XXHighEnd

The below is applicable when you

a. Use Unattended Playback and want to use Hot Keys (like Alt-n for next track);
b. Use Unattended Playback and ticked "Stop Services" (Settings Area) -> Alt-x will bring up XXHighEnd and restores everything;
c. Want to get started with Remote Control.

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WATCH OUT : From of XXHighEnd v0.9z-6 this procedure goes automatically; reading all of the below is therefore not necessary. It may be good to absorb it as background information though.

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Important : While Alt-x will be your test whether AutoHotkey is properly installed (XXHighEnd should come forward), many of the other shortcuts will not work when Explorer is open. For example Alt-P (Play) will *not* work in that case. Keep this in mind at further testing !


How to install the AutoHotkey software in order to work with XXHighEnd ? (from off version 0.9x-1)

---

Edit August 20, 2010 : I simplified the procedure for first time users; the text has just been changed regarding that without further notice.

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In the general XXHighEnd.xx.zip 2 related files are contained :

1. AutoHotkey.exe
2. XX.ahk

Steps to follow :

A. Create a folder c:\AutoHK (you may change this later but at this moment name it exactly like this !);
B. Copy the above mentioned files in that folder;
C. Send the AutoHotkey.exe file to the Desktop, so an shortcut icon will be there; This can be done from explorer. For XP this looks like this :

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk02.png)
On the Desktop a green icon with an "H" will have appeared; Rightclick that and head for modifying its properties :

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk03.png)
Fill the Target line with the location of AutoHotkey.exe (but that should be readily there) but also incorporate the parameter (second part of the line)
c:\AutoHK\XX.ahk :

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk04.png)
Remember, this assumes the c:\AutoHK folder to be used; You can use another folder, but changes the name in the shortcut accordingly.

Finish this part with also filling in the "Start in" as shown, click Apply and OK.

(do not start / doubleclick the icon anything of this yet !)

Next, prepare your new XX folder as usual after an upgrade.
(when you're new, just create a folder for XX, and stuff the contents of the zip into it, as you would have done by intuition. But also see Installation guide for Dummies (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=833.0)).

Start your new XXHighEnd version as usual (XXHighEnd.exe).

After the latter has been done at least once, now doubleclick the desktop icon from AutoHotkey (the green H).
This shoud show similar to below picture with emphasis on the "c:\PSPlayer5" part, which should show the path to your current XX install.

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk05.png)
This tells me that my current XXHighEnd version is contained in the c:\PSPlayer4\XPTest folder.
The message confirms me that AutoHotkey will be using the XXHighEnd.exe (at remote commands) contained in *that* folder. Because remember, you can be having several XXHighEnd versions hanging around, but only one can be controlled by AutoHotkey. So, how do you tell AUtoHotkey to use which XXHighEnd version ?

- Start the version of XXHighEnd you want to be controlled by AutoHotkey;
- Start AutoHotkey by means of the Desktop Icon.
(and check whether the proper XXHighEnd version is shown in the message).

If the correct path is not shown (or nothing to the left of the <<== for that matter) several things can be wrong.
- You did not send the "H" destop icon to the desktop;
- You did not start XXHighEnd first;
- You started an older XXHighEnd version than 0.9x-1.

What if the message doesn't show after starting AutoHotkey ?

Actually one reason applies : You didn't denote the "parameter" right. This is about the c:\AutoHK\XX.ahk part we talked about before. Or, the parameter is correct allright, but the XX.ahk file is not in the denoted folder.

But we can check that ...
In the Taskbar Tray also a green "H" Icon will have appeared after starting AutoHotkey;
If you hoover that with the mouse, it may tell you by means of a ToolTip already which "script file" is in use. The ToolTip should show "XX.ahk".
But you can also rightclick the small Iocn, and choose "Edit this script".

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk06.png)
Now. *if* something is wrong with the script used - hence it is the wrong one which will be the default one when XX.ahk could not be found, you will NOT see this after 35 lines or so from the top :

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk07.png)
So, there's a clear indication this is about XXHighEnd, which wouldn't be there when the default script is coincidentally run.

