History:

Before MCE 2005 came out, I was using a a dLink DSM-320 and struggling with all of it's crazyness. When MCE 2005 was released, I decided to try it out (I was really interested in the extenders). I was running XP Home SP2 and faced with likley having to do a clean install. I didn't think it was worth looking at if I had to do a clean install and I was getting ready to upgrade my hardrive, so I thought I do some tinkering to see if I could avoid the clean install. The short story is yes - the clean install can be avoided. XP Pro or Home can be upgraded to MCE 2005. How I got there is a long story...

I noticed on the boards messages stating that one could use TweakNT 1.2.1 which will change the registry and other settings to make Windows think it is a Media Center. After doing the tweak, you could theoretically then run a repair install with MCE 2005 and it would essentially upgrade you. This was the path I took.

- ghosted old hard dive
- installed new hard drive
- restored image and verified it worked (note I'm still XP Home)
- ran tweaknt and made my machine a media center edition of xp
- ran the repair install
- ouch: stop error in the middle of the install. google, seems to be hardware, perhaps RAM. (Machine is 2.5 years old and hasn't had any problems ever)

I thought perhaps the tweaknt trick didn't work right so I repeated the steps without tweaking. This would likley cause an upgrade to only XP Pro since it doesn't see an existing media center install to 'repair'. No Stop Error. Hmmm. Perhaps the tweaknt trick didn't work. I ended up with xp pro.

Did some various troubleshooting. Memtest86 showed 1 bit to be in error but I couldn't isolate the bad stick. Decided to do a clean MCE install as a test to see if it was tweaknt registry changes causing the error. Remember I still have an image around for the non-clean install (actually I reimaged my new XP Pro install). Clean install failed with same stop error.

Now there was a dilema. I could troubleshoot the ram some more, give up, or look for one more alternative. Being impatient and not having any real stability problems for 2+ years, I decided to skip the ram troubleshooting for now.

I had been following threads on green button and other places on doing an mce2002 or 2004 on Win2003 where the pieces were pulled out and installed by hand. On the green button thread, for MCE 2005 there was a link to page to do just that (Rafael's MCE Exposed or something like that). The steps listed had some various .net commands to register assemblies and some patching of the executables and some registry edits. It seemed to be too much of a hack. I needed a good official install so the media extender would work. I did more searching and ran across a listing for a batch file that looked like it was a mix of Rafael's patched files and the MCE installer scripts on the OEM/MSDN cd's. This was close to what I needed. If I could run all the offical install scripts from the CD, then I would likely have a real install. That's when I thought of tweaknt. I removed the steps for the crack files and integrated tweaknt into the steps. The cracks were remove the mce checks. I also found reference to a .dll that is needed for 2005 that is installed from the XP Pro install so I noted that too in case I didn't have the correct file.

.... and it all worked. In fact, I've been running for 3 weeks and I'm using an extender. I didn't have to clean install. My source was XP Home and I'm using MCE 2005 (I've been pretty excited!)

Steps to install MCE 2005 on XP Home or XP Pro (upgrade)
--------------------------------------------------------
- Backup you drive and verify the restore process works
- Locate tweaknt 1.2.1 (I can't link to it etc. as it is probably considered a warez tool since it can do stuff with timebombs etc. in windows. Use your favorite search engine etc.)

Path A:

NOTE: PATH A did not work for me but since others have mentioned it, you may want to try it as it would be the easiest way to upgrade. If it fails, path B will get you there...

1. Run Tweaknt. Check the Convert to: and Workstation boxes , choose Media Center from the drop-down list and leave the Timebomb panel well alone. Now click Apply and TweatNT will warn you that this is a potentially unsafe process and ask you if you're sure you want to continue. If you're ready to take the plunge, click Yes and after a short pause you will be told that you need to restart straight away; click OK and the machine will do so.

2. Verify in System Properties that you are indeed an MCE machine (in name only).

3. Perform a repair install using your MCE 2005 cd's.

4. Finsihed


Path B:

1. Run a repair install of WinXP Pro SP2 if you're on XP Home or XP Pro. Do this using your MCE 2005 cd's without the tweaknt trick. You might be able to skip this step but it's likely safest in case there are .dlls in this install that are needed by MCE 2005. Also, this installs the .NET Framework, WMP10, and a few other media tools that are included in MCE 2005.

2. Download and install .NET Framework SDK 1.1 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9b3a2ca6-3647-4070-9f41-a333c6b9181d&displaylang=en)

3. Run Tweaknt. Check the Convert to: and Workstation boxes , choose Media Center from the drop-down list and leave the Timebomb panel well alone. Now click Apply and TweatNT will warn you that this is a potentially unsafe process and ask you if you're sure you want to continue. If you're ready to take the plunge, click Yes and after a short pause you will be told that you need to restart straight away; click OK and the machine will do so.

