What are the best practices for using/launching Emacs as Server

on Windows 7/8?

For example, on Windows Vista, I used to be able to make a file

association with .TXT files that invoked emacsclient with the

--alternate-editor=runemacs option so that if Emacs wasn't

running, it would be launched.

In Windows 7 and 8, the GUI simply does not allow any options.  I

am not sure if I could hack the registry directly to stuff the

options in there, but since the GUI no longer supports it, I fear

the underlying support might not be there either.  I have

considered trying to associate .TXT with something like a

Emacs.BAT/Emacs.CMD file that could invoke emacsclient with

options, but this has its own problems, and seems like a bad idea

for ultimately launching a "windows mode" program Emacs.exe

(which is not a "command line mode" program).

I am wondering what others do.

Perhaps I'm expecting too much automation, for example, the idea

that if Emacs Server isn't already running, it gets launched

seamlessly?

Thanks!

Mark