Do *not* change anything in there. Or at least not now. You may do that later, when you want to change your HotKeys.

---

For those who understand anyway : This first startup of XXHighEnd sets an Environment Variable (machine wide) and AutoHotkey picks it up.
This Environment Variable is called XXStartUpDir, and it should show with a newly started (Dos) command prompt, which again must be done after XXHighEnd was started a first time, and the SET command shows all the Environment Variables.

---

Assumed that everything runs fine (and notice that AutoHotkey must be started each time again after a reboot), you can now try to start XXHighEnd by means of the Alt-X shortcut command. So, be sure XXHighEnd doesn't run, and next press Alt-X. XXHighEnd should come up now.

The available shorcuts are listed here : AutoHotKeys listing (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1262.0).

Now we are this far, it is good to remember what we are doing this for : Control Playback in Unattended Playback mode. What does this mean ?
It means that XXHighEnd as the controlling user interface won't be there during playback. This way sound quality is better *and* the GUI can't interfere with the sound quality. This latter is important for the development, so the development of the GUI and all can be done without thinking about the SQ influence (which *really* is there !). Notice how to run XXHighEnd in Unattended mode :

(http://www.stordiau.nl/Images/ahk08.png)
It's the button at the mouse pointer which should be active (click it once and it will be active (see red led); click another time and it's inactive);
If you now click Play -which is the button above it- (or use Alt-P), the interface and whole program will disappear before playback starts. Notice though that this can take some time, depending on several factors, the first being the length of the Playlist Area (number of tracks in there, but also how long they are for play time).
Keep in mind : XXHighEnd is a 100% "Memory Player" which means that *all* has to go to memory first, and *all* -whatever it is- conversions need to be done ahead of that.


Important : The means provided by XXHighEnd are *not* able to perform remote control as such, which needs hardware like an infrared (IR) receiver, and software that passes through remote control button presses to the PC as were you just typing on the keyboard. In the end this comes down to the remote control e.g. passing "Play", while the remote control software will allow you to make a "p" of it, which subsequently will be captured by AutoHotkey hence the script.
More ways are possible, and for instance the script may contain a "hot key" named "Play::" which can pass through to the existing !p:: (don't try to understand this right at this moment !!).
This is all for later, or for those who can find their ways in this right now.

What has been provided is only a small subset of AutoHotkey, and for example the help file of 1MB and everything can be downloaded from http://www.autohotkey.com/
But, do NOT do this, unless yo are very confident in what to do with e.g. the install which will be over the "instal" you just performed, and all is lost.
However, you might want to look in the help file, which for your convenience is attached below. But notice : For any normal XXHighEnd operation you don't need it at all.


How to test whether the Hot Keys work as intended ?

- Quit XXHighEnd;
- Use Alt-x.

XXHighEnd should come up now. :)


Feel free to add remarks or questions to this topic.

Gives the following message:

I don't think this is related to Alt-x ... You should have that always with 0.9x-1.
But it looks like you're not running XXHighEnd as Administrator ...

?

Hi Peter,

I get the same thing as above (I think). It didn’t happen when I then ran XX as Administrator. But then my activation failed (first time this has happened). I am back to V-6a again as it is the most stable version on my machine. Everything later is hard to start (attended or unattended) on my machine.

Mike

Oh, I am sorry about that dutch. Wanted to translate that before, but I forgot. For its main message it says "Requested registry access not allowed" and it is ablout the Environment Variable.

There is no reason why you would not be able to activate this version. And not to forget : this is a matter of copying your XXHighEnd1xx.dat file from your old folder to the new one ...

Mike, can you give the latter a try, and no matter if it works, tell me about *anything* you appreciate as "hard to start" then ?
I know there is a topic about this somewhere I started myself (about switching versions), and never got around doing something about these things. But I will now.

Peter

I get the exact same message as JohanZ and I am the administrator
when I try to go back to 0,9x-9b I get the same f&&%( message.
fiddled a LOT to reinstall 9b ended up having to do a clean with undemo and the lot!
retrying x1 gives repeatedly same message
best
Leif

This is not sufficient ! You must run XX "as Asministrator" (see rightclick on your XX icon). This is necessary for more things, including better sound (believe it or not). See Vista Users ... prepare yourselves ...  (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=209.0). I have just made this a sticky now.