4. Verify in System Properties that you are indeed an MCE machine (in name only).

5. Insert MCE 2005 install disk 1 in CD drive.

6. Verify the file "msvidctl.dll" is the version 6.5.2700.2180 in your system32 directory. If it isn't, you probably didn't run the repair install above. You can expand it and copy it from your MCE 2005 disk 1 i386 directory.

7. Execute the following commands from a cmd prompt (assume E: is the CD Drive in the steps below...)

echo .
echo May not be needed but I've seen it done in all the other 'recipes' to do an install

cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v1.1\Bin (or wherever you installed the sdk)
sn.exe -Vr *

echo .
echo Copy some needed install files and dlls from the CD and place them in the system directory

md C:\MCE_PROJECT

<<< note: you may only have to expand and copy the .dlls in this block of statements as the repair install should place all the .inf and .cat files in your system32 paths listed below. I've put all the commands here just in case... >>>

expand -r E:\I386\mediactr.ca_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\plus.ca_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\sonic.ca_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\ehocgen.dl_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\medctroc.dl_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\plusoc.dl_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\medctroc.in_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\sonic.in_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\plusoc.in_ C:\MCE_PROJECT
expand -r E:\I386\sysoc.in_ C:\MCE_PROJECT

copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\mediactr.cat %windir%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE} >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\plus.cat %windir%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE} >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\sonic.cat %windir%\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE} >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\ehocgen.dll %windir%\system32 >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\medctroc.dll %windir%\system32 >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\plusoc.dll %windir%\system32 >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\medctroc.inf %windir%\inf >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\sonic.inf %windir%\inf >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\plusoc.inf %windir%\inf >nul
copy C:\MCE_PROJECT\sysoc.inf %windir%\inf >nul

<<<< I think you need MCE 2005 CD 2 in your drive from here on ... I have a 2 cd system so I just put both in at one time and the installers found the .cabs on cd 2 >>>>

echo.
echo Installing Media Center 2005

rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction Freestyle 128 medctroc.inf

echo.
echo Installing Sonic CD/DVD

rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction SonicDVDandCDBurning 128 sonic.inf

echo.
echo Installing MS Plus DME

rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusTheme 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusSpac 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusGold 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusDavn 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusNatr 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusMpix 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusDancer 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusParty 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusAudio 128 plusoc.inf
rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction PlusCDLM 128 plusoc.inf


%windir%\Ehome\medctrro.exe /o RunOnce >nul

echo.
echo REB00T YOUR SYSTEM!

After rebooting, run C:\WINDOWS\ehome\eshell.exe. It will load the MCE 2005 application and run through first time setup. You'll want to create a shortcut to eshell for start menu and or desktop. Also, there is a folder in the start menu->accessories that contains the eshell shortcut. Also, run windows update as there is an update for MCE 2005. It should install fine.


Final Comments:
----------------
I wrote the above steps in a .bat file format as that is how I found the original source. The main changes I made were using tweaknt instead of hacking some of the executables. I'm also recreating these steps from notes I took at the time. I haven't verified every command but I'm cutting and pasting from a notepad file that I used during the install (copied line/pasted into command prompt etc.) I'm posting this as a contribution to the community. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone. It may also give those who are trying to do an install on non-xp systems some ideas. I liked this path to install as I didn't have to do a clean install and I didn't have to hack a bunch of files. The installers setup the registry for MCE properly and grabbed all the files from the cabs on disk 2. Essentially the steps are modify the registry to make it think it is an mce machine, copy some setup files for the MCE installers, and run the MCE installers.

BTW, my system is an Athlon XP 1800+, ATI 9800 Pro, Hauppage MCE150, 512mb, 160 GB and 80GB harddrives. Netgear WGU624, Linksys Media Extender on wired ethernet, MCE Box on 802.11a wireless. I've had no stability problems and the extender install worked perfectly so I guess it thinks I'm an MCE 2005 box!

One important point I forgot... Make sure before upgrading to have installed the latest MCE 2005 compatible drivers for your video card and TV capture card. Also install an MCE 2005 comaptible DVD decoder and use the MS DVD Decoder check utility to make it the default decoder.

I'm sorry but what is the benefits over doing a plain old fashioned clean install with good backups????

yea that sound like a lot of work, i would do a fresh install anyday over an upgrade, just make sure you back up as you go, then you shouldnt have any problems

I just performed the steps over my existing XP SP2 system. I left out the TweakNT trick however (since it's CORP) and modded my ehShell to only run on non-MCE systems. I threw everything in a batch file and can now install it on any system I wish simply by running the batch file.

I have Media Center starting up at the end of the install, without even rebooting.

I actually added these files below (thanks Cactus) to my batch file to be copied and registered since I was getting an error indicating some video files were missing after running my batch file on Server 2003.

