Hi,
    I am new to media center. I want to disable some menus in startup (like pictures + videos, Musix, Sports) from MCE start menu. I dont want to edit ehres.dll as its not a complete solution.  Please let me know how I can achieve this functionality.

Regards
Shiva.

With registry keys you can remove all the strips (even removing all of them is possible but that does error out).

Please specify which registery keys and values i need to play with in order to remove 'task','pictures+videos' and the rest. Is it possible to change the logo on top left corner?

nr_shiva:

Please specify which registery keys and values i need to play with in order to remove 'task','pictures+videos' and the rest.

Below are the registry keys.  You can also download the registry file (Save As) with the same information to make it easier.  Things to note:

1. With the exception of HideTV, change the value of OnStartMenu to False to remove the ENTIRE strip.
2. Change the value of HideTV to 1 to remove TV related tiles.
3. When removing the Online Services tile you lose the ability to access your program library.  For me this isn't an issue as I've written all my own plug-ins that I place on custom strips.
4. I do not know what functions two of the values hide.  I'm assuming they are for Discovery Packages (i.e. MCESpotlight\Sports Strip) that are either not available in my region or reserved for OEM.  More than likely the later as there are two tiles reserved for OEM Discovery Packages.
5. The values below are per user.  You can change them to be Local Machine if you want everyone to have the same start menu.  I use it at the Per User level so I can customize the "kid's extender" to have different settings than my extender.  To configure your extender accounts you can import the settings into their registry branch by loading their registry file or what I do is use command prompt through an extender to import it.
6. You must restart Media Center for the changes to apply.
7. At least one default strip must be visible.  Setting all OnStartMenu values to False will crash Media Center (Microsoft, care to fix this?).
8. I've collected all this information myself, afaik except for LiveTV it is not published anywhere else.
9. I created a blog a couple days ago (not sure why....) and I've added this information to it: http://mikinhosoft.blogspot.com/2008/07/registry-based-vista-mce-start-menu.html.  I'll probably be publishing some of my plug-ins there but I have no sort of ETA. 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{2f72fb52-e1c4-46a5-be32-54205db0ffc4}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Music"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{47ecf759-4ec8-4b10-ae36-d262fee6fa04}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Sports"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{49f9b475-6d2c-4f27-9bbd-120b942d89d8}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Pictures + Videos"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{a8add452-1d1a-4775-acf2-565796306789}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Online Media"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{cde6651e-56e3-48a0-bdca-9a3151f0e67c}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Tasks"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{d30ea221-143f-47b7-9123-983d6813a759}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Unknown #1"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{dde82191-ea23-4606-9d63-b92c809c31bb}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="TV + Movies"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu\Applications\Internal\{f646f46d-cb98-4a32-bded-23c64a586b66}]
"OnStartMenu"="True"
@="Unknown #2"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu]
"HideTV"=dword:00000000

nr_shiva:

Is it possible to change the logo on top left corner?

Yes, there are a couple ways.  I'd check the OEMLogoUri registry string under [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Start Menu] first.

Hope this helps.  To me this has been the easiest way to customize the Start Menu the way I wanted.  Resource Editing gives you additional options but personally I don't consider that an elegant solution.

mikinho:

... or what I do is use command prompt through an extender to import it.

How are you getting the command prompt on an extender?

Plug-in.  It is useful for debugging network traffic and for quick tasks.

You can use MC Menu Mender (freeware) available by search on the "great" Austrialian website "xpmediacentre.com". This is a Vista site primarily. MC Menu Mender is dead simple to use, just drag and drop stuff, delete menu items, change titles, etc.  XPMEDIACENTRE has a great layout (better than TGB) and contains a lot of info. I don't think any menu fixing solutions will not touch the .dll and I have noticed Vista updates will redo the menu all over again. 

Living in Canada,  I detest that Internet TV is a menu option that when I press it says it only works in the US.  This and other "wasted" menu choices are what I delete everytime.  The extender picks up all changes of course.

mikinho:

Plug-in.  It is useful for debugging network traffic and for quick tasks.

What plugin?  I'd love to play around with it.

mikinho thank you.
Your answer is very helpful and it worked. Thanks a lot.
But one thing is still a question mark for me, thats logo.
You mentioned there are several ways.
Please give the details for this as well.
One more question - Is it possible to change the default text that appears when you start the application?

Once again thanks a lot for your quick response.

mikinho,

When I start Vista Media Center by default it opens to Recorded TV.  Is there a way to change this? 

I would prefer the Media Center to open to either the Main icon for My Movies or MyTV, or even Video Library.

Can this be done?

spplutchok

Menu mender will allow you to set the default start icon, just select the icon you want to save as default startup and it will have a slight glow to it.
After that hit save and it should be set to go.

I have my default set as myTV, and to make it all look that much better i added my own icons to replace some of the standard plugin icons.

fuminggorilla8

Menu mender will allow you to set the default start icon, just select the icon you want to save as default startup and it will have a slight glow to it.
After that hit save and it should be set to go.

I have my default set as myTV, and to make it all look that much better i added my own icons to replace some of the standard plugin icons.

 

Is there a registry setting that makes this work?  Is it TimeStamp?  I understand and use the Menu Mender Program but I'd like to know what it's changing.  Thanks.