Open MKVToolNix GUI in Header Editor by default (instead of Multiplexer)

[Moutya]

I'm using Windows OS and have the mkvtoolnix-gui executable listed in my 'OpenWith' menu for mka and mkv files. This is so that I can right-click on any Matroska file and have it easily open directly in MKVToolNix.

It works fine, but it opens on the Multiplexer page by default, and the vast majority of the time I only want to edit the headers. When I switch to the Header edit section, the currently loaded matroska file is not loaded, so I have to use the 'Open Matroska file' browse button and browse all the way back to the same file that I already opened.

Is there a way to have the MKVTool GUI open on the header edit page by default? (or perhaps some other work-around that would work with the Windows 'Open With' menu?).

I have looked at the MKVToolNix help file and I saw that there is an --edit-headers switch that can be used to launch the program with the header edit section selected, but there is no ability to specify executable switches in the Open With menu, so I'm looking for a work-around.

[jagabo]

You can create a batch file with the --edit-headers switch. Then use Open With to open the batch file. Or use the SendTo folder.

Batch file:

start "Mkv Header Editor" "g:\program files\MkvToolNix\mkvtoolnix-gui.exe" --edit-headers %1

You have to change the path to mkvtoolnix-gui, of course.

[Moutya]

Thank you! It works great.

I think I will convert the batch file to an AutoHotkey script so that I can get rid of the console flash and also so that I can compile the script into an .exe and give it the correct icon to display in the Open With menu.

Thanks again.

[butterw]

Put a shortcut instead of a bat in the shell:SendTo folder
change destination to C:\program files\MkvToolNix\mkvtoolnix-gui.exe --edit-headers

It should also be possible to edit the registry to specify --edit-headers for the "Open with" entry.

[Moutya]

I'd rather not put it in the 'Send To' menu because it will be added to all file types. I only want it to appear for matroska files (which is why I'm using the Open With menu).

Thanks for the tip about being able to add switches to a specific 'Open With' entry via the Registry. I didn't know that this was possible. I'll look into it because this would be the cleanest, most-efficient method rather than using additional scripts.