\Windows\System32\EHOCGEN.DLL

\Windows\System32\encdec.dll

\Windows\System32\MEDCTROC.DLL

\Windows\System32\Mpeg2Data.ax

\Windows\System32\msvidctl.dll

\Windows\System32\PLUSOC.DLL

\Windows\System32\quartz.dll

\Windows\System32\sbe.dll

\Windows\System32\sbeio.dll

\Windows\System32\vbicodec.ax

\Windows\System32\wstpager.ax

\Windows\System32\wstrenderer.ax

\Windows\System32\wstrendr.ax

Some updated information...

I found that tweaknt just isnt't the tool to use to change the registry so that the installers and media center think you are a media center PC. Once it changes the registry, repair installs don't work. This proobably means that future OS upgrades won't work either. I originally found this out when trying to upgrade to MCE 2005 (and hence the path B developed in my first post). I ran into it again on a motherboard/processor upgrade having already used tweaknt after the install to get media center to work. I needed to do a repair install and it was failing as before. In searching google, I came across some registry settings that people were using to install MCE 2004 on Windows 2003 Server and they were using the same settings to activate MCE on Longhorn. In using these registry settings, I was able to do the repair install and subsequently on another box a direct upgrade from Windows XP Home to MCE 2005.

The only tricky part is modifying the registry. For these particular 'tags', XP and NT have watcher threads and won't allow them to be changed. Therefore, you need to do it 'offline' or when booted from another OS or disk. I found a great utility CD that has regedt32.exe on it and a lot of other stuff. All you need to do is boot with it to modify your system registry.

As always, have good backups before doing registry changes or repair installs. The upgrade path I'm outling should work from a Windows XP Home or Pro w/SP2 installed. You should be familiar with registry editing, loading drivers, etc. The steps will only work on retail versions of Windows (not Corporate).

Here are the steps :

1) Get a hold of 'Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD'(http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/)

This is a tool that can take your windows CD and make a bootable windows CD for doing system maintenance. Follow the instructions from the tool. It will create an ISO image that can be burned.

2) Boot from your BART PE disk

3) Run Regedt32.exe (choose run from the start/go menu etc)

4) Load the system hive (\windows\system32\config\system)

See http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_load_hive.mspx for instructions on loading and unloading hives. Use test as your keyname for the hive.

5) Modify the following registry entries in the loaded system hive.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\MediaCenter "Installed"=dword:00000001
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup "SystemPrefix"=hex:ce,13,00,00,00,00,3e,c8

6) Unload the system hive

7) Reboot

8) Check your system properties. It should say 'Media Center Edition'. This means the registry change worked.

9) Proceed with a repair install using your MCE 2005 CD's.

The installer will think it is repairing an MCE 2005 system and will install all the files need for MCE. Good instructions on repair installs are at http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm .

10) Run Media Center via Start Menu->Accessories->Media Center->Media Center

Repair installs cause windows to reinstall all your device drivers. It will find most if not all of them on your disk. At first boot, the 'found new hardware' wizard may come up for a few of your devices. You'll want to follow the wizard and locate your device drivers. You should use the device manager (in system properties) to verify drivers are correct and reload if they are not. For instance, the repair install replaced my ATI 9800 driver with an older version from the windows xp install disk. I updated back to the latest version. To be sure MCE works the first time it is run, I would reload the tuner and video card drivers, reboot, run and verify your DVD decoder is correct using the decoder checkup from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=de1491ac-0ab6-4990-943d-627e6ade9fcb&displaylang=en), and then launch MCE.

The above steps should enable you to upgrade from XP Home or Pro to MCE 2005.

The other path to install is a clean install. I did not do a clean install because I didn't want to reinstall all my applications. Now that I found the way to get the install to work, it takes approximately 30 minutes for the repair install to run and another 10 minutes to verify and reload my drivers. My main machine's windows installation originally started out as a win95 installation. It was upgraded to Windows ME, Windows XP Home, and now Windows MCE 2005. I've never done a clean install on it. Keep in mind, I've always done periodic maintenance on the system especially with registry and uninstall utilities so that old stuff is removed. I've performed bimonthly backups. I've only had to restore on one hard disk failure (until trying to get MCE installed). It takes work and isn't the path for everyone. I started this thread for those that wanted to pursue an upgrade and not clean install. I found a few ways to get there and thought I'd share what I found.

If you have a system that isn't stable all the time or has not been maintained, you should pursue a clean install just to get all the old junk out.

And finally, there is another thread going on, "Media Center 2005 on a Windows 2003 Server" (http://www.thegreenbutton.com/community/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=27&MessageID=78447) that should apply to anyone that wants to install MCE on XP without doing a repair install or registry changes. Turge and Cactus have done a good job of figuring out all the dlls that need to be installed and have outlined the steps to get MCE installed on an existing XP Pro or 2003 system. Info that they have provided in the other threads on this board helped me in my quest for figuring out how to do my upgrade. In fact, Cactus's steps pointed me in the direction of finding the registry changes detailed above - Thanks Cactus!

hi,

I have XP MCE 2005 CD2, but the problem is i don't have the CD1. (i upgraded from original to SP2 using the upgrade cd).

