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Carl Franklin

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My experiences installing this damned thing so far. <- Foreshaddowing

...well, they haven't exactly been good. Well, lemme start at the start.

 I have an MSDN subscription and I thought I'd install Windows XP Media Center Edition on a PC I'm not using and hook it up to my TV/cable to get the full experience. I realize that most people would buy a Media Center PC with all the trimmings, so I thought I'd be different and install it on a box from scratch. Here's what you need above and beyond “normal” hardware:

So, I made the discs from images on the MSDN download site and began my install. Apparently there was a problem reading the disc. This took me two installs to figure out. The biggest problem was that the installer didn't do a good job of telling me it couldn't read the disc. It gave me a prompt to put in the Windows XP SP1 disc (which is not required) when it was really asking for the disc that was already in the drive. Aaarrrrrgh!

Finally installed, I go to run the Media Center application (a shell for all the related software) and I get an unhandled exception in EHShell.exe (the main program). Thinking that it might be a .NET Framework compatibility issue (because the error comes from “Common Language Runtime Debugging Services”) I re-installed both versions of the .NET Framework. No help.

This is where I am now. I pulled an all-nighter over this and it doesn't work. Now I'm off to scour the forums and such to figure this mess out. I'll keep you posted.

Published Nov 30 2003, 03:18 PM by Carl Franklin
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Comments

 

Brian Desmond said:

I'm going to be trying this soon - look forward to reading anything you learn about the process of getting MCE running. :)
November 30, 2003 3:44 PM
 

Shannon J Hager said:

if your drive had trouble reading the disk, you should download the image again and burn another, possibly at a lower speed.
November 30, 2003 4:34 PM
 

Carl Franklin said:

I tried burning at a lower speed. It turns out that it's the combination of the CD reader (kinda old) and the 80min silver Maxell CDRs I'm using. If there is so much as a thumbprint on the disc, the CD drive has problems. More to come...
November 30, 2003 8:26 PM
 

HumanCompiler said:

Like Brian, I am about to take on this task as well...looking forward to more :D
November 30, 2003 11:03 PM
 

Tim Marman said:

First, I would suggest checking out http://www.thegreenbutton.com if you haven't already - it's a great resource for all things MCE. There are a ton of FAQs (especially "Getting Started") and very knowledgeable people there who should be able to help you out further.

I do know MCE can be very particular. Make sure you get all the updates, update your video drivers etc. I also made sure to take a ghost image as soon as I got something working, and I'll probably wipe it again when I reinstall my new capture card.

Also - what model of the Hauppauge do you have? Not all video capture cards work. I bought the Avermedia m179 originally, which unfortunately is a piece of shit and doesn't work. I *THINK* the 250 and 350 are the only supported models for MCE.

I have an order in for the Hauppauge 250MCE, the new version specifically geared for 2004 that adds radio support, but it's on 2 weeks back order.
December 1, 2003 2:15 PM
 

Carl Franklin said:

Thanks Tim.

The Green Button - great place. I have visited it regularly.

> what model of the Hauppauge do you have?

Win-TV Theater.
December 1, 2003 2:32 PM
 

Tim Marman said:

Doesn't sound like this is your problem, but I'm not sure if that model supports the API expected by MCE. You should check into that.

Good luck with it. I've been using it mostly as a jukebox, as my card troubles prevented me from using SVIDEO input (and the coax image quality wasn't cutting it).

I need to get a better cooling system too, the thing runs damned hot in my entertainment center. A new power supply probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
December 1, 2003 4:18 PM
 

G Zimmermann said:

In my case this problem appears to have been caused by a conflict with Norton Anti-virus. We had the same probelm with a new HP Pavillion notebook that shipped with XP MCE. My boss had installed the OEM trial version of Norton Anti Virus that shipped with the PC before trying to launch Media Center. We removed NAV to replace it with our licensed version of Mcafee and now Media Center launches. Hooray!
January 6, 2004 5:36 PM
 

James said:

I am also having the same ehshell.exe problem. Even after 2 reformats & half a dozen installs, has anyone got any further with this problem? Ive been looking for a solution for weeks :(
January 12, 2004 9:25 PM
 

Carl Franklin said:

My solution is to buy a Dell. :-)
January 12, 2004 9:30 PM
 

Erlend said:

THis is the same problem that I have been experiencing. I also have the MSDN partner membership, and thougt that I should install wind. media center edt. on a computer I had. I downloaded from microsoft down-site and started installing. Got the same problem with the xp sp1, and when I was finished installing xp media center could not find Iexplorer etc. I would also have liked to add the computer into my domain but that option was also gone..only workgroup was availible. I think maybe there must be something wrong with the version you can download from microsoft download site.

I work as a computer technician and a network-administrator for 3 companies, so you can say I have some experience in installing computers.

if anybody have downloaded the wind. xp MCE from the MSDN web-site and have got it to work please send me a mail to erlen77@hotmail.com

Floppy_a
Norway
January 13, 2004 10:09 AM
 

Spanky said:

Same ehshell.exe problem here. Whenever i select TV i get the error, ive tried numerous supposedly compatible cards, all with the same result.

Nobody found a solution?
January 13, 2004 10:26 AM
 

IJ said:



Hello Lads kindly visit here and try your luck.
Thank u .

http://nextl3vel.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6846
February 15, 2004 12:21 AM
 

Carl Franklin said:

Just so everyone knows, I bought a new Media Center PC. Problem solved.
February 15, 2004 12:36 AM

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