But as said, I will be working on those switching versions anomalies.

Hi Peter,

This is how I change versions of XX; I download the zip and extract all files to another folder. Then I create a Shortcut of both XX and Engine 3 and drag them to my desktop. Then I cut and paste my activation code to un-demo and finally set my settings. When I change versions, I delete both Shortcuts from my desktop and repeat the process with the newer (or older) version. I have never had an activation fail before and I have activated many versions.

 Perhaps I am having so much trouble because I am not installing XX correctly each time?

Hard to start is defined by pushing Play and having an Engine 3 Stopped Working error over and over. This also happens a lot when I push Pause and then try to play again. V-6a is fairly stable.

I rarely run XX as Administrator as it seems to cause problems with my other programs. I use my computer for other tasks while listening to XX.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Why do you create also for engine 3? Did i miss something way back?

Grtz Gerard  :)

Hi Gerard,

:dntknw:

Beats me.... just seemed like it couldn't hurt. 

If anybody missed something way back I think it's probably me.  :unsure:

Mike

Ah ok..... ;)

Hi Mike,

Nothing seems to be wrong with your procedure. Note that when you run XX "as Administrator" (denoted by rightclick on the XXHighEnd icon - Run As Asministrator !!) it CAN NOT change anything to other running programs. This is not the case when UAC is shut off. Then other programs indeed may be influenced. Also keep in mind that you can set the "Run As Administrator" as a property in the icon. Then you are done forever (for that icon).

Please try this.

Next, instead of copy paste your Activation Code as you just told, copy paste the XXHighEnd1xx.dat file from a working folder into the new 0.9x-1 folder.
If that also does not work, please let me know.

If it now works, please check for the XXEngine3 stopped working problems. They really should not be there anymore since 0.9w-9 (or one or two earlier).

BUT :

At installing a new version, under the hood questions are asked about "are you really sure to run this program" (similar), and you may not see these questions. Small Vista bug I'm afraid. I think the only one (out of several programs) that may ask for this, is ChangeWP. If this happens, you will see ChangeWP as a process running in TaskManager. It never should be there for longer than a fraction of a second. If it does, it is asking for an answer to the question I just mentioned. Right now I am not sure anymore how to make the question visible in order to answer it, but it sure can. For example, trying briefly Engine#1 should do the trick. Then, I think this by itself (not answering that question) may let error XXEngine3.
When you are able to answer the question once, it will stay out forever, but tick the checkbox "don't show this again for this program" once you have the opportunity.

It is this kind of stupid stuff I will be working on now. Huray for Vista. :smirk:

Take your time if you don't feel like it right now !
Peter

As a workaround to the Questions, after installing XXHE, just run once (as administrator) the program called 'HDI'. It can be found in the XXHE folder.
Cheers, Eric.

Hi Peter,

OK, I did as you suggested and all appears to be running fine as long as XX is run as administrator. I will play most of today and watch for errors.

It does affect how my machine runs though so (forgive my ignorance here) what is UAC and how do I shut it off? I seem to be getting a lot of Host Process Stopped Working errors when XX is run as Administrator.

As always, thanks for your help Peter.

Mike

PS: I’ll try Eric’s suggestion on the next version.

Hi Eric,

This brought me the idea of doing it myself for each program like HDI. So this is now built in XXHighEnd and done right after a new install.
Thanks,
Peter

UAC = User Account Control. I think this is mentioned in the topic I referred to ? Vista Users ... prepare yourselves ... (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=209.0;all) This is about the screencopies below the CPU graph in there. Of course this is dutch (who doesn't know dutch :)) but I figured it was clear. Maybe not :scratching:

That just that incurs for those "stopped working" errors I never knew, and you just as well can be right on this one. But in that case ... one first prize for you. :biglol:
Anyway that is a virtue. Believe it or not. The more services shutting down themselves the more this is needed for the best SQ. Really !
But I will look into the merits of this (just in case you are right hahaha). But don't be bothered by it. Unless ... unless you are disturbed by a Windows 3.11 look which it in the end may come down to, and you want to use the PC for other things as well.

