Problem with Winamp and Windows 7 UAC

ashertece · 18th January 2011, 13:11

Symptoms:

clicking on an audio file associated with Winamp, the program launch is started.
then, the UAC notification is displayed with the question "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to your computer" referring to Winamp
replying with "Yes" the program is launched and gets stuck mid-way with an error message "Winamp has stopped working"
the symptoms persist with regard to both music files and playlist files.

Question:

does anyone know, why these symptoms persist?
is there a way to modify the UAC so it doesn't control Winamp but trusts it?

Thanks for any help

Batter Pudding · 18th January 2011, 15:35

Try doing a ONE OFF run of winamp in Administrator mode. That will then let it settle its settings in.

Right Click the Winamp icon and select Run As Administrator...
Go open Winamp Preferences.
Go to General Preferences \ File Types
Make sure Restore file associations at Winamp start-up is unticked.
Exit Winamp

Now try starting Winamp as normal - has the UAC box gone?

ashertece · 18th January 2011, 16:00

this worked - great! many thanks!

Batter Pudding · 18th January 2011, 19:21

The reason it works is those OS file associations are "Administrator Level" settings. In the old days of Win98 and XP the OS was a little too promiscuous and let any program change any setting it liked. This caused Winamp a headache as programs kept nicking the file associations, so Winamp was coded to steal them back.

With Vista\Win7 this triggers UAC prompts due to where the settings are in the registry. Now you have your settings set, they should stay that way. So there is no need for that old tickbox anymore.

Any time you need to change the file associations, you will need to remember this "Run as administrator" trick. All the rest of the settings go into Winamp's ini file, so every other change will be fine as a normal user.

stopasking · 20th May 2011, 20:28

This thread is HELPFUL!!!!! Keep for issue tracking!

Gandalfs Mother · 29th June 2011, 18:15

thank you for your help on this issue!

Noprobl3m · 1st December 2011, 15:47

Everytime I open winamp, UAC box is pop-up-ed. I check Use as administrator at Compatibility tab. I have the last version of winamp, windows 7 64 bit. Moreover, i see that i can't move mp3s from a folder directly into winamp list, only with enqueue option(but there is another pop-up UAC box). Any idea how to stop this? Thanks

Batter Pudding · 1st December 2011, 19:10

Don't tick "Use as administrator". That is the wrong option. Not required.

RIGHT CLICK the short cut and select "Run As Adminstrator" from there.

Follow my steps in post #2 and you will sort out what you need. (Seriously - it works. There are more than one type of "administrator" on a PC)

Noprobl3m · 1st December 2011, 23:19

Thanks, but it really dont work as I would like. If I dont check anything, winamp its working perfect, but error at start because of enhancer plugin. If i check Run as administrator as you said (and I knew it before, I didn't mean Use as administrator), then i get the UAC box each time, and cannot move mp3 files from a folder to the winamp playlist - with the mouse - . I really dont get it.

Batter Pudding · 1st December 2011, 23:34

I still don't think you have actually read my post #2 have you? You don't need to check anything. The only time you need to select Run As Administrator from the menu is when changing file associations. Winamp does not trigger the UAC prompt at any other stage except changing file associations in the OS. You should not need to play with the compatibility dialog at all.

If you have a misbehaving plug-in, then you may want to hassle the author of the plug-in to update it to a modern OS. Or more closely look at what that plug-in is trying to do. For example, if that plug-in is trying to write to the C:\Program Files\Winamp\ folder then you will always get this error message.

The simplest way round that error if it is an unsupported pluggin would be to uninstall Winamp and MOVE it to C:\Winamp\ instead. That way you are outside of the protected files folder and your misbehaving plug-in can then write to the Winamp folder as much as it likes.

What does an Enhancer plug-in do? Can you live without it?

