I would just use Task Scheduler + nircmd.
Just go Accessories/System Tools/Task Scheduler (or search for Scheduler in win search box), and then:
- Create Task
- On General tab, Name = something, Description = something (if you want), leave rest alone on that tab
- Triggers tab, click New. Ues "On a schedule", "One time", don't bother changing the start date/time. Below that under Advanced Settings, click on the "Repeat task every:" and set it to what you want (e.g., 30 minutes), and "for a duration of" set to "Indefinitely"
- For Actions tab, click "New" button, then action is "Start a program", and in the box for Program/script put in where you have nircmd.exe, e.g.: R:\MQ2\Nircmd.exe In the "Add arguments (optional)" box, put in the mediaplay option, and a time in milliseconds long enough to play the sound file you want (so if you want to play it for 5 seconds, put 5000), along with the pathname to the mp3 file, like so: mediaplay 5000 R:\MQ2\Sounds\GMEnter.mp3
- You can leave conditions and settings alone, so save that task.
- Now in Task Scheduler, left pane, click on "Task Scheduler Library". In the box now you can scroll to where whatever you named this task and run it.
IMO it's really simple and takes only 1 piece of software (nircmd) that doesn't need to be installed, can just put it where you want (windows dir or whatever if you want to run it from anywhere, or in path, or your mq2 dir, etc., you get it!!).
Nircmd:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.zip
Also, if you want to create shortcuts to start/stop the task, that's easy to do. Wherever you want them, e.g. on desktop, right-click, New, Shortcut.
use: C:\Windows\System32\schtasks.exe /run /tn "Play Sound"
where "Play Sound" is the name of the task you made
Call the shortcut whatever you want, such as "Start Play Sound"
Then do another shortcut, but use: C:\Windows\System32\schtasks.exe /end /tn "Play Sound"
Again, with "Play Sound" being whatever you named the task.
htw