Opening multiple drawings from outside AutoCAD

[Coffee Coffee]

Hope I can make this clear enough to understand:
It seems several of our users are having an issue with opening multiple files outside of AutoCAD. What they are doing is highlighting multiple drawings either in Windows explorer or in our File management system (Adept) and when they hit open it will do 1 of two things. In Adept it will open 1 session of AutoCAD for EACH drawing highlighted (if a session of AutoCAD isn't running when the command is given). When they try to open multiple drawings from Windows explorer it will only open the last drawing selected.
Is there a setting within AutoCAD 2008 that needs changed? They say they never had any problems with 2006 and that when they chose to open multiple drawings either way they would get one session of AutoCAD with all the drawings open.
Thanks for any help you can give me!

[Richard.Kent]

From File Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types > wait, wait some more > highlight DWG in list, > Advanced
> highlight open > Edit... > (If open isn't there use New.. to create it.)

Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\acad.exe" "%1"

Use DDE
checked

DDE Message:
[open("%1")]

Application:
AutoCAD.r17.DDE

OK > OK > Close

[Coffee Coffee]

It worked the second time, I had a delay when the IT guy came in to install a second monitor. Somehow the second time it worked. Thanks so much I really appreciate the help I have gotten from this forum!!

[ccowgill]

you could also download service pack 1, they took care of the problem.

[echte]

Is this the same for Vista, any idea?

[michael.donati]

I have the same problem listed here. On my computer, it would only open the last drawing selected, so I tried changing the advanced options, but they wouldn't stick. Then I tried changing the registry to open acad.exe instead of the launcher which allowed it to open all the drawings but in different sessions. I added ddeexec to the registry, but it still won't change. When I go back into the file type advanced options it is back to the way it was before.

[jaberwok]

Changing SDI to zero inside acad may help.

[pants]

Hurray it works,

Thanks Richard.kent

Pants

[slimpickinz]

This worked for me!
Thanks
-Slimpickinz

From File Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types > wait, wait some more > highlight DWG in list, > Advanced
> highlight open > Edit... > (If open isn't there use New.. to create it.)

Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\acad.exe" "%1"

Use DDE
checked

DDE Message:
[open("%1")]

Application:
AutoCAD.r17.DDE

OK > OK > Close

[slimpickinz]

Sometimes other applications take over the default for opening drawings.
When this happens, apply the following in the initial screen:

> Advanced (If advanced is not available, select “Restore”)

then continue with the rest.