Thank you Mike, appreciate it.
Peter

I never new that i alway's have to do it again. (after a new version)  Meaning run xx as administrator. Alway's thougt that one time was enough....

 :(

Not of you change the icon.

Hi Peter,
just now I thought wouldn't it be nice to have a hotkey for next album in the playlist (e.g. ALT+A).
Because sometimes it's really annoying to go attended and switch to the next album in the playlist and press play.
I know there are many ways of playing music and I prefer loading lots of albums in the playlist and then just press ALT+N till I hit the next album. But since every Hotkey takes about 2 secs it's really annoying.

Wouldn't that be pretty simple? If not and you feel it causes just confusion with all the hotkeys just let it the way it is. ;)

Greetz Ava

Hi Ava. Good idea, very feaseable, and furthermore already in my mind. It sure will be in there.

As I see my self there are more annoying things. Pumping up the volume by more than 2 steps is one of them, and the 1-2 seonds quietness is another. At least the latter can be solved. Not so easy, but it can.

But first I am still struggeling with the 0.9w changes, because the new method of memory management still gives bugs here and there. I really first need to fix those (not because I can't do two things at one time, but because both will relate to eachother).

Keep on comin with the ideas !
Peter

Thank YOU!!! Didn't wanted to rush to you with the tiny pause of changing the volume/everything else, but in the back of my head.
Wow and with changing volume with more than 2 steps, ok could have thought about this (to me:why didn't I?) but since you can read minds, or are simply a genius at what you do for XX, can't decide which one it is, tend to the latter, nothing is lost. :)

Ok when I can think of some other things you'll be the first to know, well second but...

... But do you perhaps really have some remote control going ? if so, please let me know how and what. I have a hard time on that one ...

Sadly no, I tried but my vista for some kind can't recorgnize my built in remote control. Or it is really damaged, I will open my laptop tomorrow. And I don't know if WinLIRC will find it or work with it, I will have to check the chip set and the connection to the mainboard.
Would be nice since everything is built in already and I've got a small remote control which worked with XP and PowerDVD I think.
I'll try tomorrow

I have done some testing with IR2Keyboard (freeware) remote control translator. You can find it here http://www.fast351.com/hometheater/htpc/
Via the remote-controle i started XX two times......!?!?!?!!! And when i minimize IR2Keyboard id won't accept commands anymore.

From the developer:
The utility connects to the IRTrans server, and takes the incoming infrared remote control presses and and translates them into keyboard commands. IR2Keyboard can translate any remote control command and target it to any application, using any keyboard press!

Well, these things are my experience as well. All these things seem to be very wacky. I will try I2RKeyboard as well.

Bu I hope someone just has the good experience and can share ...

Geeez, can't get nowhere with Girder, wrong usb-ir device. :sad:

Y E S ! ! ! ! :yahoo: I did it! I'm so proud!
I've got a remote for my XX
My system consist of a Sony Ericsson Cell phone (but almost any would do) with Phone Remote Control 3.0, the pendant is installed on my laptop and I've got a simple USB Bluetooth stick which runs under BlueSoleil.
Now I have makros on my cell, so when I click 1 XX starts, when I click 2 on the cell the tracks starts to play.
3 is volume up, 4 is volume down etc

Now ok, too early.
It doesn't work flawlessly. For example it does sometimes work only in attended mode, and sometimes it takes ages to execute the makro. But it works.
And a major flaw is that this the demo I'm using, and so after 5 or so commands the program on the cell shuts down and I have to reconnect, which doesn't take that long, but you wouldn't want this to happen all the time.

Ahaaaaaa ...

So I should get rid of my serial IR receptor, the via-the-TV-card IR receptor and the USB IR receptor, and get out that USB BlueTooth receptor I bought over a year ago, and ask back the cellphone I gave to my wife because I thought it is a clumsey thing.

hehe


Be careful this isn't somehow caused by AutoHotkey. I don't think so, but keep it in mind !