I also don't understand why you would get a UAC box when dragging tunes into a playlist. That should not trigger any UAC errors. Assuming you have your music stored somewhere logical like C:\Users\Username\Music\ and not in somewhere protected like C:\Program Files\. Playlists will now be found in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Winamp\

(There is logic to the security settings of Windows 7. Once you get your head round them then make sense. Basically all the stuff you want to mess with should be in the C:\Users\ folders. And things that don't change like Winamp.exe and Pluggins should be happy to live in the C:\Program Files\ folder as long as they don't try writing files in that location. ONLY if you have unsupported out of date pluggins should you have to mess around with anything. XP was a bit of a tart and would let a little too much happen in the wrong locations. Which could lead to all kind of confusions and infections. The rules have been tightened up in this new Win7 era.)

Give me more details of your setup, and where your files are, and I'll help you get a happy system.

DrO · 2nd December 2011, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noprobl3m

If I dont check anything, winamp its working perfect, but error at start because of enhancer plugin.

http://www.nunzioweb.com/daz/enhancer/ is needed to fix that (assuming it's the same plug-in being mentioned).

-daz

Noprobl3m · 2nd December 2011, 11:59

Thanks DrO, there is no more error for enhancer plugin. Winamp is working ok now, nothing check/ticked at compatibility tab. Thanks you all.

hazysonic · 15th March 2013, 20:31

This didn't fix it for me. I don't have the enhancer plugin installed, but I do have MAD plug-in, Slowmedown, and LoopMaster all installed (and would like to keep).

Anyone find a solution to this very annoying problem? I love winamp, but I'm about ready to bail on it b/c of the annoying UAC prompts that i can't get rid of....

Batter Pudding · 15th March 2013, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazysonic

This didn't fix it for me. I don't have the enhancer plugin installed, but I do have MAD plug-in, Slowmedown, and LoopMaster all installed (and would like to keep).

Anyone find a solution to this very annoying problem? I love winamp, but I'm about ready to bail on it b/c of the annoying UAC prompts that i can't get rid of....

Experiment with the plugins one by one. Disable them in turn by closing Winamp, renaming them, then fire up Winamp again.

If it turns out it is a plugin causing your problem then your only choice is to hassle the person who wrote the plugin or find an alternate plugin which is still maintained.

Often a Plugin problem is caused by using Win98 style code in 2013 where a plugin is trying to write to the C:\Program Files\ folder. If this is the case then you may well get around this by uninstalling winamp then reinstalling it to C:\Winamp\ or D:\Winamp\ instead. Not the best answer, but can get you round the need to use an out of date plugin.

hazysonic · 17th March 2013, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batter Pudding

Experiment with the plugins one by one. Disable them in turn by closing Winamp, renaming them, then fire up Winamp again.

If it turns out it is a plugin causing your problem then your only choice is to hassle the person who wrote the plugin or find an alternate plugin which is still maintained.

Often a Plugin problem is caused by using Win98 style code in 2013 where a plugin is trying to write to the C:\Program Files\ folder. If this is the case then you may well get around this by uninstalling winamp then reinstalling it to C:\Winamp\ or D:\Winamp\ instead. Not the best answer, but can get you round the need to use an out of date plugin.

thanks I'll give it a try. I only use a few plugins (slowmedown & loopmaster), but I use them all the time so it's worth the effort....

cytherian · 23rd May 2013, 05:20

I just want to add to this thread, as I found a solution that is a little different and worked for me.

Removing "NSA" from the conflig_extlist variable in "winamp.ini" didn't do the job in my case. I wasn't sure what other extension reference could be it, so I took a chance and cleared the variable. When I re-ran WinAmp, the UAC prompt stopped. The list was rebuilt, but only with the bare minimum:

config_extlist=MP3:MP2:MP1:AAC:VLB:M3U:M3U8:PLS:B4S

Also, it meant that all of the other file extensions wouldn't work any longer. So, that wasn't a workable solution. When I added extensions back that I wanted to be supported in WinAmp, the UAC prompt started again and those extensions didn't work. So, editing the Conflig_Extlist variable causes functional corruption.

I uninstalled WinAmp, rebooted, then ran the WinAmp setup program again as Administrator. I went through all of the steps, but at the end after WinAmp launched I went immediately to the file preferences and made a few changes to force the config_extlist to be altered (I had deselected "NSA" and "NSV" through the UI).

