about?:

at  hr:mn  /interactive  "c:\progra~1\window~2\wmplayer.exe"

Have you reviewed/tried the following?:

Troubleshooting AT Command Using /k Switch
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142040/EN-US/

[jerry4dos]

Hi SpywareDR:

Thanks for replying, and for your interest in my sanity.

Your first command suggestion (with quotation marks and DIR) doesn't start anything.

Your second suggestion (adding quotation marks) leaves me where I started -- everything else except WMP v9.0 will start with that syntax.

Now then -- about the "/k" switch. I didn't know about the "/k" switch -- but I do now, so even if I never fix this odd problem, I've learned about the "/k" switch.

Results:
The "/k" switch opens what appears to be a DOS box with the title MSTask.exe.

Typing the simple command:
C:\PROGRA~1\WINDOW~2\MPLAYER2.EXE
starts v6.4 fine, just like it does if you type the same command at a RUN prompt or a CMD.EXE DOS box or a COMMAND.COM DOS box.

However, (again starting with the MSTASK.EXE DOS box) typing:
C:\PROGRA~1\WINDOW~2\WMPLAYER.EXE
WILL NOT start v9.0,
but it WILL start just fine if this command is typed at a RUN prompt, a CMD.EXE DOS prompt, or a COMMAND.COM DOS prompt.

There is definitely something flaky about WMPLAYER v9.0 in conjunction with MSTask.exe.

Now here's where it gets REALLY scary. Entering "AT" commands at the RUN prompt, CMD prompt, or COMMAND.COM prompt all add entries that can be viewed in the CONTROL PANEL "Scheduled Tasks" applet, including those entries that won't start WMP v9.0.

B-U-T . . .
If you use the ADD SCHEDULED TASK wizard in the applet to create an entry pointing at WMPLAYER.EXE (v9.0) -- IT WILL START FINE! And -- entries created with the wizard DO NOT show up as "AT" events if you type "AT" at any of the DOS prompts. (Typing "AT" with no other parameter is like typing DIR -- it displays a list of all scheduled "AT" events.)

Typing the command:
AT /delete
(which normally deletes all scheduled AT commands) does NOT remove the SCHEDULED TASKS you have created with the ADD SCHEDULED TASK wizard.

Go figure.

Thanks again for pointing me down the road to the "/k" switch.

Jerry

[Tuttle]

The reason for the Scheduled Tasks behaviour that you note is that At is deprecated. SchTasks is the replacement command-line tool (I think it's in Windows 2000). At still works and can manage its own jobs, but in the more general case you should be using SchTasks.

[SpywareDr]

I don't know if that would be the case Tuttle. The "AT" command seems to work as expected with "wmplayer.exe" here in XP Pro (fully patched).

Sure wish I had a W2K box handy to play with ...

When I use the command:

at  hr:mn  /interactive  cmd.exe  /k

the DOS box opens with a title of:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe

and it starts me at the:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

prompt. Both "mplayer2.exe" and "wmplayer.exe" load as expected from within this window.

When I use either of the following commands, (from a normal CMD prompt), they also both work as you would expect:

at  hr:mn  /interactive  "c:\progra~1\window~2\wmplayer.exe"

at  hr:mn  /interactive  "c:\progra~1\window~2\mplayer2.exe"

The only thing I found a bit odd is that the command-line you want the AT command to run (at the specified time) must be enclosed in double quotes ... even if it does not contain any spaces. For example, the following will not work:

at  hr:mn  /interactive  c:\progra~1\window~2\wmplayer.exe

The "mplayer.exe" I have here is version "6.4.09.1130", "wmplayer.exe" is version "11.0.5358.4827" and a "ver" from a CMD prompt states "Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]".

Like I said, sure wish I had a W2K setup handy ...

[Tuttle]

I was just referring to the fact that stuff created in At shows up and can be managed in Scheduled Tasks but not vice versa.

No idea on the Media Player side of things.

[SpywareDr]

Got it.

What puzzles me is that running "wmplayer.exe" via AT works in XP but not in W2K. Don't know if it's because of differences in AT, wmplayer.exe and/or the OS (cmd.exe).

[jerry4dos]

Hi Guys, and thanks for your thoughts.

I went poking around a WinXP machine this morning myself. As noted, it seems Win2K's MSTASK.EXE (the culprit in this matter) has been replaced by SVCHOST.EXE. I wasn't too surprised to find the same behavior -- you can start MPLAYER2.EXE (and all my other 3rd-party media players) from SVCHOST.EXE, but not WMPLAYER.EXE v9.0.

I tried with/without double-quotes, and both long and short path names. In fact, what gets launched when you schedule WMPLAYER.EXE is the INSTALLER (SETUP_WM.EXE) -- but of course, WMP v9.0 is already installed, so that road leads nowhere.

SpywareDR -- I notice you said you WERE able to launch WMPLAYER.EXE in WinXP, but I notice that you've got v11.0 -- the WinXP box I tried this morning only had v9.0.

Apparently, this is a unique combination of Microsoft products [WMP v9.0 and MSTASK.EXE (or SVCHOST.EXE)] that just isn't ever going to work together.

Thanks to everyone for making tests.

Jerry

[SpywareDr]

You're welcome. And yes, I upgraded the WMP maybe a week or two ago.

FWIW, here's a couple of screenshots taken maybe five minutes ago (reduced in size):