I just asked for the phone, a Sony Ericson K850i. It contains remote control functions by standard. WMP etc. preinstalled. Hmm ... Let's get that BlueTooth receptor ...

Well, already right now I want to use that phose as a baseball. I sure didn't give it away for nothing.
Maybe later.

On some relevant other note ...
With this AutoHotky thing I wanted to create something very general that everybody would be able to use. In the mean time it should give provisions to more extensive stuff like the Pronto TSU9600 I own (it does IR and WiFi). But all somes down to the receptor in/on the PC, and the software behind that which must be able to remap e.g. IR commands to
- the hotkeys as defined by me in the XX.ahk file
or
- the passed through (IR) commands (could be "volume_up") and define them in the XX.ahk file (like "volume_up:" -> not :: !)

Note that the more official way would be "IP commands" but this requires even more knowledge from the user and a normal remote would be useless for that.

So I thought that it should just work with a InfraRed stick, but since almost all InfraRed sticks communicate with the IrDa standard, and that all remotes are usually using other protocols to work with, I couldn't get my IrDa stick to communicate with any remote control I had.
Then I decided to take a look back to bluetooth, since there was already a special menu for all SonyEricsson cells which one could use for remote controlling a PC.

But the functions on my K850i and my old K750i are very limited, like presentation mode or normal pretty easy MediaPlayer mode.
So I thought I just need a java applet to immitate a PC keyboard but I couldn't find something like this. But I found this pretty complex and easy to manipulate/program applet called Phone Remote Control 5.0.
I couldn't use the 5.0 version with my k850 but the 3.0 version which is in the same archive worked, still with flaws, but it worked.
So I was near.
So you can edit or create new marcros with this program pretty easy on the PC, which is realy neat since you can throw just all XX command in there and then just use all your buttons on your cell to control XX.
I will have a try again to maybe perfect it a little bit more, and if some will try I could help them. I can even export all my macros and provide them to the community.
BUT it's still a demo version I'm using, so if there's a better way to do this, I will jump over, because this should be for free, I think.

Ok just found out, that these macros are NOT global!
So every time you wantto use them is to be attended AND the XXHE window must be highlighted.
So I think this is NOT the way we want to control XX, exept there were some workaround tricks

:aggressive:

Just note I changed the name of my wife's cell phone into K850i in the earlier post. So we have the same.

Although IR is very common of course, I have the feeling that WiFi brings more decent results. Then everybody has WiFi, and it just takes the software behind it. No stupid thing with drivers, WinLirc or whatever, but that software.
And then of course a remote that supports WiFi. But they exist, and the better stuff just has it because it's better stuff. I will focus on WiFi for now, just to not do the same as you are doing.

On the latter, if BlueTooth is the better option (and it looks like better compared to IR on the PC's side), then BlueTooth. But if by means of a cell phone, everybody will strugle with getting the proper HIDs in (HIDs ? yeah, I act as if I know what I'm talking about. :nea:).

Thank you Ava !

Well I thought it was a good idea, but I totally agree with you, the better stuff comes with better connections (WiFi).
And since this is a real pain getting this connection with 3 simultanious programs that convert the commands from one to another, I draw a line.

Just on another kind of negative note :

AutoHotkey overrules the Alt- keys assigned to programs (like those from XX). This too is something which actually should not be.
To the end user this may seem not obviously be wrong, but to me it is. So note that the Alt-P is not dealt with by XX as it would when AutoHotkey is not installed. So now within the XX.ahk this has to be dealt with explicitly (which you will recognize in the file).
This is "redundant" and requires unnecessary attention.

Just to make clear that AutoHotkey is not Walhalla as well, but I couldn't do better to start with ... :innocent:

Well setup my Logitech G15 keyboard to remote control my XXHE with macros.
I know noob stuff, but really handy! 8)
(http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/big/9vn7-2.jpg)

:)

You have probably seen it, but if not : WiFi Remote (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=753.0).

hehe .. I can imagine at least that many!