After this, WinAmp would start normally without the UAC prompt. And, file types beyond the core few (I think about 8 types) would work, which includes WAV, FLAC, OGG, etc.

Anyway, from all the chatter about this problem, it appears that some people are affected differently. On the odd chance you're one of those people who hasn't found any of them to work, perhaps my tip might help.

SylvesterH · 27th October 2013, 09:11

I also found the problem of the window popping up prompting for ''Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?' all the time after I install Winamp lite v5.65.
To solve the issue, I run it as Administrator, went to Winamp Preferences/File Types, unselected B4S as Associated File Types, close the preferences, then reopen them again to select back B4S. Now when running Winamp in user mode (i.e. not Administrator mode) the annoying window does not pop up anylonger...

18th January 2011, 13:11	#1
ashertece Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2	Problem with Winamp and Windows 7 UAC Symptoms: clicking on an audio file associated with Winamp, the program launch is started. then, the UAC notification is displayed with the question "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to your computer" referring to Winamp replying with "Yes" the program is launched and gets stuck mid-way with an error message "Winamp has stopped working" the symptoms persist with regard to both music files and playlist files. Question: does anyone know, why these symptoms persist? is there a way to modify the UAC so it doesn't control Winamp but trusts it? Thanks for any help

1st December 2011, 15:47	#7
Noprobl3m Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	UAC box Everytime I open winamp, UAC box is pop-up-ed. I check Use as administrator at Compatibility tab. I have the last version of winamp, windows 7 64 bit. Moreover, i see that i can't move mp3s from a folder directly into winamp list, only with enqueue option(but there is another pop-up UAC box). Any idea how to stop this? Thanks

23rd May 2013, 05:20	#16
cytherian Junior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 2	I just want to add to this thread, as I found a solution that is a little different and worked for me. Removing "NSA" from the conflig_extlist variable in "winamp.ini" didn't do the job in my case. I wasn't sure what other extension reference could be it, so I took a chance and cleared the variable. When I re-ran WinAmp, the UAC prompt stopped. The list was rebuilt, but only with the bare minimum: config_extlist=MP3:MP2:MP1:AAC:VLB:M3U:M3U8:PLS:B4S Also, it meant that all of the other file extensions wouldn't work any longer. So, that wasn't a workable solution. When I added extensions back that I wanted to be supported in WinAmp, the UAC prompt started again and those extensions didn't work. So, editing the Conflig_Extlist variable causes functional corruption. I uninstalled WinAmp, rebooted, then ran the WinAmp setup program again as Administrator. I went through all of the steps, but at the end after WinAmp launched I went immediately to the file preferences and made a few changes to force the config_extlist to be altered (I had deselected "NSA" and "NSV" through the UI). After this, WinAmp would start normally without the UAC prompt. And, file types beyond the core few (I think about 8 types) would work, which includes WAV, FLAC, OGG, etc. Anyway, from all the chatter about this problem, it appears that some people are affected differently. On the odd chance you're one of those people who hasn't found any of them to work, perhaps my tip might help. Last edited by cytherian; 23rd May 2013 at 06:31.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

18th January 2011, 15:35	#2
Batter Pudding Major Dude Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,665	Try doing a ONE OFF run of winamp in Administrator mode. That will then let it settle its settings in. Right Click the Winamp icon and select Run As Administrator... Go open Winamp Preferences. Go to General Preferences \ File Types Make sure Restore file associations at Winamp start-up is unticked. Exit Winamp Now try starting Winamp as normal - has the UAC box gone?

18th January 2011, 16:00	#3
ashertece Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2	this worked - great! many thanks!

