cnmsales

How do I put the original theme back on. I need to do so for trouble shooting purposes.

 

click "restore default"

Thanks!!! LOL, dont know how I was missing that.

Any help would be appreciated. I have installed this again after having to format my HDD. It installed but there is no start menu option. When I run the install file the app opens. I select the theme I want and then MCS crashes.

 Try this

I've scanned through this entire post, but didn't see an answer: In MCS it shows 3 "TV" sections. These must be the native strips, but why are there 3 (one of them is blank)? I'm trying to add tv Library into the native TV strip. I did read that there was a limit in Win7 for 5 items per default strip. Does anyone know how to add to the default strip? I want to have TV SHOWS (which would be tv library)>GUIDE>RECORDED TV>SEARCH I've put tv library in all three strips, but nothing happens.

Someone else may need to give the EXACT answer; but, it's my understanding that the top TV strip is for U.S. installs where MediaCenter detects a valid Tuner installed.

The 2nd strip is for U.S installs with NO detected Tuner installed.

The 3rd is for non-US installs.

I may be slightly off but that's roughly what it's like.

Hmm.. that sounds reasonable, but no matter which one I try to add tv library to, it won't show up. I guess MicroSoft has the default TV strip on "lock down"? Probably another one of those instances where MicroSoft is pissing on the ones who love and use their products.

I was able to modify the Music strip easily though.

Shouldn't be locked down at all.  I have Hulu added to it w/no problem.

Did you try renaming the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Packages\MCEClientUX\dSM*\StartResources.DLL to .old?

TheOsburnFamil

Shouldn't be locked down at all.  I have Hulu added to it w/no problem.

Did you try renaming the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Packages\MCEClientUX\dSM*\StartResources.DLL to .old?

 

Or you need to edit it with a binary editor as described here.  If you're not comfortable with a binary editor, feel free to download my version (32 bit) and give it a shot.

I've added both Hulu and Boxee to the TV strip.

Ah, I was not aware of the DLL rename to .old

Is that the norm? - did everyone have to do this to get it to work?

I'll try one of these methods when I get home tonight.

Thanks!

Hopefully this helps me, because my "OCD" is going crazy about these default Media Center strips. I want some order, dangit! LOL

Yeah-- recently MS changed something with the resources and periodically the StartResources.DLL will get copied down from an MCUpdate.  If the StartResources.DLL exists, MC will not apply all of the changes made with MCS.  It will apply some; but, not all.  MCS hasn't been updated to deal with whatever change was made; so, people are writing scripts/scheduled tasks to look for the presence of the dll, then rename it (so for, it doesn't appear to break anything by renaming it).

When you get some time, there are plenty of posts on dealing with it.  Some people are writing Windows Scheduled Tasks that wait for an MCUpdate Event (which is what brings down a new dll every once in a while), then when the MCUpdate runs, a scheduled task kicks off to rename the dll.  Set it once and forget it.

mpatnode76

TheOsburnFamil

Shouldn't be locked down at all.  I have Hulu added to it w/no problem.

Did you try renaming the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Packages\MCEClientUX\dSM*\StartResources.DLL to .old?

 

Or you need to edit it with a binary editor as described here.  If you're not comfortable with a binary editor, feel free to download my version (32 bit) and give it a shot.

I've added both Hulu and Boxee to the TV strip.

Awesome! The DLL change worked! Thanks. Does your version/script work with the task scheduler?

tedbone

Awesome! The DLL change worked! Thanks. Does your version/script work with the task scheduler?

 

I haven't automated the editing of the DLL.   It doesn't seem to get replaced that often, nor do I have to run MC Studio every day.    Obviously renaming the DLL would be trivial to automate in a script.   I'm curious what side effect that has.   Renaming it is essentially the same as deleting it.   Can anyone chime in on why/how that fixes the problem?

I assume the purpose of renaming it is if something goes wrong you can always rename it back to ".dll"

So what if you could run a task manager using something like this:

http://code.google.com/p/file2foldergui/

So anytime an update happened this file2folder would run and move the file to a separate folder to store the dll e.g. "Junk Dll" (or even recycle bin)

I haven't used  file2folderGU, but might try it. Now that I finally have some MediaCenter menu cleanliness (thanks to you guy's help) I am striving for goal 2 - totall automation. The WAF would be low if one day after an update the MediaCenter menus went back to their default ugliness. Sure, I could easily drill down into that folder again and rename it, but that's lame. :)

 

tedbone

I assume the purpose of renaming it is if something goes wrong you can always rename it back to ".dll"

 

Certainly, but by renaming it, you've hidden the file from Media Center.   My question is what did that DLL do that was so unnecessary?