For the last few weeks I have been dabbling with the remote functionality using an early ( pre-commercial ) version of Girder interfacing via a little IrMan serially connected ( COM1 ) infrared receiver. By using the CD assigned buttons on my Integra processor remote, I have been able to control XXHE quite effectively when in "attended' mode. Because Girder needs to see a "window" to which it will assign its keystroke equivalents, the remote functionality doesn't work when in unattended mode, as the GUI window has now disappeared.

Girder and the Irman receiver is how I have been controlling, for many years now, TheaterTek via my IR Philips Pronto remote device ( the very first model they produced!)

When I have some spare time ( ie. not dedicated listening to music .. hehe ) I will try and see if I can marry Girders output to this new WiFi way of doing things.

Peter, I think a wider acceptance of remote functionality would have a bigger participation if users could use one of the many IR remotes we seem to accumulate, and interface that somehow via a receiver similar to the IrMan.

I must admit knowing very little about the remote you are using. Perhaps some further words and pictures may be helpful in demonstrating exactly how it all fits together. It all seems like black magic and voodoo at the moment .. LOL.

Cheers,

Russ

Hi Russ,

Your response above was in the WiFi Remote thread, but since I thought to explain some more about the IR part, I moved your post to here.

If you have a good IR system working, there is no reason to hop over to the WiFi stuff. Well, I think. What you must do though in order to let IR working at all times (meaing : Unattended just the same) is start the AutoHotKey program, and configure that to receive the IR commands and pass those through as keyboard commands again. Without AutoHotKey (or something else for that matter) it can't work Unattendedly.

The downside of AutoHotKey is that it will also overrule the normal Windows hotkeys, and it is for that reason that you'll see the Alt-U etc. being captured explitcitly as well. This is hard to explain ... But concider these situations (all for volume up) ... you would want :

A. Alt-U when behind the keyboard. Attended.
B. Alt-U when behind the keyboard. Unattended.
C. Press Volume Up at the remote. Attended.
D. Press Volume Up at the remote. Unattended.

When nothing is arranged for, A works. B dos not, because indeed no GUI is there, and A works via the GUI.

B works via AutoHotKey. However, in order to let that work (as per AHK's design) Alt-U is globally captured, and it takes away the capturing from Windows itself. This is not what I like, but a nasty habit of AHK. It means, when AHK is running, A does not work anymore !

Because A does not work anymore, a special entry needs to be there in the .ahk config file and it works upon the GUI. It clicks the volume NotchUp button. When the GUI is not there, it starts XXHighEnd with the "U" parameter, XXHighEnd internally pressing that button.

Now C comes into play;
No matter how you arranged for letting that work, for the same reasons I just explained it probably (!) won't anymore once B is implemented. Also note that you need not to implement B for that reason (you never use keyboards) but you still need D to work, and it works with the same implementation (see later). Unless ... unless you can program the remote with the same things as is done in the .ahk file ... start XXHighEnd with the "U" parameter. When the remote can do that (needed for D) while IT AT THE SAME TIME can do C ... and I mean with the same button ... then AHK is not needed. But can it ? I doubt it. It needs the If/Else like similar to the .ahk config file.
So how is C to be solved ? an ADDITIONAL entry in the .ahk file that captures whatever it is the remote sends. So, there's the Alt-U for the keyboard (A + B) and there's the e.g. "Volume-Up" entry for your remote.

Before we can finish C we really must look at D. Why ? well, because the same If/Else is needed as with the Alt-U keyboard command : the treatment must be different for Attended vs. Unattended. In fact, in order to let C and D work, it needs a copy of the entries as are there for A + B, but the captured command is different.

Still with me ? :nea: Well, a major point is that for me this is all theory because I can't find a decently working IR receiver including the necessary reprogramming at the PC side. Or without reprogramming but passing through the commands to something that can capture it, which AHK in theory (!!) should do.
I have 4 IR sets now, and my latest aquisition has been a complete (Terratec) SAT h.264 receiver card just because of the programmable remote it contains. Am I stupid ? yes. But again it works too flakey, meaning yes/no/sometimes. It has to be for Vista too, and that may matter.

Peter

Hello Peter,

The Hotkey is not yet working as it should and from your recent other post I now learn that it is noweven related toSQ !

