Vista -- how to change MIDI output device

How do I change the MIDI output device in Vista?

I want Windows Media Player to play MIDI files through an external synth.

Similar question, though I'm trying for the built-on synth of my soundcard,
not a true external (No offense, but the Vista Soft-synth is... OK at best)

Ok, got it. This is directly from the Creative Labs forums.

The following are instructions on how to change the midi output device under
windows vista 32/64 Bit.

1: Run dosbox(dosbox.sf.net) and type mixer /listmidi, you should get this
or similar:

0 "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth"
1 "SB X-Fi synth A [9C00]"
2 "SB X-Fi synth B [9C00]"

* Note: if you have additional midi devices connected to your computer they
will show up in the list.

2: To change the midi output simply change the following text in notepad:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ActiveMovie\devenum\{4EFE2452-168A-11D1-BC76-00C04FB9453B}\Default MidiOut Device]
"FriendlyName"="Default MidiOut Device"
"CLSID"="{07B65360-C445-11CE-AFDE-00AA006C14F4}"
"FilterData"=hex:02,00,00,00,00,00,80,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,70,69,33,\
02,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,74,79,33,00,\
00,00,00,38,00,00,00,48,00,00,00,6d,69,64,73,00,00,10,00,80,00,00,aa,00,38,\
9b,71,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MidiOutId"=dword:00000000

Simply change: "MidiOutId"=dword:00000000 to "MidiOutId"=dword:00000001 to
use the Creative SoundFont banks for playback.
Save as (any name).reg file and run. Restarting your player or windows may
be required for settings to take effect.
or you can simply follow the regedt explorer path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ActiveMovie\devenum\{4EFE2452-168A-11D1-BC76-00C04FB9453B}
and find all the info yourself.

[mfenemore]

I have done everything as shown in this post, but Vista x64 contains an additional setting in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ActiveMovie\devenum 64-bit

It shows the MIDI output device as "ffffffff"

Also, this directory does not list my MIDI devices.

My MIDI output is still not going to my synth.

So what do I do to fix this in x64?

Many thanks for providing the perfect solution to this problem. I switched to Vista operating system this week and windows media player would not play my Yamaha keyboard after working perfectly on all other windows OS for the past ten years. No help whatsoever from onboard Windows help or Microsoft.
despite the fact that I do not make a practice of editing the windows registry it worked first time. Many thanks once again.

when you regedit this value change the button to decimal and put in
00000001 which when saved will look like 0x00000001 (1)

once I followed these instructions my m-audio midisport 2x2 was seen by
Vista and when I play a midi file it is output to the midisport

[fubartunes]

have they deleted the option to change default midi out? what a bad move if they have. was in sounds settings - would explain why i cant find it anywhere.

far too complex for me to be messing about with editing reg, and there is no need for it either. thats another negative for vista (along with millions others ive noticed).

surely they still have that option somewhere? very stupid move if they don't have it in this pile of crap they call "best version of windows yet" - that title is still held by xp pro

simple solution to this problem is to downgrade to xp pro as vista is not fully compatible with midi instruments / controllers without reg editing.

stupid gates is getting real numb in his greedy old age

Awesome, this fix works! I just wonder why Vista did not make it Plug &
Play?