Windows 7: Windows Explorer Preview issues

I prefer using some alternative apps other than Windows Media Player (WMP) and iTunes as my default audio and video player. I like Media Player Classic. With MPC as the default for audio or video files, I lose the ability to preview those filetypes in Windows Explorer.


Is it possible to have a different program used for the Explorer preview than your default program for a particular filetype? Alternatively, Is there any way to add the preview handlers that iTunes and WMP use to Media Player Classic?

A related question - I have data files (asciii text files) with custom extensions for some custom software. They do not get previewed inthe Windows Explorer Preview pane, even though I set Notepad as the default application for them, and so Notepad is launched by double-click in Windows Explorer.

The Preview facility wouold not use the same information about the file as does the full opening of it. How cqan I inform Preview of the application it should use???

I use MPC as well, but to answer your question, this works for me, but as with everything computer related, may not work for you.

Open Windows media player and set it back to the default player for the various filetypes and close it. Open windows explorer and right-click on a media file, select "choose default program" and then select MPC as the default player.

I get a preview of video files, and also a preview of MP3 files if the album art is included in the file.

MPC gives me a snapshot preview (image preview) of the files. Are you able to play the mp3 and video files in the preview? Thanks.