What I don't getright  is the 'send to... of the AH file. When I right click on the file or on desktop i never get this 'send to.."not even in Dutch :

what to do ?

Leo

Hi Leo,

Do you mean that you don't see something like the below ?
(this is XP, the right pane of Explorer)

In Dutch it is translated as : Copieren naar''.
Confusing translation if you think to understand the English language at least a bit.


But after doing this (creating a shortcut for the AH file) I don't get the right reply when I double click om AutoHotkey. It tells me that an older version is allready running and whether I want to replace that older version.

But did you / do you see such a green icon in the taskbar tray ?

Anyway, this is a kind of unexpected for me. Now I don't know, that is, assuming that you may not know just everything about PC's.
Do you have a backup of the OS (disk) ? if so, go for it. If not ...

Do you recognize that you use something like hotkeys on the PC ? If not, go for it. It probably came with some other software you installed sometime.

Don't blame me ... :)

Hello Peter,
I am experiencing the same behaviour.
I do get the green H shortcut icon created on the desktop. When I double click on it, the following message appears:

AutoHotkey.ahk 
An older instance of this script is already running. Replace it with this
instance ?
Note: To avoid this message, see #SingleInstance in the help file.
                                                        Ja           Nee

Whatever I click, Ja or Nee, it does not matter: in either case, ALT-X does not bring up XXHE.

(so, until this has been solved, the goodies from 0.9x-5 cannot be used by me).   :(

Cheers, Eric. 
 

Ah ... an older version of the SCRIPT is running ! ... but that just indicates you already ran the AutoHotkey once (for XX) ... I assume.

Answering that with Yes should be allright, as would be No. That is, if the script running, is the script for XX. But Yes would be more safe.

When it does not work (the Alt-X) this should indicate that your XX version is not in the location which is denoted after the script starts running.

Ok, let's try to keep it simple ... Just do this :

1. Doubleclick the desktop Icon (green H). Answer Yes to the question. It can never harm.
2. There must be a screen "H" icon in the taskbar tray now. Rightclick that. See first picture below.
3. Click Reload the Script.

After #1 and/or after #3 the second picture below should pop up. In this case this tells me that my current XX version (the one I want to control with hotkeys) resides in c:\psplayer4\
In my case this is correct, so no problem. If it would be wrong though, it (if all is right) is solved by starting that XX version I want to control, and then again double click the desktop icon (green H). Again the second picture below should pop up, and now the inidicated folder should be the correct one.

If one of these steps do not workout as intended, and assumed the green icon sits in the taskbar tray indeed, rightclick it, click Edit, and check whether the first part of the contents looks like the third picture below. If not, another application will use AutoHotkey on your PC. From there we can proceed, in a next round ...

Well after Peter insulted/triggered :) me to improve my computer capabilities on Hotkeys I managed to solve it. This is what worked for me on two pc's. Delete  all autokey files and shortcuts and look in users/document whether you have an other ah file. Delete that too. Then follow Petr's instructions really literally (don't start autokey before you have started XXhighend etc.) and then it works (at least it does now for me).
Also deleting the content of the existing 'wrong/not XXhighend ah-file and replace it with the content of the ah file in XX zipfile works for me.

It can be done, even if you have other interests in live than solving the nasty tricks and riddles of microsoft.

Leo

LOL  :) Now wait until none of your other applications work anymore ! :)

But that is victory Leo. I have it many times per day. Sadly. :yes:
Just encountered one once again. But that is good for an upcoming weekend !

Peter

Peter,
followed your instructions up to Right Click Edit (previous steps did not produce required result). The following is shown in a new window:


; IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT GETTING STARTED: Lines that start with a
; semicolon, such as this one, are comments.  They are not executed.

; This script has a special filename and path because it is automatically
; launched when you run the program directly.  Also, any text file whose
; name ends in .ahk is associated with the program, which means that it
; can be launched simply by double-clicking it.  You can have as many .ahk
; files as you want, located in any folder.  You can also run more than
; one ahk file simultaneously and each will get its own tray icon.