18th January 2011, 19:21	#4
Batter Pudding Major Dude Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,665	The reason it works is those OS file associations are "Administrator Level" settings. In the old days of Win98 and XP the OS was a little too promiscuous and let any program change any setting it liked. This caused Winamp a headache as programs kept nicking the file associations, so Winamp was coded to steal them back. With Vista\Win7 this triggers UAC prompts due to where the settings are in the registry. Now you have your settings set, they should stay that way. So there is no need for that old tickbox anymore. Any time you need to change the file associations, you will need to remember this "Run as administrator" trick. All the rest of the settings go into Winamp's ini file, so every other change will be fine as a normal user.

20th May 2011, 20:28	#5
stopasking Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 446	This thread is HELPFUL!!!!! Keep for issue tracking!

29th June 2011, 18:15	#6
Gandalfs Mother Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 9	thank you for your help on this issue!

1st December 2011, 19:10	#8
Batter Pudding Major Dude Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,665	Don't tick "Use as administrator". That is the wrong option. Not required. RIGHT CLICK the short cut and select "Run As Adminstrator" from there. Follow my steps in post #2 and you will sort out what you need. (Seriously - it works. There are more than one type of "administrator" on a PC)

1st December 2011, 23:19	#9
Noprobl3m Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	Thanks, but it really dont work as I would like. If I dont check anything, winamp its working perfect, but error at start because of enhancer plugin. If i check Run as administrator as you said (and I knew it before, I didn't mean Use as administrator), then i get the UAC box each time, and cannot move mp3 files from a folder to the winamp playlist - with the mouse - . I really dont get it.

1st December 2011, 23:34	#10
Batter Pudding Major Dude Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,665	I still don't think you have actually read my post #2 have you? You don't need to check anything. The only time you need to select Run As Administrator from the menu is when changing file associations. Winamp does not trigger the UAC prompt at any other stage except changing file associations in the OS. You should not need to play with the compatibility dialog at all. If you have a misbehaving plug-in, then you may want to hassle the author of the plug-in to update it to a modern OS. Or more closely look at what that plug-in is trying to do. For example, if that plug-in is trying to write to the C:\Program Files\Winamp\ folder then you will always get this error message. The simplest way round that error if it is an unsupported pluggin would be to uninstall Winamp and MOVE it to C:\Winamp\ instead. That way you are outside of the protected files folder and your misbehaving plug-in can then write to the Winamp folder as much as it likes. What does an Enhancer plug-in do? Can you live without it? I also don't understand why you would get a UAC box when dragging tunes into a playlist. That should not trigger any UAC errors. Assuming you have your music stored somewhere logical like C:\Users\Username\Music\ and not in somewhere protected like C:\Program Files\. Playlists will now be found in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Winamp\ (There is logic to the security settings of Windows 7. Once you get your head round them then make sense. Basically all the stuff you want to mess with should be in the C:\Users\ folders. And things that don't change like Winamp.exe and Pluggins should be happy to live in the C:\Program Files\ folder as long as they don't try writing files in that location. ONLY if you have unsupported out of date pluggins should you have to mess around with anything. XP was a bit of a tart and would let a little too much happen in the wrong locations. Which could lead to all kind of confusions and infections. The rules have been tightened up in this new Win7 era.) Give me more details of your setup, and where your files are, and I'll help you get a happy system.

2nd December 2011, 11:59	#12
Noprobl3m Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	Thanks DrO, there is no more error for enhancer plugin. Winamp is working ok now, nothing check/ticked at compatibility tab. Thanks you all.

15th March 2013, 20:31	#13
hazysonic Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 6	This didn't fix it for me. I don't have the enhancer plugin installed, but I do have MAD plug-in, Slowmedown, and LoopMaster all installed (and would like to keep). Anyone find a solution to this very annoying problem? I love winamp, but I'm about ready to bail on it b/c of the annoying UAC prompts that i can't get rid of....

27th October 2013, 09:11	#17
SylvesterH Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1	I also found the problem of the window popping up prompting for ''Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?' all the time after I install Winamp lite v5.65. To solve the issue, I run it as Administrator, went to Winamp Preferences/File Types, unselected B4S as Associated File Types, close the preferences, then reopen them again to select back B4S. Now when running Winamp in user mode (i.e. not Administrator mode) the annoying window does not pop up anylonger...