<Edit>

Thanks.

CD 1 is just a standard XP Pro CD. If you received media from an OEM that has only one piece of media (HP shipped only one piece of media for MCE 2005 on DVD), it should have both CD 1 and CD 2 integrated together (on DVD, since that's the only way they'll fit).

Anyway - however you received your upgrade, you had to have the contents for both CD 1 and CD 2 for the upgrade to work...

This seems a LOT of hard work for nothing really.

If you have legitimate copy of MediaCenter 2005 I think from your Windows XP Pro or Home Edition you should just backup your data - even use the Transfer files and settings wizard and back up all your stuff. After doing a fresh install of Windows XP MediaCenter 2005 just simply copy over your files using the wizard again.

Thanks for sharing the information anyway - and yes TweakNT is illigal as far as I recall anyway !

I have always felt though that a clean installation IS best over attempting upgrades,. Its interesting to know that Microsoft have never issued an 'Upgrade CD' for MCE 2005 theres only the OEM versions.

i did the conversion to XP Pro from corp, then  i used BartPE to load the hive, changed the values as specified  but when i restart my system properties dont say MCE, its still says Pro. i was just wanting a confirmation on the reg lines to modify. cause when i try to do the repair install of MCE2005 anyways (even though it doesnt say mce in my system properties after i unload the hive and restart) it gets an error partway through the repair

 

 

 

Hrmmm...it seems that even thought I'm using BartPE, I'm not allowed to unload the System hive after modifying it.  The message is something like, "Access Denied: Unable to Unload Hive".

...Any ideas why that might happen?

I'm currently using MCE 2004 and I didn't have the two registry keys (although my laptop, which has WinXP Pro, had both of them).  So I added them manually, using my laptop's registry as confirmation that I was making the correct additions (but using the registry values given above).

Although I can't really address anyone's problems (I'm still a noob with this stuff), I did want to say that I was able to successfully install MCE 2005 on top of my XP Pro install.  I followed the steps that tmksnyder listed in his post on 12/29/2004. Thanks for the great post and accurate detail. 

The only small problems I had were 1) I had to load SATA drivers - both on the BartPE disc and during the MCE repair.  It was no big deal but you need to have your drivers on hand.  The second thing was that after the install read some files from MCE install disc 2, it then asked for the "Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2" disc.  That threw me for a loop because that's not really what it wanted - it just wanted MCE install disc 1.  I got that figured out and everything went smoothly. 

I have since seen posts about both items, but I just thought I'd mention them here in case someone runs into the same thing. 

This system is also my gaming system, so I just didn't like the idea of reinstalling all my games (and other more productive software), then restoring saved games, profile info, etc, etc. 

For me, this method was MUCH easier then a clean install.

-ender

 

Plan A definitely doesn't work. I installed XP Corp on a freshly formatted Virtual PC. Updated to Microsoft Update. Did only enough MS updates to get WGA installed. Used TweakNT to tell XP it was really MCE. At this point, I could no longer login to the machine, it gave me some weird licensing error so it was impossible to do the "confirm" step. Rebooted off the MCE CD, did a repair install. MCE was "repairing" fine until it eventually bluescreened with a "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" stop. The hidsub.sys driver caused the fault. This has happened twice with two different MCE install medias (one CD image, one real CD).

Reformatting and installing MCE the proper way doesn't give a bluescreen so this is definitely caused by the "repair" process. Unfortunately, installing MCE this way leaves it crippled as the Activation stuff is still around.

Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to "pirate" MCE. I have a legit OEM version and we have a legit Corp XP license. Since I own both, I see no reason to have to put up with "activation".

I'm actually morally and philosophically opposed to such schemes. I don't mind paying for software, I just don't agree with draconian restrictions on its use. Perfect example: China nukes Seattle, MS is out of business. How am I going to activate my MCE when there's nothing at the other end of the wire? I realize this will prolly never happen but that doesn't make "activation" any less stupid.

So, my question is: Does anyone know how to turn an MCE OEM CD into an MCE Corp/Volume CD? OEMBIOS.*, DPCDLL.dll, PIDGEN.dll for MCE Corp? I know this is possible, I read about it in a cached google page from some Russians. All we need to do is find the right files.

Thanks!
O

I quickly read your post, but what is it that you're trying to achieve exactly with using Pro Corp over MCE? Everything in XP Pro can be done with MCE, except for the activation thingy.

The "activation thingey" is the bit I don't want to have to deal with. So what I want is what would be called a "Corp version of MCE", if one exists.