; SAMPLE HOTKEYS: Below are two sample hotkeys.  The first is Win+Z and it
; launches a web site in the default browser.  The second is Control+Alt+N
; and it launches a new Notepad window (or activates an existing one).  To
; try out these hotkeys, run AutoHotkey again, which will load this file.

#z::Run www.autohotkey.com

^!n::
IfWinExist Untitled - Notepad
   WinActivate
else
   Run Notepad
return


; Note: From now on whenever you run AutoHotkey directly, this script
; will be loaded.  So feel free to customize it to suit your needs.

; Please read the QUICK-START TUTORIAL near the top of the help file.
; It explains how to perform common automation tasks such as sending
; keystrokes and mouse clicks.  It also explains more about hotkeys.




Next steps please........

Thanks, Eric.

I made a mistake !!!

Step C. from the first post should be :

C. Send the AutoHotykey - Shortcut file to your desktop (rightclick on the file - Send To ... Desktop). See picture below.

I AM SORRY !!

Yep -- Problem solved !  THANKS Peter.

Probably some new topics:

When I start XXHE with Show as Wallpaper and Stop Services ticked, there is still a small Windows Start icon in the lower left corner of the screen. Is this as designed ? I can start XXHE again through this Windows menu, so I do not necessarily need Alt-X, Right ?

I would also like to know which services are being stopped by XXHE because I used to stop services like Spooler, WinDefend etc. manually before I start using XXHE. Can I skip doing that or does it still make sense to continue stopping services manually ?

Ciao, Eric.   

Ok Eric, great. It only didn't work because my instructions were wrong. Again, I am sorry, to everybody btw.

Eric, can you please move your other questions to their own new topic ? I will answer them there. Thanks.
Peter

What I did after installing Windows 7 was creating a directory "AutHK" with the following files: shortcut Autohotkey , Autohotkey.exe, helpfile, and XX.AHK. I copied the Shortcut to the desktop. After starting XX, I started Autohotkey but it never shows the path or the question to the XX directory.


The <Edit Script> don't load the content of the XX.ahk file but the file AutoHotkey.ahk.

In a second test I installed XX09y-4 again in a separate directory and make the shortcut of "Autohotkey" to the desktop. Same effect no path to XX, no question about it, no loading of XX.ahk

Suggestions...

Well, that it should work (install) more automatically, which I will try for 0.9y-5.

The "Edit test" for now is the best to proove whether it finds the right XX.ahk file. In your case it obviously does not.

Supposed that all the AutoHotky stuff is in *one* directory (whether its own, or within XX), the two paths you see in the AutoHotkey's desktop icon's properties should point to that directory. If so, and AutoHotkey is started (maybe kill (exit, or TaskManager) another running instance first) I don't see what you can be doing wrong.

But you are not the first ...

I found the problem. There was no file association to the XX.AHK file. To resolve this: Remove the shortcut. Make in the Windows explorer for XX.ahk a new file association to Autohotkey. After that make a new shortcut of Autohotkey in the directory "AutHK" and copy the shortcut to the desktop and all works again.

Hmm ... This merely looks like you created a shortcut for the XX.ahk file. This may work (per your explanation), but is certainly not intended. So, the shortcut should be made for AutoHotkey.exe ...

The "Target" in the shortcut properties should look something like this :

"C:\AutoHK\AutoHotkey.exe" c:\MyCurrentXXFolder\xx.ahk

In this example the AutoHotkey.exe is put in a standard folder (it never changes), while I put the xx.ahk in my current XXHighEnd folder, allowing it to change for each XX version. BUT, this now also requires shortcuts to Autohotkey per XX version. To avoid this, it could look like :

"C:\AutoHK\AutoHotkey.exe" c:\AutoHK\xx.ahk

and one shortcut to AutoHotkey suffices. Of course, now this one xx.ahk file can't be used for all XX versions (and its contents sure changes now and then !). So, the first solution is better.

More ways to Rome here, and making a chortcut to xx.ahk itself (plus the association to AutoHotkey.exe) is another one. This is very indirect though, and (I think) making it even more difficult. Also, it is not 100% legitimate to associate a "data" file like this is, although it will work.